What Is Human Resources (HR)? Areas, Responsibilities, and Roles

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Find out how HR departments support employees in various ways, different career paths to explore, and the skills needed to be successful in these roles.

[Featured Image] An HR professional sits at a desk with an employee, explaining policies and benefits.

Key takeaways

Human resources (HR) is the department within an organization that manages all employee-related matters, ranging from talent acquisition and compensation to training and performance.

  • Human resources (HR) is an important operational department that handles a variety of functions related to talent, employee development, and payroll.

  • Because of that variety, there are many different kinds of HR careers to explore.

  • Being successful as an HR professional often requires the ability to communicate clearly, engage people empathetically, and take an interest in a company's larger business goals.

Learn about what it means to work in HR, including key areas of responsibility, and careers you can explore. Afterward, build skills needed to succeed in human resources with the HRCI Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate.

What is HR?

Human resources (HR) creates and maintains a productive and compliant work environment. This department manages the complete employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding through training, compensation, performance management, policy enforcement, and even reductions in force (RIF).

The size of an HR department will depend on the company's size. While a smaller company may have an HR team that handles many different tasks, a bigger company may have more HR team members who oversee a specific area, such as the ones outlined below.

What key areas does HR oversee?

HR spans many different areas related to employees. Let's review some of its primary activities.

1. Recruitment

Recruitment includes all aspects of hiring, from sourcing candidates to onboarding. In this area, you may work with hiring managers to determine the needs of a particular role and then find candidates that meet those requirements. You will typically use job boards, career websites, social media, employee referrals, and more to find potential candidates, conducting phone screens to learn more about your top choices.  

After the hiring manager chooses a candidate, you’ll work with them through the onboarding process. This includes collecting payroll and benefits administration paperwork, such as W-4s, I-9s, direct deposit forms, and any other documents your company needs. In addition, you may prepare new hire materials, such as orientation packets or company handbooks outlining company policies.

In this area, some of your major tasks may involve:

  • Sourcing and screening candidates

  • Conducting interviews

  • Checking references

  • Making job offers

  • Onboarding new hires

Key roles to consider:

2. Compensation and benefits

Compensation and benefits work involves ensuring your company takes care of its employees by offering competitive salaries and a satisfactory benefits package. Your job as an HR professional may include seeing that employees receive the correct salary and access the benefits they want. You may process payroll or work with an accounting department or a third-party company that distributes paychecks.

If you have a management position within human resources, you may analyze the benefits offered by competing companies in your geographical area and industry. Your work can help managers make compensation decisions for current and future employees. When you make changes, you might administer new company policies on benefits, such as health insurance or retirement plans.

In this area, some of your major tasks may involve:

  • Tracking employee absences and tardiness

  • Processing payroll (if not done by a finance department or third party)

  • Administering benefits programs, including health insurance and 401k

  • Calculating hours worked, withholdings, and deductions

  • Handling any questions or concerns from employees regarding their pay

Key roles to consider:

3. Training and development

Training and development help employees to continually update their skills and improve their job performance. Whether you develop the training in-house or contract with another group, it’s essential to establish an inventory of the training and development opportunities available within your company. This can also include outside sources that provide the information and skills employees need.

When developing a training program, you’ll consider mandatory and voluntary opportunities. Laws may require some training, such as sexual harassment education. Other training may focus on individual career goals or the company’s needs. Your objective is to ensure that all employees have access to the tools they need to succeed and become more valuable to the company.

In this area, some of your major tasks may involve:

  • Developing and implementing training programs

  • Designing training materials

  • Conducting training sessions

  • Evaluating the effectiveness of training programs

  • Providing feedback to employees

Key roles to consider:

4. Employee relations and performance management

Employee relations include everything a company does to create a healthy work environment and encourage positive employee relationships. This may consist of facilitating conversations about employee policies such as compensation, working conditions, and dispute resolution.

In HR roles, you must be a company culture ambassador. You might work with the company’s management to develop an organizational structure and culture that supports the company’s goals. You’ll also act as a liaison between employees and managers to ensure that appropriate communications exist between all parties.

