Human resource (HR) management is the process of recruiting new employees, training them, and maintaining employee relations to maximize the productivity of the firm.

Many people only interact with the HR department via interviews and the hiring process, but HR goes well beyond that function. Every company needs an HRM manager or team to find & keep the best talent: recruiting employees, training them, developing relations, and (ultimately) creating a workplace.

Imagine that you decide to set up your own company. You set aggressive goals for manage development, manufacturing, packaging, distributing, and promotion all on your own. But you soon realize that it’s hard to be a one-man army. Great ideas need great talent to thrive. You need people who are experts & specialists in each of these aspects. That way, you all can fit together like a well-oiled machine to deliver brilliant products & solutions.

To achieve this, you’ll need to train them in your business’s operations. Also, you want to make sure they're happy to work in your company and satisfied with their current job. And that's the job of the HRM team. Read on to learn about 5 key roles in this field, and what each one contributes.

Careers in human resource management: -

There are 5 main roles in the HRM sector that cater to different skills & interests.

1. HR Generalist

As the name suggests, the role of an HR generalist includes handling a variety of managerial tasks. You'll be monitoring recruiting, talent acquisition, and employee records. This role will require you to have a broad knowledge of HRM and business operations.

The day-to-day responsibilities of an HR generalist are:

• Providing support in talent acquisition and employee recruitment
• Facilitating the onboarding process
• Assisting in training and development programs for employees
• Developing and promoting programs to create a productive workplace
• Analyzing employee data for employee productivity & hiring trends
• managing HR policies
• Maintaining employee records
• Helping to resolve workplace issues and undertaking team-building activities

The HR generalist role is full of variety and sets the pace for recruiting new employees.

2. HR Recruiter

The HR recruiter oversees recruitment and develops strategies to meet the company's staffing requirements. For this role, you’ll need a thorough knowledge of labor law&employment best practices. You will also need to keep up with the company's staffing requirements, which may change over time.

The job responsibilities of an HR recruiter are:

• Determining the staffing needs of the company and developing recruitment plans accordingly
• Screening applicant resumes
• Conducting virtual or in-person interviews and interview follow-ups
• Maintaining records of applicants and employees
• Broadly, staying up to date on employment laws and practices
• Conducting exit interviews for employees leaving their roles

This role is all about understanding the skills required in each role of the company, and testing candidates to find the right person to fill them—think of it as a puzzle!

3. Training and Development Manager

The training and development manager coordinates programs to train employees. One-the-job training is relevant for people in all stages of their careers. It’s especially useful to know about changing technologies & best practices in your sector, so you can stay ahead of the competition. Training and development is an important function that enhances productivity in the workplace.

The job responsibilities of a training and development manager are:

• Training new employees in both day-to-day operations and the company's values, culture, &mission
• Developing efficient methods and tools for training employees
• Managing the company's budget for training and development
• Measuring the progress &results by employees for a specific training program
• Changing and editing programs or courses as needed

The training and development manager role is a creative one within the field of human resource management. As the manager, you have the freedom to devise ways to better train employees. It’s an interesting intersection between business management & educational roles.

4. Compensation and Benefits Manager

The main job of the compensation and benefits manager is to plan and oversee the salary programs of all the employees. Some larger companies have a separate compensation manager and a benefits manager who coordinate with each other to develop a pay and benefits strategy.

A compensation manager plans salaries by analyzing market trends and developing pay plans that comply with government labor regulations.

A benefits manager develops employee benefits plans that may include healthcare plans, retirement plans, sick leave, and maternity/paternity leave.

The general job responsibilities of the compensation and benefits manager include:

• Analyzing data from the market to develop plans that motivate & support employees
• Comparing the company pay scale against similar organizations & making changes as needed
• Developing compensation and benefits plans that comply with federal, state, & local laws
• Monitoring employee productivity & contributions, and factoring them into pay accordingly
• Assisting in making a salary & benefits company budget; ensuring plans fit in that budget
• Updating plans over time

A compensation and benefits manager needs an in-depth understanding of what motivates employees, local, state, & national labor laws, and company benefit packages.

5. Risk Manager

Risk managers evaluate current organizational risks or threats and develop strategies to overcome them. They also work to identify potential risks and mitigate them beforehand.

The job responsibilities of a risk manager include:

• Inspecting current risks and looking for past precedence—has the company faced such problems before?
• Based on previous data, developing an overall risk management plan for the company that optimizes resources—minimizing costs & maximizing safety
• Identifying potential risks that might strike the company and giving recommendations to avoid them
• Buy and maintaining insurances
• Maintaining other risk management solutions, such as safety policies
• Surveying business contracts with suppliers or customers for any potential risk

This role requires attention to detail and knowledge about risks associated with every aspect of the business. Risk managers need to think about how different transactions affect the company. Statistical &analytical thinking, numerical skills, and an understanding of the law are key skills needed for this job.

Conclusion: -

Human resource management (HRM) is growing faster than ever before and is a crucial part of any organization.

With different types of training needed, different types of jobs to hire for, different methods of incentivizing employees, and different types of risk to plan for, a career in human resources provides a lot of variety. Every workplace has its own requirements & culture—you may work on projects at the company’s central office, at a branch office, or even from home.

As we’ve outlined above, there are 5 key areas within HRM: the HR generalist, the HR recruiter, the training and development manager, the compensation and benefits manager, and the risk manager. Based on your interest, you can choose to specialize in one of these and grow your career.

The educational requirements and skills needed for each of these jobs can vary, but most ask for at least a bachelor’s degree in business, management, or human resources. Take our Interest Mapper test [link to interest mapper test]to find out which career best fits your interests & values. Choosing a career path that’s aligned with your strengths & interests will help you feel fulfilled at work & in life.