An HR job’s is one of the most challenging, complex and rewarding all at the same time. Responsible for managing the most valuable resources for an organization, an HR professional plays a vital role in shaping the future of a company, and that too, without getting the credit for it most of the time.
Human resource professionals oversee different administrative functions inside the company and conduct important processes like recruitment and management of new staff. They act as a bridge between the employee and the top management and are concerned with every aspect of employee relations. Their job is to ensure that all hired resources contribute affectively to the company’s smooth running and profitability. The contributions of HR professionals to an organization’s business viability and success through strategic human management are huge, and therefore, the profession continues to increase in stature as a perfect career choice.
Read More: Why Government Jobs Are Again Gaining Popularity
An Overview
Human resource management is all about managing the most important resources that a company invests in, its employees, also known as human capital. They formulate policies to recruit and retain the best employees by inducing a competitive atmosphere inside the company, also attracting potential candidates in the process. The cut-throat competition age that organizations face today makes the role of human resource managers one of the most vital amongst all business functions. It is only with a truly competent workforce that a new company can hope to win in this constant tug-of-war. While replicating structures, materials and business policies of a very successful organization is possible, the actual difference is made by the talent and workforce, which makes the company unique. It is only the people that truly differentiate a fast-growing, disrupting company from a stagnant growth and uninspired organization.
Read More: Job Security versus Business Opportunity
The Path to Becoming a HR
Although the visible functions of a HR are limited to conducting interviews, negotiating salaries and successfully inducting the prospective employees, there is much more to a HR’s role in business today. During the course of their career, HR professionals have to assume varied roles and responsibilities from that of a career development counselor to that of a relationship manager. With so many roles, it is only natural to expect a prospective human resource manager to possess excellent skills and academic credentials.
Education requirements: An aspiring human resource professional can pursue a bachelor’s degree in human resource administration or management. Alternatively, one can also pursue an undergraduate degree in business management, finance or accounting and follow it up with a postgraduate diploma in management with specialization in HR or an MBA in HR. Such a combination is particularly attractive for employers as they look for a professional with multiple competencies across different functional areas.
Top Colleges
There are various colleges to pursue MBA in Human Resource and some of the best are -
Skills requirements:
With the diverse roles that a HR professional has to assay, there are some indispensable skills that he or she should possess to ensure effective delivery. Excellent organization skills is the first in the line, since dealing with people’s lives and careers leaves no room for error. Files and records should be maintained with immaculate accuracy and should be instantly accessible.
A strong sense of business ethics is a compulsory requirement as a human resource has access to lot of confidential information regarding the company, which shouldn’t be divulged to any unauthorized personal. Good interpersonal skills along with relationship management abilities are also highly looked up to. Equity, to view all employees fairly and in equal light and dedication for continuous improvement must come easy to a professional looking for a HR job.
Compensation and job prospects:
A professional armed with a degree in human resource management from a premiere college can expect to start from a respectable salary of INR 6 lacs per annum. For those looking for job opportunities outside the country, countries like the United States, Australia, Canada, England and other English-speaking countries are the top options. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 2010, a HR’s median annual wage was $99,000 and the job outlook predicts a healthy growth of 13% in the number of jobs over the course of the entire decade, i.e 2010 to 2020.
Read More: MBA Master of Business Administration
A day in the life of a HR:
While the details of a typical day in the life of a human resource professional will vary from level to level, there are some common activities that every HR has to undertake whether he is a manager or a trainee.
Benefits and perils of being a HR
The immense responsibilities shouldered by HR specialists leads way to a number of benefits and a couple of perils that come in the line of pursuing this career.
Benefits:
You will be the first to know whenever there is a radical policy change or a layoff in the offing, or a major restructuring of business organization. Being the first to know such strategically important information, you will enjoy immense satisfaction derived from the power of knowing something that affects the life of others. A job in HR will often leave you unusually mature and wise for your age. The knowledge of various policies, procedures and training vital to business operation will make you the one person everyone seeks for advice. Meeting with new people and interacting with them will make you more open, smart and wise, affecting all spheres of life.
Perils:
An HR professional risks being alienated to a majority of workforce of an organization as he is caught between the expectations of the company and the employee, trying hard to balance both. A HR specialist isn’t expected to look beyond his specific function, which might be either recruiting or client relations or therefore might lose out on learning opportunities, regarding other aspects of a HR job.
Read More: How to Know When you are ready for a New Career?
Author Bio:
Saurabh Tyagi is a new media enthusiast with professional experience as a blogger. He keeps an eye on the top career options like career in HR, Engineering, sales & marketing etc and pens his thought about these.
Human resource professionals oversee different administrative functions inside the company and conduct important processes like recruitment and management of new staff. They act as a bridge between the employee and the top management and are concerned with every aspect of employee relations. Their job is to ensure that all hired resources contribute affectively to the company’s smooth running and profitability. The contributions of HR professionals to an organization’s business viability and success through strategic human management are huge, and therefore, the profession continues to increase in stature as a perfect career choice.
Read More: Why Government Jobs Are Again Gaining Popularity
An Overview
Human resource management is all about managing the most important resources that a company invests in, its employees, also known as human capital. They formulate policies to recruit and retain the best employees by inducing a competitive atmosphere inside the company, also attracting potential candidates in the process. The cut-throat competition age that organizations face today makes the role of human resource managers one of the most vital amongst all business functions. It is only with a truly competent workforce that a new company can hope to win in this constant tug-of-war. While replicating structures, materials and business policies of a very successful organization is possible, the actual difference is made by the talent and workforce, which makes the company unique. It is only the people that truly differentiate a fast-growing, disrupting company from a stagnant growth and uninspired organization.
Read More: Job Security versus Business Opportunity
The Path to Becoming a HR
Although the visible functions of a HR are limited to conducting interviews, negotiating salaries and successfully inducting the prospective employees, there is much more to a HR’s role in business today. During the course of their career, HR professionals have to assume varied roles and responsibilities from that of a career development counselor to that of a relationship manager. With so many roles, it is only natural to expect a prospective human resource manager to possess excellent skills and academic credentials.
Education requirements: An aspiring human resource professional can pursue a bachelor’s degree in human resource administration or management. Alternatively, one can also pursue an undergraduate degree in business management, finance or accounting and follow it up with a postgraduate diploma in management with specialization in HR or an MBA in HR. Such a combination is particularly attractive for employers as they look for a professional with multiple competencies across different functional areas.
Top Colleges
There are various colleges to pursue MBA in Human Resource and some of the best are -
- Xavier Labor Relations Institute
- Management Development Institute
- Xavier Institute of Business and Human Resources, Jamshedpur
- Symbiosis Institute of Management
- Faculty of Management Studies
Skills requirements:
With the diverse roles that a HR professional has to assay, there are some indispensable skills that he or she should possess to ensure effective delivery. Excellent organization skills is the first in the line, since dealing with people’s lives and careers leaves no room for error. Files and records should be maintained with immaculate accuracy and should be instantly accessible.
A strong sense of business ethics is a compulsory requirement as a human resource has access to lot of confidential information regarding the company, which shouldn’t be divulged to any unauthorized personal. Good interpersonal skills along with relationship management abilities are also highly looked up to. Equity, to view all employees fairly and in equal light and dedication for continuous improvement must come easy to a professional looking for a HR job.
Compensation and job prospects:
A professional armed with a degree in human resource management from a premiere college can expect to start from a respectable salary of INR 6 lacs per annum. For those looking for job opportunities outside the country, countries like the United States, Australia, Canada, England and other English-speaking countries are the top options. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 2010, a HR’s median annual wage was $99,000 and the job outlook predicts a healthy growth of 13% in the number of jobs over the course of the entire decade, i.e 2010 to 2020.
Read More: MBA Master of Business Administration
A day in the life of a HR:
While the details of a typical day in the life of a human resource professional will vary from level to level, there are some common activities that every HR has to undertake whether he is a manager or a trainee.
- Check the inbox for mails and send communication to different business functions
- Conduct meetings with team members and receive updates on any ongoing projects or hiring activity
- Meet with different business operation heads and get their requirements for hiring, training, and audits.
- Update top management, CEO and other business heads
- Conduct interview
- Review the day’s activities and maintain records
Benefits and perils of being a HR
The immense responsibilities shouldered by HR specialists leads way to a number of benefits and a couple of perils that come in the line of pursuing this career.
Benefits:
You will be the first to know whenever there is a radical policy change or a layoff in the offing, or a major restructuring of business organization. Being the first to know such strategically important information, you will enjoy immense satisfaction derived from the power of knowing something that affects the life of others. A job in HR will often leave you unusually mature and wise for your age. The knowledge of various policies, procedures and training vital to business operation will make you the one person everyone seeks for advice. Meeting with new people and interacting with them will make you more open, smart and wise, affecting all spheres of life.
Perils:
An HR professional risks being alienated to a majority of workforce of an organization as he is caught between the expectations of the company and the employee, trying hard to balance both. A HR specialist isn’t expected to look beyond his specific function, which might be either recruiting or client relations or therefore might lose out on learning opportunities, regarding other aspects of a HR job.
Read More: How to Know When you are ready for a New Career?
Author Bio:
Saurabh Tyagi is a new media enthusiast with professional experience as a blogger. He keeps an eye on the top career options like career in HR, Engineering, sales & marketing etc and pens his thought about these.
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