Defining the company's HR process makes it possible to distinguish between activities that are the responsibility of the Human Resources Department compared to those covered by the line. It also allows you to acquire overview of the different stages in an employee's career within the company and to clarify the culture of the company in terms of Human Resources management.
In practice and in the literature, two main trends can be identified:
- The HR Department as a service and advice centre: This is the most modern and most demanding version for the staff in this department. The role is to advise and support the line in its personnel management. The HR Director is a true "business partner of the company. It supports the company in developing its strategy and its business plan.
- The HR Department as a "supermarket" and logistical support for the line: The HR Department takes orders for the line and carries them out. It does not participate in the development of recruitment profiles, is not involved in the employee appraisal phase and is not consulted on development issues. In other words, its function is that of a line back office.
In the first case, the HR Department is the a vehicle for corporate culture and often has the right to veto decisions made by the line that contravene this culture. The second version is found mainly in large, highly centralised structures or organised by product line - or in very small structures where the boss "reigns supreme".
EXAMPLES OF HR PROCESSES
The full article "Defining the role of Human Resources in a company". is available free of charge on HR4free, our website dedicated to Human Resources management.
