Human Resource Department

It seems that we have a love hate relationship with change. Most people claim that they like things to stay the same and are adverse to making changes, however if things stay routine for too long people complain about being bored. My opinion is that the average person likes the comfort of routine so much that they do small things to convince themselves that they are making changes, when in reality things are staying the same.

One of the main ways that people convince themselves that they are making changes is by changing the label we give to things. Today the catch phrase for most companies is the human resource department. I do consultations with companies. Each time I am making arrangements to meet with a company the person that initially sets up the presentation with me refers me to their human resource department to develop the terms of the agreement. Depending on the size of the company this can either go very smoothly, or this can be the beginning of many calls and being placed on hold.

Most large companies truly do have a human resource department. It is the central location for employees to go to for information regarding benefits that the company offers, salary and tax information, and company policies and regulations. The human resource department is in charge of posting positions that are opened, sending out applications, setting up interviews and explaining benefit packages to new employees. Once a person is hired the human resource department keeps track of the number of hours a person works, the number of vacation hours that they have available and the health care benefits the person receives. The human resource department also researches benefits and salaries from other companies to insure that the company is competitive.

My experience with small companies is that they like to refer to their human resource department, but the reality is that this department consists of account clerks and clerical staff. The staff does not have any authority to make decisions on benefits or to negotiate contracts. It is with these smaller companies that I keep getting placed on hold so that the clerical person acts as a go between to get answers. This is a frustrating set up for the employee and for me. It would be so much easier if small business owners would simply present the salary and benefits themselves, instead of trying to create the impression that they have a department with decision making abilities. Not every company needs a human resource department.