Human Resource Managers are often seen as the link between an organization’s management and its employees. Their work runs the gamut from providing consultation on strategic planning with top executives to recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new staff. 

Every organization, large or small, uses a variety of capital to make the business work (like cash, valuables, and goods) and generate income. To make their capital work, however, companies require the people (humans) on the job. 

Human resource management (HRM) is the process of employing people, training them, compensating them, and developing strategies to retain them. 

Human Resource Managers, commonly referred to as HR Managers, conduct a wide variety of tasks within an organizational structure. The core functions include the following

1. Staffing

One of the most important tasks of an HR manager is staffing because even with the most sophisticated machinery and capital, humans are imperative in all businesses. Staffing involves the entire hiring process starting from posting a job opening to negotiating a salary package. HR managers are also responsible for terminating contracts when necessary and maintaining ethical hiring practices. 

2. Compensation

Compensating salary and employee benefits are also within the scope of Human Resource management. Compensation includes anything the employee receives for his or her work (like health benefits, sick leaves, and bonuses). HR managers are responsible for identifying appropriate compensation based on role, performance, and legal requirements comparable to what other people performing similar jobs are being paid. 

3. Training and Development

After hiring a new employee, the company must make sure that he/she is not only trained to do the job but also continues to grow and develop new skills throughout. This results in higher productivity, employee motivation, and retention. Legal and policy training, ethics training, sexual harassment training, communication skills development, and team-building activities are all part of on-the-job training.

4. Employee Safety and Protection

Safety and protection are major considerations in all organizations. It is the responsibility of the human resource manager to be aware of worker protection requirements and ensure the workplace is meeting government and union standards. 

Implementing new safety measures when laws change in a given industry is also a key role of the HR manager.

5. Maintaining Employee Relations

The human resource manager has the ultimate responsibility for preserving the employer-employee relationship through effective employee relations strategies. An effective employee relations strategy contains specific steps for ensuring the overall well-being of employees. It also ensures that employees have a safe working environment, free from discrimination and harassment. Human resource managers may also be the primary contact for legal counsel in risk mitigation activities and litigation of employee relations matters. 

What it Takes to Become a Human Resource Manager

Human resource managers possess excellent decision-making, strategic thinking, leadership, interpersonal, and ethical conduct skills. Beyond these traits, however, human resource managers must be well-educated in their field of expertise.

Human resources managers usually need a bachelor’s degree in human resources or in another field, such as business management, education, or information technology. Courses in subjects such as conflict management or psychology may also be helpful. Additionally, some jobs may require a master’s degree in human resources, labor relations, or business administration (MBA). 

Job Outlook and Employment Opportunities 

Employment of human resources managers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030, states the US Bureau of Labour Statistics. 

While employment growth depends largely on the performance and growth of individual companies, about 14,800 openings for human resources managers are projected each year. 

As new companies form and organizations expand their operations, they will need more human resources managers to administer and monitor their programs.

Notably, the industries employing the most human resource managers, as of May 2012, were: Management of companies and enterprises, Professional, scientific, and technical services, Manufacturing, Government, and Healthcare and social assistance.