Career as a Human Resource Manager – A guide to people management!

Have you ever thought of yourself as a people person and wished you could use that trait as a career? A career as a human resource manager might be for you.

Careers in human resource management are the most rewarding job roles in business. This satisfaction is because they get to handle vital duties in a corporate structure, namely managing the staff. The workforce is a company’s lifeblood, and it is this workforce that will determine the company’s entire future.

Has that got you interested in a career as a human resource manager? Today, we will examine opportunities, career growth, skills, and education for a career as a human resource manager.

What does an HR Manager do?

Before we delve into what a day for an HR manager does, let me tell you that this day could be different for different specialised functions that they take up. I will give you an overview of an HR generalist Manager who performs these functions, but there might be individuals who hold a title just for one of these functions.

• Recruitment:
  A majority of HR’s time (depending on the organization’s requirements) is involved in recruitment and selection. There is a difference between the two. While HR is recruiting, they might be just trying to attract the employee to join the company which sometimes includes cold calling potential candidates who are “open to work”. When this process is on the verge of ending, the selection process begins. It is that part when the candidate is being tested if they are a good fit for the organization or not. There are HR professionals who are called “Recruitment specialists” who perform only these tasks as their job responsibilities. 

• Training and development:
  Once the candidate has turned into your employee, there might be some skills that they need to learn. HR manager here will be responsible for analyzing these learning demands, design-training workshops, and evaluating the effectiveness of these workshops. “Learning and development specialists/ L&D specialists” are the ones who work only in this specialized field of HR.

• Performance Appraisal:
  After the candidate turned employee has been in the company for a while, HR is also responsible to evaluate their performance. Performance appraisal is usually a yearly process that reviews the performance of the employee. The HR manager here designs the method to make sure that the entire process is customized to the organisation and is objective and impartial. 

• Safety and wellness of the employee:
  Another responsibility of HR is to also take care of the Safety of the employees. This is really important in the case of industries with high health risks like construction sites, chemical industries, mining industries, mechanical and electric industries, nuclear power sites, etc. Therefore, here the HR’s role will be to prepare safety protocols, implement them in the form of safety policies, provide them with the safety instruments, and ensure that everyone is following them. 
  
  Sometimes, HR Managers also initiate wellness workshops to ensure that the employees are not only physically healthy but also mentally and emotionally. This might include yoga workshops, wellness retreats, yearly health check-ups, etc

• Compensation and benefits
  Just like a donkey needs a carrot to motivate him to continue ahead, humans also require different forms of rewards to keep working. The HR manager’s role here is to determine the compensation that is appropriate for the position and is justified for the experience that the employee is bringing to the table.

• Human Resource Planning
  Lastly, an HR Manager also needs to be efficient in planning and anticipating human resource requirements. They need to be involved in the business such that they are able to predict which areas of the business require people, which department has a surplus of people etc. This function is called Human resource planning.

Job Roles for a Human Resource Manager

Human Resource Executive: Human resource executives generate department activity reports, administer payroll, and evaluate employee performance. They also manage HR activities, schedule meetings, organize interviews, and mediate disputes.

Recruitment Coordinator: Recruitment coordinators find applicants through job postings, databases, and online job boards. They conduct candidate screening, arrange and support job interviews, and provide management with reports on the hiring process.

Human Resource Consultant: These professionals specialize in one or more areas, such as workplace harassment, labour laws, employee recruitment, retention, pay and benefits, employee incentives, and reward programs.

International Human Resources: The responsibilities are similar to those in a career as a human resource manager locally. The primary distinction is that you will work in various places throughout the globe.

Labour Relations: When management and employees are at odds, labour relations experts assist both parties in reaching a compromise on matters like pay, pensions, health benefits, the working environment, and management procedures.

Human Resources Analytics Specialist: Human resource analytics specialists’ responsibilities are to investigate revenue produced per employee, contribute to the development of a company’s talent acquisition plan, and track training costs and effectiveness.

Training and Development Expert: Training and development professionals assist staff in enhancing their skills. They conduct conferences, workshops, continuing education programs, and other events to achieve this.

Compensation and Benefits Manager: Setting up a pay and benefits structure for employees is your duty as the compensation and benefits manager. Other obligations include monitoring the payment of benefits and compensation.

Human Resource Entrepreneur: Anything and everything your company will require. It may not only involve the duties of a human resource professional, but of every other business function.

Non-Profit Human Resource Expert:  A non-profit human resource expert might work in the nonprofit industry, as the name would imply. This personnel performs all duties, including hiring and managing, but inside a non-profit setting.

