HR Professional Day 2024: 10 Reasons to Thank Your HR Team

Quick look: Happy Human Resource Professional Day! This celebration occurs annually on September 26 and is dedicated to honoring the hardworking HR teams who work tirelessly to support, guide, and empower employees. Discover more about the origins of this special day, explore 10 key functions of HR, and discover how HR outsourcing can provide much-needed support to small businesses and in-house HR staff—helping to lighten the load and enhance overall efficiency.

Human resource (HR) teams strive to create better workplaces, and Human Resource Professional Day, which occurs annually on September 26, serves as a time to celebrate and honor their dedication and efforts.

Employees are the foundation of every successful business. And as the employment landscape grows increasingly complex, HR experts play a key role in helping organizations adjust to the rapidly transforming workplace.

Explore the history of HR Professional Day below, along with 10 mission-critical functions HR departments perform that deserve applause on September 26 and every day thereafter.

The origin of Human Resource Professional Day

In October 2013, Jamaican Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen introduced HR Professional Day to recognize and celebrate those who contribute to organizational success by nurturing and developing human capital. Later, in 2018, Governor-General Hon Steadman Alvin Ridout Fuller declared it an official holiday, pushing it into the international spotlight.

10 reasons to thank HR teams

Everything human resource teams do is dedicated to the organization’s overall success, whether it’s following critical and complex legislative laws or ensuring employees get paid correctly and on time.

Here are 10 reasons to show appreciation for your HR staff on Human Resource Professional Day (and year-round!):

1. People management

HR departments oversee nearly every aspect of an organization related to its people, including:

• Recruiting
• Performance management
• Compensation planning
• Employee benefits
• Compliance
• And more

These professionals ensure workers have the tools, resources, and opportunities to excel, improving a company’s bottom line and helping achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

2. Employee benefit administration and analysis

In today’s hyper-competitive market, employees consider their benefits a critical component of their total compensation. A benefits specialist has the power to create a compelling benefits package that will attract and excite candidates—ultimately reducing the company’s costs associated with turnover.

These experts are also responsible for administering all benefits and retirement programs, helping onboard new hires, monitoring marketplace trends, and managing the open enrollment process.

3. Recruiting and onboarding

As the war for talent rages on, a robust recruiting and onboarding strategy has never been more important. Recruiting specialists manage the entire hiring lifecycle, from screening resumes to onboarding new employees. A successful recruiter is a valued partner in evaluating and attracting the best talent, helping to position your company as an employer of choice.

4. Corporate culture and employee engagement

It’s no secret that workplace culture is integral to job satisfaction, morale, and productivity. However, a company’s culture extends far beyond free snacks in the kitchen or companywide events and parties. A strong corporate culture also includes how employees interact across departments, how engaged employees are, and how responsive leadership is to workers’ feedback. HR managers help shape an organization’s culture through their many responsibilities and make it sustainable.

5. Compensation and pay planning

HR compensation specialists help develop and structure compensation packages to ensure company wages are competitive with other businesses in the same industry and location. Their responsibilities include:

• Conducting salary research and benchmarking
• Monitoring inflation trends
• Adjusting compensation rates according to roles and skills
• Ensuring the business’s compliance with all state and federal compensation laws, including minimum wage, equal pay, and overtime

6. Training and development

Today’s top talent greatly values learning and development (L&D) opportunities. In fact, nearly 70% of U.S. workers agree that if their companies gave them more opportunities to apply new skills, they would be more likely to stay throughout their careers.

HR professionals help organizations cultivate this retention level by developing internal development curriculums, like mentorship and reskilling/upskilling programs, that allow employees to enhance their skills, build on their strengths, and address areas for improvement.

These teams can also counsel employees about internal career paths, coach managers and department heads to become more effective leaders, and manage companywide training to remain compliant with required employment regulations.

7. Risk management and compliance

A culture of compliance is essential in today’s business world. Employee risk management and compliance specialists help organizations minimize their exposure and liability related to employment practices. This can ultimately reduce expenses and the dangers of costly employee-related accidents, lawsuits, and penalties.

HR experts are also responsible for managing state, local, and federal regulations, aligning with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws, developing workplace safety programs, and more.

8. Conflict resolution

Conflict occasionally happens in even the most successful organizations. HR teams advocate for employees who have issues or disagreements with colleagues or management, taking on the role of both coach and mediator. Given the diversity of work styles, personalities, and backgrounds, HR managers are well-versed in handling employee relations to effectively restore positive working relationships.

9. Technology adoption

Technology plays a significant role in many traditional HR duties, from performance management to benefit enrollment. Tech-savvy HR leaders focus on enhancing digital systems to support hybrid work, invest in tools and apps that support employee mental health, connect employees with online L&D platforms, and utilize comprehensive HRIS platforms to streamline HR tasks, maximize productivity, and improve employee engagement.

10. Support of company growth

Perhaps the most important item on this list, HR professionals can be strong business partners who support company growth and workforce planning. HR departments help business leaders identify high-performing employees who can take on expanded roles as the company grows, support managers to become skilled at leading and developing teams, establish systems and policies to enhance the employee experience, provide effective professional development, promote workers’ health and well-being, and more.

Today and every day, we celebrate and thank HR professionals! Your expertise is essential to your organization’s growth and ability to compete in today’s complex market.

HR burnout: a common and unfortunate occurrence

Unfortunately, with so many responsibilities on their plates, HR managers are facing an increased level of burnout. Gartner reports that over 70% of HR leaders believe that burnout among their team is more of a challenge than before the pandemic. Additionally, almost half stated they find it difficult to handle conflicting demands. This stress can lead to talented HR staff leaving the company (human resource roles have the highest turnover rates), which can hinder the organization’s success.

Easing the burden (and showing appreciation) with outsourcing

While saying “thank you” on HR Professional Day is important, appreciating and understanding your HR team’s important job should be a year-round effort. These hardworking individuals focus daily on keeping the business operating smoothly, enhancing the company culture, and elevating the employee experience.

If your HR staff feels stretched thin (they’re not alone!), outsourcing some of their daily administrative burden to a professional employer organization (PEO) could provide much-needed relief. PEOs help businesses manage various aspects of their HR, recruiting, employee benefits, payroll, and risk management. Many small- to medium-sized businesses leverage a PEO’s extra resources to streamline HR processes and gain a competitive edge.

With a PEO, your HR team can feel truly supported and reclaim valuable time to focus on bigger-picture initiatives. For example, ExtensisHR’s customer service department prides itself on answering phone calls within 10 seconds and live chats within 30. This additional layer of dedicated expertise could be just the support your human resource staff needs this HR Professional Day, as it can help them de-stress, steer the company forward, and rest assured all aspects of their role are completed skillfully.

Could your HR team use an extra set of hands? Learn more about ExtensisHR’s PEO solution or contact us to get started today.