Many companies base their organizational structures on various functional areas, creating departments around these functions and assigning responsibilities according to employees' job titles and experience. A functional organizational structure groups employees by various skills and expertise, leading to greater efficiency, according to the online
Many companies base their organizational structures on various functional areas, creating departments around these functions and assigning responsibilities according to employees' job titles and experience. A functional organizational structure groups employees by various skills and expertise, leading to greater efficiency, according to the online Encyclopedia of Management. Several key types of functional areas are typically seen in business environments.
The human resources or personnel department is responsible for hiring employees and ensuring that they get the proper training to perform their jobs. Human-resources directors or managers have employees fill out proper paperwork, including W-4 and I-9 forms. The W-4 form determines how much is deducted from each paycheck; the I-9 or employment eligibility verification form ensures that a recently hired worker can legally work in the United States. Human-resources professionals establish pay scales for all employees, basing salaries on comparable compensation packages in the industry.
Marketing professionals determine the products that their companies introduce to the marketplace, often using marketing research surveys to determine what consumers need and want. This helps the company to better align its strategies. Marketing workers help to establish prices for products, based on manufacturing costs. Marketing managers and directors decide which types of advertising and promotions their companies use. Some marketing departments have advertising directors or managers who handle these functions; they establish budgets for various types of advertising, such as television, radio and Internet ads, and track the results. The marketing department determines the right distribution channels for the company's products. For example, a consumer products company may sell its products in grocery stores and mass-merchandiser outlets.
Customer-service representatives answer calls or in-person requests from customers. Some customers may want additional information about a product or service; others have problems related to the products they purchased. Customer-service managers train representatives on certain policies, such as handling refunds. Customer-service departments offer courtesy services to customers, such as accepting payments, cashing checks and selling stamps. Manufacturers, particularly those that sell technical products, often have several levels of customer service, 