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What do HR Personnel do?

G. Melanson
G. Melanson

HR personnel are professionals who are employed in the field of Human Resources (HR) and have a working knowledge of its policies and procedures. They help ensure the recruitment and retention of qualified staff within an organization, whether it be a business, not-for-profit organization, or academic institution. They are considered to be an important investment within an organization because they help minimize staff turnover, which can drain an organization of resources spent on re-training new employees. HR personnel may be employed with an organization to handle its staffing needs, or employed with a recruitment agency which caters to organizations that outsource their occasional staffing needs.

The responsibilities of HR personnel who are employed in the HR department of a larger organization are divided up according to the various HR positions. At the entry level in an HR department are titles such as HR assistant or HR coordinator. These positions typically entail such responsibilities as receiving and screening resumes, setting up interview appointments, setting up new employees with the requisite paperwork, and processing employee health and benefit claims. Although HR coordinators and assistants might participate in the screening of new recruits, the final decision regarding whether or not to make an offer of employment is left to HR management.

HR managers develop employee conduct policies, such as those dealing with sexual harassment.
HR managers develop employee conduct policies, such as those dealing with sexual harassment.

HR personnel at the senior level, such as HR managers or directors supervise and work closely with HR assistants and coordinators. HR managers develop policies for employee conduct within an organization, such as the sexual harassment policy, employee dress code, maternity leave, and other personnel matters. In addition to making hiring decisions, senior HR workers also take promotion referrals from other departments and assess the candidates for promotion accordingly.

HR employees often help workers apply for maternity leave.
HR employees often help workers apply for maternity leave.

If an organization has a relatively small number of staff or a very low turnover, it is unlikely to have an HR department. In these cases, an organization will often turn to an employment agency, also known as a headhunter or recruitment firm, to recruit, screen, and hire new employees for them. Employment agencies serve as outsourced HR departments to other organizations, and employ their own HR personnel at both the entry and senior level.

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    • HR managers develop employee conduct policies, such as those dealing with sexual harassment.
      By: paylessimages
      HR managers develop employee conduct policies, such as those dealing with sexual harassment.
    • HR employees often help workers apply for maternity leave.
      By: MaxRiesgo
      HR employees often help workers apply for maternity leave.
    • Smaller companies without HR departments often turn to employment agencies to recruit, screen and hire workers.
      By: phasinphoto
      Smaller companies without HR departments often turn to employment agencies to recruit, screen and hire workers.
    • HR personnel might help with conflict resolution.
      By: endostock
      HR personnel might help with conflict resolution.
    • HR personnel may design policies regarding coworker relationships.
      By: micromonkey
      HR personnel may design policies regarding coworker relationships.
    • HR personnel may have to deal with conflicts that arise from office rumors.
      By: Wrangler
      HR personnel may have to deal with conflicts that arise from office rumors.
    • HR personnel might deal with issues concerning workplace diversity.
      By: ryflip
      HR personnel might deal with issues concerning workplace diversity.
    • HR personnel might look at factors that contribute to employee turnover.
      By: apops
      HR personnel might look at factors that contribute to employee turnover.
    • HR personnel may look at employee workloads to determine if new people should be hired on.
      By: Photographee.eu
      HR personnel may look at employee workloads to determine if new people should be hired on.