Human Resources Managers: Careers, Salaries & Certifications

Introduction

The field of human resources continues to grow, requiring personnel who understand the complexities of employment law and employee benefits. The Occupational Outlook Handbook notes that much faster than average growth is expected during the projection period for human resources, trainers, and labor relations managers and specialists (Handbook, 2011). Human resources managers come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, which reflects the different levels of responsibility within the field and the diversity of duties associated with different specialties. In any case, acquiring certification in an area of specialty and graduating from college with either a bachelor's or a master's degree provides the greatest opportunities for a good position in the field and for future advancement.

The Chronicle Guidance Publications, Inc. offers occupational briefs for all major types of work. The general listing of occupations includes an indexed entry for each relevant brief. As defined in that resource, Human Resources Managers ("hu-man re-sour-ces man-ag-ers") are in charge of all phases of human resources within a company. They direct a staff who recruit, hire, and train employees; develop wage and salary scales; administer benefit programs; ensure positive labor relations; and maintain compliance with government regulations (Chronicle Guidance, 2011).

Human Resource Work

The purpose of work in the field of human resources is to attract, hire, motivate, and retain the best possible employees qualified for positions in every type of organization (Handbook, 2011). One of the primary goals of human resource managers is to match potential employees to appropriate jobs and positions. In many organizations, human resources directors are also involved in strategic planning, and no longer content to provide only back-office support, HR executives often participate on the executive committees of corporations and organizations (Handbook, 2011).

Administrative functions remain an important component of the day-to-day work of human resources personnel. These functions include off-site recruitment, hiring, and consulting with other managers about training, performance evaluation, and termination of employment. In addition, employee benefits represent a major focus for HR personnel. Human resources managers must carry out their work in accordance with company policies and procedures established by directors and executive management, and in compliance with state and federal regulations governing employers and employees.

The work of a human resources manager is more meaningful than it might appear at first glance. Most companies recognize that their employees are their greatest resource, and it is the job of the HR manager to ensure that the skills, talents, and experience employees bring to their roles are optimally utilized. With this goal in mind, human resources managers work with employees to provide training and staff development opportunities that increase productivity and value to the company, and that reduce employee turnover (Handbook, 2011). Beyond direct benefits to companies, human resources managers also strive to enhance employee morale, improve job satisfaction, and create positive working conditions (Handbook, 2011). Because the majority of human resource work involves engagement with other people, strong interpersonal skills are an essential requirement of the job (Handbook, 2011).

Human Resources Specialties

Small companies must generally rely on the skills of a generalist human resources officer (Handbook, 2011). The range of knowledge expected of an HR generalist is broad. In larger corporations, however, a number of fairly distinct specialties exist, and these may even be structured as divisions, each overseen by a senior human resources specialist (Handbook, 2011). Areas of specialty include employment and placement, compensation and benefits, training and development, and labor relations (Handbook, 2011). Typically, one executive HR position oversees the managers in each of the specialty divisions.

The Society for Human Resource Management organizes areas of specialty somewhat differently and offers online forums in each of the following areas: Benefits, Business Leadership, Compensation, Consulting, Diversity, Employee Relations, Ethics and Sustainability, Global HR, Labor Relations, Organizational and Employee Development, Safety and Security, Staffing Management, and Technology.