Why Did We Ever Go Into HR?

​

Sometimes, when I introduce myself and say that I work in HR, I hear - are you a human resources manager? Although I am not surprised by this comment, with a smile, I deny it. Usually, the question then arises - what are you actually doing? So my answer is that today HR is a large area of ​​competence that is difficult to describe in three words. Especially that specializations have already evolved from particular areas. So what exactly does an HR person do?

A short history of HR?

There is nothing to hide - HR grows out of the concept of a traditional HR department of people who dealt with, among others, keeping employee documentation or keeping records and settling working time. At the end of the last century, however, there was a need to create a unit that would also bring added value to the company. The next step was the evolution, which resulted in the division into "soft" and "hard" HR. The latter took over what he did in its original form - human resources and document administration. At the same time, the evolution of "soft" HR has begun towards an individual that is focused on people but permeates with the company's business. Therefore, when compiling the proposals that present the scope of HR responsibilities, they can be presented as follows:

1. Creating a human resource management strategy in the context of a business strategy

The strategy is the company's action plan in the human aspect - i.e., employees or co-workers. This is the basis of the actions we undertake in the employment and development of people working in the company. Of course, the activity of HR cannot be limited to creating guidelines, but without a concept (strategy), work that does not know what it serves is unlikely to bring the desired results. Therefore, creating such a plan and choosing a goal to be pursued is one of the key competencies of a good HR person.

However, it is imperative that the actions taken are not art for art's sake and only follow the creation of an opportunity to post a great photo on corporate social media. As in the case of the CSR strategy (which you can read about here and which must be built based on an HR strategy), actions such as taking dogs out of the shelter are most praiseworthy, but taking them out as part of coordinated and authentic actions will bring a lot better effect. Yes, and recruiting per project, there is no need to hide it - it works. However, based on the company's development strategy, it is possible to carry out activities in advance, which will be much more effective.

Although the arguments for the legitimacy and necessity of building a strategy are endless, you cannot stop there. It is also essential that the strategy is consistent with the company's business model. As I mentioned initially, the primary reason for the evolution of HR departments was precisely the need for them to present added value for the company. Therefore, the competence to understand the business strategy and take actions that will allow achieving the company's goals is also the competence of the HR specialist.

2. Understanding the business needs of talents and acquiring and retaining the best employees + employer branding

Recruitment is one of the basic responsibilities of HR departments. It is so important that a separate profession, i.e., a recruiter, evolved from this competence. When asked how to recruit effectively, crowds of people are looking for the answer. According to research, there will be a shortage of 1 million programmers in the world by 2020, which makes the process more and more difficult. The more crucial it is to understand the company's needs, the role that a given person is supposed to fulfill, and what a given company can actually offer to the candidate. The next step is to track and hit the target group, i.e., people interested in the offer. If this fails, the cooperation between the company and the employee will not last long.

Before this cooperation begins, however, it is necessary to develop the candidate journey space and take care of their recruitment experience. The next step is also onboarding, taking care of the company's brand as an employer to have a maximum positive experience and want to work in a given company.

This is where employer branding comes into play - i.e., creating the employer's brand. It is an area derived from marketing, which is increasingly becoming an indispensable element of a recruiter's work. It is worth mentioning here that there are also separate recruitment marketing departments or employer branding specialists who are specialists in ​​marketing, not recruitment, separating these two roles. HR specialists who want to approach their work comprehensively must also have such competencies.

3. Change implementation and management

There are many terms in the present day in which we live, and I think we can agree that they are dynamic, fast, and everything is changing around among the leading ones. In this reality, enterprises must function, which should also submit to it. Therefore, transparency has become a necessity, not an abstraction. Examples of challenges that currently concern companies include: assessing the activities of companies outside and the way employees are treated by society, building a brand in social media, difficulty in ensuring the implementation of contracts due to staff shortages - and even a dozen or so years ago such topics rather did not apply.

The business itself is changing as well. For example, the largest global carrier is a company that does not own a car, and a tycoon in the hotel industry is a service provider who does not own real estate. One of the interesting concepts explaining this phenomenon is the development of the sharing economy - hailed as "the first new economic system that arose since capitalism and socialism in the nineteenth century." It can force companies to fight for a position by providing a meaningful experience connecting people and building trust.

HR must know and follow trends to effectively implement strategic assumptions in human resource management; it is also expected to support business. It is supposed to adapt activities, communication and build trust in employer branding. Changes can and also apply to other areas - the processes and habits implemented in the company, the structures, and relationships created should be verified. Each of these aspects is the responsibility of the HR specialist.

