Should HR and Admin Be Separate or Combined? Share Your Thoughts on This Debate

A lot of companies have HR and Admin as one department, while some separate these two functions. Some of them think that HR should focus on formulating and implementing strategies, letting other experts deal with the company's administration. However, there are also those who believe that HR is closest to the employees and should handle the company's admin as well.

What about you? What do you think?

Cheers,
Ashley

Hi Ashley,

In our organization, we have separated the HR and Admin functions. Both of these functions are very important, and they require dedicated time and resources to be carried out effectively.

Thanks,
Ligy Jose

Yes, an admin is someone who looks after the company, whereas human resources is a department that takes care of the employees. My question is: do admin people get considered for HR openings? Can we hire them for HR positions?

No, admin guys do not seem to be fit for HR. HR is a completely diversified field different from Administration. An HR professional can work in administration. In my opinion, Administration falls under the umbrella of human resources.

Regards,
Hassan

Yes, I agree with you, Ligy. Thanks for your feedback.

Since our company here is small, there is no clear line between admin and HR. The MD's secretary and I are currently jointly responsible for the admin of the company. It really takes up quite a lot of our time sometimes.

Regards,
Ashley

Dear All,

It's nice that this question has come up. I was the HR head for 3 years in a reputed company, overseeing Admin/Security/PR all together. Believe me, it's the worst situation to be in. HR and Admin don't go well together for the simple reason that HR ideally works for the employees while admin works against! (Admin will not move an inch till the forms are completed in all respects!) Also, you need a flair to carry out admin jobs. More importantly, you lose focus on HR since Admin is a 24x7 job.

I have now shifted to a company where I am looking after only HR activities. I can see a world of difference in terms of meaningful contribution that I can make to the company and myself. Though unavoidable in small companies, if you have the liberty, separate the two as quickly as possible.

Best regards,
Sandy

HR and Admin departments should be separate entities within an organization. For the smooth functioning of any professionally managed setup, there should be a clearly defined HR department and an Admin department. Although both departments work towards the betterment and overall development of employees, there may be instances where their roles overlap in the long run; however, they should remain distinct.

In manufacturing setups, there is typically no separate Admin department. Instead, there is a single department called the personnel department, which includes the HR department. One of the functions of the personnel department is administration. In service industries, there is usually no personnel department; they have HR departments. Until recently, service industries did not have a separate Admin department. However, nowadays, to ensure the smooth functioning of the office, the HR department has been split into HR and Admin. The HR department focuses on training, while the rest of the administrative tasks are handled by the Admin department.

Hi Sandy,

I agree with you that admin is 24x7. Indeed, it is. As the company grows, we foresee that we might want to have a separate admin department to cater to all the employees' needs. But right now, I'd say that admin is still manageable between me and my colleague.

You're right; you need flair to carry out admin jobs. I can carry out my HR work as perfectly as I can. But it seems that I just couldn't handle the admin very well. I am a people person, but I just couldn't handle those orders and problems very well.

Thank you all for the feedback.

Cheers,
Ashley

In my opinion, the HR and Admin departments should definitely be separate. However, the HR department should have control over all admin activities.

Ajay Singh

Hi Shreenath,

I feel there is no harm in considering admin personnel for HR openings. Admin is a support function, and to provide proper support, it is crucial to understand the core function.

As long as the individual grasps the fundamentals, I don't see any reason why we should not involve people with an admin background in core HR activities such as recruitment. In fact, we have MBAs working in admin roles within our organization.

Thanks,
Ligy Jose

Yes, I agree with Ligy. Even though I studied Business Management myself, I am now in the HR field. However, I plan to pursue an MBA in HRM in the near future.

Nowadays, you need to have a business mindset to better understand HR strategies. After all, it is the business that we aim to help grow, and we must know what is best for the business.

Hi,

I was having the same confusion for a long time since I work for a small company with around 75 employees, and only 2 people in HRD (me and my HR Manager). We don't have any separate Admin Department, and I have to take care of all the admin works. Sometimes, I feel like even a graduate can do such work, and I'm wasting my time working here more as an admin than as an HR. I've done my BE with an MBA and have around 2 years of experience. When I saw this topic, it was related to my current job profile. I'm eagerly waiting for the suggestions of our CiteHR friends.

Regards,
Swati

Hi Swati,

Do not feel let down or confused. It is normal for small companies to have Admin parked under the HR dept. The same goes for my company as well. Admin is not something that everyone can do; I admit that I can't do very well in admin. I just do not have what it takes to do admin. But I can do well in HR. If you think Admin has occupied most of your time to the extent that you have no time to do HR works better, tell your HR Manager directly. Maybe it's time you hired another HR and Admin assistant to help you with the admin part.

Cheers,
Ashley

I completely agree with Ashley's argument. The same was the case for me when I joined my company. Initially, administrative issues consumed all my time, and I was not able to devote myself to HR. After six hectic months, I requested my HR head for an admin assistant, and it worked for me. Now, I am happy that I can devote my full time to HR while also heading the admin department.

Regards, Hassan 😉

I think it will completely depend upon the company size and in which scale the company operates. Large-scale companies should have separated departments, whereas small-scale companies may have it together.

In small-scale companies, HR can handle both the departments very well, but it may create problems where large-scale companies are concerned. That's where efficiency can be tested.

Hi, I believe that HR and Admin are just two sides of a coin as long as the company is small. As far as big companies are concerned, they are as different as chalk and cheese. It's only the convenience that marks this difference.

Administration includes a lot of running around and also requires some street smartness, which not many people have. On the other hand, HRM requires lots of patience, tact, and problem-solving ability. As the company size increases, it's wise to keep the two departments separate.

Sneha

Well, this was a topic in March; I doubt if anyone is still reading it. Anyway, I have been working in the departments of accounts, admin, and HR for the past 3 years. I just joined the current company in June 2007 and am in charge of all three.

Recently, in the month of December, I was told that due to my inefficiency, I should only be taking care of HR & Accounts, and no longer admin. Since both companies I have worked for are small in size, it didn't matter which department I was in; as long as it wasn't related to sales and marketing, it fell under my purview.

Due to the decision made by management, I am now solely handling HR & Accounts. This prompted me to seek out and understand the differences between the two fields, leading me to this article. Just sharing my thoughts.