When you say human resources, it means either the employees of a company or the organization's department responsible for managing the employees. The term first appeared around the 1960s when the value of labour relations came into focus, and the employee selection assessments, organisation behaviour, and motivation were becoming systematised. Today, companies refer to the department as HR, but several years back, it was called personnel.

Looking closer at human resource management

The management of human resources involves the programs for development and administration created to increase a business or an organisation's effectiveness. HR management is an umbrella department that is responsible for creating, developing, and cultivating the relationship between employers and employees.

Responsibilities of the human resources department

Human resources have a very important role to play in any business since it is the department that manages the entire workforce.

 

As a department, human resources has these tasks:

·         Manage the recruitment, selection, and promotion of employees

·         Develop and oversee the programs for employee wellness and benefits

·         Develop, promote, and enforce the personnel policies of the organisation

·         Promote the career development and job training of employees

·         Provide the orientation programs for new employees

·         Guide disciplinary actions

·         Serve as the primary contact for accidents or injuries at the worksite

The human resources department is very much involved in the welfare of employees. The department takes charge of the training, benefits, pension plans, employee investments, and salaries of each employee as soon as they join the company. Its work is varied, as it might also be called upon to settle conflicts between employees or between managers and employees.

The human resource department is tasked with recruiting potential employees to fill new and vacant positions. It conducts the hiring process to find people suitable for the position and provides the required orientation for new hires.

Every company employee is a ward of the human resources department until the employee leaves the company because the person is laid off, fired, resigns, or retires. They must ensure that the paperwork for the separation from the company is completed, the severance pay is negotiated or offered, settle benefits due to the employee, and collect items the employee used to access company resources.

 

Innovations in HR management

The work is tedious and involves a volume of paperwork. The introduction of an HR system takes over the various tasks of the HR department. It is a system that allows the storage, processing, and retrieval of human resource information. The system varies and can be a combination of non-automated and automated systems to fit the organisation's needs.

Having an HR system is a boon to any organisation, even if it already has an effective HR management system in place. The system supports the following:

·         Electronic employee database

·         Automated payroll system

·         Self-service portals

·         Performance management

·         Benefits management

·         Recruiting systems

With the many tasks the HR department has to perform daily, it's vital to ensure that it can work seamlessly and effectively by improving the work environment and taking care of welfare. After all, it’s also part of an organisation's workforce.