Whether it's screening for new hires, managing new employees, staying up-to-date on new technologies or providing the right incentives, human resources departments have no shortage of responsibilities.

It's important to manage each task using the best possible practices to ensure your company remains a well-oiled machine.

For example, when dealing with new hires, HR administration should think of themselves as a liaison to welcome new employees and make a positive impression, notes American Express' OPEN Forum. New hires don't typically understand what the organization expects right off the bat, so it may be prudent to develop a concise and straightforward employee manual that addresses the basics, such as job descriptions, attendance expectations, payment methods, etc.

While nurturing new workers is important for growth, HR may want to give special attention to its own team members as well, TLNT explains.

"High-impact HR organizations must invest the time and money needed to ensure team members' competence grows in such disciplines as change management and relationship management," the news source adds. "Efforts must also focus on developing team members’ business acumen, industry knowledge and command of current best practices in all areas of talent management, as well as the use of social networking tools and other HR technology.”

Speaking of technology, OPEN Forum reports that software can be used to streamline and improve communication and accessibility within the department. Processes that should have updated software may include internet-based payroll and electronic applicant tracking. Utilizing these features can save time, save money and reduce errors that could occur using paper records.

TLNT adds that self-serving elements such as knowledge-sharing portals, web-based recruitment tools and management dashboards help create user-friendly client systems that are typically regarded as "twice as effective" as older processes.

HR is also in charge of organizational culture, and part of that involves incentives and motivation, so monetary and non-monetary bonuses should be considered. For instance, OPEN notes that non-financial rewards such as mentorship lunches or better parking spots can be just as good as money, because Generation Y-ers place an increased emphasis on culture, benefits, transparency and overall mental health.

For monetary bonuses, HR cloud software company Empxtrack suggests designing them in such a way that "people understand there is no payout unless the company hits a certain level of profitability." Also, if individual raises are given out, be sure to properly evaluate the worker's performance beforehand to ensure they've earned it over others in the company. Not doing so may result in workplace tension and politics over pay.