Responsibilities of Human Resource Departments

In all but the smallest organizations, an HR department is responsible for the functions of human resource management. On average, an organization has almost one-and-a-half full-time HR staff persons for every hundred employees on the payroll. Although the human resource department has responsibility for many areas, some of the tasks may be performed by supervisors or others inside or outside the organization.

Job analysis is the process of getting detailed information about jobs. Job design is the process of defining the way work will be performed and the tasks that a given job requires. Based on job analysis and design, an organization can determine the kinds of employees it needs and carries out the function of recruiting and hiring employees. Although organizations base hiring decisions on candidates’ existing qualifications, most organizations provide training and development experiences for their employees to broaden or deepen their knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The process of ensuring that employees’ activities and outputs match the organization’s goals is called performance management. Various measures are used to compare the employee’s performance with the desired results. The pay and benefits that employees earn play an important role in motivating them. Decisions about pay and benefits can also support other aspects of an organization’s strategy. Organizations often depend on human resource professionals to help them maintain positive relations with employees. This function includes establishing and communicating policies to promote fair decision making.