We have all heard those horror stories about the HR staff. Some accuse HR of favoring employees, others say they bully others, and whatnot. And while all this is actually true in some cases, there is much more to an HR than the eye meets. Believe it or not, an HR employee does not have the sole task to hire employees.
If there is a disciplinary decision, it is done by the HR. If someone needs to be fired, it is again the HR. Therefore, it is no wonder that these individuals are so underappreciated in the workplace. However, if you knew how important they are for the functioning of an entire organization, you will most certainly start valuing them more.
HR Employees Recruiting Employees
One of the biggest responsibility of an HR professional is to find and recruit new employees. Therefore, when you get to an interview, you have already been selected by an HR professional, and you are evaluated by one. Basically, the entire burden on who will do the offered job position is left in the hands of these employees.
If you think these people enjoy asking you to go through the first and second round of interviews, think twice. HR employees are exactly like you – employees of the company.
So, instead of seeing an HR recruiting expert as someone who asks too many questions or cannot see you are the best fit from only looking at your resume, put yourself in their shoes. If you were given the responsibility to choose who will do the job in the company you work in, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to do your own job well?
Everyday Tasks of an HR Employee
Unlike what many think when they hear the word ‘HR’, employees in the HR sector have many other obligations than just recruiting others. Here are some of the everyday tasks of every HR employee:
1. Maintain the HR Records
An HR professional is asked to maintain the policies of employment and all HR records that relate to the employees. Therefore, their everyday job is to keep track of policies regarding personnel rules, programs, as well as discrimination.
And finally, the hardest task of all. HR experts are actually responsible to inform the staff about these regulations and make sure they implement them in the work.
‘One of the toughest parts of being an HR manager is punishing wrong behavior. People hate HR managers, but this is something we have to accept. If you want people to accept the company’s regulations as they are, you need to make sure they actually respect them. If not, you need to point this out. Unfortunately, when you do, no one likes you’. – says Pam Spearson, an HR manager at Aussiewritings.
2. Administer Company Programs
After the daily or monthly meeting with the executive staff, an HR professional starts working on the company programs. Such programs include compensation and staff benefits.
In other words, their next task is to set the right salary for every position given by the company, as well as organize the benefits such as pensions and healthcare. In addition to this, they need to create new benefits that employees demanded or would find to be motivating, such as discounts at some retail shops, or even gym memberships.
Basically, we are looking at a very complex process where you must take everything into consideration. When selecting a salary, the HR professional must consider the qualifications, work time and tasks of every employee. When choosing the new benefits, they have to consider the needs of the company and employees, expenses of such benefits, and the actual benefit from these benefits when it comes to the company’s performance.
This sounds like a challenging task and is one indeed. Once you add those yearly and seasonal events such as a Christmas office party or organizing a softball team, HR professionals actually have a lot on their plate.
3. Handle All Concerns
When you are an HR employee, you are basically in the middle. You have the people on the top expecting you to handle those on the bottom, and the employees that expect you to handle their concerns about the job or the people on the top. Being in the middle is never fun.
When an employee has a problem with another employee or their supervisor, they turn to you. When this happens, an HR professional must become a referee between co-workers and handle the disputes to avoid bigger problems and motivate them to work.
In more complex cases, the HR staff meets with other executives in the company to discuss the concerns and create a solution. However, in most cases, it is up to the HR employee to handle all concerns and disputes the employees come to them with.
Therefore, all those prejudices you had about HR employees are completely wrong. For an HR employee to be good at what they do, they don’t have to do all the things other employees would like.
About author: Olivia is a journalist who always tries to see the bright side of things. She likes to inspire people in her writings and to enjoy a mysterious beauty of twilight. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
