What are the key [25+] HR Key Responsibilities and Roles: The Ultimate guide

ShareHuman resource is the management functioning department in the organization. It coordinates the activities of all the other departments like finance, purchasing and logistics. None of the business units can perform successfully without the human resource department. In this article, I’ve defined key HR responsibilities that every HR should know of if you seek the role. I will take you through:

• What is the Human Resources department?
• How important are HR responsibilities in enterprises?
• 25 Key Roles and Responsibilities of HR
  • Recruitment of candidates
  • Hiring the right employees for the right jobs
  • Processing company payroll
  • Conduct disciplinary actions
  • Designing and updating existing company policies
  • Maintaining employee records
  • Conduct Analysis of Employee Benefits
  • Arranging for Training and Development of New Employees
  • Conducting Job Analysis and Designing
  • Monitoring Employee Performance
  • Maintaining work culture
  • Resolving internal conflicts among employees
  • Ensuring the health and safety of employees
  • Disbursing rewards and incentives
  • Conducting External Recruitment Processes
  • Setting Rules for Employee Promotion
  • Sharing Information with Employees
  • Conducting Survey Management
  • Managing Business Partnerships
  • Human Resource Technology Management
  • Investigating Internal Complaints
  • External Employee Problem Solving
  • Employee Engagement
  • Employment Relations
  • Legal Knowledge
• Job Descriptions and designations in Human Resources
  • CHRO
  • Human Resource Director
  • HR Manager
  • HR Coordinators
  • Business Partner HR
  • People Data Analyst/Scientist
  • HRIS Director
  • HRIS Administrators
  • Recruiting Coordinator
  • Head Compensation and Benefits
  • Chief Diversity Officer
  • Vice President HR
• How do the HR responsibilities help support employees?
• The bottom line

What is the Human Resources department?

Human resources department manages the operation of the business. The aim of the department is to finding, selecting, and hiring employees. After the hiring process, the department provides training about the company to the employees. Moreover, the human resource department takes care of the employees in terms of recognition, benefits, and many more. 

How important are HR responsibilities in enterprises?

Human resources play an important role in supporting, developing, and making a friendly culture at the workplace. It takes care of recruiting and onboarding candidates, training and development, performance management, payroll and many more. Moreover, it brings all essential values that create a friendly culture in a company. The only aim it carries is to make the organizational process easy and productive. 

25 Key Roles and Responsibilities of HR

I’ve seen a few companies where they have a really soft culture and that enhance the productivity of the business with higher profits. So if you are applying for the post of HR and you really need to pursue this professional I’ll be introducing you to the responsibilities that you need to cater to.

1. Recruitment of candidates

Hiring a candidate is the most basic and very first thing that is followed by HR. Recruitment of candidates is a complex and expensive process but it brings joy to meet new talents and give a quality check on the skills. It is one of the key HR responsibilities to establish a recruitment procedure. The process consists of identifying the company needs, selecting needs based on the criteria. The right candidate can boost the morale of the entire company. If you are handling these responsibilities you must have a thorough market analysis before you start the process of recruitment.

2. Hiring the right employees for the right jobs

I believe that the right employee can do wonders for the company. The job of the human resource department is to look after the recruitment process. It starts with posting advertisements for the job on the job-search platforms. When applications are submitted, the human resources department screens the application and selects suitable candidates. Additionally, Improving employer reputation is key to attracting the best candidates.

3. Processing company payroll

An individual has to calculate the tax deducted, additions made to the gross salary, and many more. The HR executive has to calculate the appraisals and bonuses added to the gross pay of an employee. The Human Resource team needs to look after the company payroll activities to keep the records transparent.

4. Conduct disciplinary actions

It is said that if you want to become successful then you need to be disciplined in the routine. So does, if you want to run a good company with a smooth workflow then discipline is the very first aspect that needs to be followed by everyone. The human resource manager has to maintain discipline in the company. Sometimes disciplinary actions are necessary on the premises or else The employee does not suit the work. The HR manager may dismiss the employee for the company’s good and welfare.

