Representation of employee interests is addressed, as reflected in the modern human resource management concepts. By attending to the need of respecting employee interests, companies may greatly increase their chances of reaching company business objectives and increase their effectiveness, as a result of improved employee involvement. Direct and indirect expressions of this aspect in modern HRM concepts are discussed. Specifics of local approaches to the realization of employee interests are discussed, based on empirical studies of more than 200 companies operating in the Lower Silesia region of Poland. Based on the study results, the authors demonstrate that the practice of management in the area under study is only in part consistent with the model representations of human resource management, as recommended in professional literature.