HR Manager Career Guide

What is an HR manager?

An HR manager connects the company’s bosses and workers, making sure everyone gets along and works well together. Their job is to help the company find and keep good workers, look after employee benefits like health insurance, and make sure the workplace is nice for everyone. They play a big part in helping the company achieve its big goals by ensuring the right HR policies are in place.

Duties and responsibilities

HR managers have lots of important jobs. They lead a team that finds, interviews, and hires new people. They set up and manage benefits for employees, keep track of employee records, and deal with any complaints from workers. They make sure the company follows labor laws and helps create a fair and ethical workplace. They also work with other leaders in the company to plan things like how to keep good employees around and prepare for future changes in staff.

Work environment

HR managers work mostly in an office, but you can find them in all sorts of companies, like banks, hospitals, factories, and stores. The size of the company can change what their day looks like. In big companies, they might lead a team of HR staff. In small companies, they might handle all the HR work themselves. They also meet with employees, go to business meetings, and sometimes travel for work.

Typical work hours

HR managers usually work during normal business hours, which is about 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Sometimes, they might work late or on weekends if something unexpected comes up or they need to meet with potential new hires after hours. Even though they might work extra sometimes, their schedule is usually pretty regular.

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How to become an HR manager

Becoming an HR manager means you need the right education, some job experience, and good people skills. Here’s how you can get started:

Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree

Start by getting a bachelor’s degree. Good options include studying business administration, psychology, or human resources. This will teach you about how companies work, the laws about working, and how to manage staff.

Step 2: Work in entry-level HR jobs

Start working in basic HR jobs like an HR assistant or coordinator. These jobs help you learn the ropes, like hiring people, managing benefits, and training. You’ll usually need to do this for about 3 to 5 years before you can move up.

Step 3: Learn about laws and company rules

Knowing the laws about jobs and what rules companies have is really important. Learn about laws against discrimination and rules about job benefits. This helps you handle questions or problems that come up at work.

Step 4: Maybe go for a master’s degree

A master’s degree in human resources or business can help you stand out and get better jobs. It dives deeper into things like planning for the company’s future and making big decisions.

Step 5: Get certified

Getting a certification in HR from places like the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows you really know your stuff. Sometimes, companies want these certifications before they hire you.

Step 6: Apply for a management position

After you get your degree, some experience, and maybe a certification, you can aim for manager jobs. This is your chance to show your leadership skills and start climbing up to even higher jobs in the company.

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How much do HR managers make?

HR manager salaries will vary by experience, industry, education, location, and organization size. The specific niche of their industry and the level of personnel responsibility involved directly affect compensation.

Highest paying industries

• Management of Companies and Enterprises: $122,860
• Securities and Commodity Exchanges: $121,060
• Computer Systems Design: $117,650
• Software Publishers: $115,600
• Pharmaceutical: $112,470

Browse HR manager salary data by market

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Types of HR managers

HR managers can specialize in different areas, each focusing on a specific part of managing a company’s workforce.

Talent acquisition manager

These managers are all about hiring the right people for the company. They come up with ways to find talented people, pick the best candidates, and help with job offers to make sure the company hires great people who fit well.

Compensation and benefits manager

These managers work on how much money and extra perks employees get, like bonuses and health benefits. They look at what other companies offer and make sure their company’s deals are good enough to attract and keep workers, while also following the law.

Training and development manager

These managers help employees get better at their jobs. They find out where employees need to improve, set up training sessions, and check if these sessions are working. They work closely with other company leaders to make sure training helps meet the company’s goals.

Labor relations director

This role involves working out issues between the company and its employees or unions. They handle contracts, sort out complaints and discipline, and lead talks on agreements that affect how employees work.

HR information systems manager

This manager uses technology to make HR tasks better, like hiring online or improving how employees work from different places. It’s a cool job for someone who likes both tech and working with people. Over time, they might move up to bigger roles that involve planning and using tech in new ways.

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Top skills for HR managers

To be a great HR manager, you need a mix of skills that help you work well with people and manage tasks efficiently.

