Human Resources Or Personnel: What's In A Name?

Think of personnel, and you might get the image of a department that looks after hiring and firing employees, with all the paperwork that the process entails. Some time ago, the personnel department was the department that administered these essential staffing tasks. Nowadays, the role has grown and with it has come a name change. In many organisations what was once the personnel department is now the human resources department and it handles a lot of essential functions for your company. Some of these functions are so specialised that some companies choose to outsource their HR requirements to a provider with the specialist expertise to handle HR tasks.

So, what does the 21st century personnel department have to handle? The modern HR department recognises the key role of staff in a company's success and manages the staff from entry to exit. That means that human resources officers will be involved in planning staffing strategy, recruiting and interviewing staff and administering staff. In addition, personnel officers will have to keep up with the latest changes in employment law and reflect those changes in staff and company manuals. That makes sure that everyone understands their rights and responsibilities and there is clear communication throughout the company.

Many personnel departments are now moving to an online system through the company's intranet, so that employees can update some basic details themselves. It's much easier for an employee to input a change of address than to fill out several pieces of paper for HR. HR departments also handle training. This is not just arranging venues, but also deciding on what training best meets the company's needs. There may even be qualified trainers within an HR department. An HR department is multifaceted and managing this area properly is essential for a company's success.

Some companies may find it difficult to keep all this expertise in house and it can be expensive to buy it in on a consultancy basis. However, there are firms that will manage as many of your HR functions as you want to outsource. These firms include people whose job it is to keep up with changes in employment law. These firms can also help with recruitment and staffing, payroll, benefits and grievance proceedings, including employment tribunals. Many companies have found that outsourcing these functions makes it easier for them to concentrate on their business, leaving the professionals to focus on personnel and human resources issues.

Deminos are HR Outsourcing and employment law specialists. To find out more please call us on 020 7870 1090 or visit http://www.deminos.co.uk