Question

The Primary Responsibilities of Human Resource Management

Instructions:

What are the primary responsibilities of the human resource management?

Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion.

Your responses should be 200 words. You must include the citations and references of the sources of information used to develop your discussion.

Answer 1

A human resource manager has two basic functions: overseeing department functions and managing employees. That's why human resources managers must be well-versed in each of the human resources disciplines – compensation and benefits, training and development, employee relations, and recruitment and selection. Core competencies for HR management include solid communication skills, and decision-making capabilities based on analytical skills and critical thought processes.

Consulting with management and overseeing assistants and specialists, human resources managers work to not only acquire and maintain the strongest workforce but also to reduce workplace conflict. Their role requires focusing on the company's strategic vision and considering long-term efficiency and effectiveness when hiring new employees and when creating compensation packages and training workers. Depending on the organization, some HR managers focus more on a specialized area, like staffing management or employee relations, while many others have a generalist role that requires performing tasks related to all HR functions. Workforce planning, benefits and compensation management, dispute resolution and employee development are all common roles and responsibilities of HR managers.

Overall Responsibilities of Human Resource Managers

Human resource managers have strategic and functional responsibilities for all of the HR disciplines. A human resource manager has the expertise of an HR generalist combined with general business and management skills. In large organizations, a human resource manager reports to the human resource director or a C-level human resource executive.

In smaller companies, some HR managers perform all of the department's functions or work with an HR assistant or generalist that handles administrative matters. Regardless of the size of department or the company, a human resource manager should have the skills to perform every HR function, if necessary.

HR Manager Job Description

A key role of an HR manager is to obtain, manage and develop effective employees who can help the company meet its long-term goals. In addition to handling workforce planning and onboarding, HR managers work to quickly resolve workplace conflicts that can create a hostile work environment, lower productivity and decrease employee morale. This role requires not only understanding the processes of acquiring, developing and managing workers but also understanding the legal concepts which apply to these processes. When effective, HR managers help a business to reduce its turnover, improve worker attendance and avoid legal issues, all of which help the company save money.

Plan for an Effective Workforce

While they usually designate the actual screening and interviewing tasks to HR specialists and assistants, HR managers work with management to determine the company's staffing needs. This involves developing detailed job descriptions and determining the proper skill set, education, personal qualities and experience necessary for each role. For example, an HR manager for a company hiring a software developer would meet with the development team to determine the programming languages and tools its developers use. Knowing the specific job requirements helps HR managers develop screening techniques and create skills assessments and interview questions to determine if prospective employees are a good fit.

Facilitate Employee Development

HR managers ensure employees receive the proper training to do their jobs well and to develop new skills. They develop onboarding programs that familiarize new employees with workplace policies and provide any specific training needed for the role. For example, an effective onboarding program for new salespeople would provide training on effective sales techniques and explain expectations for employee performance and call etiquette. In addition to helping develop onboarding programs, HR managers create opportunities for ongoing education as job duties expand or processes change, as well as offer additional help to struggling employees. They also work with management to create programs for employees who are interested in moving to another department or taking on a managerial role.

Manage Compensation and Benefits Programs

Developing attractive and effective compensation and benefits programs is another one of the responsibilities of human resource management. This task requires HR managers to consider the company's budget, research salary trends in the company's industry and look for competitive benefits (such as insurance, tuition reimbursement and time off) that can make the company stand out. When determining the pay for each role, HR managers consider the responsibilities, education and experience required along with the company's size and location. For example, HR managers may set a higher salary for a marketing assistant working in a large company in California than for one working in a small company in the Midwest. HR managers also develop the company's structure for pay increases based on performance, seniority and experience.

Handle Employee Issues

Resolving disputes, offering advice to management on employment legal issues and disciplining employees are additional roles and responsibilities of HR managers. When an employee does not get along with a coworker or supervisor, the HR manager serves as a mediator to determine the cause of the conflict and takes steps to prevent problems in the future. Likewise, when an employee reports that someone in the organization has harassed him, the HR manager reviews relevant company policies and employment laws to determine if there is a potential legal issue and meets with everyone involved to discuss the issue. Also, HR managers provide counseling, give warnings, issue suspensions or even terminate employees who do not meet performance standards or who display inappropriate behavior.

Compensation and Benefits

Human resource managers provide guidance and direction to compensation and benefits specialists. Within this discipline, human resources managers develop strategic compensation plans, align performance management systems with compensation structure and monitor negotiations for group health care benefits.

Examples of human resource manager responsibilities include monitoring Family and Medical Leave Act compliance, and adherence to confidentiality provisions for employee medical files. Human resource managers for small companies might also conduct open enrollment for employees' annual elections pertaining to health care coverage.

Training and Development

Employee training and development includes new hire orientation, leadership training and professional development. Human resource managers conduct periodic needs assessments to determine when training is necessary, and the type of training necessary to improve performance and productivity. They examine employee performance records to identify areas where employees could improve through job skills training or employee development, such as seminars or workshops on leadership techniques.

They also play an integral role in implementing employee development strategy and succession planning based on training and professional development. Succession planning draws on the manager's knowledge of employee development, training and future business needs to devise career tracks for employees who demonstrate the aptitude and desire for upward mobility.

Effective Employee Relations

Although the employee relations specialist is responsible for investigating and resolving workplace issues, the human resource manager has ultimate responsibility for preserving the employer-employee relationship through effective employee relations strategies. An effective employee relations strategy contains specific steps for ensuring the overall well-being of employees. It also ensures that employees have a safe working environment, free from discrimination and harassment. Human resource managers for small businesses conduct workplace investigations and resolve employee complaints.

Human resource managers may also be the primary contact for legal counsel in risk mitigation activities and litigation pertaining to employee relations matters. An example of risk mitigation handled by a human resource manager includes examining current workplace policies and providing training to employees and managers on those policies to minimize the frequency of employee complaints due to misinterpretation or misunderstanding of company policies.

Recruitment and Selection

Human resource managers develop strategic solutions to meet workforce demands and labor force trends. An employment manager actually oversees the recruitment and selection processes; however, an HR manager is primarily responsible for decisions related to corporate branding as it relates to recruiting and retaining talented employees. For example, a human resource manager in a health care firm might use her knowledge about nursing shortages to develop a strategy for employee retention, or for maintaining the current staffing levels.

The strategy might include developing an incentive program for nurses or providing nurses with cross-training so they can become certified in different specialties to become more valuable to the organization. Corporate branding as it relates to recruitment and retention means promoting the company as an employer of choice. Human resource managers responsible for this usually look at the recruitment and selection process, as well as compensation and benefits to find ways to appeal to highly qualified applicants.