Knowledge Base  //  What is the role of HR

What is HR?

Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations. Human resources is also the name of the function within an organization charged with the overall responsibility for implementing strategies and policies relating to the management of individuals (i.e. the human resources). This function title is often abbreviated to the initials HR.

 Key functions

Human Resources may set strategies and develop policies, standards, systems, and processes that implement these strategies in a whole range of areas. The following are typical of a wide range of organizations:

• Maintaining awareness of and compliance with local, state and federal labor laws
• Recruitment, selection, and on boarding (resourcing)
• Employee record-keeping and confidentiality
• Organizational design and development
• Business transformation and change management
• Performance, conduct and behavior management
• Industrial and employee relations
• Human resources (workforce) analysis and workforce personnel data management
• Compensation and employee benefit management
• Training and development (learning management)
• Employee motivation and morale-building (employee retention and loyalty)

Implementation of such policies, processes or standards may be directly managed by the HR function itself, or the function may indirectly supervise the implementation of such activities by managers, other business functions or via third-party external partner organizations. Applicable legal issues, such as the potential for disparate treatment and disparate impact, are also extremely important to HR managers.