A Human Resources (HR) audit is a systematic formal process, which is designed to examine the strategies, policies, procedures, documentation, structure, systems and practices with respect to an organization’s human resource management

This type of audit systematically and scientifically assesses the strengths, limitations, and developmental needs of the existing human resources department from the larger point of view of enhancing organizational performance and ensuring regulatory compliance

HR audits present employers with a comprehensive review of the employer’s current state to help determine whether specific practice areas or processes are adequate, legal and effective

The results obtained from an HR audit can help identify gaps in HR practices, and HR can then prioritize these gaps in an effort to improve processes, minimize lawsuits and regulatory violations

HR audits help human resources professionals standardize processes, identify risk areas, and tie human resource department goals to strategic business goals

• What are the employer’s current formal and informal policies?
• Are policies memorialized in writing and applied consistently?
• Where can applicable policies be accessed if not memorialized in writing?
• Who is aware of applicable policies not memorialized in writing?
• Are the employer’s policies and practices in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment requirements?
• What mechanisms are in place to ensure compliance with applicable employment laws?