Curious About HR vs. General Admin Roles? Let's Explore Their Key Differences Together

What are the major differences between Human Resources and general administration jobs?

If I am an HR assistant or administrative assistant, what is the difference between both of them?

Thanks

Zainab:

First, we need to understand what HR and Admin are; these two are different at their levels. HR, in general, is responsible for handling all HR activities, while Admin provides facilities in various ways such as vendor management, security management, etc.

Some of the HR functions include Recruitment, Training and Development, Compensation and Benefits, Employee Relations, Performance Management, and so on.

I hope you now have a clear idea about HR and Admin.

Thanks,
Mirza

Please guys, we need more of your input to better understand the difference between HR and Administration.

Dear Friend,

An HR Assistant is responsible for working on core HR activities, which include recruitment, development, training, fostering future potential, performance management, performance appraisal, and more.

On the other hand, administrative assistants handle tasks such as time office management, security, office works management, and employee welfare.

Regards

Zainab, depends entirely on the job activities. I have an able assistant who does both tasks, yet his rank doesn't reflect either of the two titles. In small companies, differentiators are low. They want somebody with a smattering of all skills. As the company grows, they can afford hiring experts for some of the affairs. I have a doubt whether "time office and welfare activities" can be rightly clubbed in the HR domain. Admin would involve facilities management, liaising, etc. People may ask security guards at gates to keep a check on attendance registers, etc. However, they can't be put in HR.

Surya

Mr. Zainab Ali,

I am very happy to see all of your comments on the Difference between Human Resource Management and Administration functions. Some folks replied to you that HR functions are different from Human Resource. To some extent, it can be acceptable, but indeed there is a slight difference between these two. They are managing the workforce and enabling employees to work without any interruption by obtaining potential performance to attain the objectives of the organization. In HR, the welfare of an employee occupies a major portion, where administration does not cover.

Functions like Manpower planning, recruitment, wage and salary administration, Industrial relations, Training and development, performance appraisals, rewards, and security are covered under Administration functions.

When it comes to the Human Resource functions: Human resource enriches Administration functions with a quality approach keeping in view organizational and individual development.

- Human resource planning (strategic HRP)
- Talent acquisition (Head Hunting, etc., and selection processes)
- Job analysis
- Training and Development
- Performance/Potential Appraisal (other appraisal tools)
- Payroll administration (Time management, Leave management, Payroll)
- Policy Development and implementation
- Employee Relations
- Employee welfare (Housekeeping also to be covered)
- Employee counseling
- Employee Benefits (compensation and benefits)
- Career planning and development
- Organizational change/Development
- Employee statutory issues

I have not covered exactly but it can give you a clear picture to understand the difference between admin and HR.

Srinivas

To provide more clarification, I would say that administration simply means help or assistance. Administration ensures that all functions, jobs, or tasks work smoothly. Therefore, HR administration is responsible for ensuring that all HR functions and jobs, such as training, recruiting, payroll, and stationery handling, work seamlessly. For example, arranging training sessions and providing all the necessary stationery, space, or materials used in training are tasks carried out by HR Administration.

The comments given by SVS Rana & Nilesh Grasia are clearer in terms of the difference between HR & Administration. Srivinas has made a confusing statement about both. He covered many points about HR & Admin but related them incorrectly. For example, functions like Manpower planning, recruitment, wage and salary administration, Industrial relations, Training and development, performance appraisals, rewards, and security, he categorized under Administration, while all these are generally handled or managed by the HR Department.

Arvind Rana, Delhi