Today, human resources departments are an essential part of every company. This was not always the case. The most important boom in Human Resources is attributed to the 1980s and 1990s, which saw the evolution of “human resources” into comprehensive HR departments. There were more rapid changes in the West, which came to Poland later.
The first HR departments in the 20th century
At the very beginning, when the role of Human Resources departments was not so obvious, there were HR administration departments in companies. The first of these was established in an American company in the early 20th century and dealt with responding to strikes, hiring new employees, and handling complaints. However, this department of the company was mainly focused on administrative, legal and payroll matters, so the origins can definitely be attributed to the development of hard HR.
Changes in labour law
It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that human resources departments gained importance. Due to ongoing strikes by workers, labour laws changed and began to respond to the needs of the worker.
Work hygiene and interviews
Attention was paid to work aesthetics and hygiene, as well as to the development of employees’ competences. There has been a division of HR into soft and hard. Recruitment became more elaborate – tests to check candidates’ skills appeared. Recruitment interviews were geared towards the future employee, his or her dreams and development opportunities. Horizontal promotions were abandoned and the employee began to be treated as an important part of the company. In addition, elements of onboarding were introduced, i.e. the gradual introduction of a new employee to the company and his or her adaptation in the new work environment and building his or her commitment.
The role of the HR department in the company
At the end of the 20th century and with the beginning of the 21st century, there was an evolution of HR departments, which have since become one of the most important elements of companies. Today, HR departments are also paying attention to elements such as mentoring, coaching, CSR aspects and employer branding. HR has become an indispensable part of companies’ business and vision strategies.
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