Who makes the perfect HR person? Human Resources (HR) is the business function that looks after an organisation’s staff. From recruitment through to retirement, and from training to disciplinary matters, HR teams are there to provide both practical support and legal compliance. So who makes the perfect HR person – someone sympathetic or someone tough? Well, perhaps a bit of both. Here’s our take.
Around 1.6% of the UK workforce now works in HR-related roles. Salary data shows that average pay varies between £18,372 and £115,953, depending on things like levels of responsibility and region. Most HR professionals work in private companies, compared to working for public sector organisations, like local councils or hospitals.* HR is clearly a growing and fairly well-paid profession, but what does the job actually entail. Let’s look at the typical activities an HR team will get involved in through the timeline of taking a job. Pre-recruitment – it’s likely that HR will have supported a department head to make the case for recruiting a new member of their team, as well as checking the job description and person profile. Recruitment – HR may well take the lead in advertising a vacancy and then helping to
shortlist applications. HR will provide interview training, if required, or may support managers in conducting interviews and the recruitment process. When a decision is made, it is usually HR who will send out formal offer letters and check things like an individual’s right to work in the UK. Payroll and expenses – some companies run their payroll and staff expenses through a finance department, but many choose to ensure that HR are involved, in order to check that the right people are being paid. Training – working alongside department managers, it’s likely that the HR team will oversee a company’s training budget and help to arrange training required. They will also keep records of any mandatory training that a business needs such as First Aid, so that they can remind people when renewals are due.
Make The Future Yours! Issue 4
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