14 Role and Responsibilities of HR Managers in an Organization

In today’s competitive talent landscape, human resources (HR) is more vital than ever. The strategies, systems, and people that comprise HR departments play a pivotal role in attracting, retaining, and developing top talent at companies large and small. According to research, 58% of companies rely on human resources management to recruit and retain employees efficiently.

But what exactly do HR professionals do day-to-day that makes them so essential? Let’s take a look at some of the key duties and responsibilities of HR managers in an organization.

What Does An HR Do?

 HR is in charge of the coordination of interviews, the optimization of recruitment efforts, and the assistance in integrating fresh talent into the company. It involves careful attention to detail about the necessary documentation for employment, guaranteeing a pleasant experience from the beginning.

Beyond these basic activities are a range of crucial roles, like handling administrative tasks, overseeing pay and benefits, developing training and development plans for employees, cultivating positive employee relations, and leading performance management programs.

 However, HR’s responsibilities frequently go beyond these clearly defined positions and include diverse contributions to organizational health.

Pro-tip

Human Resource managers must stay updated with the latest trends and technologies and develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. Leveraging HR software solutions that automate routine tasks, streamline processes, and provide insights will allow HR people to focus on more strategic initiatives that drive business success.

Top HR Roles And Responsibilities

The human resource management team is responsible for a wide range of responsibilities, including human resource planning, job analysis, hiring candidates, and retaining them, to name a few.

Let’s understand the roles and responsibilities of HR managers in detail!

1. Human Resource Planning

The role of human resources managers is to plan and execute organizational objectives in collaboration with executives.

As such, they play a critical function in HRP, which involves identifying, preparing, and achieving business goals. It helps ensure an organization has the right number of employees with the necessary skills to meet its goals. This involves forecasting future staffing needs and ensuring that the recruitment and training programs can meet these needs.

A human resources manager also plays a key role in succession planning and guaranteeing that a pool of talent is ready to step into senior positions as they become available.

2. Recruitment & Hiring 

Finding and hiring the right talent is a very complex process. Modern HR departments do more than post job requirements in portals to fill open positions. They develop strategic solutions to attract suitable candidates and fulfill the demands of the business.

From screening potential candidates on job portals and social platforms like LinkedIn to interviewing them, the HR department follows an organized approach to hiring the most suitable employee for the organization.

Once an applicant is selected, HR professionals design offer letter documents, scan them to email them to the candidate and conduct the onboarding process. If a candidate backs out at the last moment, it is among the roles of HR managers to convince them to join the organization.

 HR managers must repeat the recruitment process to fill open positions if they insist on not joining.

3. Job Analysis and Design

Human resource planning requires assigning the right resources to the right project. And if the right person is not in the organization, HR managers are responsible for designing the job analysis to hire them.

The job analysis includes –

• Job descriptions,
• Employee’s position in the organization,
• Who the employee should report to,
• Resources the employee will need to perform the job efficiently,
• Individual data related to the post, such as technical skills, work experience, etc.,
• Work schedule,
• Salary, incentives, and other employee benefits,
• Personal attributes, such as personality, values, and interests.

4. Promotions & Appraisals

The performance appraisal process aims to evaluate an employee’s performance annually, enabling managers to assess their progress and identify areas of improvement. To conduct effective appraisals, the HR team must clearly understand each employee’s roles and responsibilities.

Before starting the appraisal process, HR professionals should consult with different department heads to get insight into the duties assigned to each staff member. It is the role of human resource manager to evaluate employees based on their strengths and assigned task performance.

It is important that employees are informed of the evaluation criteria and that the process is transparent. It is among the key duties of HR manager to communicate expectations, goals, and measurement standards to employees before appraisals. 

5. Training and Development

One of the major responsibilities of HR manager is to provide training and upskilling courses to maximize their return on investment. 

The Human Resources department is responsible for developing and administering training and development programs. Training and development programs are designed to improve employees’ performance and help them adapt to changes in the workplace. These programs can include on-the-job training and online training.

The type of training and development new employees require depends on their experience.

6. Design Workplace Policies

HR manager roles and responsibilities include designing workplace policies to reduce conflicts and legal issues and improve employee productivity. These policies are designed to protect the interests of both employees and employers alike.

Though workplace policies differ from organization to organization, certain things remain rigid like: 

• Standard operating procedures
• Anti-harassment and non-discrimination 
• Paid leaves, sick leaves, and time-off benefits
• Meal and break periods
• Time tracking
• Employee attendance and punctuality

HR managers must comply with federal, state, and local laws while designing workplace policies. 

7. Performance Management

Performance management enables teams and organizations to ensure that each member provides value to the business that is proportional to their compensation. Using performance management involves HR managers making workflow improvement suggestions, identifying problems, and implementing productivity monitoring tools. Getting input from employees on how to improve performance and implementing reward schemes and other tactics to boost output are essential components mentioned in the HR manager job description. 

HR managers can monitor employee performance by:

• Keeping track of employee productivity levels
• Comparing employee productivity levels to company goals and objectives.
• Encouraging employees to set personal performance goals.
• Recognizing and rewarding employees for meeting or exceeding performance goals.

