The goal of a human resource manager is to strengthen the employer-employee relationship.
This goal is supported by a variety
of functions within the human
resources department and
throughout the organization. In a
small business, the human
resource manager may have a
great degree of latitude, as well as
the time to devote to employee
interaction with a small workforce.
Both of these are key elements of
an effective human resources
leader, although she must
accomplish a number of functions
to achieve this goal.
The manager of the human
resources department is
responsible for ensuring that
department employees are well-
versed in their areas of expertise.
The various disciplines of HR
require expertise in compensation,
benefits, safety, payroll, recruiting
and training. Ideally, the human
resource manager is a generalist,
which means his expertise is
cross-discipline. An article on the
All Business website titled
“Should Your Office Manager Also
Handle HR Duties?” cautions
small businesses to reconsider a
decision to combine two roles into
one, such as the office manager
and the human resource manager.
“A thousand things can go wrong
if this individual is not aware of
the potential liabilities inherent in
HR management,”.
Managing the human resources department also requires
knowledge of federal and state employment and labor laws
and regulations that apply to human resources professionals. For example, the human resource manager will designate the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act) officer in charge of all medical and health-related records for the workplace.
An effective human resource manager is in constant
communication with executive leadership. The HR department is not a revenue-generating source.
Consequently, it is important for an organization’s leaders to understand the return on investment (ROI) in human resources activities as a contribution to the company’s
bottom line. In a small business, the ROI may be more readily seen than in a large conglomerate. The human
resource manager for a small business, and thus a smaller
workforce, can easily implement methods and strategies that may show faster results. The bureaucratic hierarchy of a large organization often puts many more layers of
authority between the human resource manager and executive leadership.
A human resource manager who stays in her office all day will not be effective at building strong relationships with employees. Another function of the human resource manager is to gain the trust and confidence of employees--
the best way to establish trust and confidence is through daily interaction with the workforce. According to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Human resources occupations require strong interpersonal skills.” Again, with a smaller workforce, the results of an HR manager's interpersonal skills may be seen more quickly than in a large organization. Employee relations is a large part of the human resources manager’s job function, because employee concerns encompass a wide range of issues over which the manager has influence. The human resource manager is the “face of HR” and therefore relied upon to be
both human resources expert and employee advocate.
