Human Resources: What Is It?
The group of individuals or department that builds a workforce and handles employee functions in a business is known as human resources, or HR. HR is in charge of overseeing all aspect of an employee’s lifetime, including hiring, training, onboarding, resource replacement, identifying the best resources for the business, etc. The HR division is headed by the Chief Human Resources Officer, or CHRO. Regardless of the size of the organization, the human resources department is essential.
A company’s human resources department is crucial since it oversees and cultivates a productive workplace. It keeps talent, fosters employee growth, and assures compliance—all of which contribute to the success of the company as a whole.
HR positions are outsourced by certain businesses. We refer to this as human resource outsourcing. It allows a company to delegate HR responsibilities to a third party, allowing it to focus on expansion objectives.
What does a company’s human resources department do?
A company’s human resources department is a corporate section that takes care of its most valuable asset, which are its employees. From hiring to payroll, HR is in charge of all employee-related issues in a business.
Human resource generalists handle all aspects of small businesses. HR specialists in larger organizations focus on hiring, benefits, and operations. There are several departments within a company’s human resources department. Companies typically employ HR professionals that specialize in unique and specialized tasks since human resources operations encompass a wide range of responsibilities.
HR Job Types
An HR Manager or Director of HR typically leads HR teams. The teams are separated into several HR departments, and each employee has a certain set of duties based on their role.
The HR department is responsible for 12 key human resources tasks. Here, each function has been explained along with examples of the HR positions that fall under it.
Function of Administration
HR administration entails handling paperwork and maintaining personnel records. HR administrative positions make sure that rules and regulations are followed while maintaining efficient HR operations.
Roles in HR administration examples include:
- HR Administrator and HR Coordinator
- HR Officer, HR Generalist, and HR Assistant
- The Hiring and Recruitment Process
- Finding and choosing the best applicants for available positions is the main goal of the recruitment and hiring process. To create a skilled staff, they organize the hiring process and conduct interviews. Everything from sourcing to employee onboarding is within their purview.
HR recruitment and hiring role examples include:
- Expert in Talent Acquisition
- Recruitment Coordinator Recruiter
- Expert in Employer Branding
- Performance Monitoring Role of Sourcing Strategist
- Through performance measurements, feedback, and assessments, HR’s performance monitoring function keeps an eye on and assesses worker performance. Enhancing productivity and pinpointing areas for improvement are their primary objectives.
Roles that involve HR performance monitoring include:
- Expert in Performance Management
- HR Analyst, Coordinator of Performance Reviews, and Expert in Employee Assessment
- Advisor for Performance Improvement
- Payroll and Compensation Function
- Payroll procedures, benefits, and employee salaries are managed by HR’s compensation and payroll department. It guarantees accurate and on-time employee payments.
Payroll and compensation jobs in HR examples include:
- Analyst of Compensation
- Benefits Manager Payroll Specialist Payroll Administrator
- Consultant for Compensation
- Function of Learning and Development
- Workshops and training sessions are organized by HR’s learning and development department. They make an effort to improve workers’ abilities and expertise, encouraging their advancement within the company.
HR learning and development positions include, for example:
- Coordinator of Training and Expert in Learning and Development
- Manager of Leadership Development, eLearning Expert, and Training Facilitator
- Function of Rewards and Benefits
- Designing and overseeing employee awards, recognition initiatives, and benefit plans are all part of HR’s rewards and benefits job. Motivating and keeping staff is their goal. In order to provide competitive and enticing remuneration packages that enhance employee happiness and loyalty, they examine market trends and employee preferences.
HR incentives and bonuses positions include, for example:
- Benefits Manager Compensation and Benefits Analyst Benefits Consultant Benefits Administrator Total Rewards Specialist
- Function of Employee Well-Being
- The HR department’s employee well-being division looks out for workers’ physical and emotional health. This is accomplished by putting wellness initiatives into place and providing assistance for a safe workplace. This could entail planning events that support stress reduction and work-life balance.
HR positions related to employee well-being include:
- Health and well-being Coordinator, Employee Support Expert
- Manager of the Wellness Program and Occupational Health Consultant
- Counselor for Mental Health
- Function of Health and Safety
- HR’s health and safety department upholds safety regulations, evaluates hazards, and fosters a secure work environment for all staff members. They work together with the appropriate departments to handle possible risks, carry out audits, and provide safety training.
