Careers in Human Resource Management: Roles and Opportunities

Introduction to Human Resource Management

Human resource management (HRM) is a profession found in virtually every type of organization. Every organization is made up of people bound by a shared goal or objective, and for that goal to be achieved, those people must be properly trained, supervised, motivated, and rewarded. This is the core of HRM — managing people with the aim of achieving a defined purpose. The importance of the HRM profession, therefore, cannot be overstated. HRM is crucial to organizational success: without the right people for the job, as well as the necessary resources, support, skills, and capabilities to equip them, an organization may not successfully achieve its mission and vision.

Managing people involves a wide array of processes, ranging from recruitment and selection to training and development, as well as payroll management, performance management, and employee relations. HRM is consequently a broad field with several areas of specialization, encompassing positions such as recruitment specialists, payroll managers, talent managers, and employee relations managers. This paper describes the responsibilities, tasks, salaries, and lifelong learning opportunities associated with three careers in HRM. It also explains why HRM is personally appealing and identifies the content knowledge and expertise required for success in this field.

The three HRM careers most appealing for consideration are payroll manager, employee relations manager, and recruitment specialist (also known as a headhunter). The responsibilities and tasks of these positions differ accordingly. Payroll managers are tasked with supervising all matters related to the timely payment of employees and contractors. Recruitment specialists are tasked with finding and placing the right candidates in the right positions that are available (Martinez, 2001, p. 48). An employee relations manager — also referred to as a director of labor relations — oversees general employment policies. In practice, they supervise virtually all aspects of employment, from benefits and compensation to workplace complaints, while contending with global change in labor practice (Townsend & Wilkinson, 2014, p. 203).

Three HRM Career Paths: Responsibilities and Salaries

Depending on the specific industry in which they specialize, payroll managers and employee relations managers can earn upwards of $100,000 per year. Headhunters tend to earn roughly half that amount annually. The lifelong learning opportunities for these positions are broadly similar. Serious candidates are advised to earn post-baccalaureate degrees in fields related to human resources. Additional opportunities include professional certification from various credentialing agencies within the field. The majority of these agencies require continuing education in the form of seminar attendance, online seminars, and continuing education units completed at accredited educational institutions.

There are several aspects of the human resources field — particularly as they relate to the three career possibilities discussed above — that make it especially appealing. Firstly, it is a field that involves a great deal of interaction with others. Many careers do not offer the opportunity to communicate with people directly and in person on an almost daily basis; HRM, by contrast, is inherently people-centered, which makes it exciting for those who are naturally sociable.

Nevertheless, the primary reason for being drawn to this field is the degree of importance human resources holds for organizations across all industries. HR departments perform some of the most critical functions within any enterprise. They are a central component of organizational structure, without which no organization can function effectively. This reality is especially compelling given the growing significance of strategic human resources in contemporary business (Mustafa et al., 2016, p. 273). Working in this field would mean functioning as one of the professionals responsible for maintaining order and continuity in how an organization operates — a role that is both meaningful and indispensable to modern enterprise.

Conclusion

Townsend, K., & Wilkinson, A. (2014). Time to reconnect the silos? Similarities and differences in employment relations and human resources. Human Resource Management, 53(2), 203–210.