What are the purpose and functions of Human Resource Management and why are they important to all managers?

The human resources department plays a critical role in ensuring employees are engaged, fulfilled, and performing to the best of their abilities. No matter the organization’s industry or size, a dedicated human resources staffer or department is key to ensuring its employees — often called a business’s greatest asset — are thriving. 

The primary functions of human resource management are directly tied to the welfare of the company’s personnel and its overall goals.

Helping achieve the organization’s strategic goals

Human resource management helps the organization achieve its short- and long-term objectives by aligning with the overall business strategy. For example, if a business wants to grow its sales department of 60 people by 50 percent over the next three years, HR can create a plan to hire 20 new sales reps each year to achieve that goal. 

Reviewing current and future business demands is a critical component of human resource management. Through effective employee recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, and reward structures, HR can support the company in reaching its many targets.

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Advocating for employees

The importance of human resource management is evident in the role it plays managing employee relationships. In any workplace, there are bound to be conflicts, disagreements, miscommunication, and resentment. Even if employees get along with each other, it’s natural for tension to occur from time to time. 

Human resources personnel often take a lead role in advocating for employees to ensure they are heard by management and team members. Their skills in conflict resolution and negotiation help ensure all employees can work together effectively. Depending on the situation and the company’s needs, HR may play the role of mediator, coach, or advocate.

Equipping employees with training and resources

To get the most value from its employees, the company must provide them with the training, knowledge, and resources to do their jobs effectively. One of the most important functions of human resource management is developing the skills and expertise of its people. This can include setting up training sessions, facilitating workshops, and acquiring new equipment or technology. 

In fact, an HR department should offer training and professional development throughout employees’ tenure at the organization. When employees have the resources to do their jobs well, they are better positioned to help the company reach its goals.

Creating a positive organizational culture

The culture of an organization stems from its mission, vision, and values. While company leadership typically creates these elements, human resource management is responsible for bringing them to life in the workplace. 

There are many ways to establish a positive organizational culture, such as offering competitive salaries, tangible benefits like health insurance, and intangible benefits like camaraderie and friendship. Human resource management is critical to establishing a workplace culture that encourages employees to do their best work and reach their full potential.

Meeting compliance regulations

Human resource management takes a lead role in making sure the company abides by all industry and governmental employment laws. This may include filing the necessary paperwork for eligible employees and overseeing employee hours based on regulations. 

Workplace safety and risk management are also part of compliance, and HR may perform regular audits to determine if the work environment is safe. Audits help minimize liability issues, protect employees from hazardous conditions, and protect the employer from unfair allegations.

The importance of human resource management is apparent in all areas of the organization. From helping the company reach its overall objectives to creating an innovative culture to ensuring everyone is safe, human resource management is an integral part of any business.

This article is originally published on Jun 30, 2021, and updated on May 11, 2022.

Your people are your greatest resource. Treating your employees fairly and providing them with opportunities to grow will help you achieve your ideas and hit your business goals. This is something that HR is well-placed to help with.

What exactly is human resources?

Human resources (HR) is the umbrella term used to describe the management and development of employees in an organisation. Ultimately, it’s all about increasing employee performance.

Traditionally, HR focused on hiring, firing and the old-school annual pay review. But more recently HR has been positively reframed and now covers a much wider remit.

Basic functions of HR include:

• Recruitment
• Onboarding
• Managing payroll 
• Employee benefits
• Holiday management
• Training and development
• Employment law compliance
• Safety compliance

More than this, HR plays a significant role in developing positive business culture and improving employee engagement and productivity. The HR function also takes the lead on employee wellness and personal development.

Why is human resources (HR) so important?

It can be easy to overlook HR in an SME. Many entrepreneurs get their businesses off to a flying start, but grapple with people management as the business starts to flourish.

Managing staff takes time and it requires specific skills. HR is an area of expertise many business owners lack.

Regardless of skills, the value of HR in business isn’t always immediately apparent. With just a few employees, business leaders feel like they have their finger on the pulse when it comes to the people they hire and manage.

