1.4 The Human Resources Manager

The Human Resources Manager Responsibilities

HR Managers have specific responsibilities to the HR department, to the executive groups, and to the employees of the organization. These responsibilities include:

Advisor

Offer direction to other managers, supervisors, and the executive group related to employment policy, unions, ethics, governance and the needs and wants of the employees. Offer advice from research outside the company on trends (data, legal, government legislation, economic trends) to help the organization make good decisions.

Policy maker

Create and implement policy to assist with solutions to problems within the organization. It is their job to ensure that the organization’s needs are aligned with the employee’s needs, and visa versa.

Service provider

Ensure the HR services are effective including hiring, testing, planning, performance, and training programs. They must ensure that the employees are engaged, productive and performing to meet the needs of the strategic plan.

HR Professional

Be an expert in the field of HR with the education, skills and experience needed to perform the job.

Advocate 

Listen to and act in the best interests of the employees and the organization.

Human Resources Manager’s Competencies

HR Leaders or sometimes called HR Business Leaders, need to show what they know through a combination of competencies.  With a combination of technology and behaviours skills, they will set themselves up for success. One of the ways to accomplish this is to meet the needs of the strategic plan. To be a valued member of the organization, they need to provided HR expertise using the organization’s resources to meet the business goals. They need to partner with executives and be involved in the strategic planning and drive the implementation related to the organization’s people. They must have the ability to understand, guide, interpret and apply the information to make good business decisions.  According to Strobel (2016), they need to be highly talented in several areas of competencies:

Leadership

Ensure employees are happy, have satisfaction with their jobs, perform to the expected outcomes, increase loyalty and trust, and decrease employee turnover.

Ethical

Strengthen the organization’s cultural and ethical environment to protect the organization from adverse behaviours. The result is employee “buy-in” and higher employee performance.

Business Acumen

Understand the business and its operation and how the HR department contributes to the overall success of the organization. Be familiar with the internal and external environments and how they influence the success of the company. As well, have financial and technical skills as a key player in the organization.

Relationships

Build relationships and interact with customers, executives and employees. Help others to build meaningful relationships that result in improving feelings of belonging and inclusion. Employees who have strong relationships tend to have improved job satisfaction, team building, commitment, positive outlook, and are more involved with the organization.

Consultation 

Be an expert in the field of human capital (people). They assist with problems and challenges offering solutions to staffing, training and development, performance and labour/employee relations. They provide guidance and knowledge to stakeholders to make decisive decisions.

Data

Provide data related to human capital metrics. Collect and monitor metrics that adds value to the HR department and the strategic partners.

Communication

Effectively communicate HR policy and practices to employees so they understand the purpose and value of the policy and practices. The result is employees perceiving the organization to be effective. The messages must be clear, concise and transparent.

Expertise

Well developed knowledge benefits the organization with reduced turnover, increased employee productivity and performance, and helps the organizational meet its goals.

Global and Cultural Knowledge

Effectively interact with other employees from varying backgrounds and cultures. They need to develop diversity initiatives and use inclusive hiring practices. They need to comply with the laws and regulations. Creating a diverse workforce is critical to developing a competitive and successful business.

Credible

Lay the foundation for credibility on a personal level, gain trust with employees/executives/customers, build relationships with departments, lead with integrity and an inclusive attitude, and show they are a valued leader within the organization.