Military Human Resources Research Assignment Paper

Military and Human Resources
Name
Institutional affiliation
Military and Human Resources
Thesis
In every organization, the human resource department is paramount. In most cases, the department is mostly associated with the hiring and firing of employees, but in reality, it has more functions. It is also entitled with ensuring that the staff is paid on time to avoid complications. It also makes sure that the workers are safe in the working environment and plays a significant role in the preparation of the payroll (Harris, 2009). The military just like any other organization needs such a department for the smooth running of operations. For one to have a career in this field one needs to have strong interpersonal skills and at the same time a desire to assist people in the workplace for them to feel safe. For the military personnel, securing an opportunity to work in HR while in the service can be a crucial step towards a career in the civilian workplace. This paper will deliberate on the importance of the HR department in the military, how it operates and most importantly its primary functions. It also provides insight on the roles of the personnel and tries to explain the type of work they do.
Introduction
The primary goal of the military is to protect the interests of the nation while at the same time protecting civilians from any external threat (Huddle, 2013). To execute these roles, it needs a human resource department who play a significant role in advising the servicemen and advising them on the wise career decisions. In the office, one deals with many people for instance pilots, nurses, engineers and military police. This gives one sufficient experience to gain strong interpersonal skills which are a necessity in the civilian job market. In the army, the HR staff deals with employees during potentially stressful situations. Therefore, they must be able to operate in a respectful manner. It is important to note that HR in the military forces is different from the structure used in civilian operations. One major difference arises from the fact that the HR department in the army does not have a say in the recruitment of soldiers (with the exclusion of planning recruitment activities). The structure of the military only allows the department to contribute to internal issues and rare cases external matters. For instance, the department is tasked with advising the others on the correct career choices. It is also tasked with providing them with information of job specialties and promotions. This means that it is responsible for informing the servicemen when promotions are ‘around the corner’ and also information regarding other careers. It can play a significant role in the career development of the soldiers (Androniceanu, 2014).
Employees in the department are also tasked with the maintenance of files and records. This plays the crucial role of ensuring that records are properly preserved for future reference. They are also tasked with scheduling and processing staff for various functions. The department is supposed to develop a schedule to be used in the workplace. It also plays the role of Advising personnel and dependents on the benefits of military training. Some of the responsibilities of the ...