Every management institute conducts courses like MBA in HR. HR as a career has grown over the years. I know the job profile of HR and also the job profile of Admin. It is said that a HR person can do a Admin job but an Admin person cannot do a HR job. If both the fields are different in terms of functions why many companies club them and call it as " HR & Admin Dept".

HR is all about managing human resources. Admin is all about managing day to day activities of the organization for eg. managing the establishment, keeping the premises safe and clean, transportation, canteen management etc.

In today's age of specialization why do companies expect HR person to do Admin job when they can afford to keep a separate person for Admin.

I know this question may have been asked several times on this forum but this time I want a clear answer.

1. Should a person who has done MBA in HR go for HR & Admin role or only look for HR?

2. Is it right to club HR & Administration?

Please throw some light on this topic because not everyone wants to go for Admin profile

From India, Mumbai
Hi,

Getting into HR & Admin Profile or HR profile depends on an individual interest. (If you ask me i would say, you should look for HR only as you can learn many things about HR, Admin is a separate track where HR inputs may be very lesser and it does not require MBA-HR. Any person completed his/her degree with little amount of common sense can do Admin Job)

In the initial period, there was a department called "Personnel" in most of companies. it would have the control all the activities (Including admin) in the company and if anything goes wrong in any function, people used to report to Personnel department. Later, MNC business started coming in, the name of Personnel department was replaced with HR as people started thinking that employees are resources and they are to be developed but initially they failed to change all jobs of personnel department, they were doing some new things (Human Resource development) in addition to personnel department's job under the name of HR. Later, it (Admin) has become HR Dept's baby permanently.

1. As you said, many companies do club these two functions together as HR department deals with employees & has direct links with all facilities like transportation, Canteen, Local Festive management, System for new recruits etc and also does Admin Job indirectly. Since it is so and the control of all these activities is perfect in HR, Companies do not want to have a separate admin function and not ready to invest on this. In this current situation, Company turn to cut cost by rationalizing the manpower by enlarging their jobs/roles etc.

2. But there are companies which do have a separate Admin / Maintenance function which will take care day today activities. but not many companies.

If you ask me whether it is right to club these two function into one, i would say it should not be and should be kept separate to see effective results of HR. HR has so many things (Developmental activities) to do, if it concentrate on day today job, it will not serve the purpose for what it is.

Regards,

M.Kannan

From India, Madurai
Rightly said by Mr.Kannan. Not many companies are treating Admin with respect it deserves. Admin is treated as a janitor and is a thankless job. All employees after the day's work forget about office at home and stay happy, except Admin personnel. Don't take Admin as a career. Better to take HR as a career option.
With regards,
Madhusudan

From India, Vijayawada
hi; To get/do job in hr and admin is depend upon the aspirants, why they do that job. how they see both the designation.
From India, Haridwar
Dear All,

I partially agree with all of you regarding the scope of HR and Admin but have a little different experience. Being an Armyman and a Govt Servant for more than 36 years I have done both duites with equal fineness. Last week I had left the same question on network asking "what is the difference between Admin, HR and IR". These are fancy words and basic philosophy of the job that you manage human resources, all of them.

How can you say that Admin people do mundane jobs like managing day to day activities of the organization for eg. managing the establishment, keeping the premises safe and clean, transportation, canteen management, security management etc. All these jobs are done by employees whether permanent or on contract.

HR people lookafter employee relationship, wage agreement, time office, leave and pay and allowances, induction training etc.

I personally feel that instead compartmentalizing in sepsrate entities such as HR, IR and Admin why not to have one body with all the three depts as branches. Give a separate entity such as Resource Management with Admin, HR & IR as three departments. All three dept should have people with MBA HR, MLL&LW, LLB/LLM, MDPM, MPPM etc as basic qualifications who can then manage all the system properly.

With warm wishes

From India, Pune
Hello,
I fully agree with Mr. Jeshkhan. If it is a small company, it can appoint only one person who would look after HR jobs as well as Admin jobs. However, if it is a large employees and expanding company, it would definitely need separate HR and Admin persons for better efficiency and management. If you are in the start of your career, you should opt for combined work job and you would learn more there and would have more exposure of situations. When you are having some experience at your hand, switch over to exclusive HR job. Actually both the departments deal with human as well as resources and are intermingled.
Mahavir Mittal

From India, New Delhi
I understand that in a small company HR & Admin jobs are combined but not everyone likes to do Admin job. In life we have choices. Not everyone can become a doctor, engineer etc.I feel there is nothing wrong if a person doesn't like Admin job. We should have full right in deciding which profession we chose.Majority of people who do MBA in HR will always go for HR profile and that too in large companies because in those companies there are separate departments for HR and Admin.
From India, Mumbai
I believe, Admin is the Practical Version of HR Theory. Working Conditions, Health, Safety, facilities and other resources are defined in the policies by the HR. Therefore the difference between Theory and the Practical comes from the creativity / enthusiasm / energy / interest one would put in while executing the Admin Job. Hence I believe it is the Career with Admin which depends on the interest of an individual to show off his skills.
I very much agree with the view that it is the Thankless job, This is because everyone thinks / looks at things differently. So difference and dis-satisfaction would increase. But 50% of either creativity / enthusiasm / interest put in would only make HR Policies more wider.
I feel Proud to be an Admin Person...

From India, Mumbai
See, my view on it is , HR and Admin is club together is terms of cost cutting in small companies ,where the man power is stream lined ,permanent and if some times if it is hand full
Though HR and Admin are two different job role ,HR in concern they get into recruitment, statutory, MIS- Payroll, ER/EE etc...here HR carries some of the sub role of Admin ,some concerns they utilize this role as a single man role .
This is welcome and also a healthy thought in view of the concern.But core to it HR is always deals with human being ,this could be bifurcate and play their individual role when the man power is huge and it is a wide way to deal with human grievances for handling this one need to be qualified in HR none of the admin experts can deal this.

From India, Bangalore
Dear Adrian Gomes,
I do agree with you fully. Admin jobs is the practicality of the HR manual and hence it is proud to be an Admin oriented employee and also can lookafter HR and IR jobs easily. The most difficult people to handle are from housekeeping, canteen, sweepers, masons, carpenters etc. They have to do mundane jobs without which you cann't occupy your office or house but they are looked down upon. This is the dicotomy of the life and inseparable also.
With warm wishes.

From India, Pune
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