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