The PHR and SPHR exams will thoroughly test your knowledge of the full set of Human Resources knowledge. The complexity of laws, regulations, employee training and leadership programs, and employee management relationships can catch some candidates off guard. You’ll come into the exam with the experience you’ve accumulated during your time in HR, but there’s much more to the HR world that you need to be prepared for. To assess your test readiness and see where you need to focus your study efforts more, consider taking an assessment test online.
HR responsibilities cover several focus areas. In general, HRM responsibilities fall into nine broad categories:
Organization tasks – Design and structuring of groups and departments. Plan programs and processes. Identify the functions, skills and competencies of the position. Review organizational functions and recommend improvements. Manage reorganization and change.
Resources for the organization – Determine staffing needs. Recruit, hire, develop, review and reward staff. Post positions, screen and interview applicants, test, check references, facilitate offers and present contracts. Manage orientation, retention and termination, whether by resignation, retirement or dismissal.
Performance Management – Set performance standards and improvement targets, evaluate performance, and provide feedback. Monitor, measure, evaluate and document performance against expectations. Identify performance issues, propose solutions, provide feedback, and coordinate and document disciplinary actions.
Employee Development: Provide professional development, training, and mentoring. Facilitate succession management (i.e., knowledge and skills training, experiential learning, on-the-job training, internal and external training, guided reading, computer/e-learning, video instruction, courses, role-plays, and other options ). Monitor the learning process and its results, and evaluate teaching approaches.
Reward Management – Establish fair pay systems and other financial rewards, such as profit-sharing or pay based on incentives, performance, contributions, teamwork, or competition. Develop and facilitate non-financial motivation programs. Implement bonuses, profit sharing, flexible benefits, pensions and subsistence allowances.
Employee relations: work with the union, mediation between employees and supervisors, negotiations, legal matters, comments and complaints. Build relationships with employees through various policies, procedures, and outreach (Intranet, newsletters, etc.).
Health and Safety – Provide a safe working environment. Comply with the rules. This may mean addressing hygiene, first aid, ergonomics, accident prevention, risk assessment, audits, safety training, hazard elimination, and policies that ensure health and safety, such as risk reduction and minimization programs.
Employee Wellness – Help with individual services such as employee assistance, long-term sick leave, family issues, aging and elderly issues, employment issues, death in the employee’s family, and counseling. Offer group activities, clubs, retiree events, and wellness or support programs.
Administration – Manage human resources policies, procedures, functions and systems. Develop, implement and direct the processes necessary to capture, track, evaluate and report data, maintain records and comply with legal requirements.