What are the Different Types of Human Resources Functions?

Human Resources (HR) functions deal with the management and organization of employees. Human resources management is responsible for recruiting, hiring, firing, and training employees. It also develops and implements company policy.

All departments of a company rely on human resources, as it is concerned with all of the people that work for the business. Human resources functions include creating and implementing management policies that comply with government regulations and laws. For example, company payment policies must coordinate with minimum wage laws. Business pay and time structures also have to support laws requiring that employees take a set amount of breaks during the workday.

Making sure a business upholds government safety requirements, such as requiring the wearing of steel-toed work boots in a warehouse, is another responsibility of human resources. Human resources directors must also ensure that all employees have the required credentials and training for their jobs. For instance, some truck drivers and warehouse staff need hazardous materials training or certificates if they work with certain chemicals.

Human resources functions also include making decisions about staffing in different departments according to company needs. For example, some departments may require temporary personnel, while others need full-time employees. Human resources directors make decisions about outsourcing, or hiring independent contractors, for short-term work projects. A company may hire a freelance writer to write a product brochure, for example.

Hiring and firing staff are two of the main human resources functions. The required paperwork must be filled out according to the law. Records must be kept for income tax purposes. The human resources department has to ensure all of the needed forms are properly filled out each time an employee is hired or leaves the company. Human resources departments keep track of each employee's work hours, sick days, and vacation time.

When company departments are hiring new staff, HR functions offer support. For instance, a human resources director may conduct telephone interviews with a list of job applicants as a way of screening each applicant before the in-person interview stage. A short list of suitable applicants is then contacted for in-person interviews by the department managers.

Recruiting is one of the constant human resources functions. Many human resources departments regularly place employment ads, either online or in local newspapers, to ensure they have a fresh supply of job applicants. Human resources managers recruit, contact, and screen applicants for current positions that need filling, as well as keep resumes from qualified applicants on file for future possible jobs in the company.