There are a variety of ways to task organize an HR department, but the old adage, "structure follows strategy" should be the guiding principle. The very reason for an HR department is to add value to the business which it supports. In a medium to large organization, the HR function will likely have more structure based upon the need for HR specialists in talent management, compensation and benefits, or organizational development. In smaller organizations, where there are fewer HR PRA Operational Resilience professionals available, the HR staff will be less specialized. There will also be less structure, but the business will also most likely be less structured too. Regardless of the size and number of HR people, the HR function should be aligned to support the business strategy. Here are some ways to run your HR department by organizing the HR teams in into three major sub-functions that support the business:

1. Business HR Leaders

First, there should be an HR manager assigned to each major business unit, including corporate services. They may have the title, HR manager, HR business partner, or HR generalist; however, their primary role is to be the senior HR advisor and trusted partner to the business leader. They need to develop a trusted relationship to provide candid feedback and advice on all people related matters. Additionally they should be "at the table" when major decisions are taken or when business planning takes place. It is their job to reach back into the HR function to get additional resources as needed to implement the HR business strategies that add value for the business.

2. Centers of Excellence

The next sub-function is the "Centers of Excellence." This would include specialized teams for recruiting, talent management, organizational development, compensation and benefits, and perhaps internal communications. Again, depending on the size of the organization, some of these specialties can be combined together under one leader. For example, talent management and recruiting could be combined or perhaps even further combined with organizational development in a medium-sized organization that could not afford to hire as many specialists. Regardless, the focus of the centers of excellence is to provide the deep expertise in their area of responsibility. So the compensation and benefits team as another example should be the resident experts on "total rewards." As such, they should oversee the processes for compensation planning and benefits design that best support the business strategies.

3. HR Operations

The last major sub-function is HR Operations. This is where the traditional transaction work is done. So for example, HR Operations might include the management of the HR information systems (HRIS), delivery of payroll and benefits, and a service center to handle employee issues. Again, the degree of specialization will depend on the size of the business and the resources available; however, almost every business of any size will want to leverage technology as much as possible by providing web-based self-service solutions for their employees. This is not only more convenient for the employees, but also is more cost-effective and efficient for the business. So for example, if employees can sign up for benefits on the Internet for "open enrollment," their benefit elections are directly entered in real-time into the data-base as the employee enters their choice on the website. This eliminates the expense of filling out forms and work of data entry which is also more prone to error. If the business is not large enough to warrant their own Enterprise-wide HR platform like SAP or Peoplesoft, they can look to their vendors for hosted web-based solutions. The other benefit of automation is that it "frees-up" the time of the HR team to focus on more high-value work for the business rather than data entry.

There are also a few other considerations for running an effective HR department. These include the HR leadership team and also a focus on process management to deliver quality services:

The HR Leadership Team

Beyond the structure of these sub-functions, there is the HR leadership team. The team leader will normally be the senior HR leader for the enterprise, often called the Chief Human Resources Officer, who reports to directly to the CEO. it will also include key leaders from the "centers of excellence," and the senior HR Operations leader. Together they form the HR Leadership Council which guides the work for the HR function. They will make the key decisions and formulate recommendations for the CEO to run the enterprise.

Process and Service Excellence

HR leadership will also want to look at every key process to make sure that there are clear lines of responsibility and authority so that the sub-functions can work together as team to deliver superior service. This includes the traditional processes for providing services like pay and benefits, but also the more strategic processes like talent management and recruiting for key positions. Customers expect businesses to deliver quality services; likewise, the business leaders as your customers expect PRA Operational Resilience HR to deliver the same quality services too. So, regardless of your department's size or structure, make sure to provide the very best HR services possible.

Finally, run your HR department just like a business: have a mission, values, and clear set of operating guidelines; develop a strategy to support your business; define a clear set of metrics to measure your success; and, set a structure to provide quality and cost-efficient services. You will not only have happy "customers," but also gain the respect from your business leaders so that you can be an integral part of the business team.