5. Designing and updating existing company policies

The concept of rules and regulation has to be carried if you need productive results in the company. If you are applying for the role of HR you need to keep updating the existing policies of the company is the primary responsibility of HR. Sometimes the policies don’t work out because of the improper behavior of the employees. If a particular policy is not followed or it is complex then the HR personnel needs to update the policies and rules to make them suitable for company operations. HR needs to have a consistent check and analyze which plans are working and how many people are following the norms.

6. Maintaining employee records

As there are many people working in the company, the HR team needs to keep a record of every employee. Employee records is the only source of information to get the history of the employee. It helps in knowing potential skill gaps of the employees. The record has the personal details of the employees including their family contact numbers. Even if the employee has left the company a wise organization always has the records maintained in the drive. 

7. Conduct Analysis of Employee Benefits

As every employee wants benefits, a wise company must plan for good benefits for employees. It builds the trust of the employee towards the company. In most cases, companies offer small pay but high benefits. A skilled employee may decide to join a company although the pay is low. This is because he is more attracted by the benefits provided. The benefits could be in various forms like medical insurance, home loan facilities, and many more.

8. Arranging training and development of new employees

In the starting days of employees, HR needs to provide training and development programs for employees to understand the flow of the organization. It is important to make them aware of the environment, management and operational process. This helps employees to get an overview of the organization, meet colleagues and understand their importance in the organization.

9. Conducting Job Analysis and Designing

The HR manager needs to provide a title to the employees according to the departmental requirements. It is the duty of HR to design jobs that refer to the points which are mentioned in the job description. The HR manager needs to design the job according to the skills and potential of the employee. The job analysis process involves concepts like job description, employee roles, and many more. 

10. Monitoring employee performance

Analyzing employee performance is very important to check the progress of the employees starting from the date of joining. The progress is analyzed on the previous work done by the employees. If there are any gaps in the work process and the actual work done, the deviation can be reduced. Moreover, this also helps employees to grow in the company and get an opportunity to get a promotion or appraisal.

11. Maintaining work culture

The only aim of the human resource department is to maintain a good work culture. A company’s culture is important for employee growth as it levels the involvement and dedication of the employee’s workplace. The company should follow a mission and work according to the objectives stated in the mission statement. A company must have a playful culture that helps employees to learn, work and have fun all at the same place.

12. Resolving internal conflicts among employees

I believe that the Manager is the peacemaker. They need to hear the objections of both parties and go to the root of the matter. An individual needs to understand the situation and come up with a fruitful solution that brings a helping environment at work. The Manager needs to question the employees. 

13. Keeping good health and safety of employees

I believe that employees are an asset to the company. Looking after their health, safety and welfare are important. The employees need the strong support and friendship of the human resource. An employee must enquire about the health and well-being of the employees. There are various reasons that HR needs to take care of. At times, arranging for transportation facilities for the female employees is necessary. It is important that the female employees reach home safely during the night shifts. Also, HR needs to take care that there are no such weird activities happening on the premises that make harm to the company.

14. Appreciating rewards and incentives

Employees contribute productively towards the organization for recognition. The manager can recognize their efforts. They are responsible for disbursing annual awards. These special incentives can be monetary and non-monetary. Monetary rewards include raises in salary and bonuses. Non-monetary rewards include promotion.

15. Appreciation rewards and incentives

Employees contribute the work very dedicatedly towards the company to get good recognition. The employees need to be on top of every activity they perform to get benefits from the company. The manager must recognize their efforts and appreciate them in every course of action they perform which makes the company strong. They are responsible to get appreciating annual awards. These special incentives can be monetary and non-monetary. The rewards where money is involved reflects in raises in salary and bonuses. The rewards where growth is involved reflects as a promotion.

16. Setting rules for employee promotion

For employee promotion, HR needs to plan a target for the employees. The manager has to organize all paperwork that is necessary for employee promotion. In fact, the manager needs to have a dedicated plan where the employees will be instructed about the targets to get rewards or promotions in the respective departments. For example: if an employee has performed excellently in his work and giving a good profit to the company then the employee must be surprised with the promotion. Further, the higher-level employees decide to promote the employee to a higher level involving more responsibility and perks after analyzing the performance graph of the employee.

