Human resources management (HRM) is the oversight of employee recruitment, hiring and retention within an organization. Roles and responsibilities of HRM professionals vary by industry and by the size of a company. While all human resources managers are responsible for acting within the boundaries of the law and corporate policy, there are two key factors that influence HRM roles and responsibilities: external and internal forces.
External factors are variables that impact an organization from the outside. One example is legislative changes that affect how HRM operates, such as alterations to minimum wage laws, changes in occupational safety regulations or additions to workplace harassment laws. Another example of an external factor is technology. HRM professionals must alter their roles and responsibilities as technology changes, ensuring private employee information is kept in confidential, protected computerized filing systems and that employees are notified if their computer or telephone usage is monitored. An additional external factor is that of cultural changes that impact the workplace, such as employees asking for time off to observe religious holidays or for permission to wear religious symbols in the workplace.
Response to External Factors
HRM professionals must adapt to external factors by altering their roles and responsibilities. This includes staying up-to-date on topics like employment law, fair labor standards and workplace discrimination and harassment laws. It also involves developing detailed employee handbooks that are continually updated to reflect changing company policy. In addition, it may involve developing employee training seminars, such as cultural sensitivity forums, and updating and posting federal employment law posters as new laws take effect.
Internal factors that affect the role of HRM professionals are related to events and changes taking place within the company itself. This can include changes of ownership, radical changes in the internal management structure, mergers, acquisitions and significant downsizing or hiring trends. Internal factors can also include the addition or removal of a major product or service, the addition or loss of a major client or the restructuring of departments. The latter typically comes with changes to corporate culture, which directly affects employees. The roles and responsibilities of HRM professionals often shift as internal factors materialize.
Response to Internal Factors
HRM professionals are typically informed when major changes are taking place within a company, giving them time to reassess and alter their existing roles and responsibilities to better reflect the dynamics of the shifting workplace environment. As roles of employees change, HRM professionals will often be called on to act in an advisory capacity, establishing new job descriptions and often making changes to benefits, profit-sharing and other corporate perks. HRM professionals also institute training and educational programs and seminars and assist employees with transitions in and out of positions and in and out of the company.
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