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When is an HR Department Necessary ?

Last post March 3, 2009 01:08 AM by dasp06. 1 repiles.
April 18, 2007 09:23 AM 1
Total Posts: 49
Join Date: August 14, 2006
Rank: Executive
Post Date: March 3, 2009
Posts: 49
Location: United States

When is an HR Department Necessary ?

Dear Friends,

"When is an HR Department necessary ?" This is one question I have often asked myself and have been asked by many HR beginners and colleagues too. The answers that popped my mind though were not always upto the mark or shud I say, I took the assumption that each organisation might think of starting an HR dept. according to their business functions and operations. There are startup's these days who feel the need of HR even at the evolution stage while there as other's which never felt the need of HR but confused the term often with administration.

Still today, I assume there are many individuals (who like me), are unaware as to the question that reflects in my very first line. Don't we need to think upon the same accordingly to guide the wings of the organisation which one day employes us to start an HR department ? Now there's where the point strucks your mind that you need to know about that simple but significant first liner...

Can anyone take this ahead ..

Regards

Vishal Bachani
March 3, 2009 01:082
dasp06
Total Posts: 8
Join Date: August 14, 2006
Rank: Beginner
Post Date: March 3, 2009
Points: 40
Location: United States

Re: When is an HR Department Necessary ?

This question has literally jolted me! 

I thought for a while and can now say that HR Department is not required for an organisation untill and unless there is a need...

- for reducing Manpower
- complying with labour laws
- justifying those decisions of the management which take benefits away from the employees
- for finding someone on whom the Management can put blames for non performance, low morale, demotivation, etc.

I have satiring not becuase I want to sound funny, but for what I have experienced in my 13 years career so far.  Unless you are working for an organisation where the Top management supports the HR initiatives, you are bound to face instances where you'd be made to feel that you are caught in a wrong job!

The day seems still far off when, especially in Indian context, HR will be treated as an investment and not an expense.  Till then, companyies will continue to have a HR Department, not from the point of individual and organisational developmental purpose, but more from the point of counting the heads.

Prashant Das
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