Q: Is human resource management a good career?

Yes, human resource management (HRM) is a good career. This career path can be rewarding and fulfilling to many people that embark on it. Especially for those that have strong social skills and enjoy working with people. Individuals with a keen interest in organizational dynamics are also encouraged to choose human resource management as a career.

Q: Is it hard to become a human resource manager?

No, it is not hard to become a human resources manager. Though it is not hard to become a human resources manager, it requires a certain level of experience and education and an abundance of soft skills.

Q: How much does a human resource manager make a year?

Human resources managers make $115,000 a year, on average. There is a wide range of what a human resources manager can make, but you can expect to make between $68,000 and $200,000 in a year in this role.

Question 1

How long does it take to become a Human Resources Manager?

Accepted Answer

It takes 7 years of professional experience to become a human resources manager. That is the time it takes to learn specific human resources manager skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 10 to 12 years years to become a human resources manager.

Question 2

Is human resource management a good career?

Accepted Answer

Yes, human resource management (HRM) is a good career. This career path can be rewarding and fulfilling to many people that embark on it. Especially for those that have strong social skills and enjoy working with people. Individuals with a keen interest in organizational dynamics are also encouraged to choose human resource management as a career.

Question 3

Is it hard to become a human resource manager?

Accepted Answer

No, it is not hard to become a human resources manager. Though it is not hard to become a human resources manager, it requires a certain level of experience and education and an abundance of soft skills.

Question 4

What are careers in corporate social responsibility?

Accepted Answer

Corporate social responsibility specialist and social impact manager are careers related to corporate social responsibility. Both careers require someone who has training in the field of CSR as well as industry experience.

Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist
A corporate social responsibility specialist is responsible for creating a positive relationship between the company for which they work and the community that they serve.
CSR specialists strive to make sure that a company's actions are ethical, sustainable, and environmentally responsible. To do this, CSR specialists work with community leaders, schools, and other suppliers to ensure the positive presence of a company within the community.
Charity events, improving a community's awareness about the company's mission, and researching best practices are all the responsibilities of the CSR specialist.
Social Impact Manager
Social impact managers work with leaders within the company in the areas of research, programming, and community partnerships to assess and evaluate data and relate it to the company's CEO.
Their responsibility lies in vetting company policies, from mission statements to marketing, and ensuring that the social impact of decisions being made at the company level does not have a negative impact on the surrounding community.
To qualify for either of these positions, one must have a wealth of both management and industry experience. CSR specialists and impact managers work with upper management, and their assessment of company policies requires an in-depth knowledge of company policy and operation.
These positions are typically not available for recent college graduates regardless of the level of their degree. Both of these positions can be pursued through the study of any industry-relevant degree field. CSR specialists exist in both the public and private sectors.

Question 5

What are careers in human resource management?

Accepted Answer

Benefits administrator, payroll specialist, and HRIS specialist are careers in human resource management.

Benefits Administrator

Benefits administrators are specialists who design and administer a company's benefits programs.

They are typically required to negotiate with insurance and retirement plan providers and make recommendations regarding the best choice under company goals. They may also administer wellness, legal, transportation, and other assistance programs and are typically responsible for entering employee elections into the system.

When analyzing and preparing benefits packages, benefits administrators generally consider cost and features, as well as the overall performance and responsiveness of service providers. Once they have determined the optimal components, they present their findings and recommendations to management or leadership for approval.

Benefits administrators often assist newly hired employees with enrollment and meet with all employees during open enrollment periods to explain plan changes and options. They may be responsible for processing billing and resolving discrepancies with insurance providers.

Other duties of benefits administrators may include communicating with employees to ensure a thorough understanding of benefits, consulting with individuals about coverage for medical procedures, and following guidelines for legal compliance. Most benefits administrators work in an office setting and work a standard 40-hour work week.

