Think about a modern office space or the workforce. What are some of the key components that come to you, just off the top of your head? The boss, of course, and the manager(s). The desk workers, typically the nine-to-five employees, clock in and clock out five days a week and then get their respite on the weekends.
How are they hired, though? It is all too easy to assume that it is the boss who does the hiring. However, often, that is not the case. They may have the final say at the end of the day, but they tend to have someone who aids in the overall process.
This is the Human Resources department’s representative, usually just known as the HR rep. Whether you work in a field like this or are the owner of a business yourself, you are probably familiar with the term at the very least. If you want to learn more, though, you should continue reading!
The Role of HR
While most of us have heard of this department, there seems to be some confusion surrounding what they actually do for a business. Admittedly, this might be because of their role in pop culture. Thinking about some of the popular sitcoms that have featured office buildings (we all know the one), the HR rep often seems to be the butt of the joke rather than a valuable member of the team.
Today, I am here to help dismantle this misconception, seeing at it is incorrect at best and harmful at worst. You see, this part of an office actually has a critical role to serve. The hiring process is a difficult one for good reason, after all, and screening out applicants who are not a good fit is one of those aspects of this.
It is easy to consider it hard on the side of the applicant, but rarely do we think about the hiring perspective as well. There are many laws that are relevant to know, which might be why degrees are required of most reps. More resources on that are available on this page if you would like to get a further understanding of that process.
Speaking a bit more generally, their primary purpose is to oversee the well-being of employees and to handle any onboarding programs, along with benefits that a company might provide. Essentially, they are there to ensure that the overall work environment is a healthy and productive one.
What Does a “Healthy” Workspace Look Like?
Understandably, this tends to be another point of content when it comes to this topic. We all have different definitions of what our perfect job would be. Therefore, it is unrealistic to try to perfectly appease everyone in an office. Instead, “healthy” takes on a bit of a different connotation.
What does it mean, in this case? For the most part, we can boil it down to a few simple factors. When employees can successfully collaborate with each other on projects and assignments, that is a good sign. The same can be said for employees and managers.
The road to getting there is not always easy, though. As you can see on this website, https://www.traliant.com/hr-compliance-training/, sometimes it involves some stepping stones that we may not have initially anticipated. We must take care to remember that Human Resources is an ever-changing field.
Often, additional training is required, which is where the main topic of this article comes into play (I know, I took a while in getting here). You see, these reps are in charge of maintaining and following any local and federal laws and regulations both during the hiring and for current employees. The thing is that these rules shift fairly often.
Admittedly, some of the differences that are made are not overly large. Still, keeping track of them is on the shoulders of the HR reps and the managerial staff. Providing additional sessions and supplementary training can ease this burden as well as fulfill some of those aforementioned requirements. So, that is why many more professionals have started to recommend this method!
The Bottom Line?
Hopefully, what I have told you today has helped to undo that negative connotation surrounding this department of most organizations. As you can see, the functions that they serve are integral to maintaining a happy force of workers who can work together and get tasks accomplished. There are bound to be some challenges, though.
Be prepared to back your HR rep up, especially when it comes to difficult topics such as harassment or discrimination. Trust their judgment and stand firm to demonstrate zero tolerance towards those behaviors. They are not just morally wrong, but can also be detrimental to a business or organization on a financial and profit level as well – no one wants that.
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