In the simplest of terms, Human Resources (HR) is the division of a business that is responsible for managing the employee lifecycle. A Human Resources (HR) department takes care of a firm's most valuable asset – its people. Human Resources (HR) professionals make sure that employees have everything they need to perform their day-to-day duties as well as creating a healthy and inclusive work environment that not only attracts the best people, but retains them.
Professionals within a Human Resources (HR) department perform a huge variety of tasks such as – recruitment, employee relations, HR operations, compensation and benefits, payroll, learning and development, diversity and inclusion and early careers.
With this in mind, it is important to consider that Human Resource Management is an overarching, umbrella term to describe the function. Due to the many areas of Human Resources (HR), it is typical for professionals in this field to possess specific expertise in one or more areas. A few of these HR career titles are below;
• HR Generalist
• Training/Learning and Development
• Compensation and Benefits
• Recruitment
• Graduate Recruitment and Early Careers
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Payroll
To take this one step further, Human Resources (HR) involves both strategic and comprehensive approaches to managing people as well as workplace culture and environment. The role of a human resources professional is to ensure that a company’s most important asset – the people – is being nurtured and supported. Today’s Human Resource (HR) management team is responsible for much more than the traditional end-to-end administration tasks (albeit these still being important). Instead, Human Resource (HR) management teams are more focused on adding value to the strategic direction of a firm, the utilisation of employees and ensuring business needs are met and positive impacts are being made in measurable ways.
One of the responsibilities that falls under Human Resources (HR) is talent acquisition/recruitment. This includes recruiting, interviewing and hiring new employees. Once employees are hired, Human Resources (HR) is responsible for onboarding and training them to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills required to succeed in their roles. This includes developing and implementing training, as well as providing ongoing support and development opportunities.
Human Resources (HR) is also responsible for managing employee benefits, such as health insurance, private medical and holiday allowances. Human Resources (HR) professionals will also work to ensure that the company is compliant.
Overall, Human Resources (HR) plays a crucial role in the smooth operation and success of any organisation. It is responsible for managing the people who make up the company, and for ensuring that they are happy, productive, and able to contribute to the overall success of the business.
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