Career Path to becoming an HR Manager

After you complete your 10+2, here are various paths that you can take:

PATH 1: 

After the 12th, you can complete your graduation in any stream. And then pursue a PG Diploma or an MBA in HR.

PATH 2: 

After the 12th, you can opt for a BBA (Bachelor’s in Business Administration) course. This is a 3-year undergraduate course that equips students with the skills required to manage the department of HR at any institution. The course curriculum focuses on subjects like financial accounting, organizational behaviour, advertising, sales, taxation management, business strategy, etc., thus providing knowledge on the fundamentals of business. Post BBA, you can complete your MBA in Human Resource Management which takes 2 years to complete.

PATH 3: 

Another path you could take after the 12th would be to complete your graduation with a BA (Bachelor’s in Arts) degree, preferably with a major in Psychology. The humanities background will provide you with an edge in understanding how humans think, feel, and act in accordance with their environment. With subjects like sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology, history, and literature, the course will provide you with a good overview of “why people behave the way they do” which can be of great advantage if you can apply it as an HR.

Post B.A., you can pursue your Master’s (either M.A./M.Sc) in Industrial/Organisational Psychology. It is about understanding human behaviour in the workplace and applying various theories of motivation, learning, and personality in a specific work setting. Compared to an MBA (in HR), this course will be slightly more theory and research-focused.

Salary in different stages of a career as an HR Manager

Below is the industry average of the salaries you can expect in India as you grow through your career as a Human Resource Manager.

Positions	Experience Required	Average Salary
Assistant Level	0 – 2 Years	₹2.4 – 3 lacs per annum
Associate Level	1 – 3 Years	₹4.5 – 5 lacs per annum
Manager Level	4 – 6 Years	₹6.3 – ₹7 lacs per annum
Senior Management Level	7 Years	₹9 – ₹14 lacs per annum
Director/Chief Level	Above 10 years	₹18 – ₹25 lacs per annum

Skills required to become an HR Manager

• Communication:
  Excellent written, conversational, and listening skills are necessary for success in a job in human resources because the task frequently requires communication with a wide variety of people from various professional levels.

• People skills:
  It is important to have strong interpersonal skills and an empathic mindset to understand people and get along with everyone since human resource employment involves conversing and haggling with a variety of people.

• Leadership qualities:
  Human resource professionals that possess strong leadership qualities can take responsibility for their work and move up to senior HR positions to lead, coach, manage, and inspire human resource teams.
  

• Problem-solving:
  To handle workplace difficulties, settle disputes, and bargain with unions, human resource practitioners need to have strong problem-solving abilities.

• Decisiveness:
  HR professionals must be able to act decisively based on accurate information and make difficult decisions related to their jobs.

• Organization:
  HR professionals can benefit from being well-organized in their work because they frequently handle several duties at once.

• Management:
  Effective HR professionals have the ability to comprehend the company’s position in the industry and excel in their positions.

• Finance expertise:
  Since HR professionals make decisions about employee remuneration, handle payroll, and create and manage budgets, they need to have a thorough grasp of financial issues.

Additionally, you can refer to the chart below to gain an insight into the skills required for the specialized department of Human Resource management.

Looking for help to build some of these career skills? Take up a JuniorMBA with Clever Harvey, where you will get the opportunity to gain some career skills by working in teams to complete real industry projects with Puma, Kellogg’s, and Groww.

Is a Career as a Human Resource Manager a Good Option

By 2030, it is anticipated that HR roles will increase by 10%. Furthermore, since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, job postings for HR professionals globally have increased by 87%. 

We are now witnessing more versatility in human resource career paths and opportunities due to the emergence of new roles and responsibilities in human resources connected to sustainability, digital transformation, and well-being.

A career as a human resource manager is no longer linear, and you are now expected to have a more varied professional path. Professionals change jobs and companies more frequently now than they did in previous decades, signalling the importance of talented human resource managers.

Popular Industries Hiring Human Resource Managers

Because human resources deal with employees, they are the foundation of any business in any industry. Basically, every industry requires a talented human resource manager. Below is a list of popular industries to start your career as a human resource manager.

• Technology
• Education
• Start-ups
• Finance/Banking

The above-mentioned industries can provide a great experience for a fresher starting their career as a human resource manager because it involves seeking and hiring people with the right technical skills.

Top Human Resource Managers Recruiters in India

• Reliance: This Indian multinational company has its main office in Mumbai. It operates in the energy, petrochemicals, natural resources, telecommunications, retail, and textile industries throughout India.

