Personnel management employees are in charge of managing a portion of the workforce. Personnel management jobs are frequently classified as Human Resources (HR) positions, despite the fact that personnel managers are typically tasked with dealing with existing employees rather than actively recruiting new employees. HR supervisors to regional HR or personnel directors are all tiers of personnel management jobs in many companies.
A personnel supervisor is in charge of a human resources department’s day-to-day operations. The supervisor must ensure that all HR personnel are familiar with the company’s hiring procedures, as well as that employees follow all applicable privacy and equal opportunity laws. Companies are required to keep reports detailing the demographic make-up of their workforce in some countries. A personnel supervisor is responsible for ensuring that these reports are completed accurately and that all HR employees complete their assigned tasks.
Supervisors often report to a general manager, who may be in charge of several different areas of the HR department. Employee disputes are frequently referred to the HR manager if they cannot be resolved by front-line HR staff or the staff supervisor. Before taking disciplinary action against employees, departmental managers frequently consult with the HR manager. To ensure that all employees are treated equally, the HR manager must inform departmental managers of company policies and local laws.
A regional director, who oversees a firm’s HR issues within a specific country or region, is common in many large firms’ personnel management jobs. The HR director is sometimes in charge of implementing initiatives to create a harassment-free workplace by providing all employees with diversity and cultural sensitivity training. HR managers report to the HR director, who may be called upon to represent the company in court during labor disputes. In some companies, the personnel or HR director is a member of the board of directors and has significant influence over the company’s hiring practices.
Many countries, including those in the European Union and North America, have strict employment laws that make it illegal for companies or company personnel to discriminate against employees or potential employees based on factors like race or religion. Nonetheless, incidents of discrimination do occur from time to time. Furthermore, employees who are injured at work may be able to sue their employers for compensation. As a result, many companies hire corporate lawyers to handle these types of lawsuits, and these companies are frequently led by a personnel manager who is also a practicing lawyer. Many times, personnel managers with law degrees are able to resolve internal conflicts before they go to court.