17. Sharing information with employees

The employees must know about the changes in company policy. The majority of decisions must be taken by the manager. This makes the employees happy and increases dedication to give the best work. They will think that the management recognizes their importance, their opinion, and their worth in the organization.

18. Conducting survey management

Surveys give out vital information. At times employees may be shy. They may be afraid to share their opinion in public forms. It also helps in maintaining the feedback mechanism of the organization. The HR Departments conduct survey management functions where they ask employees to fill out circulars and forms. 

19. Managing business partnerships

The Manager is the face of the company. All strategic partnerships are handled by the HR Department. The HR Manager represents the company in the public forum. When meetings and conferences are held regarding business mergers and acquisitions, the company is represented by the HR department.  

20. Human resource technology management

HR technology is a scientific term that makes human resources function automatic. This is particular software that manages all human resource functions including employee payroll, employee benefits and rewards, and administration functions. There are many organizations that are operating most of the human resource work through various different HRM software. This helps them make the workflow smooth and automated. Moreover, if you also get all the records handy through the software.

21. Investigating internal complaints

As there are a number of people working at the organization, there have to have some conflicts between the employees. I’ve also seen a lot of internal politics and domestic crimes happening in the organization. In case of any issue between the employees or employees and management, the Human Resources team is the one who is responsible to take the responsibility and resolve it. However, it is important to keep the employees friendly at the workplace.

22. External employee problem solving

Nowadays, as the organizations are used to work from home culture, there is a number of problems or challenges come across for the employees. As it is HR’s responsibility to resolve it and make the process smoother. 

23.Employee Engagement

This plays an important role when it comes to arranging a small event within the workplace. HR has to be creative in thinking about innovative activities to refresh the mind of employees working and enhance their productivity at work. 

24. Employment relations

It is important to get to know people who are working with you. I believe in communication that brings out innovative ideas and good plans to accomplish targets. It is HR’s responsibility to conduct some activities that bring a good interaction between employees with different departments. 

25. Legal Knowledge

If you want to pursue HR at a higher level it is necessary to know employment laws as other divisions HR take part in on a daily basis. If you are writing contracts or implementing new policies, it is HR’s job to ensure the organization is following the norms and processes. Further, in case if anyone stands against the policies you should have good knowledge to let a person educate with the right knowledge.

26. Future HR roles

Check this blog on new HR responsibilities that might be needed in the future Additionally, an HR leader needs to be able to define policies such as:

• Leave Policy
• Maternity Leave Policy
• Attendance Policy
• Hiring Policy
• Work from home Policy
• Relocation Policy, etc.

Finally this means knowing about HR and Payroll compliances such as Professional Tax, Labour Welfare Fund, TDS, Employee State Insurance, etc.

Job Descriptions and designations in Human Resources

The Human Resource Management (HRM) department in any country is composed of HRP (Human Resource Personnel). An individual needs to perform several management functions and play different roles. Here I’ve found some best job descriptions and different roles of HR that bring a detailed understanding of respective job titles.

1. CHRO

High-Level OverviewA CHRO is the HR Leader of an organization. He performs all the coordinating and decision-making functions of the HR Department.Sample Job Description

• Design a core HR System
• Looking after the Employee support mechanism
• Leading the HR team through the communication of orders and decisions

Key responsibilities 

• Providing employee support for career growth
• Ensuring training and compliance mechanism
• Looking after the recruitment and onboarding of employees

Key background and experienceThe CHRO should have a strong Human Resources Background. It helps if he has prior experience in managing Human Resource teams. CHRO’s nowadays use Chatbot Communication for clarity.

