A robust human resources (HR) infrastructure is like the foundation of a house: If it’s not there or your HR administration is unwieldy and ineffective, everything falls apart at a company.

On the flip side, a well-built HR infrastructure with streamlined and efficient HR administration is the base that supports many of a company’s successes. It’s also the secret behind doing HR well.

What is an HR Infrastructure?

All that sounds great – but what exactly is an “HR infrastructure?”

At a high level, it’s all the things your company does to manage people and fully leverage their potential, mitigate people-related risks and foster a positive workplace culture. Depending on the size of your organization, it may include:

• Policies and procedures: Often, one of the foundational, administrative components of this section includes an employee handbook and/or manual that also outlines working conditions and behavioral expectations and heavily influences your workplace culture.
• Recruitment and applicant tracking: For example, Job descriptions that clearly and accurately document, in writing, what each role at your company entails for the purposes of recruiting candidates and setting expectations around scope of responsibilities and performance standards for each employee.
• Workforce planning, management and development: This includes programs and processes around functions such as recruiting and hiring, performance management, discipline, career pathing, succession planning, training and promotions.
• Workforce analysis: The transformation of raw data into actionable information and insight to help inform decision-making and strategizing.
• Benefits administration: Involves enrollment, communication, and reporting functions related to benefits packages that attract and retain top talent and reinforce that your company cares about its people.
• HR technology: Systems that store and track employee records and data, automate processes, and perform advanced functions for efficient HR management.
• Organizational mission, vision, purpose, and core values: These define what your organization is all about and how employees conduct themselves, playing a major role in shaping your workplace culture.
• HR-related compliance: Ensures that the organization adheres to federal, state and local employment laws and regulations. This includes managing labor laws, health and safety standards and mitigating risks associated with HR functions.

And what makes HR administration – the delivery of HR tasks and responsibilities within this framework – efficient? It’s when these HR tasks and responsibilities are carried out:

• In a timely manner – even on an automated basis, when applicable.
• As smoothly and with as few hassles as possible, to the satisfaction of employees and leadership.
• Cost effectively.
• In a way that can be replicated in another location.
• In a way that supports organizational goals and helps to achieve business performance objectives.

In this blog, we’ll discuss why a strong HR infrastructure and efficient HR administration matter, and how your company can take steps to streamline and improve your HR administration.

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