Payroll Specialist

Payroll specialists oversee all aspects of timesheet and payroll processing to ensure payroll processing remains compliant, accurate, and on time. Specific responsibilities may vary based on the size of the company the payroll specialist works for and the industry of the company, but typically include:

Preparing and submitting payroll checks
Collecting banking information and setting up direct deposits
Processing deposits on paydays
Keeping policies and procedures related to taxation, salaries, and other payroll factors current
Documenting and maintaining payroll records
Auditing payroll records
Reconciling general ledgers regarding payroll transactions
Detecting and processing issues related to uncollected payroll
Responding to employee inquiries regarding payroll issues
Processing garnishments

Payroll specialists often get into the role after first working as a payroll clerk or another entry-level position after completing the bachelor's degree program. Payroll specialists will also often receive additional on-the-job training specific to their role and the company.

This additional training is usually part of the onboarding process for their new role. On-the-job training can last for a period of a few days up to a few months depending on the company and the role. There are also several certification programs that payroll specialists may consider.

HRIS Specialist

A human resources information systems (HRIS) specialist is responsible for collecting employee data and compiling it into reports for department leads. HRIS comprises all of the systems responsible for the functioning of a human resources department. These include:

Applicant tracking
Employee management
Raises
Promotions
Training
Pay and benefits
Termination systems (voluntary and involuntary)

The data collection performed by the HRIS specialist will help the company to better understand their workforces and help leaders to develop strategies to combat high turnover. HRIS specialists must be able to capture and interpret data and use it to drive profits and growth.

Question 6

What are the five main tasks of a human resource manager?

Accepted Answer

The five main tasks of a human resources manager are: recruiting, hiring, onboarding, safety and compliance, and training and development. These five core functions of a human resources manager encompass most of what the role does.

Question 7

What is the career path for human resources?

Accepted Answer

The career path for human resources involves jobs as a staffing coordinator, an HR specialist, and an HR director. The career path for human resources is straightforward and consists of many different positions at the entry, middle, and senior levels of HR departments.

Question 8

What is the difference between an HR manager and an HR business partner?

Accepted Answer

The difference between an HR manager and an HR business partner is that the HR manager focuses on administrative support while an HR business partner focuses on strategic resource support.

Question 9

What is the difference between an HR manager and an HR director?

Accepted Answer

The difference between an HR manager and HR directors is their levels of responsibility within the organization and their daily tasks. Human resources directors establish a company's goals, policies, and strategies, while managers concentrate on a specific branch of human resources, such as hiring or training staff.

Question 10

What should I study to become a human resource manager?

Accepted Answer

You should study human resources, business, psychology, and communication to become a human resources manager.Human resources managers typically hold a bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field. The most common majors for HR managers include human resources management (31%), business administration (25%), psychology (8%), and communication (6%), according to Zippia.

Question 11

What is a good starting salary for a Human Resources Manager?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for a human resources manager is $52,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a human resources manager in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for human resources managers is $79,016, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a human resources manager can vary by state.

Question 12

How much does a human resource manager make a year?

Accepted Answer

Human resources managers make $115,000 a year, on average. There is a wide range of what a human resources manager can make, but you can expect to make between $68,000 and $200,000 in a year in this role.

Question 13

Where do HR managers make the most money?

Accepted Answer

Human resources (HR) managers make the most money at large companies in the northeast region of the United States. New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York are the states that typically pay HR managers the most.

Question 14

Can a human resources manager make 100k?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can make $100,000 per year as a human resources manager. The chances of earning over $100k for a human resources manager are actually pretty good because the highest-paid human resources manager positions typically pay at least $118,000 per year. The average annual salary is $79,016 for human resources manager jobs. For example, human resources managers in Washington whose salaries are in the 90th percentile earn an average salary of $153,000.

Question 15

Do human resources managers make good money?

Accepted Answer

Yes, human resources managers make good money. The median salary for a human resources manager is over $100,000.

However, several variables contribute to the salary of a human resources manager. These variables include company size, location, and experience.

Question 16

How hard is it to become an HR manager?

