The position of Director of Human Resources is the main one in the human resources department. Director of Human Resources (HR director) is responsible for planning and controlling the work of the department and for reporting to the executive on the department’s outcomes and goals achieved (Cascio & Aguinis, 2005; Heneman & Judge, 2009). Thus, HR directors control the work of the managerial staff along with the work of the other person with references to developing the strategic plans, working out specific training and development programs, and contributing to the cooperative interaction between the employees.
From this perspective, the main tasks performed by HR directors are the supervision and control over the whole HR department; the control over the recruitment process; the development of the strategic working plans; the development of training programs; the focus on working out compensation policies and performance appraisal programs; the control over the implementation of changes and development management programs; and the supervision related to employee relations aspects. Thus, HR directors control the work of human resource managers and take responsibility for performing similar tasks at a higher level. HR directors are also responsible for providing the necessary administration, support, and consultation for the staff (Cascio & Aguinis, 2005; Heneman & Judge, 2009).
Focusing on the required knowledge, skill, ability, and other important characteristics, it is necessary to state that the position of HR director requires incumbents with the Master’s degree in Human Resource Management (in some situations, the Bachelor’s degree) and significant working experience. Much attention is paid to leadership, organization, and communication skills. Moreover, the HR director should demonstrate the ability in planning, manage, and controlling the work of employees. The dignity, self-regulation, and active position are required among the other characteristics (Cascio & Aguinis, 2005). Being a leader and supervisor within the HR department, the Director of Human Resources has the right for additional benefits in the form of extra vacation days and financial bonuses.
To provide the job description and analysis, the methods of questionnaires and interviews with the persons obtained the positions of HR directors were used. Thus, HR directors in different companies were asked to describe their duties and responsibilities with the help of online questionnaires (e-mail) and answered the questions of interviews on the necessary KSAOs with the help of mobile phones. The interviewees’ answers were recorded.
The interviewees and participants of the survey were persons who obtained the positions of HR directors in different companies. The answers of incumbents on the job duties and responsibilities and on the KSAOs were analyzed with references to the information provided at the website of O*Net where the job and educational requirements on different positions are presented (O*Net Resource Center, 2013).
During the research process, it was important to overcome such challenges as the necessity to analyze the incumbents’ answers about the appropriateness of the performed duties to the list of responsibilities provided at the O*Net website. Thus, depending on the industry in which the company works and on the firm’s size, the duties and responsibilities of HR directors can differ significantly.
It is possible to improve the job analysis by using more research methods and opportunities provided by the O*Net website. Thus, to receive the complete picture of the job features, it is important to realize the observation activities along with using interviews and questionnaires (Brannick, Levine, & Morgeson, 2007). Moreover, it is useful to focus on the Career Exploration Tool proposed by O*Net to examine the possibilities related to the position of HR director.
References
Brannick, M., Levine, E., & Morgeson, F. (2007). Job and work analysis: Methods, research and applications for human resource management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Cascio , W., & Aguinis , H. (2005). Applied psychology in human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Heneman, H. G., & Judge, T. A. (2009). Staffing organizations. Middleton, WI: McGraw-Hill.
O*Net Resource Center. (2013). Web.