Becoming a Human Resources Manager

Human Resources (HR) is the department within a company or organization that facilitates communication between management and employees and manages personnel on a day-to-day basis. Depending on the size of the company, the human resources manager or director might be directly responsible for hiring and training new employees, as well as for administering and maintaining records of their compensation and benefits.

The HR executive also handles all in-house employee relations and problems, whether to problems are with benefits, management, or friction between employees. In a large HR department, the manager might supervise a team of individuals or even a series of specialized departments each of which concentrates on one of these topics.

Education, Training & Degrees for Human Resources Managers

Most executive positions in the field of HR, such as manager and director, require a master's degree in human resources or a similar discipline, such as business administration, sociology, psychology, or industrial relations, in order to qualify for the position. Certain jobs in specific fields might require additional specialized education and training in subjects such as finance, law, or health.

Many colleges and universities now offer an MBA program in Human Resources, which can be obtained on campus or through online study.

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Job Responsibilities and Desired Skills for Human Resources Managers

The Human Resources department handles everything from employee recruitment, compensation, benefits, and training to employee conflict resolution and legal issues such as alleged harassment claims. While human resource managers in small companies may oversee all of these functions, HR employees in larger companies usually concentrate on one specific area such as recruiting, compensation and benefits, or labor relations. In this case, the HR manager might oversee a team, a department, or, at the highest level of a large corporation, a series of departments each of which is devoted to a specific topic area.

As businesses grow internationally, the role of the HR department is becoming increasingly complicated. Managers of international HR departments must oversee employee regulations which conform to local laws and statutes in different countries, and employee relations that smoothly integrate numerous different cultures.

Individuals interested in pursuing a career in HR should enjoy working with people. They need to possess excellent listening and communication skills, as they will occasionally have to deal with employees who feel they are being mistreated in some way. They need to be sensitive to the needs of employees with different cultural, religious or ethnic backgrounds, as well as to the special needs of physically challenged employees.

HR personnel should be organized and detail oriented, analytical, fair, and skilled at diplomatically balancing employee needs with company requirements.

Human Resources Manager Salary Range and Employment Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor projects above-average employment opportunities for human resource personnel, including human resource managers, well into the next decade. Employment opportunities should be especially good for experts in employee benefits who can assemble quality health plans at minimal cost to employees and the company.

Figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the median annual salary of human resources managers was $89,950 in 2004. This wage is expected to increase in the coming years as the role of human resource manager becomes more multifaceted, complicated and competitive.


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