human resources

American  

[hyoo-muhn ree-sawr-sis, ree-zawr-siz, yoo-muhn] / ˈhyu mən ˈri sɔr sɪs, ˈri zɔr sɪz, ˈyu mən /

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) people, especially the personnel employed by a given company, institution, or the like.

2. (used with a singular verb) human resources department.

---

human resources British  

plural noun

1. 1. the workforce of an organization

   2. ( as modifier )

      human-resources management

      human-resources officer

2. 1. the office or department in an organization that interviews, appoints, or keeps records of employees

   2. ( as modifier )

      a human-resources consultancy

3. the contribution to an employing organization which its workforce could provide in effort, skills, knowledge, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of human resources

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Wu Jingliang, a human resources manager in Beijing, got a raise at the beginning of the year, and the first financial move her family made was to increase their monthly savings rate.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Employees who work on contracts, human resources, IT, communications and other organizational and administrative jobs are essential to keeping the parks running, Wilcox said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Still, in recent months, he has seen more hiring for jobs in fields such as healthcare and in AI-related roles, even as recruitment in human resources and marketing has dropped off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Lufthansa human resources chief Michale Niggemann earlier criticised the walkout as "completely incomprehensible," particularly at a time of "geopolitical uncertainty with the war in Iran" that had thrown global air traffic into chaos.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

“And how did you become the human resources manager?”

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda