Career Explorations

Question

Emilee is the head of a large veterinary hospital. She takes care of many duties to keep the hospital up and running. That is why Emilee has put Alonzo in charge of Human Resources. What types of duties might Alonzo have in this position? Does allowing Alonzo to handle things like hiring new vet techs or filing the employee health insurance forms mean that Emilee does not care about the hospital? Explain how Alonzo’s position benefits Emilee in her job.

Answer 1

Human resource professionals are critical to ensure that the teams working are treated in a manner that benefits the organization and the individual. HR representatives are specially trained in many different areas that ensure the company and its employees are protected, engaged and ultimately, productive. As a business grows it is common for its leaders to specialize and create supporting departments, Human Resources is one of these. Emily may be considered a "Director" that oversees Alonzo and provides him with specific direction regarding how she wants the culture of the business to evolve. That vision should be shared across all departments so all team members support the mission of the business or organization. In the case of HR, the main resource focus is PEOPLE and is arguably the most important asset to cultivate in order to keep the business operating at optimum levels. Alonzo may be charged with all personnel decisions, payroll, benefits, health & wellness programs, labor law compliance and more, all in order to maintain a superior work environment, attract and retain talent and create favorable conditions for doing business.