Remarkable Human Resources (HR) employees are critical at every company. They handle all employee relations so you can focus on your side of the business.<\/p>\n
Before we discuss more reasons why your company needs an impactful HR department and how you can go about building one, let’s talk more about what human resources actually means.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> <\/p>\n Based on this definition alone, you can see how it would be difficult to run your operation successfully without the assistance HR provides. That\u2019s why even small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have HR departments with employees who oversee all management, engagement, and development between the company and its employees. HR departments exist to support you and your employees so\u00a0you can continue doing\u00a0your jobs successfully.<\/p>\n The work and responsibilities of a human resources<\/a> employee will touch a large portion of your business every day. So what does that mean for you? Let’s review some of the most common responsibilities these employees have so you can better understand the impact HR will have on your company.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n HR handles the employee-to-employee relationships as well as the employee-to-company relationship. This means they work to develop positive interactions and treatment among all employees within your company so they feel good about coming to work, are committed to their jobs, and are invested in the growth of the business.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s a personal matter or a work-related issue, human resources will handle all issues with care and keep the best interest of both your company and employee in mind.<\/p>\n Your HR department will handle your entire staffing plan \u2014 meaning they\u2019ll identify the gaps in your current employee structure and fill them by acquir<\/a>ing<\/a> new talent<\/a>. They\u2019re also in charge of firing any existing talent that isn\u2019t meeting company standards. Your company\u2019s HR team will ensure you have the right people to help you grow your business.<\/p>\n Once your employees have begun work, you\u2019ll want to make sure they\u2019re excited to come to the office every day and add value to your company \u2014 their excitement is directly related to their level of job satisfaction<\/a>. If your employees are happy in their roles, feel as though they can grow at your company, and can change departments down the road if they choose to, they\u2019re more likely to be productive team members. Your HR team ensures your employees really do feel satisfied in their roles and will work with them if they feel unhappy or unsatisfied at any point in time.<\/p>\n Your HR department will handle the amount and type of employee benefits your company offers. Providing good employee benefits<\/a> is critical to the success of your business because they\u2019re proven to attract and retain talent<\/a> and increase employee productivity<\/a>. Benefits keep employees satisfied by giving them a variety of perks and making them feel secure in their roles.<\/p>\n HR manages all payroll and compensation work, including employee salaries, payment schedules, W2s, and all other tax-related paperwork. If an employee is offered a promotion \u2014 or awarded a bonus \u2014 HR will handle all changes in their regular payment schedules.<\/p>\n Your HR department will help you create, distribute, and maintain your company\u2019s business plan \u2014 this serves as an overview of your company\u2019s organizational structure<\/em>. It covers your company\u2019s philosophy and culture code<\/a>, how you manage your employees, and how you\u2019ll distribute your resources.<\/p>\n When an employee is hired, HR will often take them through the necessary training they need before diving into their everyday tasks. Whether one day or six weeks, new hire training<\/a> is critical to making that person feel comfortable in their new role. It\u2019s also a great way to set expectations early on and get them prepared so they can make an impact as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n In the beginning of the hiring process, you may be tasked with screening job candidates. In this initial screening, you have the opportunity to ask candidates about their previous roles, core qualifications, and salary expectations.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that as you evaluate each job candidate, they’re also evaluating you<\/em>. Presenting yourself \u2014 and your company \u2014 in a good light is crucial, especially considering that 67% of job seekers<\/a> have had at least one negative experience in the hiring process, and\u00a0more than half<\/a> have declined an offer because of a poor experience.<\/p>\n HR is in charge of helping you create and maintain your company culture \u2014 this includes your philosophy, mission statement, and work environment. It also includes your company\u2019s ethical standards, values<\/a>, goals, and expectations. HR may implement programming, activities, check-ins, or events at your office so your employees can learn and develop a better understanding of the culture.<\/p>\n Your HR team will assist you in creating a healthy and safe work environment for all employees. Their role includes setting health and safety standards in the office, communicating these standards to all employees, and upholding them as the business grows. These standards should be written so they can reference them at any point in someone\u2019s time at your company.<\/p>\n A lot of your company\u2019s administrative work is handled by HR. This includes paperwork related to federal and state tax laws, job applications, time-keeping and payroll information, and employee contracts.