Anne M. Mulcahy, the former head of Xerox Corporation, famously said that “employees are an organisation’s greatest asset. Human resources management is all about taking care of the organisation’s greatest asset: its’ people.”
So what is human resources management exactly? This role can be described simply as using people to improve an organisation’s performance. This involves understanding an employee’s skills, preferences, and even their psychological characteristics. In this article, we’re going to discuss what human resources management involves and why it’s an important skill. We’ll also discuss the benefits of learning human resources management through adult learning online study courses.
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What is human resources management?
Human resources management is all about working with the people that make up your organisation. The role involves many diverse aspects of managing human resources, including:
- Structuring teams: As a human resources manager, you could be involved in structuring teams within the organisation and then assigning employees to those teams based on their roles and strengths.
- Building the organisation’s culture: Human resources managers think strategically about an organisation’s culture, how that connects to the business’s goals and brand. They then set out to hire staff who suit this culture.
- Engaging employees: Human resources management is not just about hiring, it’s about retaining staff too. In this role, you use appropriate techniques to keep staff engaged and motivated.
- Development: Many organisations know that it’s more cost-effective to invest in professional development than it is to hire new staff. A human resources manager is also responsible for adult training in the organisation.
Why is human resources management an important skill?
Human resources management is an important skill for a number of reasons. Firstly, they take care of an organisation’s most valuable asset – an extremely important responsibility. Secondly, most organisations need, or could benefit from, human resources management. Human resources managers are valuable to businesses.
As a human resources manager, you benefit businesses in the following ways:
- Improve performance: You use techniques and strategies to help staff work efficiently. This could involve assigning them to roles that suit their strengths and interests.
- Increase employee satisfaction: Happy employees are efficient employees. You’ll strategise to put employees in roles they find challenging, and reward them with adequate salary and benefits.
- Provide training: Professional development doesn’t just make employees better at what they do, It also motivates and increases job satisfaction. You allocate resources for adult training and provide staff with opportunities to take adult education courses.
- Reduce staff turnover: In keeping staff competent and motivated, you help reduce staff turnover. This saves your organisations a lot of time and money.
- Control budgets: Your role as a human resources manager involves budgeting for hiring, onboarding, professional development, and payroll.
- Resolve conflicts: Disputes will inevitably arise in any organisation. Your role is to manage these conflicts to reduce negative impacts for employees and the organisation.
The advantages of adult education courses in human resources management
So far, we’ve looked at why human resources management is so important and valuable to companies. Now we’re going to take a look at the benefits of a career in human resources management. Taking adult education courses such as the Diploma of Human Resources Management (BSB50618) online could lead you to this rewarding career.
1. Work with people
Do you love working with people? Human resources is all about this. The career also allows you to utilise, and develop your communication and teamwork skills.
2. Great salary
According to the Australian government’s leading jobs website, Jobs Outlook, human resources managers make an exceptional salary of around $2400 per week.
3. Career progression
As a professional career, human resources management offers the possibility of career progression. This means that you can always learn more and move into more senior roles with greater responsibility. Naturally, this translates to a rewarding career and an increased salary year-on-year.
4. Career options
Human resources management involves using “transferable skills”. These are skills like communication, teamworking, critical and creative thinking and problem-solving, which can be transferred to most professions. Similarly, businesses in all industries require human resources management. By undertaking a qualification in human resources management, you gain the skills and the freedom to change careers when it suits you.
5. Job security
Jobs Outlook also shows that human resources managers are in high demand. This career shows strong future growth and lower-than-average unemployment. If you choose to do a Diploma in human resources management and follow this career path, there is a high chance you’ll experience strong job security.
6. Job satisfaction
If you want a fulfilling career, human resources management could be the choice for you. You get to perform an interesting and challenging role with room for career progression. You also perform an invaluable role for your organisation and get rewarded for it.