| It is important that you understand the job | | | | |
| screening process whether you are considering | | | | Not unlike the screening process for American |
| Human Resources for your occupation or need | | | | Idol, a job seeker needs to perform their |
| to interface with HR for another type of | | | | best to impress the judges. Employee Training |
| position. | | | | & Development: As a company and the |
| | | | requirements of a position evolve, a company |
| Human Resources is just what it says: | | | | needs to take certain measures to ensure a |
| resources for humans, within the workplace! | | | | highly skilled workforce is in place. The |
| Its main objective is to meet the | | | | Human Resources Department oversees the |
| organizational needs of the company it | | | | skills development of company's workforce, |
| represents and the needs of the people hired | | | | acting as an in-house training center to |
| by that company. In short, it is the hub of | | | | coordinate training programs either on-site, |
| the organization serving as a liaison between | | | | off-site, or in the field. |
| all concerned. | | | | |
| | | | This might include on-going company training, |
| Depending on the size of the company, the HR | | | | outside training seminars, or even college, |
| Department might be called Personnel with a | | | | in which case an employee will receive |
| manageable workforce that can be handled by a | | | | tuition reimbursement upon earning a passing |
| personnel manager and a small staff. For | | | | grade. |
| larger, more complex organizations with | | | | |
| hundreds of departments and divisions, the | | | | EMPLOYEE RELATIONS: |
| task is much more demanding, taking on a life | | | | |
| of its own. | | | | With the increased rise in unethical |
| | | | practices and misbehaviors taking place in |
| Some companies have more than one HR | | | | today's workplace such as age, gender, race, |
| Department such as Corporate and Union. For | | | | and religion discrimination and sexual |
| example, a food service industry might have a | | | | harassment, there needs to be mandatory |
| Corporate HR Department that oversees white | | | | compliance with governing rules and |
| collared employees and an HR Department that | | | | regulations to ensure fair treatment of |
| oversees the blue collar workforce with an | | | | employees. In short, employees need to know |
| emphasis on labor relations. | | | | they have a place to turn when a supervisor |
| | | | abuses his or her authority in anyway. |
| With such diverse needs, the organization | | | | Whether corporate or union, the HR Department |
| will institute these two HR Departments to | | | | will get involved to act as arbitrator and |
| manage the unique needs of both union and | | | | liaison between legal entities, regulatory |
| non-union employees. Some of the many core | | | | agencies such as Human Rights, supervisors |
| functions of the Human Resources function | | | | (who might be falsely accused), and employees |
| involves the following: Organizational | | | | to properly address and resolve the issue at |
| Development: To ensure its success, a company | | | | hand. |
| must establish a hierarchal reporting system. | | | | |
| | | | EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION BENEFITS: |
| Picture an organizational chart with boxes | | | | |
| representing each position starting at the | | | | This covers salaries, bonuses, vacation pay, |
| top with the first and single-most important | | | | sick leave pay, Workers' Compensation, and |
| being the highest-ranking role. Following the | | | | insurance policies such as medical, dental, |
| lines, more boxes are branched off to define | | | | life, and 401k. The Human Resources |
| each department head and their direct | | | | Department is responsible for developing and |
| reports. As the company expands, so will this | | | | administering a benefits compensation system |
| chart. | | | | that serves as an incentive to ensure the |
| | | | recruitment and retainment of top talent that |
| The funnel of responsibility is critical to | | | | will stay on with the company. When an |
| the efficiency of a smoothly operating | | | | employee is hired, the company's Benefits |
| business entity in which there is a clearly | | | | Coordinator is required to meet with |
| defined understanding of who is responsible | | | | employees one-on-one or in small group |
| for what. This is what HR does for a company. | | | | settings to explain their benefits package. |
| They provide consultation to a company's | | | | This often requires an employee to make an |
| management team to identify what the | | | | informed decision and to provide their |
| company's core business and culture is about, | | | | signature for processing purposes |
| and proceeds to plan and map the company's | | | | |
| organizational infrastructure to support | | | | POLICY FORMULATION: |
| those needs. | | | | |
| | | | Regardless of the organization's size, |
| EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS: | | | | company policies and procedures must be |
| | | | established to ensure order in the workplace. |
| There are many steps to recruiting and | | | | These policies and procedures are put in |
| selecting qualified employees. First, a | | | | place to provide each employee with an |
| department head must inform the HR manager of | | | | understanding of what is expected of them. |
| an opening in their department. Then the HR | | | | Similarly, these policies and procedural |
| manager must obtain the job description to | | | | guidelines will assist hiring managers in |
| formulate a Job Description Sheet for | | | | evaluating their employee's performance. |
| publication either internally, publicly, or | | | | |
| both. | | | | These policies can be established |
| | | | company-wide or used to define each |
| Then HR must field the many responses to that | | | | department's function. It is Human Resource's |
| job announcement to weed out the qualified | | | | responsibility to collaborate with department |
| from the unqualified applicants. Once that is | | | | managers on the formulation of these policies |
| completed, the interview process must be | | | | and regulations to ensure a cohesive |
| coordinated. This is a full time job! If one | | | | organization. A common practice is the |
| job ad generates 80 responses, there is a | | | | development and implementation of an Employee |
| good chance that only 10 applicants are | | | | Procedure Manual or Employee Handbook that is |
| highly qualified for the position. | | | | either distributed to each employee at the |
| | | | time of hire or a master copy allocated one |
| If the department's hiring manager were to | | | | to a department. |
| interview the other 70 less-than-qualified | | | | |
| applicants, their department would come to a | | | | HRIS: HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM: |
| complete standstill because there would be no | | | | |
| time for anything else. That is where HR, | | | | To keep track of the vast amount of data, a |
| a.k.a. the gatekeepers, come in. They prepare | | | | human resources department must have a good |
| the job description, contact the newspaper, | | | | HRIS in place to automate many functions such |
| run the ad, field the calls, faxes, and | | | | as planning and tracking costs, monitoring |
| emails, compile a list of potential | | | | and evaluating productivity levels, and the |
| candidates from dozens of in-coming resumes. | | | | storing and processing of employee records |
| | | | such as payroll, benefits, and personnel |
| They submit their list of potential | | | | files. |
| candidates to the department's hiring manager | | | | |
| for approval and selection, contact the | | | | It is very important that you, the job |
| chosen candidates to set up preliminary | | | | seeker, understand how the HR function works, |
| interviews, and interview the candidates. | | | | specifically in the area of candidate |
| Yes, that's right, preliminary interviews. | | | | recruitment. If you are considering a career |
| Although most interviews are with the hiring | | | | in human resources, you can choose to become |
| manager or their associates, not all | | | | a Generalist or a Specialist. Some titles |
| applicants get to meet with the department's | | | | include HR Manager, HR Recruiter, HR |
| hiring manager right away. | | | | Administrator, Payroll Coordinator or |
| | | | Assistant, PeopleSoft HR Project Manager, |
| It is not uncommon for a company to filter | | | | Benefits Administrator or Coordinator, Labor |
| out those who fail to impress the HR manager | | | | Relations, Training Coordinator, HRIS |
| first. For those select few who make it | | | | Specialist and HR Consultant. |
| through, the HR manager schedules interviews | | | | |
| between the department's hiring manager and | | | | Whether a job seeker or a HR professional, |
| potential candidates, and follows up with the | | | | research a company well before applying for a |
| hiring process to establish the new hire with | | | | position. |
| the company. | | | | |