2. FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCE
DEPARTMENT
•MANPOWER PLANNING
•JOB ANALYSIS AND JOB DESCRIPTION
•RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
•DETERMINING WAGES AND SALARIES
•PERFORMANCE APPRASIAL
3. •TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
•EMPLOYEE WELFARE AND MOTIVATION
•ADDRESSING EMPLOYEES GRIEVANCES
•LABOUR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
•IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES
•DISMISSAL AND REDUNDANCY
4. HR – NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
•HUMAN RESOURCES IS A COMPLEX, MULTIFACETED FIELD THAT REQUIRES
PROFESSIONALS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO JUGGLE PRIORITIES AND EXCEL AT A
NUMBER OF TASKS—FROM THE SOMETIMES TEDIOUS TO THE OFTEN
STRATEGIC. IT TAKES KNOWING WHAT TO HONE IN ON AND WHAT TO DELEGATE,
STAYING ON TOP OF THE LATEST TRENDS IN COMPENSATION AND ALWAYS HAVING
A FINGER ON THE PULSE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS. AND, OFTEN, WITH SO MANY
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HR, IT INVOLVES STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE
THROUGH CONTINUOUS EDUCATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE WHAT THE ROLE
WILL ENTAIL FOR THE COMPANY.
5. HR AS A COST CENTER
•THE VIEW OF HR AS A COST CENTER MAY BE ONE OF THE HARDEST TO OVERCOME. HOW EXECUTIVES
VIEW THE HR DEPARTMENT AND ITS ROLE OFTEN PLAYS A HUGE PART IN ITS PERCEPTION AND
FUNCTION, INCLUDING WHETHER THE JOB IS MANAGED IN-HOUSE TO BEGIN WITH. FREQUENTLY HR
MUST TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BE ITS OWN PROPONENT IN PROVIDING GREATER EDUCATION
ON THE VALUE OF ITS OFFERINGS.
OTHER COMPANIES REALIZE THAT HR MANAGERS CONTRIBUTE MORE DIRECTLY IN TAKING CARE OF
THEIR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS, HANDLING A RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES, INCLUDING: RECRUITING;
INTERVIEWING; PROVIDING, PRESENTING, AND DELIVERING MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION, LIFE, AND
OTHER ANCILLARY BENEFITS; JOB TRAINING; INSTITUTING PROGRAMS FOR RETENTION AND GROWTH
OF EMPLOYEES; ESTABLISHING TOOLS AND GUIDANCE FOR MANAGEMENT REVIEWS; AND REVIEWING
AND SELECTING TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT HR FUNCTIONS, TO NAME A FEW. EACH OF THESE, IN FACT,
CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE BOTTOM LINE WHEN ALL HARD AND SOFT COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS
ARE CONSIDERED.
6. HR’S ROLE: STRATEGIC AND/OR TACTICAL
•WHETHER DICTATED BY MANAGEMENT, ASSUMED BY THE PRACTITIONER, A FUNCTION
OF “FIGHTING FIRES” ON A DAILY BASIS, OR A COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE, HR’S ROLE
IN THE ORGANIZATION IS ALL TOO OFTEN TACTICAL OVER STRATEGIC, OFTEN TO THE
DISSATISFACTION OF PRACTITIONERS THEMSELVES. THIS POINT IS ILLUSTRATED BY
USC PROFESSOR EDWARD E. LAWLER III, WHO NOTED THAT HR PROFESSIONALS
REPORTED SPENDING ONLY 23% OF THEIR TIME IN 2005 “BEING A STRATEGIC
BUSINESS PARTNER” – NO MORE THAN THEY REPORTED IN 1995. AND LINE MANAGERS,
HE FOUND, SAID HR IS FAR LESS INVOLVED IN STRATEGY THAN HR THINKS IT IS.
7. EMPLOYEE CAPABILITIES/TECHNOLOGY’S
PREVALENCE
•IF EMPLOYEES AND EXECUTIVES ARE GUILTY OF DOWNPLAYING HR’S ROLE, OFTEN SO TOO IS HR IN
ASSESSING EMPLOYEES’ ABILITY TO MANAGE INFORMATION. COMPUTERS FIRST APPEARED IN
SCHOOLS OVER 12 YEARS AGO AND TODAY ARE USED BY 75 PERCENT OF AMERICANS TO ACCESS THE
INTERNET FOR THREE HOURS A DAY ON AVERAGE. STILL, MANY IN HR ARE RELUCTANT TO GIVE UP
BASIC SELF-SERVICE BENEFIT MANAGEMENT TASKS THAT WOULD SAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
TIME AND ALLOW THEM TO BETTER ADDRESS COMPANY OBJECTIVES.
•WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT ONLINE BENEFITS MANAGEMENT CAN BE A SCARY PROSPECT FOR THOSE WHO
MAY BE LESS COMPUTER SAVVY, HAVING ACCESS TO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ONLINE IS ANOTHER WAY TO
PROVIDE GREATER EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION THROUGH ACCESSIBILITY AND CHOICE. IN FACT, MANY
EMPLOYEES WILL EXPECT ONLINE ACCESS, ESPECIALLY TODAY’S YOUNGER GENERATION FOR WHOM
IPODS AND IM ARE PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
8. NOT ALL HR TOOLS ARE CREATED EQUAL
•ANOTHER WAY THAT HR CAN HEIGHTEN ITS ROLE AND INCREASE STRATEGIC INPUT IS BY USING
TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER ACCESS, MANAGE, AND REPORT ON INFORMATION. BUT, AS WITH ANY
INDUSTRY, IT IS HARD TO CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER AND HYPE SURROUNDING PROPOSED
SOLUTIONS TO SELECT THE BEST TECHNOLOGY TO MEET ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS. THOUGH ONE
PROVIDER MAY DECLARE IT OFFERS SELF-SERVICE CAPABILITIES, FOR INSTANCE, IT MAY NOT BE
THE SAME LEVEL NEEDED OR OFFERED BY OTHERS, PROVIDING DISAPPOINTING RESULTS. FOR AN
HR MANAGER THAT HAS MET WITH FALSE PROMISES IN THE PAST, DOING THE HOMEWORK ON
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
9. HR IS AN EASY JOB.
•IT IS ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT AS THE SITUATIONS AND PEOPLE DIFFER. SO EVEN IF YOU
UNDERSTAND ALL THE HUMAN BEHAVIOR THEORIES, EMPLOYMENT LAWS, COMPANY
POLICIES ETC….WHAT YOU WOULD BE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING DURING A SITUATION
WOULD ACTUALLY DEPEND ON THE SITUATION AND THE PERSON YOU ARE DEALING
WITH….AND LIKE IT IS SAID NO PERSON IS SAME …SO NO HR RESPONSE WILL BE SAME
AND HENCE THERE IS NO ‘RULE’ TO CRACK A SIMILAR SITUATION.
10. HR JUST DOES ADMINISTRATIVE WORK
AND KEEP MAKING POLICIES.
•HR DOES ADMINISTRATIVE WORK SO THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS DON’T HAVETO
THINK ABOUT IT AND FOCUS ON THEIR DIRECT OBJECTIVE OF INCREASING
PRODUCTIVITY. HOWEVER, WHY DO WE ALWAYS TEND TO FORGET THAT IT IS AN
EMPLOYEE WHO ACTUALLY WORKS TO REACH GOALS & INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND
IF AN EMPLOYEE ITSELF GETS TRAPPED INTO ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES (WHICH
ACTUALLY HR HELPS THEM TO DO…), THEY WILL GET FRUSTRATED AND MAY NOT BE ABLE
TO FOCUS.
11. HR PEOPLE JUST KEEP TALKING AND NEVER
FOUND AT THEIR DESK WHEN NEEDED
•IT IS THEIR JOB TO KEEP TALKING TO PEOPLE AROUND AND KNOW THE PULSE OF WHAT
THEY ARE THINKING, WHAT’S THE ISSUE AROUND WHICH EMPLOYEE WILL NOT TALK
ABOUT IN A CLOSED ROOM MEETINGS. YOU MAY FIND HR EXECUTIVES AROUND TO
ACTUALLY HELP YOU. THEY ARE ACTUALLY MONITORING THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AND
MAKING MENTAL NOTES WHICH WOULD HELP THEM WITH BETTER PERSPECTIVES IN
HANDLING PEOPLE ISSUES.
12. HR EXECUTIVES DON’T REALLY SOLVE THE ISSUE. THEY
JUST HEAR THE PROBLEMS.
•THEY DO HAVE SOLUTIONS BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DIRECT CHANGES. SO THEY
HAVE TO PLAY A ROLE OF ADVISORS MOST OF THE TIME.
•BASICALLY, THE PROBLEM IS THAT HR AS A FUNCTION DOESN’T HAVE A DIRECT PROFIT NUMBERS
TO SHOW WHICH LEADS TO ITS SEEMINGLY ‘NON – INFLUENTIAL’ ROLE IN RELATION TO OTHER
PROFIT-MAKING BUSINESS UNITS. THERE IS NO DIRECT MEASURE TO COUNT PROFITS MADE BY
HR DEPARTMENTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY INDIRECT WAYS (LIKE ATTRITION ANALYSIS,
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SCORE ETC.) TO MEASURE THAT HR DOES INFLUENCE BOTTOM LINE. AS
AN HR PROFESSIONAL, YOU REALLY HAVE TO PROVE TO THE TOP MANAGEMENT ABOUT YOUR
IMPORTANCE AND ONLY THAN YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAVE AUTHORITY TO REALLY MAKE NEEDED
CHANGE.
13. THEY ARE THE STAFFING FIRM’S EMPLOYEE, SO
WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LIABILITY
•JOINT EMPLOYMENT PRINCIPLES CREATE LIABILITY FOR BOTH THE STAFFING FIRM AND
THE COMPANY THE LEASED EMPLOYEE PERFORMS WORK FOR.