2. HR Director

High-Level OverviewThe candidate looks after the day-to-day running of the HR department. He implements the strategies announced by the CHRO. Sample Job Description 

• Works in coordination with the CHRO
• Implements the strategies adopted and vision of the company
• Manages the requirements of the HR Department

Key responsibilities 

• Overseeing the HR Operations
• Presiding over employee recruitment and compensation
• Executes the strategies on behalf of CHRO

Key background and experienceThe HR Director should have a strong background in HRM. He should have prior experience of working at administrative levels.

3. HR Manager

High-Level OverviewA responsible person forms his HR Team. He works in compliance with the decisions of the HR director. He looks after the day-to-day functions of Human Resource Management. Sample Job Description 

• Creating a team of HR Professionals
• Looking after the day-to-day functions of management
• Coordinating with the decisions of the HR Director

Key responsibilities 

• Guiding the HR Team
• Enabling the Execution of HR Strategies
• Looking after the welfare of the employees working in the organization

Key background and experienceThe responsible person must have educational experience and prior background in HRM. It helps if a Manager has good experience. At times they are groomed internally to fill up the position. 

4. HR Coordinators

High-Level OverviewHuman Resources coordinators are the representatives that coordinate with the HR department and facilitate all HR functions. Sample Job Description 

• Answering employee requests and questions
• Coordinate and delegate the task to the appropriate person of the team
• Update and keep employee records in check
• Assisting in the recruitment and interview processes
• Help supervisors in assessing employee engagement and evaluation

Key responsibilities 

• Responsible for analyzing training needs, developing training curriculum, and delivering training courses
• Administering various employee benefits programs, such as group insurance, long-term disability, pensions, and profit-sharing
• Maintain the HR team’s calendar (schedule meetings, interviews, HR events etc.)
• Create and submit reports to senior management

Key background and experience

• MA in Business Administration or similar relevant field
• Any additional training and certification in Human Resource Management will be considered an advantage

5. Business Partner HR

High-Level OverviewA candidate needs to act as a link between the authorities and the HR Management.  Sample Job Description 

• Acts as a business link
• Serves as a representation of the Business Organization
• Builds up the reputation of the business

Key responsibilities 

• Growing the business locally
• Managing the HR Business Operations
• Assist the local authority working in the market

Key background and experienceA candidate should have adequate knowledge of management principles. They should have prior experience of working in the same capacity for large business organizations. 

6. People Data Analyst/Scientist

High-Level OverviewThe People Data Analyst/Scientist is responsible for managing Human Resource Analytics. Sample Job Description 

• Building Records of the Employee
• Tracking Employee Performance
• Analyzing the Data obtained from Employee work performance
• Helps define the future of HR

Key responsibilities 

• Helps define the analytics strategy
• Interpreting the data sets
• Providing inputs to senior HR Leadership

Key background and experienceThe person working as a People Data Analyst/Scientist should have a strong statistical background. He should have prior experience in maintaining large-scale employee records. 

7. HRIS Director

High-Level OverviewThe HRIS Director is responsible for managing HR information system for the HR Department. Sample Job Description 

• Works in coordination with the HR Director and CHRO
• Optimizes the features of the HR Support System
• Looks after the functions of HR Department

Key responsibilities 

• Runs the HRIS Team
• Working in coordination with HR Director and CHRO
• Putting the system software to the best use

Key background and experienceA candidate must know about the functioning of HR Support Systems. He must be good with data handling as well. 

8. HRIS Administrators

High-Level OverviewThe HRIS Administrators manage the day-to-day functioning of the HRIS system.  Sample Job Description 

• Operating the HRIS System
• Implementing the orders of HRIS Director
• Working on the company database

Key responsibilities 

• Tracking workflow in the organization
• Maintaining data programming
• Updating data analysis systems

Key background and experienceThe HRIS Administrator should have worked in the data collaboration department. 