Communication skills

Being a good talker and listener is super important. You need to be clear when you’re talking or writing, whether it’s with coworkers, bosses, or people outside the company. You also need to be good at solving problems and talking things out when people don’t agree.

Organizational skills

You have to be really good at planning and keeping track of a bunch of different tasks at once. This means knowing what’s a priority, managing your time well, and always knowing what’s going on with things like hiring new people or managing employee benefits.

Leadership

Being a leader means you know how to guide your team, make smart plans for the future, and get everyone motivated. You’ll be in charge of putting new rules into action and helping everyone adjust to changes.

Ethical conduct

Since you’ll handle private info about employees, it’s really important to be trustworthy and fair. You have to stick to the rules and make sure everyone else does, too.

Understanding of human behavior

Knowing why people act the way they do can help you solve conflicts, manage changes at work, and come up with ways to make everyone happier and more involved in their jobs.

Tech-savvy

Today’s world is all about tech, so knowing your way around computers, especially HR software and data tools, is a must. Being quick to learn new tech can really help you do your job better.

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HR manager career path options

If you’re working as an HR manager, you’ve got several cool ways to grow your career further.

HR director

One common next step is to become an HR director. In this job, you get to make big decisions about the HR department, like creating rules that help the company reach its goals.

Chief human resources officer (CHRO)

If you keep climbing up from HR director, you could become a CHRO. This is the top HR job in a company where you manage everything about working there—from how people get hired to making sure everyone enjoys their job and gets the right benefits.

Talent management

Another path could lead you into talent management. This area focuses on helping individuals and teams in the company grow their skills. You could become a training and development manager or a director of learning and development, where you help people learn new things and build their careers.

Organizational development

Or, you might go into organizational development, where you work on big changes in the company’s setup or strategies to make sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

HR consultant

Some HR managers decide to become consultants. As a consultant, you wouldn’t work for just one company. Instead, you’d give advice to many different businesses on things like how to keep employees happy, manage pay and benefits, or develop good leaders.

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Similar job titles

• HR Director
• HR Generalist
• HR Coordinator
• HR Specialist
• HR Administrator
• HR Assistant
• Talent Acquisition Specialist
• Corporate Recruiter
• HRIS Manager
• Chief Human Resources Officer

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Position trends and outlook for HR managers

Here’s what’s happening in the world of HR:

• Technology in HR: More and more, managers are using digital tools to make their work easier and faster. This means learning how to use new software that can handle things like employee records and hiring processes all in one place.
• Focus on employee happiness: A big part of your job now is making sure employees are happy and engaged, including everything from how they start at the company to how they leave. Companies really want to make sure their teams feel important and are happy at work.
• Using data to make decisions: Data is a big deal in HR these days. You’d be looking at information that can tell you how well employees are doing, how they feel about their jobs, and why they might leave.

Employment projections

Jobs for HR managers are expected to grow by 7% through 2031, which is faster than many other jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As new companies start and existing ones get bigger, they’ll need managers to help manage people and follow the rules about hiring and working.

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HR manager career tips

Understand the business

Really get to know how your company works. Understanding the business inside out helps you make better decisions about hiring, training, and policies that fit the company’s goals. Plus, it helps you make sure everything is up to speed with the industry’s rules.

Know the employment laws

Being up-to-date on employment laws is crucial. Stay sharp about things like worker’s rights, safety rules, and health regulations. This keeps the company safe from legal trouble and makes sure everyone is treated fairly.

Keep learning

Always be learning in this job. Look into getting more qualifications, attending workshops, or even going for a master’s degree in human resources. This keeps you on top of your game and ready for new challenges.

Build your network

Build connections with other HR professionals. These networks can offer advice, mentorship, and more opportunities. Join groups like:

• Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA)
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Association of Talent Development (ATD)

Stay up-to-date with HR tech

Keep up with HR tech tools that make your job easier. Whether it’s software for tracking job applicants, analyzing employee data, or keeping employees happy, being tech-savvy helps a lot.

Promote inclusion

Work to create a workplace where everyone feels welcome and valued. This not only makes the workplace nicer but also helps attract and keep good employees. Make sure your company’s practices are fair and non-discriminatory.

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FAQs