A human resource manager has two basic functions: overseeing department functions and managing employees. That’s why human resources managers must be well-versed in each of the human resources disciplines – compensation and benefits, training and development, employee relations, and recruitment and selection. Core competencies for HR management include solid communication skills, and decision-making capabilities based on analytical skills and critical thought processes.
Overall Responsibilities of Human Resource Managers
Human resource managers have strategic and functional responsibilities for all of the HR disciplines. A human resource manager has the expertise of an HR generalist combined with general business and management skills. In large organizations, a human resource manager reports to the human resource director or a C-level human resource executive.
In smaller companies, some HR managers perform all of the department’s functions or work with an HR assistant or generalist that handles administrative matters. Regardless of the size of department or the company, a human resource manager should have the skills to perform every HR function, if necessary.
Compensation and Benefits
Human resource managers provide guidance and direction to compensation and benefits specialists. Within this discipline, human resources managers develop strategic compensation plans, align performance management systems with compensation structure and monitor negotiations for group health care benefits.
Examples of human resource manager responsibilities include monitoring Family and Medical Leave Act compliance, and adherence to confidentiality provisions for employee medical files. Human resource managers for small companies might also conduct open enrollment for employees’ annual elections pertaining to health care coverage.
Training and Development
Employee training and development includes new hire orientation, leadership training and professional development. Human resource managers conduct periodic needs assessments to determine when training is necessary, and the type of training necessary to improve performance and productivity. They examine employee performance records to identify areas where employees could improve through job skills training or employee development, such as seminars or workshops on leadership techniques.
They also play an integral role in implementing employee development strategy and succession planning based on training and professional development. Succession planning draws on the manager’s knowledge of employee development, training and future business needs to devise career tracks for employees who demonstrate the aptitude and desire for upward mobility.
Effective Employee Relations
Although the employee relations specialist is responsible for investigating and resolving workplace issues, the human resource manager has ultimate responsibility for preserving the employer-employee relationship through effective employee relations strategies. An effective employee relations strategy contains specific steps for ensuring the overall well-being of employees. It also ensures that employees have a safe working environment, free from discrimination and harassment. Human resource managers for small businesses conduct workplace investigations and resolve employee complaints.
Human resource managers may also be the primary contact for legal counsel in risk mitigation activities and litigation pertaining to employee relations matters. An example of risk mitigation handled by a human resource manager includes examining current workplace policies and providing training to employees and managers on those policies to minimize the frequency of employee complaints due to misinterpretation or misunderstanding of company policies.
Recruitment and Selection
Human resource managers develop strategic solutions to meet workforce demands and labor force trends. An employment manager actually oversees the recruitment and selection processes; however, an HR manager is primarily responsible for decisions related to corporate branding as it relates to recruiting and retaining talented employees. For example, a human resource manager in a health care firm might use her knowledge about nursing shortages to develop a strategy for employee retention, or for maintaining the current staffing levels.
The strategy might include developing an incentive program for nurses or providing nurses with cross-training so they can become certified in different specialties to become more valuable to the organization. Corporate branding as it relates to recruitment and retention means promoting the company as an employer of choice. Human resource managers responsible for this usually look at the recruitment and selection process, as well as compensation and benefits to find ways to appeal to highly qualified applicants.
