With years of experience in a various roles in Human Resources, Marshall Alston discusses these different roles and their importance to companies big and small.
Over the past few years, the role of the HR department in a company has evolved. Their traditional role of hiring and firing staff has been broadened and now contains other aspects such as employee welfare and other responsibilities.
Their job is very important as they are tasked with ensuring that the company gets the most out of their employees and the business is working efficiently. This simply means that HR has to ensure that the company benefits from its employees while the employees are also benefitting, growing, and succeeding.
Marshall Alston takes a look at some of the roles that the human resource department plays in companies and why they are important.
Recruitment.
This is the primary role that HR has been identified with. HR professionals are in charge of the recruitment needs of the company. The recruitment process which includes interviewing and selecting new hires is the primary responsibility of the HR unit. They determine which recruitment is currently necessary for each department and then hire qualified personnel to fill those roles.
Helping the new hire to adapt.
The HR department doesn’t just stop at hiring new employees for the company. They also ensure that the newly employed staff are introduced to other employees and to the processes of the company. This introduction and onboard experience immensely helps the new employees to settle in and increase their productivity. The introduction process is tedious, thus the importance of HR.
Boost team morale.
Since HR is tasked with getting the most out of the employees, they usually measure and improve the employee satisfaction in the company.
Keep the employees focused.
Employees always being focused on their work increases their productivity. The HR department ensures that the quality of work life for the employees are always improving. They implement policies and programs that will keep the employees focused. They handle events like annual leave, daycare services, and several others.
Managing the employees.
As mentioned in the introduction, the HR department is in charge of looking after the benefits and incentives of employees. The benefits of employees are numerous and they include processing their application and claim form. The HR department also updates the information of employees or some programs made available to them. They are always available to answer questions and inquiries made by employees or customers.
Intermediary between the employees and the management.
If there is a problem with an employee or employees, it is the HR department that is tasked with being the middlemen between the employees and the management of the company. They also serve as an intermediary even amongst employees themselves. They resolve any internal and external conflicts as fast as possible.
Training and Development
Since they have been tasked with bringing out the best from the employees, they are in charge of the company’s training and development programs as well. They organize continuous education of employees and constantly upgrade their skills. Training the employees to the latest developments in their industry is crucial to the growth of the company and helps them maintain their level of professionalism and skill.
Company’s paperwork.
The HR department is tasked with looking at the database of the employees. They handle paperwork such as employee contracts, job responsibilities, discipline records and performance assessments.
Public Relations
HR helps build the public relations of the company by organizing business meetings, seminars, and official gatherings so that the company can be able to rival its peers in the industry. They are also tasked with ensuring that the corporate image of the company stays respectable at all times. Employees should know the values of the company and maintain them.
Conclusion.
The importance of the HR department to companies both small and big can’t be overestimated. They are literally in charge of almost everything apart from the production of goods or services. This is why they are regarded as one of the most important resources of a company.
For more career information related to Human Resources, be sure to connect with Marshall Alston on Quora.
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