identify the evolution of the recent HR
functions/roles.
at the very least, HR in an organization must be responsible for managing employee data, payroll, time and attendance, and setting company policies. The role is largely that of personnel administration focused on both internal & external compliance, and on management of employee records.
HR as a business partner
As a business partner, HR’s role is to meet the “existing business needs” so that the organization can grow at a measurable rate.
At this stage, HR focus shifts to competency-based recruitment, total compensation, employee development, communication and organization design.
HR as a strategic partner
Organizations that view their HR as a strategic business partner believe in providing the full maturity of their HR function. Such organizations are focused on attaining leadership positions rather than a year-on-year growth. Bottom-line and top-line growths are expected to be achieved automatically.
At this level, HR becomes responsible for identifying core competencies necessary among other functions such as:
- Aligning employees to a common sets of objectives derived from the mission and value statements
- Mitigating risks by devising appropriate Succession Planning Strategies
- Identifying top-performers and non-performers
- Continuously measuring of the effectiveness of leadership and employee satisfaction
- Increasing employee engagement through appropriate measures
- Aligning compensation to performance
- Adjusting recruitment and training to competency gaps
- Specifying well-defined job descriptions which are mapped to the organization structure. These become the basis for recruitment, goal setting, training, performance evaluation and career development