Human Resources Managers From Three Different HR

Human Resources

Managers from three different HR departments (from three separate companies) were interviewed concerning the management, job duties and focus of their respective HR departments. A summary of each of their responses is included below.

All three companies look to hire experienced HR personnel and then require them to attend training courses. In addition to outside courses, both the second and the third companies required their HR personnel to attend conferences and in-house sessions as well.

The first company's ROI is determined by calculating the average length of employment and the company turnover rate. The average cost per hire is not calculated by the first or the second company and although the third company does not specifically calculate the average cost per hire they do have a focus on retention due to the cost of hiring new employees.

Each company presented different answers in regards to trends effecting their HR departments. The first company noticed innovation and advanced technology that when implemented would ensure the HR department was efficient, while the second company looked at diversity and leadership training as the upcoming trend. The third company was again focused on quickly hiring technical personnel and the trend most noticed was in assembling all the necessary components to assimilate those new personnel into the company's workforce.

What was interesting regarding the question on whether the HR department was a part of planning was that the company most in need of hiring new personnel was also the company that required the HR department to be part of the planning process. The HR departments from the first and second companies were not nearly as welcome during planning meetings as the third company's was. The HR department for company number one was given their instructions and told to be as efficient as possible in following those directions while company number two allowed the HR department a support role in the planning process, but no active role.

Company number one

The HR department does not get a lot of input into how the department is run, and is essentially told to complete the required tasks (as set out be corporate) in an efficient a manner as possible. The main tasks for HR are to provide training and training schedules for the employees and track which employees are taking advantage of the provided training. The HR department uses a web-based information system that helps them track payroll and address payroll problems and helps employees when signing up for health benefits (which they are allowed to do immediately upon hire).

HR effectiveness for the first company was measured by how quickly and successfully the HR personnel respond to employee inquiries and the data on that responsiveness is gathered through the use of email surveys. ROI is determined by calculating the average length of employment and the company turnover rate, average cost per hire is not calculated.