• WIPRO: A global company that is known for its IT services, WIPRO also deals in consumer care products, lighting, furniture, infrastructure engineering, and medical diagnostics.

• Larsen and Toubro: Headquartered in Mumbai, this Indian multinational organization is prominent in design and development, information technology, financial services, and the production of goods.

• Infosys: A Bangalore-based global organization that focuses on business consulting, outsourcing services, and IT services.

• Aditya Birla Group: With branches in 34 countries around the world and more than 120,000 thousand employees, they have a hand in almost every industry.

• MakeMyTrip: An Indian travel start-up that provides online travel solutions and has grown to be present around Asia.

Certificate courses to Upskill as an HR Manager

After your graduation and/or Master’s you can check these institutes for certificate courses in HR:

1. Society of Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)
2. Indian Society of Training and Development (ISTD)
3. Organisational Development Certification Program
4. Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
5. Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP)

Even after being in the field for a while, these certificates add value to your portfolio. Additionally, you can also check out certain online courses that will help you upskill:

Certificate Courses	Institute offering	Duration
Human Resource Analytics	University of California	1-4 Weeks
Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers	University of Minnesota through Coursera	3-6 Months
Develop, Motivate and Retain Employees	LinkedIn Learning	6 hours 2 mins
Become an HR Business Partner	LinkedIn Learning	5 hours 25 mins
Certification Course in Human Resource Management	Udemy	14 hours 19 mins
Leading: Human Resource Management and Leadership	Macquarie University through Coursera	3-6 Months
Becoming an L&D professional	LinkedIn Learning	5 hours 22 mins

Qualifications to become an HR Manager

To become an HR Manager there is no specific subject requirement in your 11th or 12th grade. However, certain degrees will help you in your career as an HR Manager

Degrees in India

A) UG Degrees:

A Bachelor’s degree in human resource management courses is the traditional way to start a career in human resource management. This course is offered by business and arts and humanities colleges. Some of the courses that you can check out include:

Undergraduate Course	Duration
BBA (Bachelor in Business Administration) in Human Resource Management	3 Years
B.A. (In Psychology or Economics)	3 Years
B.Com	3 Years

B) PG Degrees:

Master’s degrees in Human Resource Management courses are the most popular career path chosen by graduates in human resource management. Students interested in human resource management courses can take up an MA or MBA, depending on the Bachelor’s degree specification.

Some of the courses that you can check out include:

Post-graduate Degree	Duration
MBA in Human Resource Management	2 years
M.A. In Industrial/Organizational Psychology or Human Resource Management	2 Years

Degrees Abroad

For a student fresh out of class 12, the USA is the best place to get a Bachelor’s degree in human resource management courses. Students graduating from these colleges tend to earn more in India and globally in this field.

Some specific Bachelor’s courses you can opt for include: BBA in Human Resource Management
BMM in Human Resource Management. Bachelor’s degrees usually take 3-4 years to complete depending on which country you apply to.

Following the completion of your Bachelor’s course, obtaining a postgraduate degree in Human Resource Management is ideal for your career as a human resource manager abroad. Some specific Master’s courses you can opt for include MBA in Human Resource Management, MBA in Human Training and Development, and MBA in People Management. Business schools usually take 2 years to complete the course.

Entry into these courses will require you to give language proficiency test scores of IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, SATs, etc along with an SOP (Statement of Purpose) and LORs (Letter of Recommendation). Want some help with SATs? We have got you covered. Read this blog to know more!

Want to know more? Check these out:

Some cool movies that you can watch include

Movie: Up in the air
Where: Amazon Prime
What to expect: It is about an HR consultant whose work is to help corporate in downsizing.

Video: Challenges of an HR
Where: YouTube
What to expect: A light-hearted take on the challenges an HR might face

Some of the books that you can read include:

• The Essential HR Handbook by Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell
• Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock
• Unleashing the Power of Diversity by Bjorn Z. Ekelund
• People Processes: How Your People Can Be Your Organisation’s Competitive Advantage by Rhamy Alejeal
• People Analytics for Dummies by Mike West

Dealing with different types of people is going to be a big part of your career as a human resource manager. Because they have years of experience in managing people, human resource managers actually make great leaders and have the right qualifications to become a CEO. Want to see if you have what it takes to become a CEO by pursuing a career as a human resource manager after 12th? Try out Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA program for a Future CEO. Work in teams while completing projects for different industries for companies such as InfinityCars, Puma, Kellogg’s and Groww.

I hope this information excites you to become an HR Manager. Wishing you all the very best for your future!

FAQs- Frequently Asked Questions about the career as an HR Manager