The Results-Oriented Human Resources Workplace

Human resources jobs, whether recruiting, benefits or training, are involved in a lot of detail. When human resources people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Human Resources Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this human resources affairs job accomplish for the organization?

Human Resources Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Human Resources Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Human Resources Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and legally sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Human Resources Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, human resources affairs jobs--

DEVELOPS THE ORGANIZATION'S HUMAN RESOURCES by

recruiting, testing, and interviewing job applicants; conducting orientation and training programs; resolving employee grievances; administering pay and benefit programs; enforcing legal requirements; preparing and enforcing human resource policies and procedures.

Types of Human Resources Jobs

Some human resources jobs track competitive pay and benefits and recommend changes in these programs in addition to administering the programs. Other jobs prepare employee communications about organization activities and programs, or resolve employee grievances, or negotiate with labor unions, or see to it that employees are treated fairly and equally.

Still other jobs recruit and screen job applicants, or train employees in new job skills, while other jobs keep records of employee actions, or develop and maintain human resource information systems, or develop programs to enhance employee performance. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the human resources people and processes.

Human Resources Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how human resources affairs job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Human Resources Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Human Resources Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the human resources affairs results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Human Resources situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Human Resources recommendations are ready when needed.

Human Resources Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future human resources affairs issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver human resources affairs recommendations by 10% by (date).

Human Resources Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each human resources affairs job description are more helpful (and legal) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Human Resources Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Human Resources Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Human Resources Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present human resources affairs recommendations."

The Human Resources Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Human Resources Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Human Resources Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her human resources affairs work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the human resources affairs job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Human Resources Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Human Resources Job Description and Human Resources Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the human resources affairs job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the human resources affairs job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving human resources affairs processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new human resources affairs system controls.

Human Resources Career Links

Society for Human Resource Management, Career Center

Professional society committed to advancing the human resource profession and the capabilities of all human resource professionals to ensure that HR is an essential and effective partner in developing and executing organizational strategy.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists

Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists training and education requirements, earnings, expected job prospects, what managers and specialists do on the job, and working conditions.

About.com, Human Resources

Information about careers in human resources, and how to find; associations; software; magazines; non-profit organizations; schools; online learning.