Human Resource Management

Human resource management is a solid career choice. The profession is a rewarding one, allowing workers to strategically manage human resources to contribute to the business’s success. It is also a good job choice for career growth, salary, and creativity. Nakase Wade attorneys work closely with our clients’ human resource management to ensure compliance with California Labor Codes. Therefore, we have an intimate knowledge of human resource management we like to share.

This article will walk you through everything you need to know about a career in Human Resource Management. We will cover:

• Overview of the HR profession
• Pathways to an HR career
• Key duties of an HR manager
• Formal education for HR
• HR Internships
• How to pursue a career in HR
• Career Paths in HR
  
  

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Overview of the HR Profession

HRM (human resource management) is a role which manages the employees of an organization. The duties of a human resource practitioner include:

• Recruiting the best employees
• Retaining quality employees
• Ensuring the benefits, compensation, and training is attractive to new candidates
• Overseeing and enforcing employment policies
• Managing employee relations
• Setting and reviewing productivity and performance expectations
• Offering career development device

HRM is such an important role because quality, motivated employees are vital to a company’s success. The talent a company employs makes more of a difference than the structures, materials, and processes of a company.

Pathways to an HR Career

HR professionals are intrinsic to the way a company is run. Today, the HR department has a say in most business decisions to ensure they do not negatively affect employees. With a quality HR department, a company can ensure all company policies and procedures work to keep their talent.

There are various pathways to a career in HR, and similarly, there are many places a career in HR can lead. A career in HR can easily lead to a position in Senior Management or even a CEO. This article will cover the education and paths that lead to a successful career in HR.

Key Duties and Challenges

A successful HR professional must be flexible and able to handle complex and emotional issues that may arise. Patience is a requirement for interacting with many different people in a calm and fair manner and for mediating any disagreements. Other necessary skills are communication, attention to detail, and business acumen.

You must be diplomatic as you will often be in the middle of management and employees to ensure all interests are protected. You will need to advocate for employees rights and interests as well as factoring in what is best for the business. Often, you will need to prove the value that human capital adds to the business and create or amend policies to ensure the human capital is protected.

Formal Education for HR

Formal education in HR is a popular way to gain a solid footing in the industry. Undergraduates are encouraged to pursue the following subjects to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for a career in HR:

• Business
• Economics
• Labor law
• Accounting
• Marketing
• Statistics
• Management
• Social sciences
• Behavioral sciences
• Liberal arts
• Languages

This list is merely suggestions, and greater attention should be paid to the requirements of any HR master’s degrees a student intends to take. There are a number of Master’s Degrees specifically for Human Resource Management which will help you to start your career well.

HR Internships

Many HR entry-level positions have minimum experience requirements of at least a year. HR internships are vital to gaining your first Human Resources role after education. An internship helps you to learn the ropes of the job, make important connections, and demonstrate experience on your resume. These are more valuable than formal HR education.

How to Pursue a Career in HR

How to Find Your First HR Position

Networking and personal contacts are vital to gaining a position in a new field. That is why internships are so vital at the start of your HR career. Attending conferences and events to network can be helpful, as well as networking on websites such as LinkedIn.

Large companies such as Accenture and IBM Corporation have graduate training programs or HR leadership development programs where recent graduates can learn the ropes on the job. The career center at your university can advise on programs in your local area.

The time while you are at university and immediately after graduation are key to launching a career in HR. Working internships or part-time roles during this time will provide key experience and broaden your network. Sometimes these roles will result in a full-time position, but if not, you will have experience on your resume and a reference from an employer.

Transitioning into HR from Another Field

You may have a different academic background or worked in another field for a few years before discovering that you want to work in HR. Anyone with management experience or business knowledge will have transferrable skills for a career in HR.

Pursuing an accreditation in HR will help you to look attractive to other employers. This may be a college course, self-study courses, or a seminar to show you have interests.

Look at ways where you can use your current job or skills to move into something similar first. For example, an attorney could handle employee relations or legal compliance cases as a step towards a career in HR. A teacher could move into training positions as a step towards HR. A counselor could work on employee assistance programs to make themselves more attractive to an HR job. These steps will demonstrate transferable skills that will make you more attractive for an HR job opening.

Continuing Education

Once you have your first HR job, it is vital to stay current to ensure you can progress. Attend seminars and pursue additional training and accreditation regularly to build your network and skills. If your employer offers training allowances, take advantage of those by taking additional courses that can help your career goals. Always keep your ideal career progression in mind so you can take courses and snag opportunities that will help.

HR Career Paths: Generalist vs. Specialist

There are two main paths an HR professional can take: to be an HR generalist or to be an HR specialist. Both can be rewarding in different ways, and your decision will depend on the career opportunities you have and your personal preferences. Here is an overview of what each may entail.

The Generalist

HR professionals will perform a broad range of duties:

• Hiring
• training and development
• ensuring harmony in a diverse workplace
• reviewing compensation programs
• developing policies and procedures for personnel
• putting plans in place for future HR needs
• and ensuring compliance

Smaller organizations will often hire HR generalists because they have a smaller workforce to manage. Entry-level job titles of an HR generalist are personnel assistant or HR assistant. Other job titles are HR generalist, HR department manager, HR business partner, people services specialist, or chief HR officer.

The Specialist

Large organizations with large HR departments will often hire HR specialists to oversee certain responsibilities. The most common HR specializations include:

Workforce Planning and Employment

These HR professionals will ensure the company finds the correct talent for their roles. They will implement hiring procedures, administer pre-employment tests, interview application, check references, do background research, and process promotions, transfers, and terminations. Job titles may include recruiter, staffing specialist, recruitment and retention specialist, or chief talent officer.

HR Development

These HR specialists will oversee all the training and development staff receive once they are hired. They will be responsible for orientation and initial training, on-the-job training programs, maintaining employee training and accreditation records, creating and conducting training programs, and evaluating training programs. Career planning and counselling may also be included in these roles, and HR Development Specialists will help employees to identify potential career paths and the training they may need. Job titles may include onboarding specialist, trainer, leadership development specialist, employee development manager, orientation specialist, or organizational development manager.

Total Rewards

These HR specialists are responsible for ensuring compensation and benefits are adequate to attract and retain talent. They will analyze job duties, write job descriptions, conduct compensation surveys, analyze benefits programs, manage benefits programs, and evaluate jobs. Job titles may include benefit analyst, compensation manager, or compensation and administrative services specialist.

Employee and Labor Relations

These HR specialists are responsible for ensuring positive relations between employers and their employees and unions. Their duties include: resolving grievances, interpreting union contracts and advising on policies, managing employee engagement, negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and mediating disagreements. Job titles include labor relations specialist, performance management specialist, employee advocate, plan personnel assistant, manager of labor relations, or employee relations specialist.

Risk Management

These HR specialists are responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of employees in their workplace. Their responsibilities include: creating and implementing health and safety programs, maintaining accident records, conducting safety inspections, and ensuring compliance with laws. They also must protect confidential information, company property, and the wellbeing of employees. Job titles include OSHA manager, safety officer, and risk management specialist.

There are plenty of other specialists HR roles, but they don’t fall as neatly under one area like the previous five. If you plan to specialize, brainstorm what parts of HR you enjoy the most and research specialist roles in relation to those. Once you have HR accreditations and experience, you can work in a number of different HR specialties.