A career in Human Resources encompasses a broad spectrum of disciplines, but when someone refers to “Human Resources” or “HR”, they are describing people in a company who manage the resources needed from, or for employees.
Running your business with maximum HR efficiency is a worthwhile but difficult challenge. You have to consider what is best for your employees and your clients. You have day-to-day people management tasks that must get done, meetings to run, interview to conduct, conflicts to resolve, social events to co-ordinate, and the overall strategy of the business to consider.
Having an effective Human Resources department can make all the difference to your business and the work you do. Your Human Resources department will be the glue that holds the whole operation together, working behind the scenes to ensure everything relating to your staff and business runs smoothly.
The Main Roles of a Human Resources Professional
Each day is as different as the people you manage; however, your role will broadly fall into these five areas:
- Recruiting and staffing: Hiring new employees, ensuring they are the best people for the job, and will fit into your organisation seamlessly.
- Compensation and benefits: This includes setting compensation structures, evaluating competitive pay, negotiating contracts, and salary packages.
- Training and learning: Organising training and courses to upskill a company’s staff can often be the job of HR. Professional development is crucial to the growth of a business, and therefore necessary for HR to facilitate workplace training with a bigger picture in mind.
- Labour and employee relations: You will ensure that all work is compliant with labour and employment law and that your employees are never taken advantage of or mistreated.
- Organisational development: Working in Human Resources will put you at the forefront of your organisation and often require you to lead and manage every growth and development stage your company goes through.
You may find yourself with a variety of career titles and tasks if you pursue a career in Human Resources. You may become the General Manager, Payroll Manager, Recruiter or Recruiting Manager, Employee Relations Manager, Culture and Change Manager, and plenty more. Regardless of the position you have, your roles and day-to-day tasks will always be engaging.
With many different disciplines and roles, your career can be as varied as you’d like, making it a truly unique and stimulating career.
Six Core Skills you will need in Human Resources
When you begin to think about your move into HR, you must first consider what skills you’ll need to be successful. If there are skills you need but do not have, you then have to find the best way of attaining them. The diversity in disciplines across the HR profession means there are a variety of skills that will make you an attractive candidate.
1. Strategic Thinking
The ability to think strategically and comprehensively when managing the needs of different people within the context of company goals and vision.
2. Business Operations
Knowledge of the internal workings of a business is highly advantageous. If you understand business operations, you will make a smooth transition into any company, and have fewer things to learn as you go.
3. Organisational and Time Management skills
Good organisational and time management skills are key for all careers. You want to make sure that you are getting your work completed ahead of or on time and to an appropriate standard.
4. Outstanding Management skills
When working in human resources, you oversee many people. Focus on gaining management skills that allow you to be the best leader that you can be.
5. Communication skills
Excellent communication skills are a necessity. You will come in contact with a variety of people who will have a different style of communicating, and you must be able to adapt your styles to accommodate others and make the most impact.
6. Delegation and collaboration skills
The tasks given to an HR department are demanding and often time-consuming. You must be able to delegate and collaborate with your team to get things done. Working well with others can be challenging, but it is necessary.
To obtain these core skills, you can complete an online Human Resources diploma. Studying online allows you to work while you study in a flexible time frame. There is no one way to complete your online diploma, so you will be able to tailor it to your specific needs and goals.
Transitioning into Human Resources
If you’re looking to transition into a Human Resources career, but you are established in another industry, you may have concerns about whether you will be able to make the transition a successful one. The answer is yes. Whether you currently have a sales, management, health, or administration role, with the right qualifications, you will be able to transition into a Human Resources career. These industry roles will leave you well-equipped with skills and experience that will not go unnoticed by potential employers.
Although a career shift can feel like a risk, the pay off is worth it. Taking the initiative to complete further training and education will ease the stress and always be a benefit to your career. An online diploma is one of the best options to help you progress your career goals and gain valuable skills that will benefit a career in HR.
Is Human Resources right for you?
Working in Human Resources will give you some of the most fulfilling work of your life. You will create meaningful and lasting relationships with your colleagues, be at the leading forefront of your organisation, and help shape workplace culture. You will work closely with people every day, in a diverse and stimulating environment that will ensure no two days are ever the same. If that sounds exciting, then a career in Human Resources will be perfect for you.