Small companies with less than 50 employees often hire and train people in piecemeal fashion; but as the company grows, the need to fill human resource jobs becomes great. Hiring on a full-time Human Resources Director is a much more efficient way to manage new and existing human capital. HR functions often include: employee hiring, new hire training, standards-setting, payroll, firing employees and recruiting strategies.
What Are Companies Looking For?
To fill human resource jobs, most companies are looking for managers who are used to running companies bigger than their own – perhaps even twice as large. That guarantees that the HR manager will be qualified to help the organization grow over time.
Companies also put considerable time and thought into your personality. They can’t just stick any old person in a human resource job because this person will be responsible for conveying corporate culture to new hires. If the HR manager does not embody the attitude, values and “face” of the company, then how can any of this culture be translated to others? In some cases, two different human resource jobs are filled when one person excels in administrative type tasks, while another has the necessary charisma to train new staff members.
What Is The Job Description?
The job description of human resource jobs should include:
- Design of employee policies and compensation packages
- Management of incentive pay and performance reviews
- Overseeing hiring and firing
- Administering worker training and development programs
- “Additional duties, as assigned”
How Much Does An HR Manager Make?
According to PayScale, human resource jobs may pay anywhere from $35,000 to $91,000, on average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts this number much higher at $60,000 – $169,000 (with the average HR manager bringing in $108,600 annually.) The lowest 10 percent make $28.88/hour, while the highest 10 percent earn $81.40/hour. Industries with the highest wages for human resource jobs include: Corporate Management, Local Government, Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Colleges/Universities, and Employment Services. Other top-paying sectors include: the Motion Picture Industry, Information Services, Securities and Commodities Brokerage, Financial Investments and Communications Equipment Manufacturing. Top-paying states include: California, New York, Texas, Illinois and New Jersey.
The Bottom Line:
The ideal candidate should be a confident, high-energy self-starter who can multi-task, switch gears as necessary, communicate effectively and reason logically.