What Roles Should Human Resource Professionals Play in Staffing Decisions?

Human resource professionals are employees responsible for the technical aspects of employee management. Human resource professionals typically work with managers when hiring and firing employees, as well as when managing compensation and benefits. These tasks can either be performed in house or they can be outsourced to an outside firm. Typically, human resource professionals will work with management to make decisions about what sort of staff are necessary and who, specifically, should be hired.

One of the main roles of human resources professionals is to offer advice to management on what sort of staff is necessary to hire to make the business run efficiently. While management should have a general idea of what employees are needed to run the company, human resources professionals can provide professional insight on precisely what positions the company will require. Final decisions on the company's organizational structure are, however, left to upper management.

After a company has identified its organizational structure, it will begin to recruit for these positions, as it will when en employee leaves the company. While management will have criteria for who should fill the position, skillful human resources professionals will be able to guide the company through the recruitment process. This will be done by identifying forums through which to find candidates, formulating a process for candidate evaluation and conducting the early screening process of applicants.

While human resources professionals can provide advice to management about the skills necessary for a particular positions and facilitate the hiring process, the ultimate decision about who to hire will generally be left up to management or an employee's immediate supervisor. Once someone has been identified as a possible candidate, human resources may aid in conducting a background check or in identifying possible advantages or disadvantages to the person under consideration. This information aids management in making its decision.

After an employee has been hired, a company will often place him on a probationary period. During this time, human resources professionals may be involved in monitoring his performance. If the employee meets expectations, he will likely be kept on. However, if the evaluators find his performance lacking, they may suggest that he be fired or undergo a period of retraining. However, the final decision will typically be left with the employee's supervisors.