Who is a personnel officer and what do they do? The task of a personnel officer is to ensure the most efficient and effective use of the organisation’s work force and to carry out the administrative work.
What are the activities of the personnel officer job? Creating and backing up the organisation’s personnel policy – planning the development of the organisation’s work force (i.e. ensuring there are enough of them and that they are properly trained to the right standard to do the job) – analysing job positions in the organisation and developing job descriptions (or this may be done by a specialised company) – setting the qualification requirements for various positions and evaluating how they are being met – taking care of recruitment campaigns and preparing job advertisements – verifying and evaluating the abilities of employees when they are hired and during the performance of their jobs – taking care of the legal issues related to the commencement, course, and termination of labour contracts – keeping personnel records – processing staff career plans – ensuring staff training or re-qualification – co-operating in drafting collective agreements with staff and unions – co-operating with the organisation’s section heads or with specialised personnel firms – co-operating with the social and pension authorities, disability insurance authorities, labour offices, etc. – possibly also co-operating with the in-house psychologists, sociologists and ergonomists.
Where is it done and under what conditions? In offices and similar spaces, where the work environment usually presents no problems.
What tools/equipment do they use? These include primarily computer technology and normal office supplies.
What do you need to succeed? You need a university degree, higher specialised or a complete specialist secondary education with a school-leaving certificate and training courses in the field of personnel management and personnel work, ability to work systematically, ability to make correct and quick judgements, primarily about people, precision, a cultivated appearance and conduct, ability to deal with people.