Imagine how a company without a proper and reliable Human Resources department can perform as an organization? How long do you think they can last without crumbling down to pieces simply because of an unreliable HR department? It is probably the importance of such functions that a lot of Cloud HR Solutions are getting into business nowadays. But what really is the function of the HR department?
We all know that the basic function of any HR department is to handle the recruitment process of a company, employee compensation and benefits, and payroll duties. However, the reality is the HR department has more responsibilities than what we give them credit for, especially for large companies. To familiarize ourselves with these other jobs, let’s try to dig deeper into the HR core functions.
An Overview of the Human Resources Department
If we are to define the meaning of human resources, we ought to look at both the employees working for a company and the department who manages any matters that relate to its employees. Collectively, the Human Resource Department represents the team that holds a company together who is responsible for hiring, maintaining, and developing human resources in any company They do not only facilitate the process of onboarding employees, they also see to the employees growth and development, satisfaction and career opportunities.
Contrary to what a lay person knows about Human Resource Management, this function is not limited to hiring employees alone. In addition to handling the recruitment process, they are also the point person for a number of major areas such as compensation and benefits, organizational development including training, and conducting workshops for the employees.
Because of the wide scope of human resource management, the field has actually branched out into many more subfields these last few years that an HR manager is no longer a training development specialist, nor a recruiter can be interchanged with a personnel analyst. The field has grown so much that the need to eliminate its core functions can mean a long list of a number of different tasks that need to be fulfilled, Let’s review some of the core functions of Human Resource Management for now.
The ABCs of Human Resources Core Functions
If we are to summarize the general role of a Human Resource management team, it has to be about developing and administering programs that are designed to increase the effectiveness of an organization or business. It covers a really wide field that includes the creation, management, and cultivation of an employees’ relationship to its employer or company. But to give a fair idea of the scope of their responsibilities, here’s a list of some of their core functions in a company:
Acquisition
Probably the most popular HR functions, everyone must already know that the HT department is responsible for the recruitment process in a company. Recruitment is indeed one of the key areas of focus for HR wherein their main goal is to attract, select and onboard suitable candidates for the organization.
Benefits and Compensation
Another more common task of an HR officer is the handling of an employees’ compensation and benefits. This function refers to any matter concerning the employee’s salary and any monetary and non-monetary benefits that a company grants to its employees. It helps give benefits to employees based on their performance and actions and brings the best out of the employees at the workplace.
Compliance
The Human Resources Management team is also the one responsible for creating and maintaining a company’s employee handbook. It also falls within their scope of responsibility to ensure that each employee is following these codes of ethics and all the important rules and regulations mentioned in the employee handbook. If you remember going through an onboarding session prior to joining a company, that’s also part of HR work.
Development and Learning
The Human Resource Management team also focuses on the development and learning of every employee in a company. The reason why part of their skill set is to be well versed in psychology is because it is also their task to provide training and coaching, conducting workshops and training, and making sure that the growth of every employee is well taken care of.
End of Service
Rightfully enough, since they are responsible for hiring employees, they are also the ones responsible in making sure that an employee exits the company without any pending accountabilities, separation pays, clearances, and other tasks related to an employee exit, whether by resignation or retirement, or other reasons, the HR team is also the one covering this field.
Future of the Company
A far greater task of ensuring the future of the company falls under the core responsibility of the HR team to optimize its organizational structure to improve efficiency and reduce noise and conflict. They make sure that every need of the company is taken care of, and they should be the one who knows if there is a need to restructure jobs or create supervisor responsibilities to ensure the smooth operations of the organization.
General Health and Safety
It may come as a surprise but your HR team is also responsible for your health and safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created to make sure that employers keep their employees safe and healthy at work. And guess what, the HR team is also tasked to ensure that the rules handed down by OSHA are properly administered in a company.
I am only at letter G and I could probably go on until the letter Z, but knowing these few tasks alone gives you a clear idea that HR management is not solely about hiring people and making sure that they are paid. There are a lot of other tasks that the HR team is held responsible for, and they ought to receive our respect for doing all these things for us, their employees, and the company.
