How to Write a Definition Essay in Human Resources Management?

We will start with the definition of this type of college paper. First of all, a definition essay is a piece of academic writing that includes information about a particular term, event, person, etc. While some words in the field of human resources management may have a very definite meaning, there are many terms like ‘resource’, ‘development’, ‘review’, ‘plan’ that may have different meanings depending on a situation and field.

The main aim of a definition essay in human resources management is to not only give the dictionary definition of the chosen word, but also tell your readers about why the definition sounds that way. In general, the approach depends on your target readers, the subject and the overall purpose of the paper.

Let us learn more about how to write a powerful definition essay in human resources management.

First of all, when you begin your work, it is important to stick to the following main steps:

1. Let your readers know what word you’re going to define.
2. Give basic, clear and up-to-date information.
3. Include jokes, examples, statistics that your readers will find engaging.

Selecting Topics for a Definition Essay

Choosing the right topic is the main step in creating a strong definition essay. It is important for you to understand the chosen term because thus, it will be easier for you to define one. Check the dictionary, but never copy-and-paste the whole definition. Instead, provide a short explanation of the word using your own words. What is more, you have to limit the term before the process of writing and defining. Let’s say, you could write many endless pages of text about the term “plan”. In order to limit it to the human resource management field, the author should write either about ‘succession planning’ or ‘human resource planning’. In case your professor wants you to accomplish a definition essay in human resources management, we have some topics for you:

• Define Talent Management;
• Definition of Executive Compensation;
• Definition of Pre-employment Inquiries;
• Definition of Retirement;
• Definition of Independent Contractors.

Try to select the topics that are interesting and that you know something about. If you do so, your paper will sound persuasive when you finish it.

Is Your Term Disputable and Familiar to You?

When you’re at the stage when you pick the word to define, our first recommendation is to pick the disputable term. Aside from being interesting, the chosen term should be related to something that can have different meaning to different groups of people. Considering the fact that a definition essay requires its author to analyze and define the term from his or her perspective, the project has a pretty subjective nature. In case the answer that you get after your analysis is identical to the one that the other people would get, be ready to hear something like that from your professor: ‘I’m sorry, but your definition essays lacks depth’.

What is more, we recommend college students to select the terms that they are aware of already. The definitions you find in the dictionary can provide you with many details of course. However, taking into consideration the fact that the author of the essay has to elaborate on the chosen term, he or she will need to have personal experience and base of knowledge on the chosen word. For example, if you have never heard the word ‘assessment’, you will have a highly limited understanding of the term. You might include this term into your definition essay, but the truth is that you won’t be able to define it without previous experience with the concept.

Check the Word Definition in a Dictionary

Without a doubt, you are not going to rely completely on the definition found in the dictionary. However, getting to know the official definition of the term in human resources management will enable you to do the comparison of the academic explanation and your personal definition of it. As an example, one of the definitions of ‘retention’ is ‘the process of keeping qualified and skillful employees at a certain organization’. Your own view about ‘definition’ likely may include more details. However, the official definition that you find in a dictionary will become a perfect start to come up with your personal view.

Outline and Format a Definition Essay

When it comes to the format of a definition essay in human resources management, it is pretty similar to that of a narrative or cause and effect essay, with some unique features. Usually, a definition essay in human resources management contains the introduction, the body paragraphs and the conclusion.

Let us check every section step by step.

1) The Introduction
At the beginning of your definition essay, we recommend you to begin with one of the popular techniques like impressive statistics, some anecdote or an interesting fact. In your introduction, you present the term that you’re going to define and explain in the body section. Conclude your introduction paragraph with a clear and simple thesis statement that informs your target audience on what information the paper will include. Keep in mind that every paragraph that you put into your body section must support and be relevant to your thesis statement. The latter typically identifies the chosen word as well as gives a basic and short definition.

2) Write the Body Paragraphs
To start with, you should provide your definition essay with three body paragraphs. This is traditional scheme that enables the writers to support their definitions with some fruitful and reliable examples. For example, if the topic of your paper is related to ‘performance review’, the body paragraphs of the definition essay may describe this term in several aspects. You can write down the precise definition of performance review that you find in a dictionary, then see how it is described in the field of human resources, and in the conclusion tell your readers how exactly you understand this term and what kind of experience you had with it. We recommend you using real quotations in your text, as well as refer to some impressive information in order to keep the interest of your readers.

3) The Conclusion
This is where your definition essay ends. In this part, you have to draw a line and provide some logical conclusions. Most college students find it hard to write clear conclusions because they lose their main idea among all the terms and definitions. So, do your best to constantly remind yourself of what your topic and what the main goals of the project are. Make sure your conclusion provides the answer to the question that you stated in the introduction paragraph. And as you can see now – writing a definition essay in human resources management is not as scary as you thought.
Do you feel stuck with your definition essay in human resources management? Here are four rules that you have to follow no matter what:

• Do not use the words like ‘where’ or ‘when’, when you provide your definition of the chosen term. Professional writers recommend defining the adjective with adjective, the noun with a noun, etc.
• Keep in mind that it is important to use well-known and simple terms in your explanations.
• Highlight the key distinguishing characteristics of the term.
• Following the existing grammar rules. The point here is that you can express your ideas only through errorless English. If the author begins to make grammar mistakes, he or she will end up messing up the whole text and losing the correct meaning of the terms. If you have difficulties with the tenses in English, make sure to repeat the materials before you start writing. In case your professor detects any mistakes, you will end up with low grades.
• Do your best to sound persuasive in your definition essay in human resources management. The point is that the author has to be able to convince the audience that his or her description is the true meaning of the term. In case your readers cast doubts on your explanations, you’re going to fail your project automatically. To make it easier for your readers to understand your idea, you have to define your term step by step. Do not use too much vocabulary in your definition essay – the key goal of your project is to make certain that you inform your readers on the meaning of the word. A lot of topics for this type of essays are typically based on contradictory terms, which means the author has to make certain that he or she provides the simplest clarification possible. In case you include too much of vocabulary in your paper, you make the meaning of the term more complex, and thus, you fail to comply with your professor’s demands. We recommend giving preference to the simple terms because you want your readers to understand it eventually.

Final Thoughts

If you have such an opportunity, we recommend you choosing the terms that are controversial. Have you ever had any arguments with your classmates over the meaning of this or that term in human resources management class? If yes, try to recall the words and include them into your definition essay. Keep in mind that you have to be precise with your definitions when dealing with words with controversial meanings. Once you explain the difference in meanings, you have an opportunity to support your personal point of view and convince your audience.

Taking into account the fact that the definition essay in human resources management must be both personal and formal, the task may be pretty challenging for college and university students. At the same time, you have to give clear and details explanation. We recommend using different examples and words in order to describe the chosen term, as well as providing adverbs and complex adjectives.
Recall every other meaning of the chosen term in your definition essay in HR management. Do not forget the fact that complex terms tend to have deep historical roots. In other words, the author has an opportunity to use them in order to develop hooking background for the essay. Do your best to create a story out of it.

Even if now the process of writing a definition essay in the field of HR management may sound challenging to you, the process is actually exciting and engaging. As a rule, a single sentence of even a huge paragraph is not enough to provide the complete explanation of the meaning of the chosen term. What is more, as a rule, college professors require students to create a definition essay on several words. It means you will need more time to get the job done in accordance with the academic instructions. Just be ready to create a standard five-paragraph essay when you get the task to write a definition essay.