Roles in HR health and safety examples include:
- Officer of Health and Safety
- Manager of Safety Compliance, Occupational Health Specialist, and Ergonomics Expert
- Trainer for Workplace Safety
- The function of career planning
- HR’s career planning department helps staff members establish their professional objectives and offers resources and advice to help them grow in their careers. This division’s activities include internal mobility possibilities, career development courses, and mentorship initiatives. It facilitates professional advancement for staff members within the company.
HR career planning position examples include:
- Advisor for Career Development and Expert in Talent Management
- Analyst for Succession Planning and Career Coaching
- Manager of Talent Mobility
- Career Guidance
- Communication and Employee Engagement
- The HR department’s employee engagement and communication function manages the different avenues to increase worker morale and output. They set up feedback systems, survey employees, and plan team-building exercises.
HR employee involvement roles include, for example:
- Coordinator of Employee Engagement and Expert in Internal Communications
- Manager of Employee Relations and HR Communications Expert
- Specialist in Employee Experience
- Evaluation of Function
- To find areas for improvement, the HR function assessment division evaluates all HR procedures and tactics. Aligning HR procedures with corporate objectives is part of evaluating HR functions. HR specialists continuously improve their services to better suit the demands of the business and its employees by evaluating data and feedback.
HR function assessment duties include, for example:
- Business Partner for HR
- Analyst of HR Strategy
- Analyst of HR Metrics
- Manager of HR Transformation and Consultant for Organizational Development
- Planning Function for Human Resources
- HR’s human resource planning department is in charge of the organization’s overall planning with reference to its workforce. It plans for talent acquisition, projects future workforce requirements, and creates methods to guarantee that the company has the right people in the right roles for success.
Roles in human resource planning include, for example:
- Manager of HR Planning and Workforce Planning
- Manager of HR Analytics and HR Project Management
- Data Scientist for HR
What exactly does an HR professional do?
A company’s human resources, or HR, department is in charge of all employee-related operations. The HR department performs a wide range of sometimes challenging tasks. This department’s ultimate objective is to promote organizational expansion and acknowledge its achievements.
HR’s primary duties and responsibilities include:
- Finding and hiring applicants
- Employee onboarding and offboarding
- Payroll and compensation processing
- assembling organizing guidelines
- Employee development and training
- Promotion and performance review
- Keeping up relations with employees
- Maintaining the Culture of the Organization
Which books are well-liked by HR professionals?
The professional path in human resources is an ongoing educational activity. You will always be learning about people and how they work. Based on actual reviews by HR professionals, this is a list of the top HR books to read.
Redefining HR: Using People Teams to Improve Business Performance by Katelin Holloway and Lars Schmidt
Understanding the HR Metric with Predictive HR Analytics
Written by Kristen Edwards and Martin R. Edwards
HR Upended: Lucy Adams Says It’s Time for Something New
Place a Bet on Talent: How to Develop an Amazing Culture That Wins Over Customers
Written by Dee Ann Turner
Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
External HR In Six Competencies for Human Resources’ Future
By Mike Ulrich, Wayne Brockbank, Jon Younger, and Dave Ulrich
Human Resources Management: What Is It?
The process of strategically assisting staff members and fostering a healthy work environment is known as human resource management. It covers tasks like hiring, pay, and employee relations that are tailored to the requirements of each company. HRM is crucial because it serves as a link between an organization’s objectives and the ways in which its people contribute to them. In a company, HR experts serve as the forerunners of HRM.
Are personnel management and HRM interchangeable?
The objectives and duties of personnel management and human resources management are different. HRM is a strategic approach that leverages workers’ abilities to support an organization’s overarching goals. Personnel management is solely concerned with workers and how to attract and keep the best workers for a company.
Which policies is HR using on a daily basis?
The rules that regulate the working relationship between you and your staff are known as HR policies. They set forth the duties, rights, and conduct expected in a thriving workplace. The non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy, the employee health policy, the attendance and leave policy, the food and break policy, and others are some of the standard policies that HR uses on a daily basis.
Is it possible to outsource human resources?
It is possible to outsource HR. To further improve its people functions, a business with or without an HR department can outsource its HR functions. HR outsourcing is a cooperative extension of your existing staff, not a replacement. Actually, a variety of HR software can also be used to carry out HR tasks. HR activities are automated by software such as Doinsights, Workday, ADP, and BambooHR, which also helps the HR team by decreasing manual labor.
