HR: Human Resources

Nowadays most employees have heard about HR. When referring to these two letters of the alphabet, they are not referring to 'Her Royalty', nor 'His Royalty', but to a specific office or rather the manager/director who is responsible for the Human Resources section, unit or department within a company/organisation.

Not all workplaces enjoy the benefits of having an HR manager or department within the company's organisational chart and in very small companies the task of human resources management is generally absorbed by the manager of the company. Medium sized companies usually only have one person specifically employed to take over all the jobs under the umbrella of HR; or as it was previously known 'Personnel Management'. Larger companies employ more people to man their HR department as there are more employees to take care of and more employment and industrial issues to work with.

The phenomenon of HR developed strongly after World War II when social scientists were evaluating the repercussions of a distancing between the bureaucratic arm of organizations and the human needs of its employees. Even as early as the 1920s, studies had indicated the existence of this chasm which was a direct after-effect of the industrial revolution wherein masses of people were employed in factories and large establishments - a novelty at the time of their invention. This created a situation where people became literally nothing more than 'numbers' - human pawns in the name of industry and money-making. Research in this area triggered attention to this growing fault in the world of employment and it was the first inkling of what would become a mass movement towards giving back dignity to the worker, whatever the nature of his/her work.

Quality of life includes proper work and employment conditions and these are factors that the human resources department is meant to address within any organisation.

Ultimately the fundamental fact is that organizations require workers, their skills, time, energy, enthusiasm, initiative and talents, amongst others. Workers need work to earn a living, to fulfil themselves personally and socially, achieve satisfaction in the pleasure of seeing a job well done and be appreciated for it. It is a give and take situation.

Therefore it stands to reason that each worker must be well placed within a company in order to give his utmost for his own and his company's maximum achievement. This is the first instance where the human resources manager (who is incidentally also a worker within the organization) comes in. This is where he/she starts work by aiding the company in its recruitment and selection process. The company in turn consults with this HR specialist first by explaining which job the recruitment is targeting, what are its specifications and what sort of employee they are seeking to take on board. The HR person will then formulate a formal recruitment strategy (which can also form an integral part of a company's internal policy), channelling an application process that targets the type of person in mind. There follows an intricate and generally detailed procedure of short-listing and interviewing of applicants, and after close scrutiny and discussion with the company itself, the successful applicant gets the job.

Then comes the next phase - the next responsibility of the HR manager or staff, wherein the new arrival gets guided through the initial stages of integration. The new employee receives company guidelines on such things as working hours and company policies. The employee is led through the building, introduced to colleagues and other managers - in short gets to know the ropes. All procedures are explained, including what the employee must do to get paid at end of month, with a trip to the accounts department to have official company and employment forms duly filled in, discuss paid allowances, leave and sick leave allowances, get provided with ID tags (if these are necessary), have uniforms fitted out, so on and so forth.

This process is generally followed by some form of training or induction. In certain instances, jobs or positions, it is the human resources staff's task to train staff especially where there is something like company corporate identity to be upheld. Let's take an airline company or a bank - employees working within this context must be conscious of certain ethics of behaviour that are required of them, and naturally of an established dress code to which they must adhere to once they sign their contract of employment/service.

There are many other training options that can be taken up by HR managers, namely ongoing training for personnel, organising training also in varied self-help realms such as confidence building, stress management, first aid, team-building, and many others. Some innovative and dynamic HR managers come up with more original ideas such organising charity events, health promotion events, commemorative dinners for staff members and their families, fun treats for employees' children, or Employee Suggestion Schemes and 'Employee of the Year' initiatives.

It is generally then the duty of the human resources personnel to be present to tackle concerns arising from individual employees or departments within the company and bridge the gap of inter-departmental communication. The human resources personnel are also responsible for addressing issues arising from a breach in the stipulated agreement or contract made between employer and employee. If the employee is requesting that his rights be upheld, it is the role of the HR personnel to voice this concern. If it is the company, hence the employer, requesting that certain deficiencies in the employee's behaviour or performance be addressed, it is ultimately the HR department that must address the situation.

However, there is another core responsibility placed squarely on the shoulders of the HR manager. That is to ascertain that all employees are coping well with their tasks, everyone is follows their respective job description, that work distribution is suitable to all and that the health and wellbeing of each and every employee is being respected fully. Successfully coping with a job or not, is not simply a matter of personal capability but depends on the successful merging of a number of factors. Employees require an internal supportive structure and a feeling that they can function with freedom, without feeling threatened through a loss in flexibility.

There are numerous reasons for which an HR Manager can be consulted, but chief amongst these are definitely where there are issues of discrimination, harassment, unjust promotion and unfair treatment. Ultimately a conscientious Human Resources professional can make all the difference within a company to successfully ward off high staff turnover and make the workplace a happier place to experience for all.

Article prepared by Commercial Services Bureau (CSB) Ltd.

Since 1987, CSB Ltd. has been servicing the local and international business community with its range of employment/recruitment related services. It has helped thousands of employees improve their job conditions and careers, and employers obtain the ideal staff for their organisations.