But as a business grows, leaders often find there just isn’t time to deal with day-to-day people management and recruitment and the focus on people can easily get lost. This is a costly mistake and can affect employee satisfaction, culture and long-term success.

Consider the consequences of poor HR. When employees don’t feel supported, aren’t being given opportunities, work long hours, and so on, their motivation to perform is impacted.

Underdeliver on effective HR and you’ll see a knock-on effect on your bottom line. People, culture and business success go hand-in-hand.

Reputation as an employer is influential in attracting talent. It also impacts on customers.

Take Uber as an example; plagued by a string of HR catastrophes from sexual harassment cases to ignoring employee complaints, the resulting bad publicity has undoubtedly deterred many from working there or from using their ride-sharing services. Bad HR has destroyed Uber’s employer brand.

The importance of HR in a pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate the way we do business. As part of this, the HR function is taking centre stage. Companies are being increasingly measured by the decisions they’ve taken and the way they treated their staff.

What’s more, the impact of ongoing economic uncertainty, remote working and an all-too-real impact on employees’ mental health are forcing businesses across the UK to place human resources at the heart of their operation.

From supporting managers with remote management skills through to sensitively communicating the consequences of a downturn in business, HR is crucial to the effective management of a business during a pandemic or other significant event.

Human resources in business - what are the main functions?

Recruitment and onboarding

Finding the right people to work in your business can be difficult. The recruitment process can take months and getting it wrong can be costly. Finding a good fit when it comes to recruiting talent is one of the most important aspects of HR. Hire too many people, too few or recruit an inappropriate candidate and your business will suffer.

The importance of onboarding is perhaps the most underestimated part of the recruitment process.

Not to be confused with orientation, onboarding refers to the whole experience of hiring, welcoming, orienting and engaging a new recruit and helping them adapt to your organisation’s culture.

Good onboarding maximises employee engagement and increases retention. In contrast, poor onboarding can have a hugely negative impact and leave talented new employees disengaged from the word go.

Want extra guidance? Download our Induction Process Guide here.

Performance management and training

Performance management, training and development are a big part of HR. Almost all employees have skills gaps. Performance management helps address those issues.

An effective performance management system enables managers to offer support to employees who need it and identify future superstars.

It’s widely recognised that employee development contributes towards better employee engagement, increased productivity, reduced employee turnover and a more positive culture.

Comprehensive training and personal development help strengthen any weak links in the company (including managers). Investing in your employees strengthens your organisation and gives your business a competitive edge.

Building and maintaining company culture

Positive business culture is no longer a nice-to-have. It drives employee engagement, job satisfaction and staff retention, and it defines business success. HR plays a key role in developing, reinforcing and changing the culture of an organisation.

Pay, performance management, training and development, recruitment and onboarding and reinforcing the values of the business are all essential elements of business culture covered by HR.

Getting culture right isn’t easy.

It requires a multi-pronged approach and needs consistent nurturing (read more about workplace culture in The Culture Economy Report). Essentially, HR plays a significant role in setting the right tone when it comes to company culture.

Business communications

Businesses require effective communication to operate well. And so often, the way communication occurs in a business is defined by HR.

Good communication mitigates misunderstandings, increases employee engagement, forms the basis for better client relationships, encourages innovation and creativity and helps build a positive culture.

Legal and regulatory compliance

HR professionals have a full understanding of employment law and the regulatory requirements of a business associated with staff. This enormous area shouldn’t be underestimated; an unfair dismissal claim can be an expensive mistake.

In summary

Employing a dedicated HR professional isn’t a luxury for SMEs, it’s essential. It’s common for entrepreneurs to start out their business wearing the HR hat but looking after HR and the complexities of employment law isn’t effective time management, and it’s costly for the business when something goes wrong.

Outsourcing your HR needs or hiring a part-time HR manager, lets business leaders concentrate on growing their business. Having someone to look after employee-related matters, from absence management through to parental leave policies and beyond, will keep your business compliant and your employees more engaged.

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