Becoming an HR manager requires a great amount of managerial, communication, and administrative skills. This article gives you tips on the best way to become an HR manager…
Personnel management is absolutely necessary in any industry; be it finance, manufacturing, health care, business, or information technology. Be it in any area of work, you will always find a human resource professional being employed. In simple words, Human Resource Management (HRM) is associated with the management of employees and workplace problems. Since this is an integral part of any employment entity, the HRM practice cannot be avoided. A person who takes care of this practice is referred to as an human resource manager.
Becoming an HR Manager
Generally, to become an HR manager, you need to possess a good amount of experience as an HR executive. When it comes to the education, the first step that you need to take is to get a bachelor’s degree in human resources administration and management. With this degree, you can work as an executive for a few years. For the manager post, you need to have a master’s degree in human resources or industrial and labor relations.
In some agencies, you can work as an HR manager without the above mentioned education, but you should show some real good hands-on expertise and experience in the domain. Though these are some general educational requirements to get into the HR field, there are colleges who offer diploma and certificate courses as well. These courses normally last for a year, and can fetch you a job as a human resource assistant. Moreover, these short courses have an internship which is useful in gaining hands-on experience.
If you want to work in a company that deals in a particular area of business, it is recommended to have the basic functional knowledge of that area. For example, if the employer is a financial firm, it is suggested to have an understanding of how the financial sector works. Same goes for sectors such as manufacturing, health care, production, and marketing industries. You can even excel in the HR management field with certifications from recognized organizations.
Good examples can be certifications like the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) are available from the Society for Human Resource Management. You can even check out at professional certifying entities such as American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Job Description
An HR manager basically has to make sure all employees are satisfied with their work and there is no formal issue bothering them. If he comes across any issue reported by the employee, he has to assess the complete problem and its aspects. If the matter is serious, he needs to get in touch with the top management members for advice. In order to solve employee problems, he has to be in direct contact with respective employee heads or department leads.
An important part of the responsibilities is managing the HR department. He has to make sure all HR executives are working as expected, with regards to recruitment, payroll, benefits, leave management, performance appraisals, and other tasks. He has to carry out the performance appraisal process of his subordinates at a specific time in every year. An HR manager is supposed to keep a detailed record of employees and staff in the company database.
Devising company policies is also a significant part of the tasks of an HR manager. He has to help the top management prepare certain workplace policies. He acts as a link between workers and the company. The job description of an HR manager largely depends on the type of company and field of employment he is providing services in.
Salary Range
It has been recorded that the median per annum income of HR managers comes to around $96,500.
| Years of Experience | Median Salary Scale |
| 0 to 1 Year | $31,000 – $49,000 |
| 1 to 4 Years | $39,000 – $56,000 |
| 5 to 9 Years | $47,000 – $68,000 |
| 10 to 19 Years | $53,000 – $78,000 |
| Over 20 Years | $56,250 – $85,500 |
| State of Employment | Median Salary Scale |
| New York | $50,000 – $77,500 |
| California | $53,250 – $79,350 |
| Texas | $45,000 – $70,500 |
| Illinois | $49,000 – $74,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,000 – $72,000 |
| City of Employment | Median Salary Scale |
| New York City | $56,700 – $81,700 |
| Houston | $51,700 – $78,000 |
| Atlanta | $49,800 – $75,000 |
| Chicago | $51,500 – $80,000 |
| Los Angeles | $53,000 – $79,400 |
After working as an HR manager for a couple of years, you can advance to the next level if you show that you have what it takes. The salary ranges mentioned above are just estimated per annum figures. A mandatory requirement is to have good communication, interpersonal, managerial, decision-making, logical thinking, and time management skills.