Sometimes it can seem like human resources is just another step in the bureaucracy to get something done. If you want a job with the company, you have to first make it through the human resources department before you’ll get to someone who will recognize your specialized skills for what they are.
Source: FlickrOn the internal level, they are yet another department to interact with. HR sometimes feels like just another step in the process, another cog in the machine that slows everything down.
It’s easy to get so lost in these thoughts that you forget what great benefits an HR department brings to a company. Check out the following things it does for you.
First off, those that come into the business with a human resources education know how to work with people. A human resources education is built around this idea. A business is comprised of people. The only way to make a company work properly is by helping the people running it.
HR departments are people focused and try to help employees perform at their best. They’re also charged with the protection of those employees, meaning that they have to make themselves a trusted entity. The only way to do that is by building relationships with the people. A human resources education helps them learn how to do just that and become people-people.
Second, the human resources education teaches them how to recognize talent. The reason applications go through the HR department before the individual departments is that they are trained to help you find the best applicants. They are trained to find new talent, not just from the company’s website for new recruits, but also from existing employees in filling higher, better positions. Why interrupt your work load with potentially hundreds of applications? The HR department can sort through the information and hand-select the best candidates for the position.
They are open to recommendations (if you have a friend or acquaintance applying) and will act accordingly. They recognize the power of friendships already within the company. An HR department is well prepared to handle the task of finding talented employees for the company. Talented workers will often prove their worth to you.
Third, the HR department can help the current employees grow in their positions. They can carry the boss’s vision to fruition. They can run an internal marketing program strategy to help employees understand and live the dream of the company. It’s been shown over and over again that when employees get it (meaning they are on board with the purpose of the company) that they will work their hardest to see it through to the end.
A department of professionals armed with an education in human resources can take the lead in ensuring that the employees “get it.” With the strength of relationships they build with individual employees, they have the connections to help the vision take root. These are just three of the important reasons HR departments thrive in business. They provide people-people to build relationships with employees.
They sort through applications saving the staff time and productivity. Finally, they help employees catch and spread the vision. There’s even more in store when you hire someone with a human resources education. You’ll always be glad you pushed for an HR department once you’ve had one.