How should an HR department be organized?

As the role of HR within each organization evolves, the structure of the department or team will also change. You should choose a department structure that supports your changing HR role. In general, structures are likely to be less hierarchical and more circular, allowing for interaction and communication along the way. Here are two examples:

1. Employment cycle structure. If organized around employment cycles, the human resources functions might have team leaders responsible for:

• Work life services, including teams for rewards and recognition services, performance planning and feedback process, performance and career development services, and division leaders/consulting services;

• Home life services, including teams for benefits, wellness and health, and work/family services;

• Organization work life, including teams for change facilitation and consulting, work life communication, and work life planning;

• Prework life, including teams for recruiting services, staffing services, and orientation services;

• Postwork life, including teams for disability services, preretirement services, and retirement services;

• HRIS team; and

• Work life strategy and services.

2. Customer facilitation structure. If organized around a customer facilitation structure, the human resources function might have a central service core with facility, division, or site service centers and facilitators as appropriate. The central core would be responsible for strategic and asset planning, policy support, administrative and compliance support, change management, communication support, research and HRIS. The demand for services would come from the separate sites, depending on local needs.