What is the primary purpose of the HR department?

The primary purpose of the HR department is centered around identifying and meeting the HR needs of the business. This involves various key functions such as recruiting talent, managing employee relations, developing training programs, and ensuring compliance with labor laws and regulations. By focusing on these areas, the HR department plays a critical role in building a capable workforce that aligns with the organization's goals and culture. This ensures that the business has the right people in place to drive performance and maintain productivity.

Meanwhile, while controlling financial resources, managing customer relations, and overseeing product development are vital functions in a business context, they fall under other departments such as finance, marketing, and product management, respectively. Therefore, the distinctive focus on human resources underscores why identifying and meeting HR needs is the correct primary purpose attributed to the HR department.