Human Resources
“There are incalculable resources in the human spirit.”
– Hubert Humphrey
Overview
Do you like people? You’d better if you’re considering a career in human resources. The human resources (HR) professional is concerned with attracting the best and most qualified individuals to an organization and looking after their job satisfaction and professional development. To do this, they must have a comprehensive understanding of business administration and the needs of businesses. Depending on your ambitions in human resources, you may be required to obtain an accredited online bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration, with a focus on human resources. Additionally, in our increasingly litigious society, the HR professional must be acutely aware of workplace ethics and antidiscrimination regulations and standards, the violation of which can ruin an otherwise healthy company.
Human Resources: Career Insights
- In a small organization, a human resources professional may have wide-ranging duties including recruitment, benefits administration, and employee retention. In a larger company, skills and responsibilities are more specialized.
- In good economic times, HR professionals are at the forefront of the war for talent. In tough economic times, HR professionals are often the bearers of bad news.
Director of Human Resources
The HR director typically oversees several departments or functions (depending on the size of the company) with broad responsibility for recruitment, compensation, benefits, training and development, and employee relations. In today’s business world, there will be a great deal of human resources and other business experience necessary to achieve a Director of Human Resources position at a mid- to large-sized company.
Human Resources Specialists
Human resources professionals typically begin their careers by gaining expertise in a specialty. Specialties can range from recruitment to benefits coordinator.
Recruiters are tasked with finding and attracting the best candidates for a job opening or, more broadly, the right kinds of candidates for a particular kind of company.
Compensation Specialists must develop the right compensation package to convince people to join a company without overpaying or otherwise putting the company into economic distress.
Payroll Specialists work closely with the accounting department to ensure that salary checks accurately reflect an employee’s agreed-upon compensation and that Social Security, Medicare and other taxes are properly withheld.
Benefits Coordinators specialize in areas such as health insurance and retirement planning, both of which are of concern to individuals considering a job as well as those already on staff.
Training Specialists focus on the professional development of individuals, ensuring both that the individuals are satisfied in their career development as well that the company has a sufficient supply of internal talent to meet its needs.
If you’re considering a career in human resources, find out how earning an accredited online associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree in human resources can help you find an exciting job as director of human resources, human resource specialist, compensation or benefit analyst, training and development coordinator, or payroll specialist.
Click here for a complete list of accredited online Human Resources degree programs