personalen

Personalen is a term used in Swedish and Norwegian to refer to the employees or staff of an organization. In both languages it marks the group as a whole, the collective workforce, rather than any single individual. The term is commonly translated as "the staff" or "the personnel" in English.

The composition of the personnel varies by sector but typically includes frontline workers, specialists, supervisors, and managers who carry out the organization’s core operations and service delivery. The responsibilities of the personnel include performing tasks, delivering services, maintaining safety and quality, and collaborating with colleagues to achieve organizational goals.

Human resource practices such as recruitment, training and development, scheduling, performance assessment, and welfare management are directed at the personnel. In many workplaces the personnel group is represented by labor unions or works councils, which negotiate conditions and resolve disputes through collective bargaining or consultation. Managers and HR professionals coordinate staffing levels, professional development, and compliance with labor laws and workplace standards.

In public-facing sectors like healthcare, education, and hospitality, attention to staffing levels and morale is a common management concern, as the size and skill mix of the personnel directly affect service quality. The term is used mainly in Nordic contexts but similar terms exist in other languages for the concept of a workforce or staff.

See also: human resources, personnel management, labor relations, staffing.