Human Resources

Human Resources Career Overview

Human resources managers deal with the recruitment of employees, training and development, performance and productivity, pay benefits, and maintaining productive relationships between employees and managers. It is the duty of the human resources manager to ensure that labor laws, wage agreements, and conditions of services are abided by the company and its employees. HR managers play a vital role as representatives of organizations in negotiating with employees' associations and trade unions.

Human resources managers function in different capacities depending on the size and type of organization they work for, but are typically responsible for:

• Recruitment of employees
• Development of training programs
• Staff relations
• Research
• Organizational planning and development

Human Resources Training and Education

Most companies prefer human resources managers that have at least a bachelor's degree in psychology, behavioral sciences, human resources, business administration, or another related field. Some firms may require a more technical or specialized background in engineering, science, finances, or law. Prospective HR managers should take courses in compensation, recruitment, training, development, and performance appraisal. Because of the huge responsibilities of the job, most large companies require their HR managers to have at least three to five years experience in all facets of human resources.

Many colleges have programs leading to degrees in personnel, human resources, and labor relations. Depending on the institution, courses leading to a career in human resources management may be found in the departments of business administration, education, instructional technology, public administration, or within a separate human resources department.

Since human resources managers usually work with people from all walks of life, good communication skills are a must. HR managers must be comfortable taking the lead, and be tolerant of different views but also be able to act firmly. With a job that depends so heavily upon multitasking, human resources managers must display excellent leadership abilities, as the job calls for constant meetings and coordination with staff and officers from multiple departments.

Human Resources Career and Salary Outlook

With the large number of qualified college graduates and experienced workers in the field, competition for human resource management careers is sure to be fierce. Overall employment of HR managers continues to grow, and many more job openings will rise from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

Legislation and court rulings setting standards in various areas of the workplace will increase the demand for human resources, training, and labor relations experts. Employment of labor relations staff should also grow as firms attempt to resolve labor management disputes out of court.

Demand for human resources managers is ultimately governed by the staffing needs of the firms for which they work. A rapidly growing firm is likely to hire additional HR workers, while a business that has experienced a reduction in its work force will require fewer human resources managers. Additionally, some smaller companies that do not have an HR department may assign employees human resource duties along with their other unrelated responsibilities. In any particular firm, the job duties of the human resources manager are determined by the company's organizational philosophy and goals, the pace of technological change, government regulations, standards of professional practice, and labor market conditions.

Annual income varies depending on the location and size of the company, but the median annual earnings of human resource managers was $88,510 in May 2006.

Career Fields/Specializations

Human Resources Career Fields and Specializations

As businesses increasingly contract out personnel functions and hire employees on a temporary basis, demand for human resources specialists should continue to be strong among companies involved in management, consulting, and personnel supply. Demand should also increase in firms that develop employee benefits and compensation packages for other organizations.

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