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What is Human Resources (HR)?

Discover the different elements that make up HR and learn why good HR is so important if you want your business to succeed. 

Written by Christine Sutton| Published  - 12/06/2023

Human resource services

The Importance of HR

Human Resources (HR) is a critical component of any successful organisation. As such, HR professionals provide invaluable support in different areas to ensure employees have the training and resources they need for professional growth, while also keeping organisations compliant with labour laws and regulations. Responsibilities include recruiting new personnel; providing development opportunities; managing performance evaluations; administering payrolls & benefits packages; ensuring that employees have a safe workplace, managing succession planning, working with Employee Relations to help resolve any conflicts – all working together towards enhancing workplace culture.

Key Functions of Human Resources

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To carry out its role in organizations effectively, HR performs several key functions, including:

  • Strategic planning and alignment of HR practices with organizational goals
  • Talent acquisition and recruitment
  • Onboarding and orientation of new employees
  • Performance management and evaluation
  • Training and development of employees
  • Compensation and benefits administration
  • Employee relations and engagement
  • Compliance with labour laws and regulations
  • Succession planning and talent management

Human Resources Best Practices

To reach peak performance in your business, it's important to implement HR best practices like setting clear policies and procedures, investing in employee development programs that cultivate their skillsets, fostering diversity and engagement initiatives for an enriched workplace culture – all while staying compliant with labour laws. Making sure employees have access to competitive compensation packages as well as work-life balance options is also a key factor of success.

HR Challenges and Solutions

Despite the importance of HR in organizational management, there are several challenges that organizations may face. Some common HR challenges include:

  • Recruitment and retention of talent
  • Compliance with labour laws and regulations
  • Employee engagement and retention
  • Managing workplace diversity and inclusion
  • Resolving conflicts and employee relations issues
  • To address these challenges, some solutions to consider include:
  • Developing effective recruitment and retention strategies
  • Staying up-to-date with labour laws and regulations and seeking legal advice when needed
  • Implementing employee engagement and retention programs
  • Promoting workplace diversity and inclusion through training and education
  • Providing conflict resolution and mediation training for managers and employees

Human Resources plays a vital role in the successful management and development of any organisation. It is important to stay on top of best practices, as well as having solutions ready to go for common challenges that arise along the way.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can enhance the relationship between your organisation and its employees you can contact us using the form below.

 

Author - Christine Sutton (Head of HR, Nathan Trust)

Christine (she/her) is an expert people professional with a wealth of experience across multiple sectors. She holds a BSc Hons in Applied Psychology, a Masters in Organisational Psychology is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, and is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. She spent several years in the financial services sector in Ireland supporting senior leadership across several jurisdictions working on local and global initiatives.

Christine works with clients across the UK, Ireland, and Isle of Man and has built up a strong consultancy business working with organisations to champion a people-first agenda. Christine is accredited in several psychometric tools for use in personal, team and leadership coaching and development as well as recruitment and selection processes.

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