Human Resources (HR) Manager or Director

What is a Human Resources (HR) Manager or Director?

The following job responsibilities are common for individuals in HR manager or director roles:

• Manage, train, and supervise a team of human resources specialists
• Oversee the administration of payroll and benefits
• Create and conduct employee and leadership training programs
• Work with company executives and leaders to establish a productive, cost-effective workforce that meets all federal, state, local, and industry laws and regulations
• Oversee the administration of employee hiring, orienting, and termination

A Day in the Life

Human resources (HR) managers and directors oversee sections of HR departments or overall HR departments. They usually directly or indirectly manage multiple HR specialists and generalists, and oversee all department tasks and initiatives. A company’s HR department acts as a liaison between the company, its managers, and its employees: the department is responsible for hiring, dispute resolution, ensuring adherence to laws and regulations, and administration of payroll and company benefits.

Because human resources managers and directors are in leadership roles, they typically perform higher-level tasks than HR generalists and specialists. They oversee day-to-day HR tasks to ensure work is being conducted correctly and effectively, and they serve as escalation points when issues arise that require management intervention. Additionally, HR managers and directors may be responsible for creating overall orientation and training materials, creating course syllabi, and overseeing training courses.

Human resources managers and directors also oversee all company hiring and termination. They educate managers on what circumstances warrant termination or layoffs and ensure all processes adhere to regulations to avoid wrongful termination suits. Additionally, they may consult with other department managers, directors, and leaders when major staffing changes are needed. Human resources managers and directors are often involved when departments grow rapidly or conduct layoffs.

Typical Work Schedule

The working schedule for most human resources managers typically follows the standard full-time working hours of about 40 hours per week. However, some human resources managers work longer hours with more than 40 hours per week especially if working for larger companies and corporations. Longer working hours are usually related to the hiring season, training workshops, or participation in employment fairs or other external events. Human resources managers work is typically office-based. However, some human resource managers especially those working for large organizations that have multiple offices nationwide, need to visit other branches, attend professional meetings, or supervise recruiting of new employees.

Projected Job Growth

Although many HR programs and online platforms are currently, the need for human professionals to run the tasks related to HR is still undoubtful. Human resources management require personal interaction with the upper management and employees during different tasks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, the employment of human resources managers is expected to increase by at least 6 % from 2019 to 2029 which is faster than the average expected growth for other jobs. The high growth of the demand for this job makes it a good choice for fresh graduates who trying to start their career. However, this demand is certainly affected by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the world economy. If you intend to pursue a career in human resources, you should keep in mind to continue learning about new training and development methods, HR systems and update to governing laws. This is essential to remain competitive in the job market particularly when you are seeking higher level positions.

Human Resources Manager and Director Specializations

• HR managers oversee a staff of one many HR generalists, specialists, and/or recruiters.
• HR directors oversee a staff of one or many HR managers.
• Labor relations directors handle contract negotiation and disputes between employees and companies, particularly in labor union environments.
• Payroll managers oversee the administration of company payroll systems and processes.

Career Progression

• Early Career: HR Generalist, Human Resources Specialist, Recruiter
• Mid-Career: HR Manager, Payroll Manager
• Late Career: Human Resources Director, Labor Relations Director

Typical Employers

Human resources managers can essentially work in any company that have large number of employees enough to have a dedicated HR department. They can also work in specialized HR companies that offer outsourcing services to other companies in various. Such companies include famous names as HRinMotion, LLC, Purple Ink, Gainor Staffing and Entech Staffing Solutions among others. This companies are a better choice for fresh graduates who are joining the market because they provide more extensive and diverse experience compared to other companies.