Auditing Your Human Resources Department, 2nd Edition

The Human Resources Function

There are many definitions of human resources (HR). Whatever their actual wording, they all describe the function in an organization that is charged with obtaining and maintaining qualified employees to meet the organization’s needs. To fulfill that mission, human resources is accountable for a number of key results areas and management competencies. However, the function originally was considerably less significant to an organization.

As the economy moved from an agricultural- and cottage industry–based society to an industrial one, organizations employed larger numbers of people, soon recognizing a need for more thorough record keeping of employees. Workforces were becoming too large and diverse to pay everyone ...