The 6 pillars of Human Resources

Many times, when talking about organizations and companies, people fall into the trap of assuming that these entities are practically machines for the production and emission of products or services. However, this way of looking at things is not only simplistic; it is also fundamentally false.

Companies and organizations are above all teams of people who use certain resources to reach an end that can only be achieved jointly. In other words, human beings form the nucleus of these entities, they are not simple pieces to be combined with the rest of the means of production.

However, this kind of synergies and forms of teamwork cannot exist if it is not managed the assignment of tasks and the way in which people participate in the activities in the organization; improvising or pretending that individuals organize spontaneously makes this relationship between workers unfeasible, for many reasons. That is why there are Human Resources (HR) professionals, in charge of shaping work networks, assigning roles and mutual support that should exist in an organization. Here we will see what its main functions are, through

a review of the pillars of HR.

• Related article: "What should I study if I want to work in HR?"

What is Human Resources?

The term "Human Resources" has two closely related meanings. On the one hand, refer to set of workers and collaborators of an organization, those people whose work makes it possible for the entity to reach its objectives or try to achieve them; that is, the people who provide the workforce, whether physical or intellectual.

On the other, it refers to the professionals of the teams or departments in charge of managing the previous element through employee training programs, personnel selection, job vacancies, establishment of criteria to promote workers, application of incentives, hiring, etc.

Thus, Human Resources professionals They are in charge of tasks that have an administrative and bureaucratic aspect and another of a more behavioral and human nature, although in practice both overlap and condition each other. For this reason, in HR departments it is very common for people trained in Labor Relations or Psychology with a specialization in Work Psychology to work.

The 6 fundamental pillars of HR

The pillars of Human Resources are the work areas that structure the day-to-day life of HR professionals, and that shape their role in the company. Let's see what they are.

1. Recruitment of workers

The recruitment of workers is one of the best known and most striking aspects of Human Resources. However, it is not only reflected in job interviews. It is present even before this phase arrives; something as simple as building a good brand image and gaining a reputation for good working conditions It also influences the recruitment capacity of a company, as well as the job description published in job offers. job.

2. Evaluation

Evaluation is very important both in the selection processes and when measuring the performance of workers and departments. It is not only used to see if there are workers who do not perform as agreed; It is also important to evaluate the workstations themselves, and the work environments, for ergonomic or workflow problems..

• You may be interested in: "The 10 keys to success in an HR department"

3. Training

A company that depends entirely on the training of workers provided by external entities is a organization with little adaptability and constrained by market constraints labor. It is important to know how to train in the corresponding skills so that workers can perform their tasks adapting perfectly to the characteristics and needs of the company in which they are.

4. Creation of incentives and retention of talent

Ideally, the company has the capacity to retain the people who contribute the most to the organization for many years. This allows to have teams with a lot of accumulated experience, and at the same time avoids going through the challenge of having to constantly renew the staff, which would entail rushing, losing a coherent and overall vision on certain projects, etc.

5. Management of communication routes

It is important guarantee the existence of communication channels that allow relevant information to flow in all directions of the organization chart. Leaving areas of the organization disconnected from each other not only worsens working conditions, but also leads to misunderstandings, duplication and bad work dynamics, wasting resources and obtaining worse results. quality. In addition, it can lead to the appearance of conflicts if certain demands are not listened to.

6. Knowledge of new technologies

The last of the pillars of Human Resources has to do with the knowledge of the latest technological and technical advances in the sector. It should not be forgotten that with the boom in digital tools and Big Data, the market undergoes changes from one year to the next, and you have to be aware of the implications that this has for HR, their opportunities and potential when selecting and training, their impact on the behavior of the competition and on the expectations of workers, etc.

Do you want to train in Human Resources?

If you are thinking of specializing professionally in the field of Human Resources or simply you want to learn the fundamental aspects of this facet of organizations and companies, perhaps you interest him Diploma of Specialization in Attraction, Recruitment, Evaluation and Loyalty of Talent organized by the University of Malaga.

It is a 100% online course of 32 ECTS credits whose first edition begins on October 4, 2021 and ends on April 30, 2022; In it, students will learn about topics such as strategies for attracting talent, preparing selection reports, description of the jobs, the phases of a selection process, loyalty strategies, and other aspects fundamental aspects of this area of ​​the company, all taking into account the latest technical and technological advances applied to HR methodologies.

On this page Find more information about this course and other HR training programs at the University of Malaga.