In this area, some of your major tasks may involve:

  • Handling staff issues, such as employee conflict, communication, and training

  • Ensuring that employees can work together effectively

  • Creating a company culture that is positive and supportive

  • Developing initiatives to enhance employee well-being

  • Designing and implementing policies related to employee conduct

Key roles to consider:

5. Administration 

One key role of HR is keeping track of documents, including employee records related to attendance, vacations, medical leave, and other employee data. This helps demonstrate that the company complies with labor regulations on working hours and conditions. It also helps make sure that employees receive the correct salary and benefits based on their employment status, working hours, and pay rates. 

In this area, some of your major tasks may involve:

  • Ensuring compliance with employment law

  • Developing company policies

  • Managing employee records

  • Handling employee discipline and termination

  • Reviewing and updating employee handbooks

  • Investigating complaints of harassment or discrimination

  • Conducting exit interviews

Key roles to consider:

How does HR support employees?

As a human resources professional, you support employees by providing continuing education, training, and support for health and well-being. Adequate human resources are essential to maintaining employee satisfaction and morale. While the way HR supports employees may vary from one company to another, your HR department can provide support to employees in the following ways:

Providing a career path within the organization

As a human resources professional, you support employees by offering a career path within the company. Your department can offer clearly defined avenues for advancement, promotions, and transfers to other departments or divisions. This helps to encourage employees to stay with the organization rather than seek outside opportunities when they’re ready for new challenges.

Offering continuing education opportunities

HR may oversee continuing education programs that benefit both the employer and the employee. This could be professional development, tuition reimbursement for courses, or certifications. Giving employees opportunities to enhance their skill sets and industry knowledge can boost morale and incentivize workers to continue working for the company. Education assistance programs often work well as recruitment and retention tools.

Training and supporting managers

You may work with department heads and managers as a human resources professional to improve their knowledge and skills. By training leaders in the company, you’ll help employees throughout the organization. Your training may focus on staff motivation, effective feedback, disciplinary issues, diversity, technical skills, and compliance with the law.

Supporting health and wellness

Your HR department will likely support employees by managing health plans, employee assistance programs, retirement planning, and disability benefits. These programs can help employees resolve conflicts and manage stress outside of the workplace that could otherwise interfere with their work. In some companies, these program benefits extend to the immediate family.

You also may assist managers with creating employee wellness programs that include fitness challenges, healthy eating guidelines, and stress reduction practices. Healthy employees tend to use fewer sick days, which can improve the company’s productivity. Some employers offer these on-site, while others collaborate with outside vendors to provide services. 

What are the educational requirements for HR?

Many HR positions require a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field.

Is a career in human resources right for you?

Human resources can be a rewarding career path if you enjoy working with others, solving problems, and helping organizations run more efficiently. While HR roles vary by company and specialization, there are several personality traits and skills that tend to support long-term success, including:

  • If you enjoy working with people at all levels: HR professionals regularly interact with employees, managers, and executives. If you’re comfortable building relationships, listening to concerns, and navigating different perspectives, HR may be a strong fit.

  • If you are a strong communicator: Clear communication—both written and verbal—is central to HR. From explaining policies to facilitating conversations about performance or workplace concerns, HR professionals often translate complex information into practical guidance.

  • If you are comfortable handling sensitive situations: HR professionals may need to support employees during challenging moments, such as workplace conflicts, performance issues, or organizational changes. Emotional intelligence and discretion are especially important in these situations.

  • If you like balancing people skills with organization and strategy: In addition to supporting employees, HR teams help shape hiring processes, benefits administration, training programs, and workplace policies. If you enjoy both interpersonal work and structured problem-solving, HR offers a mix of both.

  • If you are interested in business operations: HR isn’t just about people—it’s also about helping an organization meet its goals. An interest in HRIS and how companies grow, manage talent, and improve performance can make the work especially engaging.

HR requires numerous personality types. Some professionals are outgoing and energized by frequent interaction, while others bring a more analytical or process-oriented approach. What matters most is a genuine interest in supporting both employees and organizational goals. Learn more about the different skills often needed to be successful in HR.

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