Human Resources Management: HR FAQs, HR Basics, Strategic HR

Looking for information on any aspect of human resources or employee management and development for your organization? Here are the resources you'll need to start, manage and develop your human resources department and all the people aspects of your business. Find personal development information. Find policy samples, human resources systems and plans and employee motivation information.

Want basic information about human resources including a definition? Career planning, a career outlook and more? I've answered some of the questions I receive most frequently in email. I trust the responses will be useful to you, too.

Many people are eager to start a career in Human Resources, as it is a fast-growing field with many lucrative opportunities. Career analysts expect the number of Human Resources jobs to increase in the projected future and the median annual income is above the national average. For these reasons and more, you are probably wondering how to start...

The HR function can be the last bastion of bureaucracy. Traditionally, the role of the Human Resource professional in many organizations has been to serve as the systematizing, policing arm of management. While some need for this role remains — you wouldn’t want every manager putting his own spin on a sexual harassment policy, as an example —...

Regular emails from readers ask hundreds of questions each year. Patterns emerge about the toughest situations you face in your organizations. These are the ten toughest, but most frequent questions you send my way. I’ve written a how-to piece to answer each question you’ve asked. These articles address and answer your toughest questions.

We need to reinvent the field of HR in our HR educational programs and in our businesses. HR needs to be more strategic to gain a seat at the “proverbial” table, and we need to be more business-oriented. However, the whole HR community must invest to educate, certify, and mentor HR professionals, or we will never see the industry gain the...

Anyone who works in human resources management knows that the job comes with great joys and great sorrows. And all along the way, memorable first moments with people occur. Sometimes you feel prepared for the moments; some sneak up and surprise you. Whether you're new to management, starting a department, or just looking for a refresher,...

Tired of watching other workers advance their career as you continue to exceed all expectations, without promotion, in your current position? Successful workers create their own path to promotion; they don't rely on luck. Self-promotion is key to your career success.

Checking job or employment references is time-consuming and frequently unsatisfactory, as many employers, despite recent legislation, refuse to offer more than dates of employment, salary history and job title. Here is the format I use to check references. Take a look; it provides a format for reference checking that you'll find helpful.

A basic fact about a career in Human Resources is that the need for a degree is increasing every year. Find out why.

Poll: does an HR leader need a degree?

If you wish to jump start your career in Human Resources, these Human Resources books will tell you where to invest your time and attention. These Human Resources books are recent, on-target, study-based and key for Human Resources career growth. These Human Resources books target trends such as becoming a strategic partner for the business and...

University of Michigan Professor David Ulrich has been a forward thinking, strategic voice in the HR profession. Read the text of his State of HR speech at the SHRM 2002 conference.

Do you have HR policies, practices, procedures, or functions that are out-of-date, have lived their useful life, and may be employee unfriendly? Readers share the dinosaurs that should be extinct.

Human Resources staff, on occasion, have to bite their tongue to keep from saying exactly what is on their mind when dealing with employees. Readers share the things that they'd like to have said to employees - but didn't.