9. Recruiting Coordinator

High-Level OverviewA professional should have a good understanding of full-cycle recruitingSample Job Description 

• Designing and implementing an overall recruiting strategy
• Consulting with managers to discover specific job objectives

Key responsibilities 

• Contact new employees and prepare onboarding sessions
• Maintain a complete record of interviews and new hires
• Stay up-to-date with current recruiting methods
• Attend job fairs and careers events

Key background and experienceBSc degree in Human Resources Management, Organizational Psychology or relevant field

11. Head Compensation and Benefits

High-Level OverviewA candidate who can be a leader and strategic thinker, effective people manager and problem-solvers.Sample Job Description 

• Collaborate with the management team to craft the company’s vision and mission
• Develop strategic HR plans and policies 
• Hire, guide and evaluate the work of HR executives
• Act on initiatives for equal opportunity, diversity etc.

Key responsibilities 

• Assume responsibility of labor and employee relations
• Re-engineer processes to ensure maximum efficiency
• Ensure all procedures comply with legal regulations and best practices
• Analyze the effectiveness of HR operations and policies
• Prepare reports for the CEO using business metrics and KPI

Key background and experienceBSc/BA in business, HR, social sciences or related field; MSc/MA/MBA is preferable

12. Chief Diversity Officer

High-Level OverviewUnderstanding external trends and having the ability to improve your brand and workforce. Sample Job Description 

• Researching on diversity issues and creating programs, training and values
• Supporting and guiding the recruitment team to help create a brand that appeals to diverse applicants and removes bias

Key responsibilities 

• Creating and running training sessions
• Having an awareness of people’s difficulties and helping them overcome
• Being a strong communicator, leader and having interpersonal skills 
• Having an awareness of cultural issues

Key background and experienceBSc/BA in business, HR, social sciences or related field; MSc/MA/MBA is preferable

13. Vice President HR

High-Level OverviewA candidate should have an understanding about external trends and having the ability to transfer these to your company to improve your brand and diversity the workforce is key. Sample Job Description 

• Defend the organization from inquiries by Unions and Lawyers
• Effectively structure benefits programs to attract and retain top talent
• Work with technical team to design, integrate and implement human resource software systems for better efficiency

Key responsibilities 

• Create and deliver briefings to executives
• Oversee an organization’s recruitment, interview, selection, and hiring processes
• Plan employee benefit, payroll, health and safety programs
• Monitor the implementation of human resource processes
• Adhere to all internal policies and legal standards.

Key background and experienceSenior Professional in Human Resources Certification (SPHR) will be an advantage

How do the HR responsibilities help support employees?

I believe the human resource department is the only one that can support employees and design a well-structured pattern to manage the internal operations. As discussed so far in the article, being an HR is not an easy job. A lot of entrepreneur fails because of bad moves over management. If you being an organizer then you should have 100% clarity about how you are going to manage the work. In fact, managing people is the job you’ve to be smart in it. Here’s a helpful guide on how to spend the first 90 days for a new HR leader If you are looking to hire a new HR leader, you might want to check out this guide: How and when to hire your first HR Here are some ways in which HR is responsible for supporting employees:

• Providing Career Growth

The primary job of HR is to support the career growth of the employees. It should help the employee learn new skills. The HR department must nurture the talents and potential of the employee. It must make the employee self-confident. Learning new skills will make the employee look forward to better career prospects. 

• Offering Continuing Education Opportunities

The HR department must allow the employees to grow. The department can offer the employees to learn. Conducting on-the-job training can help employees learn new skills. The HR Department must hold seminars. The eminent speakers speak in seminars the employees gain knowledge. 

• Training and Supporting Managers

It is the responsibility of the HR Department to groom the employees for better productivity. In the future, the executives can become managers and handle their own HR Teams. The experience says that the continuous training and development programs help the HR department grow. 

• Supporting Health and Wellness

It is the responsibility of the HR department to take care of the health and well-being of the employees. The manager must enquire about the employees’ health. They must introduce measures like health insurance and medical benefits to look after the needs of the employee. 

The bottom line

Human resources help to organize and streamline the working process. It is responsible for coordinating all business functions. All the other departments will become lifeless without the application of human labor. I hope you must have gained a lot of helpful information on the HR responsibilities and roles. If you have any concerns on the related topic, I would request you to drop a question in the comment section.