HR directors earn authority in associations. (Eye on the Industry).Increasing numbers of associations are hiring human resource directors, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. ASAE's industry and market research department, which collected survey data in 1995 and 2001 from more than 1,000 associations in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Based on those associations with human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. departments, only 12 percent of associations had a human resource director in 1995 compared with 62 percent in 2001 (see chart). Associations of all staff sizes experienced this dramatic increase. For example, only 3 percent of associations with 6-10 staffers had a human resource director in 1995, rising to 31 percent in 2001. Similarly, in 2001, nearly three fourths of associations (74 percent) with 30-99 staff had a human resource director, up by a third from 1995. Why are human resource directors becoming more prevalent within associations? A likely reason is that associations realize the value of human resource directors who understand complex labor laws and workplace issues such as compensation inequities, sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. policies, affirmative action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. requirements, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Human resource directors often are responsible for ensuring that associations comply with these laws. This human resource trend may also be linked to increased benefit offerings by associations. Benefits have become more complex during the past several years and require a more in-depth understanding. Human resource directors are called upon to negotiate optimal benefits packages for their employees. "Human resource directors have increasingly earned authority within associations," says Helen Marquez, ASAE's director of human resources. "There used to be a time when it was believed that anyone could do the 'personnel work' but that is no longer the case," she adds. "HR is now involved in the most senior levels of decision making and is one of the most indispensable association functions." For more detailed data on this topic or human resource benchmarking statistics, call 202-371-0940 or 888-950-ASAE to obtain a copy of ASAE's 2001 Policies and Procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental in Association Management: A Benchmarking Guide. Submitted by Steven Williams, director of ASAE ASAE American Society of Association Executives ASAE American Society of Agricultural Engineers (Society for Engineering in Agricultural, Food, and Biological Systems) ASAE Alkali-Sulfite-Anthraquinone-Ethanol Industry and Market Research. E-mail: research@asaenet.org. [Graph omitted] |
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