Speak of human resources, and one of the first things that come to mind is job. A human resources manager searches for the right people who can handle all vacant positions in the company. He or she is also in charge of the growth, development, and welfare of the employees. This system has been going on for so many years now.

Then 2000 came along. The onset of the twenty-first century brought about plenty of changes in the way businesses are being run — and in the way the human resources department functions. They are no longer constrained to the conventional concepts people have of them. They have evolved, and they need to do so in order to compete.

Contributor to Profit
One of the integrated HR jobs today is how to increase a company’s revenue, especially through reducing costs. Several business owners and CEOs demand this department to work along with others (such as finance and administration) to increase their level of competitiveness. They also have to make sure to find the right talents for the business (those who can contribute to the sales margin), outsource some of the routine tasks, as well as improve handling of information by partnering with IT in creating easy-to-use but secure databases.

Corporate Social Responsibility
Today, it is not enough that companies sell products in the market and customers buy them. Businesses also give back to the community. Hence, one of the direct tasks of human resources in the twenty-first century is to make the organization more socially responsible.

It is their role to develop various corporate social responsibility (CSR) plans for every department, in particular, or for the entire organization, in general. The programs, moreover, should complement to the brand, vision, and mission of the company. For example, if the business is all about selling diapers or infant formulas to newborns, the best CSR program will be working together with the La Leche League.

Outsourcing
This is actually a double-edged sword since a lot of HR personnel are losing their jobs; their tasks were already handled by someone else living thousands of miles away. On the other hand, going back to the first challenge, it seems like HR is left with no choice but to seriously consider outsourcing or even make it part of their continuous effort to reduce cost and increase profit margin.

The human resources staff needs to perform the following in relation to outsourcing:

• Create an online pool of talents.
• Determine the best places to hire.
• Develop examinations and conduct interviews using online tools.
• Identify the salary and benefits to be given.
• Determine if the outsourced employee is going to be full-time or contractual.
• Establish a good relationship to ensure the outsourced employee does not immediately quit the job.
• Keep track the outsourcing provider’s performance.