Human Resource (HR) managers interpret the progressive needs of the organisation and direct individual potential towards a common goal. A full fledged Human Resource Department is headed by a Director of Personnel, with managers taking care of recruitments, training (staff/ management) and resource development. Occupational/ industrial psychologists may also form part of the team.

In a small organisation, one person may handle many, if not all aspects of HR work. In contrast, in a large corporation, the top human resource executive usually develops and coordinates personnel programs and policies.

(A) The Prospects

Since almost all corporate offices and MNCs have a full fledged HR department, finding a job in the industry is relatively easy. One could be employed with any industry in the manufacturing, services or software sector managing human resource issues specific to that industry. Large organizations like HLL, Pepsi, Nestle, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Dabur India etc are leading recruiters of HR Managers.

HR specialists also work with HR consulting / training organizations like Hewitt Associates, Mercer (compensation surveys), Omam Consultant, Ernst & Young and Price Water House.

Leading Placement and Head Hunting firms include Kornferry, Heidrick & Struggles, Egon Zhender, Boyden, Amrop International, Accord and ABC Consulting.HR Professionals also often work as independent trainers and consultants.

(B) The Job

HR Managers are responsible for all tasks involving the management of people’s skills, positions and performance within the organization. These tasks can be grouped as:

1.) Recruitment and placement of people at all levels within the organization

2.) Appraisals, promotions and internal movements

3.) Training and Development of individual and team skills within the organisation

4.) Employee services like leave management, health, work related facilities, welfare services, etc.

5.) Labour and Industrial Relations

(C) Recruitment and placement involves:

1.) Preparing a plan indicating how much staff an organisation needs to recruit, retrain, transfer or reduce at what levels

2.) Preparing job descriptions and personnel specifications

3.) Advertising, screening applications, interviewing and testing applicants, obtaining references and selecting or rejecting candidates

4.) Traveling to college campuses to interview and recruit new people

5.) Networking with people, organizations, placement agencies and head-hunters

6.) Keeping in touch with personnel policies to discuss wages, benefits and promotional policies with fresh candidates

Some organizations hire occupational psychologists to carry out the testing and evaluating procedures for recruiting candidates.

(D) Training involves:

1.) Induction training i.e. designing and developing training programs for fresh entrants on the organization, its culture, their role and responsibilities

2.) Assessing and identifying the training needs of people at all levels in the organization. Needs could be technical and skill based: selling skills, product knowledge, negotiation skills etc OR they could be behaviour oriented: motivational, team-based or self-based

3.) Researching and designing training programs

4.) Conducting training programs through exercises, models and discussions with small and large groups of people

5.) Constantly monitoring the effectiveness of training.

6.) Independent trainers also market and negotiate their services with client companies

(E) Managing Appraisals includes:

1.) Researching the appraisal needs of managers

2.) Designing a useful appraisal methodology and program that meets these needs

3.) Implementing the appraisal program

4.) Advising management on individual assessments and internal movements

(F) Employee services include:

1.) Managing welfare services such as leave, health services, facilities for sports, social facilities, staff counseling, community service initiatives etc.

(G) Industrial and Labour Relations tasks, in manufacturing and factory set-ups, include:

1.) Negotiating with trade union representatives for pay, perks and other conditions.

2.) Labour Relations Officers as well as Labour lawyers are generally engaged in this function.

3.) Advising management on related matters.

To know more about other relevant information about Career in Human Resource, read the Second Part (2) of this article.