Ask most people what HR does and they’ll say “hiring and firing.” That’s a tiny slice. HR — Human Resources — is really about one thing: making sure a business full of people actually works. Here’s what that looks like on a normal week.
01 · Finding peopleGetting the right people in
Before anyone is hired, HR works out what the job actually needs and writes it down as a job description. Then comes the advert, the pile of applications, and the tricky part: shortlisting — deciding who to interview based on the role’s real requirements, not on gut feeling or who you’d get on with.
- Job description — the duties, skills and experience a role needs.
- Shortlisting — fairly comparing applicants against those requirements.
- Interviews & offers — choosing, checking references, and making the offer.
02 · First day and beyondOnboarding new starters
A new starter’s first weeks decide whether they stay. HR runs onboarding: the contract, the induction, the systems and training, and all the small introductions that help someone go from “new” to “part of the team.” Done well, people settle fast. Done badly, good people quietly leave.
03 · Safe, legal and paidThe admin that keeps everyone protected
A lot of HR is careful, behind-the-scenes work: keeping accurate records, making sure everyone is paid correctly, checking people have the right to work, and handling personal data properly under GDPR. It’s not glamorous, but a single mistake here can cost someone their wages — or land the business in serious trouble.
04 · Helping people growTraining and development
People don’t want to stand still. HR looks after learning and development — training courses, apprenticeships, appraisals and clear routes to progress. At Watkins that’s a big deal: plenty of people started as apprentices and worked their way up.
05 · When things go wrongEmployee relations & wellbeing
Sometimes there’s a conflict, a complaint (a grievance), or a performance or conduct problem (a disciplinary). HR’s job is to handle these fairly, calmly and consistently, following a proper process so everyone is treated the same. Increasingly, HR also looks after wellbeing — mental health, workload and support — because people do their best work when they’re okay.
Culture is the real product. Most of what HR does — fairness, clear expectations, feeling valued — adds up to the thing you can’t put on a spreadsheet: whether people actually want to work here. In a family-run firm like Watkins, that culture is the business.
So…Why it matters
HR sits at the point where the company and the people meet. Get it right and you barely notice it — things just work. Get it wrong and everyone feels it. That’s why it’s one of the most people-facing, judgement-heavy jobs in any business.