Myths abound in every office, and the one department where people have so many misconceptions about is human resources (HR). People have this mindset that the HR team does nothing but hire employees.
But the HR department is actually one of the most essential in any company. Businesses that recognize the value of this department even use the ServiceNow platform for HR service management. Learn about the misconceptions that surround HR so that you can dispel those myths.
HR isn’t just for hiring employees
This myth is the most prevalent since HR team members do take care of the hiring process. They’re the ones who send out ads online looking for qualified applicants. They’re also the ones who take care of the primary interviews of interested applicants.
However, their job doesn’t end there. They also take care of each employee from the moment they’re hired up to the day they resign, retire, or get terminated. They tend to the needs of all employees, which range from complaints about the upper management to their work-life balance.
HR isn’t just for plugging leaks
Some people have this belief that the HR department is only there to help with scuffles between employees or managers. They’re basically the ones in charge of mediating, so their responsibilities don’t include helping the company expand.
But the truth is that HR is deeply involved in helping the business grow. They make sure that the people they hire are not only qualified for the position they’re going to fill but also share the same values of the company.
On top of that, HR also develops and maintains the culture of the company, which is necessary to have loyal employees. So, if you think that HR people have limited tasks, then think again. They actually wear different hats compared to other teams in the office.
HR departments don’t work the same way
Although most HR departments have the same objectives, not all of them work the same way. How they work depends on the needs or size of a company. If it’s a startup with less than 20 employees, for example, the HR manager might focus more on the ROI of the business first before focusing on taking care of the employees.
HR doesn’t fly solo
The HR department doesn’t work alone. Rather, it works closely with upper management. It’s because they have many objectives that coincide with the responsibilities of the executives and managers. They all need to work together for their goals to be cohesive and not override each other.
For example, the CEO prefers a stringent approach to ordering employees to work, thinking that being too lenient can be counter-productive. Since it’s HR’s responsibility to ensure that all employees operate in a comfortable environment, they should work with the CEO to find a middle ground where the employees will work harder without someone shouting at them to do so.
HR is one of the most important departments in any company. Without it, a business won’t be able to reach its potential and be the best that it can be.