Human Resources is about creating and cultivating employer-employee relationships.
What Is a Human Resource?
A human resource is a person (human) or employee that works for an organization. Employees are resources that further the goals of the company by providing labor. Human resources refers to all the employees of an organization.
What Does the Human Resources Department Do?
Staffing.
Develop a staffing plan, recruit employees, and negotiate compensation packages.
Workplace policies.
Develop and implement workplace policies including dress code, vacation time, discipline policies, ethics, and internet usage.
Compensation benefits.
Develop and administer compensation benefits including pay, sick leave, vacation time, stock options, bonuses, retirement plans, and health plans.
Training and development.
Provide employee training including job skills training, policy and legal training, team building, and communication training.
Performance monitoring.
Monitor employee performance, both individually and within a department.
Company culture.
Promote a healthy company culture by addressing issues with job satisfaction, environmental circumstances, and office politics.
Human Resource Management:
Human resource management (HRM) is a general term that describes the development and management of employees within an organization with the aim of increasing its effectiveness. HRM is sometimes called personnel management or talent management, all of which refer to the process of overseeing human capital (employees). HRM is overseen by the human resources department.
The Changing Face of Human Resources:
Human resource management has come a long way from simply providing employees with training and information. Overseeing a workforce requires adaptation and finesse. Once hired, employees need to be trained, compensated, motivated, engaged, managed, developed, and retained.
HR departments have also shifted their focus to develop and implement meaningful solutions that impact the business in a positive way. As such, many companies have outsourced traditional HR roles including recruitment, payroll, dispute resolution, safety, and even office policies.