The human resources (HR) department is responsible for managing the employee life cycle, from finding and hiring new talent to supporting and developing existing workers. Some of the main responsibilities of HR include:
- Recruitment: HR needs to understand the organization’s needs and make sure those needs are met when recruiting for new positions. This involves creating job descriptions, posting ads, screening resumes, conducting interviews, and onboarding new hires.
- Administration: HR keeps track of employee records, such as attendance, vacations, medical leave, and other data. HR also ensures compliance with labor laws and employment standards, such as minimum wage, overtime pay, health and safety, and anti-discrimination.
- Compensation and benefits: HR administers payroll and benefits for employees, such as health insurance, retirement plans, bonuses, and incentives. HR also conducts market research and benchmarking to ensure fair and competitive pay and benefits for employees.
- Training and development: HR provides opportunities for employees to learn new skills and advance their careers. This may include organizing workshops, seminars, mentoring programs, online courses, and performance appraisals. HR also helps employees with career planning and succession planning.
- Employee relations and performance management: HR fosters a positive and productive work environment by addressing employee issues and concerns, such as conflicts, grievances, feedback, recognition, and engagement. HR also implements policies and procedures to set expectations and standards for employee behavior and performance.
These are some of the key responsibilities of HR department. However, HR may also perform other tasks depending on the size, structure, and culture of the organization.