•MOST CONTINGENT WORKERS ARE EMPLOYEES OF THE STAFFING COMPANYAND ITS
CLIENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN CONTINGENT WORKERS WORK ALONGSIDE THE CLIENT’S
EMPLOYEES. AS A RESULT, THE STAFFING COMPANY AND CLIENT SHARE EMPLOYMENT
LAW OBLIGATIONS.
14. “AT WILL” MEANS WE CAN FIRE ANYONE,
ANYTIME, AS THERE IS NO CONTRACT OF
EMPLOYMENT.
• EVEN AT-WILL EMPLOYERS CANNOT FIRE SOMEONE FOR “BAD CAUSE.” ALSO, THERE IS A CONTRACT OF
EMPLOYMENT EVEN IN AT-WILL SITUATIONS.
• REMEMBER THAT AT-WILL DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO FIRE FOR AN ILLEGAL REASON, OR IN SOME CASES,
AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY. FURTHERMORE, AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT CAN BE DISPLACED BY AN EMPLOYMENT
CONTRACT, WHICH MAY BE CREATED BY OFFER LETTERS AND ORAL STATEMENTS. UNFULFILLED PROMISES
MAY LEAD TO LIABILITY FOR FRAUD.
15. WE CAN TERMINATE APPLICANTS WHO FAIL TO TELL US
ABOUT DISABILITIES, RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, OR
PREGNANCY THAT INTERFERE WITH THEIR ABILITY TO DO
THE JOB. AFTER ALL, THEY EFFECTIVELY LIED TO US.
•THE LAW SAYS THEY DO NOT HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH
THE EMPLOYER BEFORE BEING HIRED. EMPLOYERS MAY NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST A
JOB APPLICANT BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER RACE,COLOR, RELIGION, SEX (INCLUDING
PREGNANCY), NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE (40 OR OLDER), DISABILITY, OR GENETIC
INFORMATION.
16. FEW HARASSMENT LAWSUITS GET FILED,
SO I’M NOT WORRIED.
• WHILE STATISTICALLY THE NUMBERS ARE SMALL, THE COSTS ARE HUGE. AND THERE ARE REASONS TO
ROOT OUT HARASSING BEHAVIOR BEYOND LITIGATION AVOIDANCE.
IN 2012, THE HRM RECEIVED 21,088 CHARGES OF HARASSMENT. EMPLOYER IMPACTS INCLUDE:
• HIGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
• ABSENTEEISM
• LOWERED CONCENTRATION AT WORK
• LOWERED MORALE/TEAMWORK/COOPERATION
17. •TIME SPENT TALKING ABOUT/DEALING WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT INSTEAD OF
PERFORMING WORK
•TIME-CONSUMING INVESTIGATIONS
•DISTRUST AMONG EMPLOYEES
•ADVERSE PUBLICITY
•TRYING TO GET MANAGERS TO FORGET URBAN LEGENDS—ALWAYS A TOP PRIORITY
FOR HR MANAGERS. AND ONLY ONE WAY TO DO IT—TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN. BUT,
WHO’S GOT TIME FOR TRAINING?
•WE’VE SOLVED THAT WITH AN EASY-TO-MANAGE PROGRAM THAT LETS YOU TRAIN
IN DISCRETE, 10-MINUTE CHUNKS. A PROGRAM THAT’S EASY FOR YOU TO
DELIVER AND THAT REQUIRES LITTLE TIME FROM BUSY SCHEDULES.
•NO BUDGET? IF YOU’RE LIKE MOST COMPANIES IN THESE TIGHT BUDGET DAYS, YOU
WILL LIKE THAT IT IS REASONABLE IN COST
18. ANYONE CAN DO HR
•HR ACTIVITIES ARE BASED ON THEORY AND RESEARCH. HR
PROFESSIONALS MUST MASTER BOTH THEORY AND PRACTICE.
19. HR IS FULL OF FADS.
•HR PRACTICES HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME. HR PROFESSIONALS MUST SEE
THEIR CURRENT WORK AS PART OF AN EVOLUTIONARY CHAIN AND EXPLAIN
THEIR WORK WITH LESS JARGON AND MORE AUTHORITY
20. HR IS STAFFED BY NICE PEOPLE
•AT TIMES, HR PRACTICES SHOULD FORCE VIGOROUS DEBATES. HR
PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE CONFRONTIVE AND CHALLENGING AS WELL AS
SUPPORTIVE
21. PEOPLE GO INTO HR BECAUSE THEY LIKE
PEOPLE.
•HR DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CORPORATE THERAPY
OR AS SOCIAL OR HEALTH-AND-HAPPINESS RETREATS. HR PROFESSIONALS
MUST CREATE THE PRACTICES THAT MAKE EMPLOYEES MORE
COMPETITIVE, NOT MORE COMFORTABLE.
