Human Resources vs. People Operations

People operations and human resources may sound similar based on their titles, as both departments handle the relationship between a company and its employees. However, they are distinct entities.

To gain a better understanding of when to utilize people operations versus human resources, explore the differences between the two in this article.

Understanding Human Resources (HR)

Human resources, abbreviated as HR, is responsible for managing various employee-related activities within a company, such as recruitment, onboarding, training, conflict resolution, and more.

HR oversees logistical aspects of employee management, including administering benefits, ensuring timely payroll, and upholding compliance with labor laws to maintain a safe and fair work environment.

The concept of HR as a business function has existed for over a century, originating in the early 20th century when business leaders like Andrew Carnegie recognized the strategic importance of workforce management in achieving organizational objectives.

Understanding People Operations

People operations fall under the HR umbrella but have a more defined focus. This department concentrates on enhancing the employee experience through engagement, development, and retention initiatives.

Similar to how marketing views customers, people operations aim to improve employee satisfaction and modernize HR systems for better user experience.

The formalization of people operations as a corporate department is a recent development, pioneered by Laszlo Bock at Google. Bock emphasizes a purpose-driven approach over procedural tasks, which encapsulates the essence of people operations.

Distinguishing Between People Operations and HR

While the disparities between people operations and HR are subtle, they play distinct roles within an organization. Here are key differentiators:

Approach

HR focuses on practical tasks essential for daily operations, while people operations take a more strategic approach, emphasizing the company's relationship with its employees and organizational culture.

Systems

HR operates within structured systems to ensure efficiency, whereas people operations are inclined to experiment with innovative methods and processes.

Legal Function

HR ensures legal compliance and risk mitigation, while people operations prioritize employee experience and organizational culture, with less emphasis on legal matters.

Reactive vs. Proactive

HR reacts to issues as they occur, such as mediating conflicts, whereas people operations take a proactive stance, implementing preventive measures to forestall problems.

Shared Objectives

Despite their nuanced differences, HR and people operations share common goals, albeit with varying approaches:

Hiring

HR manages the recruitment process, while people operations enhance the candidate experience for a seamless hiring journey.

Employee Retention

Both HR and people operations focus on retaining talent through diverse strategies like effective onboarding, benefits packages, and development opportunities.

Company Culture

People operations shape the company's culture, while HR executes initiatives to support that culture, such as implementing policies for employee autonomy.