Human resource (HR) management comprises of all the activities a company undertakes to hire, develop, and engage the workforce. HR management is a systematic approach towards managing the workforce of a company to help meet its organizational goals. As per Charles Spinelli, as talent is the most precious resource of most organizations, and therefore effective HR management is critical to organizational growth and success.
Charles Spinelli discusses what human resource (HR) management entails
Human resource management is a critical function that has excellent strategic value. The importance of HR management in most companies comes down to having engaged and skilled professionals who are effectively aligned with organizational goals. When equipped with the right talent, a company shall be in a better position to fulfil its vision and remain competitive.
HR management has, over the years, progressed from a function largely focused on hiring, benefits management, and payroll to one that aims at managing and improving every aspect of the employee experience. Modern HR professionals can be generalists or specialists in one of the disciplines of talent management. HR management typically involves:
- Recruitment: HR professionals have to manage job postings, applicant tracking, and interviewing, and work with hiring managers to fill open positions at a company.
- Employer branding: HR professionals today often use social media and other channels in order to create brand awareness among prospective candidates as well as build engagement among existing employees.
- On-boarding: Developing experiences that help new hires adjust to their roles is also important for HR professionals. To achieve this goal, they try their best to learn about people, processes, and culture within the organization.
- Employee relations and productivity: The success of any company largely relies on the productivity of its employees. The HR department plays a significant role in creating a positive work environment that maximizes employee productivity. HR professionals tend to establish clear job expectations, implement effective performance management systems, and may even provide regular feedback and coaching to employees.
- Compensation, benefits, and total rewards: HR professionals craft new hire offers and work with business leaders with the goal of creating competitive compensation structures and benefit programs.
- Analytics and reporting: HR data analysis platforms are commonly used by HR professionals to measure HR key performance indicators (KPI), like headcount, time to hire, and employee engagement levels.
- Training: The HR department works towards developing and executing programs that support employee skill development and advancement.
- Employee relations: The HR team assists managers and employees in resolving conflicts and managing issues that may impede team effectiveness.
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB): It is the responsibility of the HR team to create a work environment where all employees are valued for their distinctive perspectives and experiences.
As Charles Spinelli mentions, effective HR management also helps make sure that a company adheres to all the relevant federal and local labour laws, regulations, and industry standards. HR professionals have to stay up-to-date with legal labor-related requirements in order to mitigate legal risks, steer clear of costly penalties, and maintain a compliant work environment.