HR Full Form: Meaning and Key Functions Explained
The full form of HR is ‘Human Resources’. HR or Human Resources refers to the employees of the company who comprise the workforce. Since they are working for the business, they are considered as a ‘resource’ for the organization.
The question ‘what is the full form of HR’ can also be answered differently. The full form of HR is ‘Human Resources’ which can also refer to the department of a company that manages the employees of the company efficiently. This department is tasked with finding and hiring the right candidates to build the workforce. They also manage employee performance and compensation, undertake their training, help keep them engaged and satisfied with the organization, maintaining employee relations, as well as ensure a smooth exit process.
Key Functions of HR
Since HR manage the most valuable resource for any company, they have major responsibilities which ensure the smooth functioning of a company. The human resource management team’s responsibilities include managing the employees from hire to retire, as well as streamlining the company operations to ensure improved employee experience.
Some of the major responsibilities of human resource management are:
1. Recruitment
Since the full form of HR is Human Resources, they are required to create and maintain up to date job postings for various vacant positions within the company and post it. They are also in charge of finding the right candidate and placing them in the right position by offering competitive compensation packages. To achieve this, they also shortlist resumes and undertake interviews.
2. Benefits Administration
Employees should be compensated for their time and effort, and the HR team is in charge of the same. They handle employee compensation and benefits by ensuring that these packages are competitive, yet compliant with the local labour laws. Additionally, they also calculate the components of each salary cycle to ensure accurate on-time salary disbursals.
3. Performance Management
Another major aspect of HR duty is the performance management of the staff. HR teams are tasked with analysing the performance of employees and improving it to ensure that the staff can undertake their work with maximum efficiency. They can also suggest improvements to the staff if required, as well as consult with the managers to improve the performance of employees.
4. Training and Development
Similarly, human resources also manage employee training in an organization by deploying a dedicated training management system. They are responsible for upskilling and cross-skilling the employees, as well as ensuring that the staff undertake their training and development sessions. They also assess these sessions to improve them, while also sharing certificates for successful training and learning sessions.
5. Work Culture
The human resources teams also develop a robust yet comfortable work culture and employee relations to ensure that the employees feel valued and have a sense of belonging to their workplace. The work culture should be ethical and adhere to an employee-first philosophy, which would help cement the company’s reputation as a good place to work.
6. Attendance Management
Managing employee attendance is another major function of the HR team as it directly affects their payroll. Hence, their attendance records should be accurate and fool-proof, while also ensuring that the records are accessible to the authorized personnel. Hence, the HR professionals of a company handle employee attendance and maintain the records, while also analysing the late-comings and overtime, which can also be automated with the help of a dedicated attendance management system.
7. Employee Well-being
According to a recent study by Gallup, 69% of employees are less likely to search for a new job if they understand that their company is actively taking care of employee well-being. Hence, employee well-being is a major concern for human resource teams since they are the most valuable resource of the company.
8. Grievance Handling
When there is a diverse team of talented employees working under the same roof, there are bound to be some conflicts as well as creative differences. Similarly, there could be numerous grievances employees might have regarding their company and office. Since the full form HR is Human Resources, the HR departments have to resolve these issues amicably and confidentially.
9. Employee Data Management
Since employees generate a lot of data, the HR teams have to manage this data effectively and keep it secure. From basic attendance information to the confidential information of employees such as their documents, HRs are required to handle all employee and their employment-related information.
What is Human Resources Relevance for Organizations?
Since the full form of HR in organizations is Human Resources, they take care of the staff members while also playing multiple roles in the company. These roles are extremely crucial for the smooth functioning of a business and hence, HRs are required to be highly versatile.
Some of the most essential roles of HR for organizations are:
➔ Efficiency Driver
HRs are required to weed out outdated company operations and optimize existing workflows to ensure that the company is functioning efficiently. Hence, they act as efficiency drivers by advocating new technologies and processes to improve the quality of work being undertaken. HRs also act as new technology enablers by promoting self-service adoption within a business.
➔ Compliance Handler
HRs also develop the policies and regulations that govern the organization; hence, they are required to follow the regulatory guidelines and ensure that the company adheres to all statutory rules and regulations. Along with it, they ensure that the business is following ethical practices as well as providing equitable opportunities to its staff. They also ensure transparency within the organization.
➔ Business Strategist
HRs are also strategic partners for businesses as they provide data-driven strategies for companies to optimize their workforce and operations. Since HRs have access to company-wide databases, they can provide insights into talent management, resource management, and more. Hence, they are consulted when the senior management requires insights regarding operational efficiency and other metrics critical for undertaking daily business.
➔ Culture Enabler
The functions of HR also include developing a robust company and work culture, that is transparent, equitable, and ethical. They define the corporate values and create succession planning initiatives to ensure that the leadership follows the company culture. Their role as a ‘culture enabler’ helps companies to develop a robust work culture and conducive work environment.
What are the Different Types of HR?
Since Human Resources is the full form of HR, there are various kinds of HR roles, which take care of different aspects of HR duties in companies. Since the full form of HR is Human Resources, the actual names of the various HR designations might differ from one organization to another. However, the general functions of HR remain the same.
The different types of HR designations are:
1. HR Manager
The HR Manager is the most senior human resource management position in the organization and is tasked with overseeing the HR department and is in charge of undertaking their daily activities. The HR manager is also consulted by the senior management for strategic business development, annual goal-setting for the staff and more.
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2. HR Generalist
The HR Generalist takes care of the day-to-day activities of the HR. They undertake the tasks allocated by the HR manager. They are also responsible for conversing with the employees to understand their grievances and gathering their feedback. They also undertake the common clerical tasks of the HR department.
3.Recruiter
The Recruiter is a specialized kind of human resources personnel tasked with recruiting the best talent within the budget constraints of the organization. They manage all recruitment tasks such as posting jobs, crafting job descriptions, conducting and scheduling interviews, screening candidates, and hiring the right candidate for the vacant positions.
4. Payroll Manager
The Payroll Manager undertakes all tasks related to employee payroll. The major functions of HR payroll manager include collecting the monthly attendance data, researching the market to ensure pay parity, calculating the salaries accurately, generating the payslips, and more. They are also in charge of handling the additional benefits, bonuses, and rewards for the employees.
