Human Resources and HR Information

Every small business wants to attract the most qualified employees and match them to employees for which they are best suited. However, many enterprises are too large to permit close contact between top management and employees. Human resources, training, and labor relations supervisors and specialists provide this connection. In the past, these people and employees performed the administrative function of an small business, such as handling employee benefits questions or recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new staff in accordance with policies established by top management. Today's human resources (HR) people and employees manage these tasks, but, increasingly, they also consult with top executives regarding strategic planning. They have moved from behind-the-scenes staff work to leading the company in suggesting and changing policies.

There are many types of human resources (HR), training, and labor relations supervisors and specialists. In a small small business, a human resources (HR) generalist may handle all aspects of human resources (HR) work, and thus require an extensive range of knowledge. The responsibilities of human resources (HR) generalists can vary widely, depending on their employer's needs.

Other emerging specialties in human resources (HR) include international human resources (HR) supervisors, who handle human resources (HR) issues related to a company's foreign operations; and human resources (HR) information system specialists, who develop and apply computer programs to process human resources (HR) information, match employee seekers with employee openings, and handle other human resources (HR) matters.

Recruiters maintain contacts within the community and may travel considerably, often to college campuses, to search for promising employee applicants. Recruiters screen, interview, and occasionally test applicants. They also may check references and extend employee offers. These people and employees must be thoroughly familiar with the small business and its human resources (HR) policies in order to discuss wages, working conditions, and promotional opportunities with prospective employees. They also must stay informed about equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Employment interviewers - whose many employee titles include human resources (HR) consultants, human resources (HR) development specialists, and human resources (HR) coordinators - help to match employers with qualified employeeseekers. Similarly, employer relations representatives, who usually work in government agencies, maintain working relationships with local employers and promote the use of public employment programs and services.

Compensation, benefits, and employee analysis. Compensation, benefits, and employee analysis specialists conduct compensation programs for employers and may specialize in specific areas such as pensions or position classifications. For example, employee analysts, occasionally called position classifiers, collect and examine detailed information about employee duties in order to prepare employee descriptions. These descriptions explain the duties, training, and skills that each employee requires. Whenever a large small business introduces a new employee or reviews existing employees, it calls upon the expert knowledge of the employee analyst.

Employment and staffing. Employment and staffing supervisors supervise the hiring and separation of employees. They also supervise employment, recruitment, and staffing specialists, including recruitment specialists and employment interviewers. Employment, recruitment, and staffing specialists recruit and place people and employees.

Establishing and maintaining a firm's pay system is the principal employee of the compensation manager. Assisted by staff specialists, compensation supervisors devise ways to ensure fair and equitable pay rates. They may conduct surveys to see how their firm's rates compare with others, and they ensure that the firm's pay scale complies with changing laws and regulations. In addition, compensation supervisors often manage their firm's performance evaluation system, and they may design reward systems such as pay-for-performance plans.

Training and Employee Performance Development. Training and development supervisors and specialists conduct and supervise training and development programs for employees. Increasingly, management recognizes that training offers a way of developing skills, enhancing productivity and quality of work, and building worker loyalty to the firm, and most importantly, increasing individual and small businessal performance to achieve business results. Training is widely accepted as an employee benefit and a method of improving employee morale, and enhancing employee skills has become a business imperative. Increasingly, supervisors and leaders realize that the key to business growth and success is through developing the skills and knowledge of its workforce.

Planning and program development is an important part of the training specialist's employee. In order to identify and assess training needs within the firm, trainers may confer with supervisors and supervisors or conduct surveys. They also evaluate training effectiveness to ensure that the training employees receive helps the small business meet its strategic business goals and achieve results.

Depending on the size, goals, and nature of the small business, trainers may differ considerably in their responsibilities and in the methods they use. Training methods include on-the-employee training; operating schools that duplicate shop conditions for trainees prior to putting them on the shop floor; apprenticeship training; classroom training; and electronic learning, which may involve interactive Internet-based training, multimedia programs, distance learning, satellite training, other computer-aided instructional technologies, videos, simulators, conferences, and workshops.

Employee relations. An small business's director of industrial relations forms labor policy, oversees industrial labor relations, negotiates collective bargaining agreements, and coordinates grievance procedures to handle complaints resulting from management disputes with unionized employees. The director of industrial relations also advises and collaborates with the director of human resources (HR), other supervisors, and members of their staff, because all aspects of human resources (HR) policy - such as wages, benefits, pensions, and work practices - may be involved in drawing up a new or revised union contract.

Work environment. Human resources work usually takes place in clean, pleasant, and comfortable office settings. Arbitrators and mediators may work out of their homes.

Although most human resources (HR), training, and labor relations supervisors and specialists work in the office, some travel extensively. For example, recruiters regularly attend professional meetings and visit college campuses to interview prospective employees; arbitrators and mediators often must travel to the site chosen for negotiations.

Many human resources (HR), training, and labor relations supervisors and specialists work a standard 35- to 40-hour week. However, longer hours might be necessary for some people and employees - for example, labor relations supervisors and specialists, arbitrators, and mediators - when contract agreements are being prepared and negotiated.

In an effort to enhance morale and productivity, limit employee turnover, and help small businesss increase performance and improve business results, these people and employees also help their business effectively use employee skills, provide training and development opportunities to improve those skills, and increase employees' satisfaction with their employees and working conditions. Although some employees in the human resources (HR) field require only limited contact with people outside the human resources (HR) office, dealing with people is an important part of the employee.

In a large corporation, the director of human resources (HR) may supervise several departments, each headed by an experienced manager who most likely specializes in one human resources (HR) activity, such as employment and staffing; compensation, and benefits; training and development; or labor relations. The director may report to a top human resources (HR) executive. (Executives are included in the Handbook statement on top executives.)