Careers available in human resources span a broad range of interests, and many of these career paths are available across various industries. HR is an administrative field, and the functions associated with this department are crucial back-office processes that allow the company to operate smoothly and productively, according to the US News and World Report. Corporate culture varies from one company to the next, determined as it is by corporate vision and how the company’s leadership directs staff toward this goal. The way people work together, the language, norms and systems manifest as part of corporate culture, and it is the job of the HR department to manage this through recruitment, talent development and retention strategies.
Recruiting and Credentialing Specialist
Recruitment is an ongoing effort even when the workforce is stable and the company itself is not in a hiring mode. It is important for HR to maintain a talent pool from which candidates for an urgent or temporary opening can be contacted. The recruitment function is one of the most common careers available in human resources because these HR specialists can work in-house or with recruitment specialists that compete for talent placement in the industry. Some recruiters focus on specific industries to provide specialized services.
Benefits and Compensation Manager
Benefits and compensation specialists develop, implement and oversee a program of benefits for each job type and employment level. The compensation and benefits program should comply with applicable federal and state labor laws. At the same time, HR staff who are responsible for benefit programs should make sure that their benefits package is comparable with other companies in their industry to ensure employee retention and effective recruitment. Benefits and compensation specialists can work directly for companies or with third parties providing advisory or contract services.
Training and Development Specialist
Training and development professionals provide important services to the entire workforce from the onboarding stage to skills development through various stages of employment. In some cases, HR’s training and development experts provide transitional skills development for employees separating from the company involuntarily. HR training specialists focus on developing and implementing programs that relate directly to the company’s processes such as ensuring that employees understand the benefits program and how to qualify for said benefits. However, training specialists may be called upon to assist with developing and implementing training packages to enhance particular worker skills. For instance, HR trainers may provide logistical and administrative support for training specialists in the engineering or marketing departments.
Human Resources Manager
The HR manager is a generalist who oversees virtually every aspect of the workforce in terms of finding and recruiting the right talent who will be a good fit for the job and the corporate culture. Developing the workforce comes in the form of ensuring that the staff is given access to information that will help them perform their jobs better in a challenging yet nurturing environment that provides fair compensation and recognition commensurate to the tasks. In larger corporations, HR managers may be forced to specialize in one aspect of HR to effectively provide the services required for the bigger workforce.
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Human resources is a dynamic field that is evolving due to changes in the legal, political and economic aspects of managing a workforce. Various careers are available in human resources for individuals who are people-oriented and who possess the required analytical and organizational skills to thrive in this industry. Skills and experience gained from education, training and work placement in human resources translate to practically every industry.
