Human Resources Manager Job Description

Human resources managers run a companies human resources across the board.  This means, basically, that the buck stops at them when it comes to the contentedness of the employees.  The have to deal with any disgruntled masses and make them gruntled.  If you'd be interested in aspiring to become a human resources manager, read this human resources manager job description, to see what a human resources manager does.

Human Resources Manager Job Description

Human resources managers run all of the essential human resources functions of a business.  This does not mean they are regular HR generalists or basic HR reps, because they are in charge of ALL of the functions.  They may not do as much one-on-one work as the typical HR rep, but they do oversee all of their employee-related functions.  This includes organizing and packaging benefits.  The human resources manager tries to arrange the best health care and pension benefits as possible with the companies given budget.  If necessary, they'll try and obtain more money for added benefits, and if the company needs to cut the budget, they'll set up a new package and decide what to cut.  They arrange the policies on vacation days and sick days, which of these are paid, and when they can be used.  They also develop policies on training and work with the recruitment and hiring process to make sure things are done by the book.

The Human Resources department is also the advisor to the executive board about what they can and can't do according to state and federal laws in relation to their employees.  The Human Resources manager has to have a clear understanding of what is legal and what is not, and what the punishments are for breaking such laws.  In this sense, the HR manager is the one who protects the employees from their employers.  This includes integrating discrimination and equal opportunity policies into the company rules, as well as enforcing gender neutrality and sexual harassment policies. 

Often, this will mean setting up various training seminars in different fields that the employees and employers need to be versed into to avoid breaking any laws or regulations that could end up in a discrimination lawsuit.  They work to mediate disputes in the work place and protect the employers from lawsuits and the employees from any wrongdoing.

Additionally, the Human Resources manager takes care of payroll, setting appropriate salaries for various jobs and making sure that the hardest workers and most productive workers get raises or promotions, according to what's appropriate. This requires a balance of saving money for the company and at the same time working to make sure the competition can't offer the best employees a better job with better pay.  The Human Resources manager wants to retain the talent as much as possible while keeping budget restraints in mind.

In the case of unions, the Human Resources manager acts as the mediator between the union and the management, and is the group that is working to avoid a strike or a strike-bust. HR managers may also be required to do firings, particularly among management.  They don't have firing power over everyone, but if someone breaks a certain regulation, they can advise for their firing based on misconduct.

Education

Education is essential if you want to be a human resources manager.  You need to have at least a bachelors degree, and it helps to have a masters degree.  Another main component is experience.  The best way to get into a human resources manager position is to spend a lot of time working as an HR generalist at a company.  This position is usually filled by someone with excellent performance and a lot of experience within the company, someone who has a lot of familiarity with the every day goings on of the company.  It's difficult to apply for a HR manager job in a company you've never worked for before.  If they can, they'll go with an inside hire.  Degrees that are best for HR managers are, obviously, human resources, business, and finance.  It helps to start in one of these areas and work your way into a HR position and then work your way up from there.  Once you become an HR manager, there is still a lot of upward mobility, and it's easy to become an executive from there, because in your dealings, you will be making a lot of valuable connections.  You must have excellent math, written, verbal, and people skills, and you must know how to mediate conflict and set effective company policy. 

Pay

Starting HR managers can expect to make around $45,000 a year, but this increases drastically with experience.  You can  make up to $100,000, but the average is going to be around $80,000.  There are many perks to this job as well, which increase with time spent at the company and in the position.

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