Human Resources Manager Career Overview

Attracting the most qualified employees and matching them to the jobs for which they are best suited is significant for the success of any organization. However, many enterprises are too large to permit close contact between top management and employees. Human resources managers and specialists provide this connection. Human resource managers responsibilities have changed from the traditional roles of employee recruitment, compensation, benefits, interviewing, training, settling employee issues and dealing with legal issues. Increasingly, human resources managers are now asked to provide recommendations to top management on strategic planning and policies that affect the workforce. In large companies, they also act as a mediator between top management and employees. In an effort to improve morale and productivity and limit job turnover, human resources managers also help their companies effectively use employee skills, provide training opportunities to enhance those skills, and boost the employees' satisfaction with their jobs and working conditions. The human resource manager may supervise several departments, each headed by an experienced manager who most likely specializes in one human resources activity, such as employment, compensation, benefits, training and development, or employee relations.

Human Resource Management Degree Programs

Human resources managers have diverse duties and levels of responsibility. Therefore, the educational requirements and the courses you take will depend on the specialization you choose to pursue. Most coursework involves personnel and organization policy, human resource dynamics and flows, motivation and compensation systems, labor relations, sex roles, civil rights, human resources law and regulations, work systems, career management, employee testing and assessment, recruitment and selection, managing employee and job training programs, and the management of human resources programs and operations. An undergraduate certificate in human resource management enables employees already working within the private or public sector to increase their salaries, upgrade their skills and prepare them for certification examinations. An associate degree in human resources is an entry-level program that introduces the identifiable set of activities that affect and influence employees in an organization, including recruitment, selection, compensation, and evaluation. A bachelor's degree will prepare students for an assistant level position and provide a more strategic understanding of workforce planning and development, training, compensations and benefits, global human resource management, employee health and safety, and labor law. Graduate degrees in human resources are highly recommended for those seeking general and top management positions.

Career Opportunities in Human Resources

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of human resource managers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. Legislation and court rulings setting standards in various areas- occupational safety and health, equal employment opportunity, wages, health care, pensions, and family leave, among others- will increase demand for human resources managers. Rising health care costs should continue to spur demand for specialists to develop creative compensation and benefits packages that firms can offer prospective employees. Among industries, firms involved in management, consulting, and employment services should offer many job opportunities, as businesses increasingly contract out human resources functions or hire human resources specialists on a temporary basis in order to deal with the increasing cost and complexity of training and development programs. Demand also should increase in firms that develop and administer complex employee benefits and compensation packages for other organizations.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual earnings of human resources managers were $81,810 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $62,080 and $106,440. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $48,060, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $136,600.

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