Accepted Answer

It is not hard to become an HR manager. The easiest way to become a human resources manager is by holding a bachelor's degree in human resources (HR) and having at least a few years of experience working in human resources.

Question 17

What is the highest-paying job in HR?

Accepted Answer

The highest-paying job in human resources (HR) is generally the vice president of human resources. The median salary for the VP of HR is over $200,000.

This position oversees all of the HR functions within the company and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that every aspect is functioning well. As part of the executive team, this role is compensated highly because they have a thorough understanding of the company's strategic vision and can implement it into HR policies.

Question 18

How to get a PHR certification

Accepted Answer

To get a PHR certification, you must meet eligibility requirements and pass the exam. The Professional in Human Resources certification is not for entry-level human resource positions and has a few prerequisites.

Question 19

What is a PHR certification?

Accepted Answer

A Professional in Human Resources certification is a certification in the human resources field that proves an individual has skills in areas like implementing new programs, logistics, and orientation. The PHR certification is offered by the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI).

To obtain a PHR certification, you must pass a three-hour long exam that covers topics like implementing new programs and United States laws and regulations that govern HR.

Once you gain PHR certification, it is valid for three years. To recertify, you must apply again after three years and either retake the exam or present the HRCI with documents confirming professional development hours.

This certification is helpful for HR professionals who work under an HR director or other senior HR manager.

Some examples of HR professionals who would benefit from obtaining a PHR certification include:

Staffing coordinators

Staffing coordinators assist in the recruitment of employees. They screen candidates for different jobs within the company and help in new hire orientation and administrative duties, like managing time-off requests

Staffing specialists

These HR professionals create job descriptions used for online job postings. They also assess applications and resumes. Staffing specialists often are the HR employees that schedule interviews with job candidates and may also manage employee schedules.

HR assistants

HR assistants assist HR managers with basic tasks and administrative responsibilities. These include things such as payroll, recruitment, data entry, and assisting current employees of the company.

HR associates

These HR professionals answer employees' questions concerning matters such as payroll and employee benefits. They often have to organize HR paperwork and job applications as well.

HR representative

Representatives help job candidates and current employees fill out the necessary paperwork. They often have a strong understanding of company employee benefits and policies.

HR administrator

These HR employees manage and maintain employment records at a company. This includes specific employee data, such as performance reviews, contracts, and other employee-related databases.

Personnel manager

These HR employees recruit, hire, and train new employees at a company. They also conduct employee performance reviews annually or after a probationary period.

HR specialist

HR specialists assist in new employee recruitment. They also may hire job candidates and manage job orientations.

HR generalist

HR generalists perform every kind of task that supports a company's staff.

This includes recruiting qualified professionals for open roles, screening and interviewing candidates, writing descriptions for new roles, performing background checks, creating and implementing training and orientations for new employees, and executing performance reviews.

They also administer employee benefits, compensation, and bonuses and evaluate staff complaints.

HR supervisor

HR supervisors manage new employee hiring, regulate employee dynamics and interactions, and oversee payrolls. HR supervisors are often the HR officials that lead training events, such as job orientations.

HR analyst

HR analysts track, record, and manage different forms of employee data for a company. They review and compare salaries to national averages and also between industry-specific roles. They also may conduct surveys and share their findings with their HR managers.

Question 20

What percentage of Human Resources Managers are female?

Accepted Answer

70.0% of human resources managers are female in the United States. This is 17.2 percentage points higher than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female human resources managers has increased by 15.3 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 209,608 female human resources managers in the U.S. and 89,832 male human resources managers in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 299,440 people with the specific job title of human resources manager and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 21

What does a human resource manager do on a daily basis?

Accepted Answer

A human resource manager participates in employee recruitment and onboarding, maintains employee relations and performance management, and oversees employee benefits and HR operations on a daily basis. Here are some details on the common daily activities of a human resource manager:

Frequently asked questions about human resources managers

Questions about becoming a human resources manager