Human resources (HR) is the division of a business that is charged with finding, screening, recruiting, and training job applicants, as well as administering employee-benefit programs.

Human resources might deal with issues such as:

Compensation and benefits.

Recruiting and hiring employees.

Onboarding.

Performance management.

Training.

Organization development and culture.

Human resources is the set of the people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge which the individuals embody. Similar terms include manpower, labor, personnel, associates or simply people. Employees must be hired, satisfied, motivated, developed, and retained. A human resources department is the department that manages a company’s human resources. Humans need more management than other resources and a different approach, so that’s why it’s useful to have an entire department devoted to them. Whether it’s mediating interpersonal conflicts or setting up a retirement plan, the human resources department is trained to handle it. The HR search firms also ensures the company is adhering to labor regulations and works to keeps the environment free from harassment and other impediments to a strong workforce. Many of the functions of a human resource may in some cases be ■■■■■■■■ by non-human resources. In other words, robots or computers sometimes replace human employees, especially in hazardous conditions or for repetitive tasks. This is called automation, and it can greatly improve efficiency. Human Resource Management is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, management, and the direction of the people in the organization. It focuses on compensating people and on managing a positive, employee-oriented, productive culture. Human resources management is also performed by line managers in an organization. Human Resource Development (HRD) is the framework for helping employees develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, abilities, and experience. The purpose is to help employees operate more productively for the company and to advance their own skills. Human Resource Development includes such opportunities as mentoring, employee training, employee career development, performance management and development, succession planning, coaching, key employee identification, tuition assistance, and organization development. The HRIS helps HR staff use the employee information needed to manage employees and operate a business. Locating and recruiting promising candidates is one objective of a human resource department, which uses the company’s business goals to guide the recruiting process. They usually evaluate the job which they are hiring for to identify key responsibilities and desired qualifications before writing job descriptions and placing job postings. They funnel qualified candidates to the company and shepherd the candidates along the hiring process, fielding resumes and conducting interviews. The human resource department extends offers to qualified candidates and negotiates pay and benefits. Making the right hire is a crucial responsibility of the human resource department because of how important a company’s employees are to its success. Good hires improve business outcomes and efficiency, so careful vetting of each job candidate, including background checks, is essential. The human resource department also is usually in charge of overseeing compensation, including salary or wages and benefits such as paid vacation or health insurance. Ensuring adequate and timely compensation is important for keeping employees satisfied. The human resource department is there to answer questions an employee may have about their health benefits, vacation time, tax withholdings, or other concerns.