Hello All!! Thank you for checking out my blog. What are your thoughts on HR? check out mine below!
What IS Human Resources??
Many people out there have no idea. Don’t worry, if I was on the outside looking in, I would be confused as well! It isn’t clear cut like most other departments.
Accounting balances books, marketing promotes, and Human Resources coordinates the biggest asset of all, the employees. No pressure! (Right??)
HR is dynamic, and fluid, binding an organization in ways that could otherwise allow circumstances to quickly unravel.
What makes it impossible to define is that each organization is an entity shaped by hundreds of factors, each with unique needs; Employees, industry, size and setting… for starters.
Moreover, they all have specific mission statements with various levels of strategic involvement and each one draws from other areas within the company. HR “is” accounting, and marketing, and business development, only from a people perspective. A figurative spider web seen from all angles.
Thus… describing HR in a relatable way? First, there are a dozen aspects of HR that need attention. It goes beyond mere paper pushing, meetings filled with jargon and chipper attitudes (although the latter is certainly helpful).
In fact, I’ll bet that many out there don’t know, there are three levels of HR!
The most basic, of course, is your standard business practice; Payroll, benefits, onboarding etc… The essentials.
Next up are the compartmentalized facets that businesses have officially adopted in the last decade or two:
Recruitment- finding the right people to make your company into a five star machine. Recruiters coordinate with compensation, training, and marketing experts. After all, branding isn’t just for the customers, but candidates as well.
Training & Development- assisting employees in tuning their stellar skills. Trainers assess gaps the organization might otherwise not notice, often doubling efficiency.
Labour/Employee Relations- mediating miscommunications and enforcing policies. The internal side of public relations.
Compensation & Benefits- organizing pay structures, both direct and indirect. Tenure, budget, strategy, and policy are balanced for optimal remuneration.
Health and Safety/Wellness- keeping employees healthy and supporting those who need it while maintaining a hazard free environment.
Other HR hats are often thrown in the ring, such as compliance, engagement, diversity/equity, charity and generally any other issue which impacts an employee’s ability to work effectively.
Finally, there is the often overlooked component of Strategy, which HR falls under the umbrella of and considers all of the above to assist executives in leading a successful company. In a standard SWOT analysis, HR offers pivotal information. For example, a positive work culture would show as a strength (S) whereas market conditions such as average wage increases would represent a threat (T).
Finally, these factors are pooled to determine the most effective alignment of goals in key areas (HR, Marketing, Finance etc) so that short and long term plans can be devised and fed back into the strategy. Like a wheel spinning on it’s own momentum, if there is synergy between all components of an organization, it will thrive with few internal barriers. After all, what better way is there to face competitors than with a unified front?
In short, HR is shaped by the values and mission of an organization; It’s whatever an organization requires, within the scope of people management. That is… if they are doing it right!
Sources:
http://www.maverickec.com/index_files/Aligning%20HR%20Strategy%20epulse.pdf
http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/seven-major-categories-hr-management-activities-6406.html
http://e-hrminc.blogspot.ca/2011/04/aligning-hr-strategy-with-business.html
