What Does Human Resources Do? – Let’s Discuss the Actual Process
What does human resources do? – This is a question that is still common despite the big roles that HRs play in various organizations and industries. Generally, the job of the human resource department is to take care of employees. In a corporate setting, HRs find, hire, train, and support employees.
Human resources (HR) is an important department in any organization. However, many people do not have a clear understanding of what HR professionals actually do on a daily basis. This article will provide an overview of the key responsibilities and activities that fall under the HR umbrella. An online masters in human resources degree can provide the necessary foundation to pursue a career in this diverse field.
To learn more about the major functions of human resources, read on to the end of the article.
A Brief Overview of Human Resources
Primarily, a human resources department performs HR management functions. The human resources department of a company is responsible for managing various concerns of employees. Basically, the major focus of the HR department is to strengthen the workforce and ensure that the work environment is positive.
Moreover, the HR also conducts activities in the organization that help improve the performance of employees. In addition to that, they also ensure employee participation at work and in corporate events.
Furthermore, HR professionals also work towards providing a structure to organizations. Thereby, they implement policies and procedures. This helps the department to protect employees as well as the organization while making sure the organization meets all its objectives in the first place.
What Does Human Resources Do? – Major Functions
The following are some of the major functions and responsibilities of human resources:
1. Recruiting and Hiring
One of the most visible roles HR plays is recruiting and hiring talent. HR staff are involved in developing job descriptions, posting openings, screening resumes, interviewing candidates, making job offers, and onboarding new hires.
They ensure the hiring process goes smoothly and that the organization finds and secures the best people.
Before going on with the hiring and onboarding process, human resource professionals assess the goals and objectives of the company. Apart from that, they also determine various workforce strategies that help them in the process. On the other hand, HR professionals also collaborate with other departments of the organization to understand what to plan.
2. Compensation and Benefits
HR departments manage compensation and benefits programs. They research market rates for salaries and build compensation structures. HR sets pay ranges for jobs and determines starting wages for new hires.
They also administer benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, tuition assistance, and more. Keeping compensation and benefits competitive is key to attracting and retaining top talent.
After the hiring process, human resource professionals add employees to the payroll system. Moreover, they also ensure that employees get prompt payment as per the payment schedule. On the other hand, HRs also compare and monitor salary standards to ensure competitiveness. Furthermore, if the HRs cannot offer a competitive wage, they resort to providing additional benefits.
3. Training and Development
The HR crafts ongoing training and development opportunities. They identify training needs through skills assessments and surveys. HR plans, coordinates, and sometimes delivers training programs on critical skills and compliance topics.
According to Indeed,
“New employees typically undergo training to learn company policies and procedures and the specific skills, tools or resources needed to perform their job. The HR department also works with managers to create or implement programs that train the existing workforce on specific skills or knowledge.”
Coaching leaders and facilitating leadership development programs may also fall under the HR training and development purview. These activities ensure employees have the right skills and knowledge to succeed in their roles.
Here, the focus is to improve the performance of employees so that they can achieve organizational goals.
4. Workplace Policies and Compliance
HR plays a key role in developing, implementing, and enforcing workplace policies. This includes policies on issues like equal opportunity, anti-discrimination, discipline, acceptable use of technology, and dress code.
HR also ensures the organization complies with employment laws and government regulations. Staying current on compliance and policy requirements is a core HR responsibility.
Here, human resource professionals also ensure that there is enough transparency in the process. Therefore, HR should always strive to maintain an open communication policy. This way, they will be able to ensure that their employees are comfortable in the organization. As a result, they will also be open to their needs and concerns.
5. Performance Management
HRs also have the responsibility to facilitate the performance management process in many companies. They consult with managers on setting goals and measurements for employees. HR provides performance review templates and trains managers on giving feedback. They help implement performance improvement plans when needed. By managing the performance review process, HR helps ensure employees are aligned with organizational goals.
6. Employee Relations
HR staff provide guidance to managers and employees on workplace issues. They may coach managers on giving feedback, dealing with conflict, maintaining positive morale, and legal concerns.
Employees can also come to HR to voice complaints confidentially or learn how to handle problems directly with their managers. HR aims to build positive employee relations through open communication.
7. Retention and Engagement
In addition to attraction and hiring, HR also focuses on the retention and engagement of current staff. HR develops engagement surveys and analyzes results to identify strengths and weaknesses.
They create initiatives, like employee recognition programs, to boost engagement. Monitoring turnover metrics also allows HR to diagnose retention issues. Addressing these areas leads to higher job satisfaction.
For example, while hosting contests, human resource professionals must make sure winners receive rewards and incentives. These incentives help employees to feel appreciated. As a result, they feel excited to come to work.
8. Administrative Functions
HR teams handle a great deal of administrative work, including maintaining employee records, managing the onboarding/offboarding process, tracking time off, organizing company events, issuing employee communications, ensuring workplace safety and health compliance, and gathering data/metrics for organizational analytics. Though not the most visible work, solid HR administration and infrastructure provide critical support.
Bottom Line
While this overview does not cover everything on an HR professional’s plate, it highlights many of the key responsibilities. From talent acquisition to development, compliance, performance management, and more, HR touches many aspects of the employee lifecycle and workplace culture.
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