VocabuoDictionaryGet the app
noun

die Personalabteilung, -en

human resources department

Dies ist ein Bereich in einer Firma, der sich um die Mitarbeiter kümmert. Dort werden neue Leute eingestellt, Arbeitsverträge geschrieben und die Gehälter ausgezahlt.

Definition & meaning

The term Personalabteilung refers to the Human Resources (HR) department within a company or organization. It is the administrative unit responsible for matters concerning employees. Its core functions include:

  • Recruitment: Advertising job openings, screening candidates, and conducting interviews.
  • Personnel administration: Maintaining employee records, managing payroll, and handling employment contracts.
  • Employee development: Organizing training programs, performance reviews, and career advancement planning.
  • Conflict resolution: Serving as a mediator in workplace disputes and enforcing company policies.

Grammar & Word origin

This word is a feminine compound noun (die Personalabteilung, plural: die Personalabteilungen).

It is composed of two distinct German parts:

  1. Personal: This is a collective noun derived from the Latin personalis, meaning "personnel" or "staff".
  2. Abteilung: This noun stems from the verb abteilen , which means "to divide" or "to partition". It translates to "department" or "division".

Combined, they literally describe the "division for personnel."

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • HR-Abteilung (The modern, common Anglicism used in German business environments).
  • Personalwesen (Refers to the field of personnel management as a whole).
  • Personalbüro (A smaller-scale, office-focused synonym).
  • Personalverwaltung (Focuses specifically on the administrative aspect of staff management).

Antonyms: There are no direct antonyms for a functional department like this, as it is a specific structural entity. However, one could contrast it with departments focused on external output, such as:

  • Vertrieb (Sales department).
  • Produktion (Production department).

Make “Personalabteilung” part of your vocabulary.

Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Get Vocabuo on the App StoreGet Vocabuo for Android

Examples

Ich rufe in der Personalabteilung an.noun

I am calling the human resources department.

Die Personalabteilung prüft alle Bewerbungen sorgfältig.noun

The human resources department carefully reviews all applications.

Keep exploring German

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play