1. Human resource planning

The first HR function is all about knowing the future needs of the organization. What kind of people does the organization need, and how many? Knowing this will shape recruitment, selection, performance management, learning and development, and all other human resources functions.

2. Recruitment and selection

The second HR function involves attracting people to work for the organization and selecting the best candidates.

Attracting people usually starts with an employee brand. Being an attractive employer has plenty of advantages – just as it is the other way around. A good example of the latter is the tobacco industry which struggles to attract talent due to its tainted reputation.

With a strong employer brand and the right sourcing strategies, you’re already halfway there. Once candidates apply, the selection process is an HR instrument to pick the best qualified and highest-potential candidates. Technological developments in recruitment have gone very fast and as a result, there are different types of recruitment tools for each part of your recruitment funnel. 

3. Performance management

Performance management is essential in ensuring that workers stay productive and engaged. Good performance management involves good leadership, clear goal-setting, and open feedback.

Performance management tools include the (bi)annual performance review, in which the employee is reviewed by his/her manager. It also includes 360-degree feedback tools in which peers, managers, subordinates, and sometimes even customers review the employee’s performance. These kinds of tools can be very helpful in providing feedback.

Performance management is also an instrument to close the gap between the workforce you have today and the one you want to have tomorrow. One of the best ways to build your future workforce is through learning and development (L&D).

4. Learning and development

Enabling employees to develop the skills they need for the future is an essential responsibility for HR. This is also related to the first HR function we listed, in which HR bridges the gap between the workforce today and the workforce needed in the near future.

Traditionally, organizations have a set budget for learning and development. This budget is then distributed among its employees. In some countries, this fee is mandatory. In the UK, for example, companies with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million pay a mandatory rate of 0.5% designated for the professional education of their employees.

In other countries, like Belgium and the Netherlands, L&D falls under the employer’s responsibility to take care of its employees. In the third group of countries, like the US, this is almost unregulated territory.

Despite the differences in regulation, almost all employers understand the value of investing in the (future) skills of their employees. It’s the responsibility of the HR department to lead these efforts in the right direction.

Human Resources Software Zimbabwe