human resources

human resources

The human resources manager interviews a candidate in a bright office.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The personnel of a business or organization: This refers to the people who work for a company or an institution. It encompasses the collective workforce, including their skills, experience, and potential.
    • The department within an organization: This refers to the specific division responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing, and placing workers, as well as handling employee relations, payroll, benefits, and training.
Usage Examples

  • The personnel of a business:

    • The company considers its human resources to be its most valuable asset. (The company views its employees as the most important factor in its success.)
    • We need to allocate more human resources to this project to meet the deadline. (We need to assign more staff members to this project.)

  • The department:

    • If you have questions about your health insurance, please contact human resources. (Please reach out to the department that manages employee benefits.)
    • The human resources department is responsible for organizing the annual training workshop. (The division in charge of staff matters is planning the training.)
Advanced Usage

  • "Human resources management": The strategic approach to the effective management of people in a company or organization such that they help their business gain a competitive advantage.

    • She is studying for a degree in human resources management.

  • "Human resources development": The framework for helping employees develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities.

    • The company invests heavily in human resources development to improve productivity.
Variants and Related Words

  • Human resource (n): Often used in the singular form when describing a specific individual or a single unit of labor.

    • Each human resource is vital to the growth of the firm.

  • HR (n): The common abbreviation for the department or the field of study.

    • I have an interview with HR tomorrow morning.
Synonyms
  • Personnel: The body of persons employed in an organization.
  • Staff: The group of people who work for an organization.
  • Workforce: The people engaged in or available for work.
  • Employees: The individuals who work for an employer.
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

  • "To be a human resources nightmare": An idiom used to describe a person or a situation that causes significant legal, ethical, or administrative trouble for the department.

    • His constant inappropriate behavior made him a human resources nightmare.

  • "To handle human resources": A common phrase used to describe the act of managing staff-related issues or administrative tasks.

    • The office manager is currently handling human resources until we hire a specialist.