4. Employee development

Not without reason, HR for short - H (from Human) is the first letter. The human aspect is key in this profession, even though the technology is taking the industry by storm, facilitating processes and automating some activities. People are put first, and therefore, the HR specialist cares about employees in current and long-term matters. Collecting and receiving feedback, solving problems and crises, collecting demand, evaluating processes and projects - this and everything that employees want to talk to an HR person about (how many people, so many cases and ideas) - is the competence of the HR expert.

The development of these areas and creating effective procedures means that employees can feel greater satisfaction and joy from work. Long-term care for employees is also critical.

The fact is that an HR specialist has a broad perspective on the company, he can see what the issue of remuneration looks like, and thanks to constant contact and gathering feedback, he can give more accurate financial proposals. In addition, by looking at projects, it can suggest development in your preferred directions or see the raw talents and push them in the right direction. Thanks to this, the internal situation in the company will be organized and fair, and the value of the employee is constantly increasing, allowing the company to grow, but also without distracting the employee from the company's growth.

5. Coaching - which enables managers to optimize their work, allows them to use their potential

A competent manager has a range of competencies that will allow you to manage other people. On the other hand, people from HR are specialists in soft skills, so necessary in the case of contacts with other people or a team. It is also a fact that when working with a team, the support and help of such specialists is instrumental. Therefore, an HR specialist is a person who can and should help managers in matters for which soft skills must be used, and at the same time support in matters of relations with the team. Adding to this the business aspect - a typical management issue-researching employees' needs and the willingness to develop them will allow you to match tasks to their competencies. Thanks to this, managers have teams of specialists and use their full potential.

6. Creating an organizational culture, promoting principles and values

The HR specialist influences the community at work - the culture of the organization and the values ​​it professes. This starts with selecting candidates and deciding who actually represents a high "team fit" or does not fit in the team. Then it promotes behaviors, which may be manifested in appreciating employees as part of a generally accepted culture of appreciation or recommendation for pay raises. He may also treat certain behaviors as reprehensible and lead employee conversations, signaling and trying to solve the problem. Finally, it can promote and implement certain initiatives involving employees in specific actions. It all adds up to what a given company will actually be and how employees will function.

7. Facilitator - who animates relationships and the flow of knowledge in teams

By definition, a facilitator is a person whose task is to actively participate in facilitating communication between individuals or groups to achieve a common solution. The most obvious competence is mediation in the event of conflicts. And he has to participate and moderate the talks and take care of the course of the conflict that is to be resolved. But the tasks of the HR specialist include animating relationships and the flow of knowledge in teams. According to the definition, he also actively participates in communication within the company. The consequence of this is also creating communication procedures and customs, which is directly related to the creation of organizational culture.

8. Designer/event designer

There is nothing to hide. The life of an HR person is always a project. They need to be planned, implemented, evaluated, and managed on many levels - from finances to participants. Sometimes these projects take the form of typical events. Because who, if not an HR specialist, is to plan an exit or an integration trip? Gamification at work or in recruitment or meet-up/conference is typical examples of projects that need to be implemented. Searching for a place, speakers, taking care of attendance, capturing campaigns for promotion on social media. Here again, HR somehow overlaps its competencies with marketers because it has to take care of these projects' internal or external promotion.

He can also go a step further and propose content on social media. He also has to take care of his competencies in social media - it results from running a website or tab dedicated to recruitment. In other words, he very often implements projects or events from start to finish, taking full responsibility for a given project.

9. Operations manager who measures and monitors existing policies and procedures and manages effectiveness

I don't know if you know, but sometimes HR procedures are read backward. How people are supposed to perform individual activities to make the most effective belongs to the HR competencies. It examines the needs of employees - designs processes, simplifies or arranges them, and then evaluates and improves. This continuous cycle is to balance the needs of people and the company, on the one hand trying to make the life of employees who, as a rule, the so-called They do not lose their "paperwork," but the obligations or requirements of the company, which has to meet the legal regulations, but, equally importantly, carry out certain procedures, due to the internal situation, against possible resistance. As you may have noticed, these processes permeate the previous points. An HR specialist should conduct research, both in terms of strategy, recruitment, change, employee development, managerial needs, or the atmosphere, and then arrange those aspects that are lame. What is important here is creating indicators and their rational analysis, using tools available on the market.

What's next for these areas?

When I see the position of HR or recruiter - do I assume that this person has the competencies described above? Not necessarily. HR is also a back office - a department supporting the company. This means that this role must be adapted to the moment of the development of the company and its, For example, eds. In a 10-person company, there will be no need for complex procedures that will be classified faster than micromanagement. On the other hand, one is a company with a very structured organizational model. The animation of relationships forced by the structure (to be changed) will not be a priority.