Functions of the Hr Department

As we have learned throughout this course, there are many different functions of the human resource department within a company. The department is responsible for the hiring of employees, maintaining their employment records, maintaining the employees' reviews, and at all times they ensure that the company is in compliance with all EEOC rules and regulations. The human resource department is the heart of every company.

The one area that everyone associates the human resource department with is either job recruiting. Many companies do do their own recruiting while others look to recruiting agencies for help in this area. Other ways the human resource department can obtain new employees is by using interns from a local college or school, advertising in the news paper, or an internet ad. Many companies will post jobs in-house on a website or a job wall.

No matter how the candidate is found there is always a prescreening process that takes place. The first step is to review the resume that is obtained on the candidate. Next, a prescreen phone interview from human resources is done to week out some people. If the phone call is a success then the candidate is asked to come in to meet with the human resource person and possibly the hiring manager that same day. Depending on the position being interviewed for the human resource manager may give the candidate a skill test to see if they qualify. This test may include a simple typing test or math test depending on the job function. If that is a success the candidate may be called back for a second interview or just called to be offered the position. If the position is offered the human resource department will then run a back ground check on the new hire as well as send them for a drug test. If any of these areas come back negative the job offer can be revoked. This information is shared with the new hire when the job is offered.

When the candidate is finally hired and a start date is set that employee will officially be on probation for a three month period. During this time period the new hire will be asked to attend orientation and possibly train with a co-worker to get acclimated to the position. Also, during this time period the company will have the option to terminate based on job performance. It is known that some candidates will "fluff" their resume or their interview to get their foot in the door but once in they truly do not have what is needed.

To recruit for positions such as Chief Medical Officer, the company will typically reach out to a high profile recruiting agency. Many times these positions are not posted due to the level of the position and confidentiality. Many times the candidate of this position doesn't know he/she is being replaced or if they are choosing to leave they do not want it announced until a suitable candidate has been found.

The recruiting agency is given the specific requirements of the hospital for the skills they would like their candidate to possess. The recruitment agency has many qualified people they are working with so it is a matter of them going through the resumes to see who will fit. Once a candidate has been selected by the agency the human resource department in the hospital is notified and the candidates' information is given over to them. The human resource department will then reach out to the candidate to schedule the initial interview. In most cases the candidate will come in to meet with many of the Executives that they would be dealing with such as the CEO, CFO and SVP. It is imperative that all parties be able to meet the candidate so that they can give their perspective on their initial meeting. Once the decision is made on who will be hired for the position the candidate is then contacted by human resources and offered the position.

To hire a physician, the Doctor must submit their "CV" for review to the Chief Medical Officer. If the candidate possess the credentials that they are looking for they are then asked to come in to meet face to face with the Chief Medical Officer for a formal interview. The physician would also be asked to meet the director of the department that they would be working in. If that goes well and the physician is hired they are then brought into the medical staff