| The human resources department is one of the most | | | | development, etc. He should be a good negotiator in |
| important departments in an organization. Almost all the | | | | times of salary decisions. |
| activities of an organization revolve around the HR | | | | As a Change agent, he should be able to find out new |
| department. A Human resource professional must | | | | ways of doing things that can move the company |
| perform a lot of functions and roles in an organization | | | | forward. He should be able to convince Management |
| towards the actualization of the corporate goals and | | | | on the need for the change and address employees |
| objectives of the firm in a way to drive the | | | | about changes. He should coordinate and facilitate the |
| organization's vision and mission. | | | | change process. He is to provide the tools and |
| The core roles of a human resources person are | | | | structures needed during change period. As an expert, |
| grouped into four broad roles that must be carried out | | | | he should be able to create a new organizational |
| professionally. The Human resources professional | | | | change without disrupting the firms business. |
| must be all of these: | | | | As an Employee Champion, the HR professional |
| A STRATEGIC PARTNER TO HIS ORGANISATION. | | | | should be able to manage the selection, recruitment, |
| AN ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERT. | | | | training, development, career planning, performance |
| A CHANGE AGENT. | | | | management, succession planning, and Staff retention |
| AN EMPLOYEE CHAMPION. | | | | exercises. He is to determine the long term human |
| As a strategic partner, the HR professional must be | | | | resources needs, assess current resources and |
| able to partner with the organization in developing plans | | | | determine area of changes. He is to determine |
| that will align the human resources of the firm with the | | | | whether human resources needs can be sourced |
| long term corporate goals and vision of the firm. He | | | | internally or externally. He is to conduct training needs |
| should be able to contribute to business strategy | | | | assessment, to determine the type of training that will |
| development by aligning HR jobs with strategic goals. | | | | benefit the staff and organization. Conduct and |
| He should be able to provide tools and create an | | | | arrange for trainings and determine the training results |
| enabling environment to actualize these goals. He is the | | | | on the productivity of the firm. The HR professional |
| eyes of his firm in the outside world and should be a | | | | manages and carries out career management in a |
| liaison between his firm and the society, environment | | | | way to align the employees' dreams with the |
| and government. He should be able to analyze work | | | | organizational requirements. Also as an employee |
| processes and recommend improvements where | | | | champion, the HR expert is to carry out performance |
| necessary. He should develop policies that will benefit | | | | appraisal exercises to determine staff performances in |
| the firm, Management and employees alike. | | | | their present responsibilities a well as determining those |
| As an Administrative expert, the HR professional is | | | | that will be rewarded, promoted, demoted and |
| expected to carry out administrative duties like | | | | recognized. As an employee champion he should be |
| providing the necessary tools needed for the | | | | involved in grievance handling and disciplinary issues in |
| organization to operate successfully. He should be able | | | | the firm. He is to handle all employee related matters |
| to manage the overall labour costs in his organization | | | | like leave issues, medicals, pension matters, housing |
| and plan for administrative budgets. As an | | | | and general welfare issues. |
| administrative expert, the HR person should be an | | | | In summary a HR professional should be able to |
| information manager. He should have at all times all | | | | perform the following functions; Manpower planning, |
| data relating to employees and make same available | | | | recruitment, compensation and salary issues, employee |
| ...at all times. The HR person should be able to discover | | | | development and administration, Training and career |
| new and evolving trends that will be beneficial to the | | | | development, labour relations and discipline |
| company and advise Management accordingly. He | | | | management, personnel transfer and movement, |
| should always conduct research to find out what is | | | | performance management Human resources |
| obtainable in other firms that makes them tick and | | | | information system, payroll, organizational development |
| advise management. The HR person should be able to | | | | etc. |
| manage HR budgets (recruitment, selection, training and | | | | |