Many times, when talking about organizations and companies, people fall into the trap of assuming that these entities are practically machines for producing and issuing products or services. However, this way of looking at things is not only simplistic; It is also fundamentally false.
Companies and organizations are above all teams of people who use certain resources to reach a goal that can only be achieved jointly. That is to say, human beings form the core of these entities, they are not simple pieces to be combined with the rest of the means of production.
Now, these kinds of synergies and forms of teamwork cannot exist if the assignment of tasks and the way in which people participate in activities in the organization are not managed; improvising or expecting individuals to organize spontaneously makes this relationship between workers unviable, for many reasons. That is why there are Human Resources (HR) professionals, in charge of shaping the work networks, assignment of roles and mutual support that must exist in an organization. Here we will see what its main functions are, through a review of the pillars of HR
The term “Human Resources” has two closely related meanings. On the one hand, referring to the set of workers and collaborators of an organization , those people whose work makes it possible for the entity to reach its objectives or try to achieve them; That is, the people who provide the workforce, whether physical or intellectual.
On the other hand, it refers to the professionals of the teams or departments in charge of managing the previous element through employee training programs, personnel selection, description of vacant positions, establishment of criteria for promoting workers, application of incentives, hiring, etc.
Thus, Human Resources professionals They are in charge of tasks that have an administrative and bureaucratic aspect and another of a more behavioral and human nature , although in practice both overlap and condition each other. Therefore, in HR departments it is very common for people trained in Labor Relations or Psychology with a specialization in Work Psychology to work.
The 6 fundamental pillars of HR
The pillars of Human Resources are the work areas that structure the day-to-day life of HR professionals, and that shape their role in the company. Let’s see what they are.
1. Recruitment of workers
Recruiting workers is one of the most well-known and striking aspects of Human Resources. However, It is not only reflected in job interviews It is present even before this phase arrives; Something as simple as generating a good brand image and gaining a reputation for good working conditions also influences a company’s recruiting capacity, as does the job description published in job offers.
2. Evaluation
Evaluation is very important both in selection processes and when measuring the performance of workers and departments. It is not only useful to see if there are workers who do not perform as agreed; It is also important to evaluate the workstations themselves, and the work environments, in search of ergonomics or workflow problems
A company that depends entirely on worker training provided by external entities is an organization with little capacity to adapt and that is constrained by the limitations of the labor market. It is important to know how to train the corresponding skills so that workers can perform their tasks. adapting perfectly to the characteristics and needs of the company in which they are
4. Creation of incentives and talent retention
The ideal is for the company to have the ability to retain the people who contribute the most to the organization for many years. This allows us to have teams with a lot of accumulated experience and at the same time avoids going through the challenge of having to constantly renew the staff, which would lead to rushing, losing a coherent and overall vision of certain projects, etc.
5. Management of communication channels
It is important guarantee the existence of communication channels that allow relevant information to flow in all directions of the organization chart Leaving areas of the organization disconnected from each other not only worsens working conditions, but also leads to misunderstandings, duplications and poor work dynamics, wasting resources and obtaining poorer quality results. Furthermore, it can lead to conflicts if certain demands are not heard.
6. Knowledge of new technologies
The last of the pillars of Human Resources has to do with knowledge of the latest technological and technical advances in the sector. We must not forget that with the boom of digital tools and Big Data, The market experiences changes from one year to the next, and you have to be aware of the implications that this has for HR its opportunities and potential when selecting and training, its impact on the behavior of the competition and on the expectations of workers, etc.
If you are thinking about specializing professionally in the field of Human Resources or simply want to learn the fundamental aspects of this facet of organizations and companies, you may be interested in the Specialization Diploma in Talent Attraction, Capture, Evaluation and Loyalty organized by the University of Malaga
It is a 100% online course of 32 ECTS credits whose first edition begins on October 4, 2021 and ends on April 30, 2022; In it, students will learn about topics such as talent acquisition strategies, the preparation of selection reports, job descriptions, the phases of a selection process, loyalty strategies, and other fundamental aspects of this area of the company, all taking into account the latest technical and technological advances applied to HR methodologies.
On this page you will find more information about this course and other HR training programs at the University of Malaga.