8. Maintaining Work Culture

The duties and responsibilities of HR manager shape and maintain organizational culture. Therefore, creating a positive impression of the company from day one is essential so the new employees know what to expect.

Having an open-door policy is vital to help employees communicate their problems freely. It helps improve employee satisfaction and retain talent. Additionally, consider planning company events where employees can showcase their non-work-related talents like singing, dancing, mimicry, etc. It enhances the overall brand image and spreads positivity throughout the organization.

9. Resolve Conflict

Employees come from diverse backgrounds. And when people with opposite opinions meet, the chances of conflict rise significantly. Whether the issue is between two employees or an employee and the management, the human resources management has to mediate conflict resolution.

The HR manager must listen to both parties without being biased or judgemental. They need to go to the root of the matter, which includes questioning other employees. Depending on the type of conflict, HR managers also hold the right to fire an employee.

10. Ensure the Health and Safety of Employees

Employees are an important asset of the organization. Unless they are safe and healthy, they won’t be able to give their best to the company. Thus, HR managers need to ensure the health and safety of employees.

How you plan for your employee’s health and safety will depend on your company policies. For instance, the HR department can do things like: 

• Arrange an on-premise doctor for emergencies,
• Arrange an on-premise ambulance,
• Set employee health benefits,
• Prioritize educational training like health and safety courses for employee learning,
• Set up a sick room in the office for employees to rest if they are unwell,
• Organize fire safety training workshops.

11. Rewards and Incentives

HR managers must reward employees based on their performance. The biggest benefit of rewarding co-workers is that it creates a desire for other employees to excel at their jobs in the hope of getting incentives. For example, HR managers can design quarterly or monthly incentive programs to identify and reward high-performing employees.

Additionally, you can consider giving the power to employees to choose the type of reward they want. For instance, let them decide whether they want a bonus, flexible work times, leave, etc. It will make them feel valued, increase job satisfaction, and boost productivity.

12. Employee Records Management

With numerous staff, HR departments must maintain detailed records for each person. Well-organized employee records serve many important purposes within a company.

• Employee records provide a history of each individual that can be referenced as needed, including personal details, compensation, and benefits, performance reviews, disciplinary issues, etc.
• By reviewing each employee’s skills, experience, and development areas, HR can pinpoint organizational needs for training, recruitment, or other talent management initiatives. 
• Former employee information remains relevant for providing references, documenting tenure, and defending legal claims. Storing past employee records makes retrieval easy while optimizing storage space.

Performance, retention, absenteeism, training needs, and compensation metrics can be compiled to guide policy improvements.

13. Employee Retention Strategies

Setting the implementation of initiatives targeted at raising employee engagement and satisfaction as a top priority is another requirement. It basically means coming up with plans to increase retention rates. 

It also means evaluating employee feedback, conducting in-depth exit interviews, and proactively resolving any issues or complaints brought up by employees. It’s critical to have an employee retention plan that works.

 It can be challenging to find the ideal talent who has the necessary training, experience, and personality. So, it poses a big problem for companies when employees say they want to leave even after all of these efforts.

Understanding the reasons behind employee dissatisfaction, their reasons for leaving, and the variables affecting their decision to leave requires a strategic approach.

14. Offboarding Candidates

When a top-performing employee leaves a company, it can be disruptive if not handled properly. 

The departing employee must be encouraged to document their knowledge and train their replacement. The HR management must be on good terms with valuable employees. If the employee had a positive experience, they would likely recommend the company to potential hires and customers even after leaving.

 The HR team must keep a talent pipeline that includes alumni who understand the company culture and can make immediate contributions upon returning. Losing top employees is inevitable, but it does not have to detrimentally impact the company. A smooth transition can produce net benefits.

What Are The Best Practices For HR Managers?

Some of the best practices for HR managers include: 

• Embracing technological advancements and cultivating future-oriented skills.
• Prioritizing to make employee experience better.
• Promoting inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.
• Promoting teamwork and enabling efficient communication between employees.
• Giving priority to the health and welfare of employees.
• Ensuring HR strategies align with overall business goals by working closely with leadership.
• Providing a sense of security to employees through various means.
• Using selective hiring processes to draw in the best applicants.
• Developing effective, self-managing teams.
• Ensuring fair compensation based on performance.
• Providing training courses that emphasize the necessary skills for the changing workplace.

Conclusion

And there you have it – the top 14 HR manager resoponsibilities. From recruiting to training, compensation to compliance, HR plays a vital strategic role in organizations of all types and sizes. While specific duties vary, most HR jobs center around acquiring talent, supporting employees, strengthening company culture, ensuring legal compliance, and planning for the future.

To equip your HR team with the best tools and technology for success, check out SoftwareSuggest’s list of top HR management software for enterprise.

Khyati Sagar

Khyati Sagar is a seasoned HR and payroll expert with over a decade of experience in the field. She has worked with businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large corporations, helping them optimize their HR and payroll processes. As a passionate advocate for technology-driven solutions, she is always on the lookout for the latest advancements in HR and payroll software. When she’s not working, you can find her hiking or playing basketball with her friends and family.