The Importance of a Human Resource Department

Perhaps the best way to explain what a human resource (HR) department does is to understand what would happen if the department did not exist. Department managers would be responsible for all hiring duties including interviewing and training. They would be responsible for implementing federal laws and salary and benefit packages. Without HR, existing managers would have all the previous responsibilities in addition to their divisional duties. By having a HR department, managers can focus on their department's responsibilities and goals.

Although all the above responsibilities of a HR department are crucial to the success of a business, perhaps the most important role of the human resource department is job recruitment and selection. All companies have important strategic goals that are pivotal to their success. Therefore, to accomplish these goals, HR must place the right person in each position and hiring new employees to fill important positions should not be thought of as a trial and error process. It is in the company's best interest, both financially and organizationally, to get it right the first time.

One tool that the HR department uses to select new employees is to perform a job analysis for every position. A job analysis includes establishing what duties and tasks for the position and what kind of characteristics a person would need to perform these tasks. A title is not a sufficient description of a position; a job description needs to include details such as responsibilities, authority, performance standards and working conditions. Characteristics, competencies and skill levels could include technical expertise, education level, leadership experience and communication proficiency.

Without HR, the chance of hiring the wrong person for a particular position increases. For example, a person could have the right education level needed for a position. She has experience and seems to "fit" the job description. However, she lacks the interpersonal and communication skills needed. The company hires and trains her, only to find out that she does not meet the standards needed to accomplish all her duties successfully. The company has wasted time and money and still has not filled the position adequately. This is where having a human resource department can make the difference between strong, business growth and continual ineffectiveness.

Dessler, G. (2008). Human Resources Management. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc.