Human Resource Manager Career Path: Everything You Need to Know

Human Resource Management (HRM) is the organization of people and human resources within a company. The department of HR monitors the welfare of the employees as well as the process of pursuing the company’s vision. Such a field in the job market provides various career paths which include recruiting and placement managers, compensation and benefits specialists, as well as labor relation specialists among others. On the other hand, the HR managers are tasked with the responsibility of developing and implementing a strategic HRM plan within their respective organization. Even though this process is time and resource consuming, an efficient procedure of the same would lead to the increased success and productivity of the company.

Human Resource Management (HRM) is one of the most lucrative and fast-growing careers with numerous opportunities for managers and other employees. The department of human resources is tasked with the responsibility of managing people within the organizations while focusing on the relevant systems and policies. In this case, the HR department of a particular organization maximizes the performance of employees in service to the strategic objectives of the employer.

Possible Career Paths in the Field of Human Resource Management (HRM)

Recruiting and placement managers are two of the career options under HRM. In this career path, HR manager has a task to find promising job candidates and guide the interviewers on the most effective way of hiring individuals. At this point, the HR manager may conduct a selection process that involves five steps which are criteria development, application and resume interview, interviewing, test administration, and making the offer (Dias, 2013). By implementing such a strategic approach to recruitment the interviewees, the HR manager can minimize the amount of time and resources that would otherwise be used in the same process.

Compensation and benefits specialists is also another career line under HRM. The jobs in such a career path include a salary administrator, group insurance manager, compensation analyst and manager, and executive compensation manager. These specialists are obliged to manage the applicable wage and salary systems, conduct executive programs, and write job descriptions among other responsibilities. They have to develop a compensation package plan that covers both internal and external factors of the organization. Examples of the internal factors are the documented compensation policy used in the respective company, the value of the employee and the employer’s payment ability while one of the external factors would be the current economic state (Dias, 2013). The other career path is a labor relation specialist whose duties entail the interpretation and administration of labor contracts in regards to factors such as healthcare, wages, and management practices. Overall, there is a wide range of career paths within the HRM industry.

How Different Organizations May Develop and Implement a Strategic HRM Plan

The development and implementation of effective HRM strategies are crucial in ensuring maximum success and productivity for an organization. One of the most important aspects to consider during the development of a strategic HRM plan is defining the company’s vision. It is relatively necessary to develop a concrete vision for the organization whereby knowing the direction of the company will guide the HR managers on how well to assist in the achievement of the set goals (Bryson, 2018). The organizations should also establish the role of the HR department through understanding the specific tasks to be handled by the HR. Such an approach allows an organization to avoid possible employee issues that could bring about confusion.

Furthermore, organizations should develop a company overview that establishes a comprehensive work plan. The plan is aimed at producing a clear picture of the current position of a particular organization regarding resources and achievements while providing a means of reaching the set goals through maximizing the available resources. Such a strategy has to include feedback from individuals at the different levels of the organization. The other step towards the development of a strategic HRM plan is to investigate the specific company needs. At this point, the HR managers are obliged to hire a talented workforce by analyzing the current demographics of the labor force. This may include the adoption of a plan to bridge the gap between current skills and the required needs for promoting the success of the HR strategy. Moreover, the HR department has to determine and maximize the areas that provide added competitive advantage to the market. The policy should also encompass the use of technology in developing virtual workspaces, work-from-home plans, and remote access practices.

Following the development of such a process, it is inevitable for HR managers to ensure that they evaluate their strategic plan. The HR department is mandated to provide employees exercise innovation and creativity which may be achieved through consistent redesigning and tweaking. Also, the evaluation of employee job performance is imperative in helping shape the HR department (Bamberger, Biron & Meshoulam, 2014). Subsequently, the HR department can implement the plan through enhancing flexibility concerning the changing company needs. The implementation strategy should be gradual thus allowing employees to get accustomed to new ideas deployed one at a time. The final process is measuring the success of the plan. At this point, diligence and being specific are two important traits required in the constant evaluation of the plan.

Conclusion

Evidently, the efficient development and implementation of a strategic HRM plan depend on the level of competency promoted by the HR managers across the diverse career paths. Some of the careers in HR include labor relation specialists, compensation and benefits specialists, as well as recruiting and placement managers among others. Being a crucial aspect in the maximization of the productivity and success of a company, the development and implementation of effective HRM strategies is a process that requires time and resources as well as competent HR managers. Therefore, the respective organizations have to ensure that their HR departments are well equipped with responsible, efficient, creative, and skilled personnel for it to reach the predetermined goals.