Research Paper #1: Human Resource Management -Possible Career Paths

Abstract

 This paper will discuss and outline possible career paths in the Human Resource Management field. Human Resources is a widely popular industry that employs millions worldwide, and with such a vast industry there are many positions and specialties a Human Resource employee can pursue. While some HRMs will specialize in a certain HR position, some employees work as generalists. Every aspect of Human Resources is a strategic approach to attain and retain an effective and content workforce which can be achieved through a variety of ways.

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 Human Resource Management (HRM) is a strategic approach to the management of people for a company or organization and is in charge of overseeing organizational leadership and culture. There are many positions and roles HR managers can do that will help a business gain a competitive advantage. HR managers are responsible for determining what is best for the company and ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws. Intense analysis must be done to determine what positions and employees a company needs and the best way to employ qualified candidates and provide them with the best compensation and benefits package that does not just benefit the employee but is able to net a profit for the company.  Human Resource Managers can specialize in recruitment, training and development, employee relations and conflict resolution, employee retention and compensation and benefits. In this fast-growing career field, with a median annual income above the national average, you can tackle many different positions. There are half a million HR practitioners in the United States. Human Resources professionals generally work in one of two categories, HR generalists and HR specialists. Generalists help the organization by supporting employees directly by handling questions, concerns, daily HR requirements. Specialists on the other hand work by doing a specific HR job, for example, career development, or payroll. (US Bureau of Labor Stats , 2011)

 Before even beginning the hiring process of potential candidates, it’s crucial that a company performs an in-depth audit and job analysis of how many employees they need, and what the job duties of each position will require. This requires a Human Resource Manager to do a job analysis of each position. This can be very time consuming and requires knowledge of the industry, intense research, and market trends, but it helps to cut out redundancy of positions, while ensuring that each critical position is filled. Having an outline and description of the position you’re hiring for is crucial to headhunters and staffing and hiring mangers to ensure the company is hiring the best possible candidates.

 Another important position in HR management, is a staffing or hiring manager, who helps to hire quality employees to meet company standards and values. These positions require searching, recruiting, contacting, interviewing and hiring new staff. A staffing manager looks for employees to fill open reqs to ensure workforce efficiency. These jobs often require lots of interpersonal communication, and networking skills. Staffing and hiring managers may also outsource and work with recruitment and staffing agencies to ensure a wider net has been cast. These positions are vital because they are hiring the faces of the work force, it’s important to know about company rules and regulation, as well as equal opportunity laws.

 After hiring a qualified employee it’s important to devout the time and resources to implement a training plan to new hires. Training and development specialists aim to improve and develop skills for employees to ensure the most efficient and qualified job performance. For the most efficient way to train, it’s important to perform a need analysis to target competencies that need to be developed.

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 Alternatively, training and development often get mistaken for one another, while both require an analysis and a dedicated plan, development is defined by opportunities to help an employee cultivate a holistic career in the long term. While training focuses on the current job, development are skills that will benefit them for future positions, like management, or a job that requires a specialty, for example, some companies pay for first line supervisors to attend PMP courses or management classes to future their experience and knowledge to transition to other management positions.

 Retention is critical to an organization well being and reputation. A high attrition rate at an organization could be a sign that there are significant issues in the company, for example low morale, lack of recognition, or poor management. Retaining employees also results in decreased training and recruitment costs. Replacing an employee can cost has much as 50-60% of the employees annual salary, but upwards of 90-200% of their salary. (Cascio, W.F. 2006). Retention specialists can implements plans to address a variety of employee grievances like ensuring they have established a training and development program with their HR managers, and ensure there is a career development plan. Mentoring is another way to help retain employees by having someone understand the dynamics of the company and career paths. Having discussions frequently with employees to gage of sense of morale and aspirations can go very far in retaining positive performers.

REFERENCES

Johnason, P. (2009). HRM in changing organizational contexts. In D. G.Collings & G. Wood (Eds.), Human resource management: A critical approach (pp. 19-37). London: Routledge.

“Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists”. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.

Cascio, W.F. 2006. Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits (7th ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Mitchell, T.R., Holtom, B.C., & Lee, T.W. 2001. How to keep your best employees