Are You Considering an HR degree?

Somebody once told me -let me clear the air, it wasn’t a random guy I met in the subway but a very experienced co-worker - that the employees of the company are its bloodstream. Sure they are! You need to maintain the right level of blood to make all your body parts function well. Pressure a notch up or low, and hey you’ll lose it all. So a company needs to be very careful how they handle their bloodstream to continue to function properly.

Why do We Need HR Business Partners to Maintain our Bloodstream?

Let me introduce another factor in our analogy to make it clear. The role of a doctor to monitor, prescribe medication and provide consultation when your flow of blood is not what it should be. Exactly the same way, the HR monitors the work progress of employees, lends an ear to all the troubles or issues experienced by them and devises policies that are in the best interest of both the employees and the organization. So they nurture the people giving them the room to perform to the best of their capabilities.

What do They Do For the Organizations?

The HR aligns their objectives with the strategic goals of the company so that targets are achieved as and when planned. They also  ensure that business strategy is put into action through the right people and that the organization’s culture, processes, systems and controls are geared towards getting the best out of its employees , who are the key resource in the workplace. 

Do They Actually Bring in a Competitive Edge?

Yes they do! Your HR business partner is your guy or your gal, who supports your mission, helps the business grow through its’ main functions of:

§     Resourcing,

§     Talent management,

§     Rewards and Compensation ,

§     Learning and Development

As a key business driver, your HR guy provides an environment that fosters growth and pushes employees to get innovative and creative, resulting in better productivity.

How Much do They Earn?

Photo: Stockvault

Since they have become such an important part of the organization now, their absence adds up to be the cost for the business. Hence, this is the reason why, the companies are willing to spend thousands of bucks to attract the best out of the lot.

The median annual wage of human resources specialists is $52,690, growing at rate of 21%  which is faster than average. Also the median annual wage of human resources managers is around $99,180. A bright and crisp future, indeed.

What are Their Major Job Specifications?

Their role as a liaison between the workforce and the company makes them solve and fill in gaps. They take up new assignments and challenges quite frequently. However, major responsibilities at work include:

• Work directly with line managers and their teams in implementing the HR policies to enhance performance achievement
• Implement agreed priorities and HR initiatives, ensuring that initiatives are implemented effectively
• Ensure staff are recognized based on performance
• Implement reward plans for the business and support the annual pay review process. Ensure grievances are handled in accordance with the group policies
• Ensure headcount and succession planning of the business is in place
• Line management is aware of the values and qualities a potential candidate should have
• Support business leaders in developing solutions to solve capability gaps using internal/ external levers

What Sort of Education and Certification do They Require?

To become an HR business partner you have to acquire a bachelor’s degree in human resources or any business related field with focus on human resource. Work experience and internships add up the skill sets and a master’s degree gives you more in-depth knowledge and brings in focus to your desired discipline. If you want to be at the top of your game then get a master degree and specialize in the area you are interested in.

There is no legal requirement as such for getting into this profession but certification to brush up skills and enhance knowledge pool always proves to be beneficial.

Hopefully, you are able to see the big picture now and see incisively how vital is the role of human resource business partner and the department in the success of the business.

Guest Post Contributed by: Richard Sandlar of onlineedublog.com