When one talks about human resource management, many will quickly think of job recruitment. The multifaceted discipline has, sadly, been reduced to just one aspect of what it handles, which is a common misconception HR practitioners experience constantly in their day-to-day work.

However, as practitioners we constantly try to educate stakeholders that it is just as important to manage talent as to recruit it. In fact, companies that do not have the HR management unit often experience high rates of employee turnover because they lack the policies and systems that allow for talented workers to explore their creativity in the workplace, or for workers leave in an organised manner that does not affect the efficiency of the organisation.

Unfortunately, a lot of firms do not realise is that it is costly and creates inefficiency to keep hiring and re-training employees.

Understanding HR management

So what exactly is human resource management? HR management can be defined as formal systems devised for the management of people within an organisation. The responsibilities of an HR manager fall into three major areas: staffing, employee compensation and benefits, and defining/designing work, according to www.inc.com/encyclopedia/human-resource-management.html.

That is, HR practitioners ensure that the right talent is hired for the right job and they are well remunerated based on their talent, experience, market salary standards and their tasks.

The HR department, most importantly, assists in setting the job requirements to ensure that employee tasks are aligned with the growth and efficiency of the company and can be used as reference for their appraisals.

This puts the HR function at the core of any organisation as it is a central component for the proper functioning of a company.

However, small firms can always outsource HR consulting agencies as their virtual HR manager for all their human capital needs.

This approach enables SMEs to cut costs as they do not have to hire permanent professional staff, leaving consulting firms to do the work.

As specialists in the area, outsourced consultancy firms can take over the firm’s HR management, from setting up HR manuals and policies to payroll, and everything in between. These help guide the company on how to best manage its workforce and also support employees to best align their skills with the requirements of the organisation.

Professionals also help establish frameworks that allow the smooth transition of employees leaving and coming in, as well as ensuring that workers leave better than they came.

Local firms must embrace the HR function to ensure smooth-running of all roles, which will enhance workers’ morale and reduce turnovers, as well as give room to innovation required to take the organisation to new heights.

However, HR practitioners face a daunting task of raising awareness among organisations and the public to help change people’s perception on HR management and what it entails, as well as educate the public more on developments within HR.

The writer is the managing partner at Right Seat, a Kigali-based human resource management consultancy firm.