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \n We\u2019ve put together a list of 10 steps \u2014 not listed in any specific order \u2014 you should take to build a successful HR department. Whether you begin working through this list with or without your company\u2019s first (or first few) human resources employee(s), all 10 items on this list should be thoughtfully considered.<\/p>\n Create a company-wide staffing plan<\/a> so you can identify all positions you\u2019ll need to fill with your new hires. This may also include moving current employees into new roles or even removing employees and\/ or their roles entirely from the company.<\/p>\n You’ll need a <\/span>budget for your human resources department<\/span><\/a> to cover the costs of building the department and hiring your HR team.\u00a0<\/span>The budget will also go to company-wide programming, and culture and team building activities HR may organize.\u00a0<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need to ensure you have payroll and compensation plans<\/a> in place for all types and levels of employees. Your employees will want to know how, when, and the frequency in which they\u2019re going to be paid the moment they receive their job offer. You\u2019ll also need this information to determine salary ranges for all of your employees.<\/p>\n Job descriptions posted on your website and job sites<\/a> such as LinkedIn<\/a> and Glassdoor<\/a> are how you\u2019ll attract applicants. You\u2019ll want to create job descriptions for all of the HR roles you need to hire for. Then, as you fill some of these HR openings, those new hires should be able to assist you in creating all other job descriptions for your growing company.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A clear and thorough\u00a0<\/span>benefits plan<\/span><\/a> is crucial for attracting and retaining talent<\/span>. You\u2019ll want to lay out all of the benefits you offer to your new hires so they can feel good about their decision to join your team as well as secure and supported in their roles.<\/p>\n An employee handbook<\/a> (whether print or digital) is a great way to set clear expectations from day one about workplace behavior, safety, health, and culture. Your handbook should include answers to all the questions your employees may have about these topics \u2014 and any others you see fit \u2014 as they go through training and begin work at your company.<\/p>\n Your employees are most likely in the office for approximately eight hours per day \u2014 meaning it needs to be a healthy and safe place for them to spend large amounts of time. If one of your employees ever felt unsafe or at risk of mental or physical harm at the office, it\u2019d be very difficult to expect them to be productive.<\/p>\n To avoid this, you should set workplace health and safety standards, which you can include in your employee handbook<\/a>. State your safety procedures for different types of personal altercations and procedures for emergencies and other potential unexpected or dangerous situations so everyone can handle them appropriately.<\/p>\n Although you may have an executive assistant who collects and organizes a lot of your company’s administrative records, plenty of documentation should be collected, organized, and managed separately by your HR department. These items may include job applications, benefit plans<\/a>, tax documents, and compensation and payroll details.<\/p>\n State and federal laws require companies and their HR teams to hang specific\u00a0<\/span>employment posters<\/span><\/a>\u00a0around their offices so they’re visible to everyone who enters the space.<\/span> Some of these required posters change over time, so be sure to keep up with the laws and requirements of your state and country.<\/p>\n Employee success and satisfaction<\/a> are major components of a prosperous company \u2014 without these two things, it\u2019d be challenging to retain your best talent. In fact, companies that implement regular employee feedback have turnover rates that are 14.9% lower<\/a> than companies who do not.<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to create company-wide performance and feedback processes to ensure everyone<\/em> is held to a specific standard that you and your HR team set and maintain.<\/p>\n Employee performance evaluations ensure all employees are working up to their full potential. This time should also be spent making sure your employees are satisfied with their jobs, feel as though they can grow with your company, and enjoy being a member of your team.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Now that you have a better understanding of HR\u2019s responsibilities and how you can start building your own department, let\u2019s review some of the things you should identify in potential HR candidates, including education type and work experience.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret that many people often \u201cfall\u201d into the human resources field. By this I mean a lot of people who end up in the field don\u2019t necessarily go into their undergraduate education thinking they want a career in HR. If this is the case for some of your HR applicants, there are a few indicators that you\u2019ve found a great candidate despite their educational background.<\/p>\n HR certifications,<\/strong> such as the Society for Human Resource Management<\/a> (SHRM) certification or one of the various others offered by the HR Certification Institu<\/a>t<\/a>e<\/a>. If you\u2019re considering slightly more experienced candidates for your HR department, here are some indicators to look for:<\/p>\n Bachelor\u2019s degree\u00a0<\/strong>in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a closely related field. <\/a> <\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve covered general requirements and characteristics that you should consider looking for in your HR candidates, let\u2019s dive into some of the actual roles you\u2019ll need to fill within the department.