Just what does an HR department do?
If you’re asking this question, it’s likely that you’re a new business owner who wants to set up an HR department. In most well-established organizations, you’ll always find an HR department. Surely, these companies wouldn’t have this department unless it had a crucial role to play, right?
You’re correct.
Sometimes running a successful business can come down to the competence of your HR department. After all, your employees are the lifeblood of the organization.
In this article, we are providing a lowdown on some of the primary duties and responsibilities of an HR department.
Read on!
Creating an Organization’s HR Recruitment Strategy
You might have started your business as a one-man band, but as it grows, you’ll certainly need to bring in more people to help. You’ll need an accountant, a customer service rep, an IT specialist, and before you know, there are tens of positions to fill.
On your own, there’s only so much you can to build the right team.
So, what should you do? You have two options. You could outsource the task to a recruitment agency or you could build your own HR department. This is because one of the core functions of an HR department is to recruit personnel.
Recruiting doesn’t just mean putting out job ads and interviewing applicants. It also means creating a recruitment strategy that the organization can use to bring in new people.
Part of this function includes ensuring new hires are onboarded properly and feel at home. This could mean creating a program for new hire swag, just to help them transition smoothly.
Creating Workplace Policies
When your company was new, workplace policies were probably the last thing on your mind. However, as you start building a team, you quickly realize that you need policies that help to create a controlled workplace environment.
For instance, your organization needs policies about employee conduct, attendance, and punctuality. You need policies on pay, benefits, employment classifications, leave and time off benefits, meal and break periods, and a host of other matters.
Your HR department, lead by an HR manager, will create effective workplace policies. It’s also responsible for implement these policies. If there’s an erratic employee, perhaps they’re ever late, it’s HR’s job to find out why that’s the case and enforce disciplinary measures accordingly.
Ensuring Organizational Compliance to Labor Laws
There’s a raft of federal and state labor laws that every organization with employees must comply with. For example, there are Child Labor Laws, which restrict the employment and abuse of child workers. There’s the Americans with Disabilities Act, which compels employers to build disability-friendly policies.
If your organization violates labor law, there will be consequences. The last thing you want is your company facing lawsuits and fines that can cripple its operations.
Your HR department will ensure the company complies with all labor laws. When there’s a law change, it will implement necessary changes to ensure your company stays compliant.
What Does an HR Department Do? A Lot!
If you were wondering “what does an HR department do?” you now have a good idea of its core functions. Put simply, the HR department is the soul of your organization. You need it!
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