Human Resource Management (HR) boils down to One Core Concept: Personnel.
From recruiting well-qualified candidates to apply for a job opening, to conducting fair job interviews, to hiring, the HR Department is responsible for attracting a business’s worker base. From there, Human Resources must train new hires for their jobs, and frequently evaluate all employees to make sure goals are being met. Since this field hinges on interpersonal relationships, it is an exciting and sometimes challenging, arena to enter. To gain an edge in this field, pursuing a masters degree in human resources is always a good place to start.
HR is a dynamic field because it encourages flexibility and creativity in employees, yet is highly valued by almost every industry. CNN Money has ranked HR Consultant as one of the Best Jobs in America.
There are many diverse options for positions within the HR field. Below is a survey of some:
HR Generalist:
This person contributes to every goal of the HR Department. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, recruiting, staffing, employee compliance with regulations, compensation and benefits and employee safety. The HR Generalist must make sure all company policies are implemented and monitored. A key area for this position is:
Workforce Planning:
Human Resources departments are responsible for ensuring that hired employees have all competencies necessary to do their jobs. For example, health professionals must have the education required to do the work they were hired to do. We are seeing an especially interesting time in the Healthcare HR industry now because of Healthcare Reform laws being enacted. If healthcare professionals were hired before certain policies were enacted, they must be brought up to speed when the laws go into effect. It becomes the job of each HR department to make sure employees have the information they need to comply with the new law.
HR Recruiter:
This person uses local and national networks to find the best candidates to fill open positions at a company. The position includes planning general recruitment strategies, as well as vetting individual candidates. Areas of expertise include:
Hiring: Creating job descriptions, ensuring that open positions are filled in a timely manner, posting open jobs to relevant Internet sites, and recording the process of finding the most qualified candidates.
HR Assistant:
This person is an assistant to the HR Manager, and has diverse responsibilities, including improving employee relations, developing training for all staff, managing compensation and benefits, health reporting, and other record keeping. One key skill that can be noted:
New Employee Training: What do employees need to know to complete their goals? What about your organization is unique, and needs to be learned? These are the kinds of questions that an employee training program will answer.
HR Manager:
The HR Manager contributes to all the goals of the Human Resources Department, and also helps all HR employees complete their tasks. Some unique tasks for an HR Manager may also include charitable giving, employee services and counseling and employee assessment and development. While others in the HR Department report to the HR Manager, the HR Manager reports to the HR Director, and even, at times, the company CEO. One important facet of this position is:
Performance Management: An on-going process of creating job descriptions and ensuring that employees meet their targeted goals.
HR Director:
This person manages the entire HR Department. Responsibilities may also extend to maintaining the office facilities and building reception. The HR Director will likely take on tasks such as Manager Training and Labor Relations.