\u00a0<\/p>\n We\u2019ll start with your HR department structure. Depending on the size of your company, you may or may not need all of these positions and levels in your own HR department. Another important thing to note is that the titles of these roles and the level in which they\u2019re placed also vary based on the company, but this diagram will provide you with a general idea of an HR department structure.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n So what do HR employees in these roles actually do? And what are the differences between each position? We\u2019ll cover the answers to these questions below.<\/p>\n Entry-level HR jobs are fit for people in school, have recently graduated, or are entering the field for the first time. Their roles may include assistants and HR interns, specialists, generalists, or recruiters.<\/p>\n HR assistants and HR interns are typically in charge of the administrative work \u2014 such as organizing paperwork, completing the employer portions of new hire information, and other work their higher-ups ask of them \u2014 that needs to be done so everyone else in the department can remain productive and focus on more complex tasks.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n HR specialists focus on one specific department or discipline within human resources. These specialties include HR development, HR management, and organizational development. Their goal is to become an expert in their chosen specialty. For example, a benefits specialist would be required to know and understand the intimate details of a company\u2019s benefits plan and be able to explain that information to new hires and current employees.<\/p>\n HR generalists have knowledge that covers multiple different areas of the department and its needs. People in this type of role will work on the more typical tasks you may think of regarding HR, such as compensation, employee relations, and workplace environment.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The sole job of a recruiter is to bring in impressive talent for the company. They find new people to fill the gaps in the company\u2019s staffing plan so the business can continue to grow and remain as productive as possible.<\/p>\n As those in HR work their way up the ranks and acquire more experience, they\u2019ll likely move into a mid-level HR role. Examples of these jobs include advanced specialists, HR managers, and senior recruiters.<\/p>\n An advanced specialist is typically someone who was promoted from an HR specialist<\/a> role. Their work might include developing job descriptions for specific, technical roles within their specialty and training entry-level specialists\u00a0 in their chosen discipline. Advanced specialists serve as a company\u2019s high-level experts regarding their specific topic within HR.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n An HR manager might oversee a group of entry or even mid-level HR employees. They’ll typically handle more of the complex HR tasks such as creating and managing company-wide policies, values, and culture.<\/p>\n Senior recruiters function as your very own staffing service. They may oversee a team of entry-level recruiters<\/a> who work to identify ideal candidates for open positions at your company. Senior recruiters may work for your company, or you might hire them as a third-party service depending on your budget and resources.<\/p>\n If someone ends up staying in the HR field for most of their career, they may move into a high-level position at your company. These roles may include an HR consultant, HR director, recruiting manager, or vice president of HR chief of human resources officer (CHRO).<\/p>\n An HR consultant typically oversees all HR administrative work and makes sure you’re meeting all company, state, and federal policies and laws. They can be subject matter experts on a particular HR-related policy. People in this role may be hired as third-party help depending on your budget and resources.<\/p>\nHandle employee relations<\/h3>\n
Create an employment structure<\/h3>\n
Manage employee job satisfaction<\/h3>\n
Manage employee benefits<\/h3>\n
Handle compensation<\/h3>\n
Maintain the company business plan<\/h3>\n
Handle new hire training<\/h3>\n
Screen job candidates<\/h3>\n
Create company culture standards<\/h3>\n
Maintain a healthy work environment<\/h3>\n
Handle necessary administrative work<\/h3>\n
1. Create a company-wide staffing plan<\/h3>\n
2. Set an HR budget<\/h3>\n
3. Make a payroll and compensation system<\/h3>\n
4. Write job descriptions<\/h3>\n
5. Lay out a clear benefits plans<\/h3>\n
6. Create an employee handbook<\/h3>\n
7. Set safety procedures<\/h3>\n
8. Collect administrative records<\/h3>\n
9. Display necessary employment posters<\/h3>\n
10. Create performance and feedback processes<\/h3>\n
What to Look For in an HR Candidate<\/h2>\n
Human Resources Candidate Education and Background<\/h3>\n
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\n Great work ethic, personality, and ability to be strategic<\/strong>. It\u2019s key to find a candidate that will represent your company well and has the adaptability to grow into their role. If you see promise, you might also provide this type of candidate with the opportunity to earn a certification and\/or postgraduate education in the field as they begin work at your company. <\/p>\n
\n Master\u2019s degree\u00a0<\/strong>in Human Resources or Human Resources and Employee Relations (HRER), or a closely related field such as Business Administration.
\n Prior HR experience,\u00a0<\/strong>whether it\u2019s an internship or job(s) at another company. <\/p>\nRoles in Your Human Resources Department<\/h2>\n
Entry-Level Human Resources\u00a0Roles<\/h3>\n
HR Assistant\/ Intern<\/h4>\n
HR Specialist<\/h4>\n
HR Generalist<\/h4>\n
Recruiter<\/h4>\n
Mid-Level Human Resources Roles<\/h3>\n
Advanced Specialist<\/h4>\n
HR Manager<\/h4>\n
Senior Recruiter<\/h4>\n
High-Level Human Resources Roles<\/h3>\n
HR Consultant<\/h4>\n
HR Director<\/h4>\n