what is human resources?

Perhaps the easiest way to answer “What is HR?” is to share some of the types of questions we solve for our clients.

The HR bucket has so many categories that are complex and often rooted in employment laws - think, the non-negotiables (ADA, FMLA, Pay Equity, Paid Family Leave).

Here is a lengthy (but amazingly, not exhaustive) list of the types of questions HR solves for a company, by subject.

Pay Equity & Compensation

• How do I ensure pay equity within my team?

• What factors should be considered when setting employee salaries?

• Do I need to publish the pay band with my job opening?

• Is Glassdoor a reliable place to check market comp rates?

• What is a compensation survey and why are they so expensive to access?

• How can I address concerns about pay disparities among employees?

• What steps should I take to conduct a pay equity review?

• How do I handle requests for salary increases from employees?

• What are the best practices for creating a transparent compensation structure?

• How can I align our compensation strategy with industry standards?

• What role does performance play in determining employee compensation?

Benefits & Perks

• How can I evaluate whether our current benefits package is competitive?

• What types of benefits should we offer to attract and retain top talent?

• How do I communicate the value of our benefits package to employees?

• What are the best practices for managing employee benefits enrollment?

• What perks can we offer that don’t have a high cost but provide high value to employees?

• How do I handle employee questions or concerns about their benefits?

• What should I consider when introducing new benefits to our team?

Recruiting

• Where should I post open positions?

• Do I need to post every opening? What if I already know who I want to hire?

• How should I share open roles with our internal employees?

• How do I assess over 500 applicants we’ve received for an open position?

• How can I streamline the interview process to make it more efficient?

• What are the best practices for conducting reference checks on candidates?

• What questions should I ask during an interview to assess cultural fit?

• How do I involve my team in the hiring process?

• What strategies can I use to attract top talent to our startup?

Performance Management

• How do I handle an underperforming employee?

• What should I include in an employee’s performance improvement plan (PIP)?

• How do I know when it’s time to escalate to a PIP?

• What are the best practices for conducting performance reviews?

• How do I provide constructive feedback without demotivating employees?

• How do I handle employee requests for salary increases?

• What is the process for promoting an employee?

• How do I set realistic performance goals for my team?

• Should our Executive team also have performance reviews and be given feedback and development goals?

Employee Relations and Conflict Resolution

• How can I address conflicts between team members?

• How do I handle complaints about a manager or supervisor?

• What should I do if an employee reports harassment or discrimination?

• How can I foster diversity and inclusion within my team?

• How do I manage employees with differing work styles or personalities?

• How do I address concerns about workplace safety from my team?

• What steps should I take if a team member accuses another of bullying?

• How do I mediate a conflict between employees that seems personal in nature?

Employee Well-being and Support

• How can I address issues related to employee burnout or stress?

• How do I manage an employee who frequently calls in sick?

• How can I support an employee going through personal difficulties?

• How do I handle a situation where an employee’s personal life is affecting their work?

• What resources can I offer to support employees’ mental health?

• How should I approach conversations about work-life balance with my team?

• What can I do to prevent burnout among high-performing employees?

• How do I identify early signs of stress in my team members?

HR Compliance and Policy Management

• What steps should I take before terminating an employee?

• How do I ensure we are compliant with labor laws and regulations?

• What should I do if I suspect an employee is violating company policies?

• What’s the best way to communicate changes in company policy?

• How do I manage the documentation required for employee disciplinary actions?

• What policies should I review regularly to ensure they’re up-to-date?

• How do I ensure compliance with new regulations as they are introduced?

• What steps should I take to investigate potential policy violations?

Employee Development and Engagement

• What training and development opportunities should I offer my team?

• How can I improve employee engagement and retention?

• What should I consider when setting employee goals and objectives?

• How can I identify high-potential employees for leadership development?

• What are effective ways to gather feedback from my team about their development needs?

• How do I create a succession plan for key roles in my team?

• What strategies can I use to motivate employees who seem disengaged?

• How do I tailor development plans to individual team members?

Hiring and Onboarding

• What are the steps for conducting a thorough exit interview?

• How do I design an effective onboarding program?

• How do I ensure a smooth transition for new hires into our company culture?

• What should I include in a new hire orientation?

• How do I evaluate the success of the onboarding process?

• How do I manage the paperwork and compliance aspects of onboarding?

• What is the best way to introduce new hires to the team?

• How can I reduce the time-to-productivity for new employees?

Work Arrangements and Flexibility

• How do I manage requests for flexible work arrangements?

• What are the best practices for managing remote or hybrid teams?

• What are the guidelines for approving time off or leave requests?

• How do I handle a situation where multiple employees request time off simultaneously?

• What should I consider when implementing a flexible work policy?

• How do I ensure remote employees stay engaged and connected?

• What technology tools can I use to manage a hybrid team effectively?

• How do I evaluate the productivity of remote employees?

Diverse Work Environments

• How do I manage generational differences in the workplace?

• How can I encourage collaboration between team members from different backgrounds?

• What steps can I take to create a more inclusive work environment?

• How do I address unconscious bias within my team?

• How can I ensure our hiring practices are inclusive and diverse?

• What strategies can I use to accommodate employees with different learning styles?

• How do I support employees who speak different languages or come from different cultures?

• How can I measure the effectiveness of our diversity and inclusion efforts?