The HR department is one of the essential pieces of machinery in every business. Here is a look at some of the work that HR departments are responsible for.
Payroll
HR departments are responsible for making sure that every employee is paid correctly and on time. Failure to do this can result in huge dissatisfaction amongst a workforce. However, Payroll is a time-consuming element of Human Resources management. For this reason, many smaller companies choose to outsource payroll management to companies like Employer Advantage. Check out their website for a look at how 3rd party payroll management works: https://employeradvantage.com/payroll-services/.
Recruitment
One of the most important aspects of any HR department’s work involves recruitment. Timely recruitment of good quality candidates is essential for the growth of a company. HR departments are in charge of working with executives to identify roles that need to be filled, which then need to be advertised. Alternatively, HR professionals may work as ‘headhunters’, actively seeking out candidates from the ranks of other businesses and convincing them to switch jobs. The ability to find the right candidates for a job is one of the reasons why a good HR professional is invaluable to a business. Long term recruitment strategy is also headed up by HR.
Disciplinary Actions
HR teams administer disciplinary actions taken against employees. This is one of the reasons that HR departments have a rather bad reputation in some companies. Discipline in the workplace is slowly changing. While threats of termination and the docking of hours were common in times gone by, companies now see more use in productive disciplinary actions. Employees constantly unable to complete their tasks are interviewed about the reasons why these tasks cannot be fulfilled. This kind of disciplinary interview can garner information about employee education and counseling initiatives that need to be expanded upon. It can also reveal errors on the part of the company in terms of hiring practices that need to be changed. In some cases, employees still need to be fired. This process is also handled by the Human Resources department.
End Of Employment
All stretches of employment come to an end eventually. Whether through disciplinary termination, medical discharge, death or a change of job, there is an end to every workplace story. Human resource departments are tasked with the smooth, legal and transparent termination of contracts. This is not usually as simple as removing an employee from the company payroll. HR teams need to make sure that tax paperwork, pension funds and legal notice periods are all transferred or adhered to properly.
In the United States of America there are some legalprotections offered to employees who have had their contracts terminated due to a disciplinary measure. HR departments are responsible for making sure that every termination occurs within the bounds of the law. Employees are entitled to sue for compensation if they suspect that they are being fired illegally. Employee labor unions also take a stand against wrongful or illegal terminations, and strike actions caused by such misdeeds can bring companies to their knees. For these reasons, companies are always very eager to stick to the rules when it comes to letting an employee go. HR departments have a role to play in reigning in an employer if they are seen to be abusing their power when it comes to terminating workers.
Maintain Employee Records
The maintenance of up-to-date employee records is mandated by law in countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It is the responsibility of an HR department to keep all records up to date, and to work with IT staff to ensure that all records are kept secure.
Employee record keeping is not just useful for staying on the right side of the law. Properly kept employee records can also be used by companies to identify skill gaps that they have in their workforce. This enables them to plan employment or education drives in order to improve overall company performance.
Benefit Provision And Analysis
The provision and analysis of employee benefit programs is an immensely important part of the HR workload. Good workplaces offer their employees benefits for their hard toil and loyalty. These benefits can include childcare, healthcare, paid leave and counselling. Healthcare is an especially important benefit for employees and employers in the United States of America. Despite spending a huge amount of federal money on healthcare, the USA still has no comprehensive universal healthcare system due to complex ideological factors baked into the history of the nation. Consequently, many Americans rely upon their workplaces to provide them with health insurance. Without health insurance, the cost of medical care is beyond most people. Hiring and retaining the right employees is much simpler when a company can offer them good health insurance.
Companies are increasingly investing in employee benefits related to mental wellbeing. HR departments are responsible for allocating paid for counselling and therapy, as well as distributing free access to mobile mental wellbeing apps. In the post pandemic remote work environment, HR departments are having to be creative in the ways they provide wellbeing resources to employees that are increasingly isolated.
Education
Although some large companies do have separate educational and training departments, for the most part these essential features of a good workplace are organized by the HR department in conjunction with specialist staff and outsourced educators. Education and training need to be constant if employees are going to be empowered to complete their jobs professionally and efficiently.
Education also has a role in the enticement and retainment of good employees. The best candidates for almost any role are ambitious and driven. This usually means that they want to be able to improve on their position within a company by gaining new skills and qualifications. Offering comprehensive education and nationally recognized qualifications can help to entice the most ambitious candidates into a role. As the Human Resources department is invested in the employment of good candidates, they often take the driving seat in establishing – and advertising – the educational programs offered by a hiring company.
