Auditing Your Human Resources Department

A Step-by-Step Guide to Assessing the Key Areas of Your Program

John McConnell

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9780814416624
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Auditing
• Index: Business

For human resources departments struggling to highlight their worth amidst company cuts and streamlining, this book offers a rigorous yet simple solution that is less costly and intimidating than an outside audit. 

In this invaluable resource, author John McConnell provides you with a proven, painless process for gauging how well your HR departments are performing. Auditing Your Human Resources Department does this by scrutinizing the eleven key functions of human resources, including recruitment and selection, compensation, benefits, education, training and development, diversity, and EOE.

Using these functions as a framework, you’ll be able to:

• gather key information,
• score your self-assessment,
• analyze relevant data,
• fix any problem spots to strengthen,
• and maximize the effectiveness of your HR efforts.

This book also includes new information on strategic planning and HR, the impact and benefits of important technology developments, and new federal workplace laws. With hundreds of pages of questionnaires, checklists, and forms, Auditing Your Human Resources Department supplies the tools to pinpoint department strengths, improve weaknesses--and turn HR into an essential business asset.

STEP ONE
Information Gathering

Beginning on page 3 are the questions for each of the categories you need to answer to complete the audit.

• You should be able to answer most of the questions without research, but in some cases research may be necessary. However, if you cannot answer a question, don’t guess.

• Some of the questions require you to select an answer from those provided. Some require brief written answers.

• Many questions include an “Other” selection. “Other” is to be used when the correct answer is not any of the ones provided. It is not meant to be used as a “Don’t know” or “Not applicable” response. “Not applicable” is for questions that do not apply to your situation.

• Some areas may not apply to your HR organization. Do not answer in those categories. You will find a place on the heading for each area to indicate whether it is not applicable. Even when not applicable, you should review the questions.

Answer all questions in a category before moving on to the next category. It is also more effective to answer all questions in a single category at one time. The time required to answer the questions in a category varies, but generally an hour is sufficient (even with some research).

A short line precedes each question. For this first step, ignore those short lines. You will be using them in Step 2.

Keep in mind that this is not a test of your knowledge. It is a collection of factual information for the evaluation of the department. Such an evaluation will be accurate and useful only if your information is accurate. So answer as things are and not as you wish they were.

HUMAN RESOURCES STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT—INFORMATION GATHERING

Partnering in the development of the organization’s strategic plans and human resources’ plans and role in fulfilling the organization’s mission, vision, and objectives.

If your human resources department is not accountable for this category, go directly to the next category (p. 13).

ORGANIZATION’S STRATEGIC PLANNING

________	1.	Does your Organization have an identified department or functional unit accountable for human resources activities?
		________ Yes ________ No
________	2.	What position represe...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• About This Book
• The Advisory Board
• Acknowledgments
• The Human Resources Function
• How to Use This Book
• The Categories
• Audit Category Ranking
• Step One—Information Gathering
• Step Two—Evaluation
• Step Three—Analysis
• Step Four—Action Planning
• Summary and Conclusion
• Index
• About the Author