In the era of developing technology and automation, there is still a real demand on the market for HR specialists. What do people working in the Human Resources department do and how much do you earn on average? How to become an HR person? You will find the answers to the questions.
Who is HR?
Human Resources - is a department in the company responsible, among others for personal documentation, recruitment and recruitment of new employees, their development, conflict resolution, support for managers in team management. Although it is often considered unnecessary by some, it is hard to imagine a modern organization without its support. More and more companies are noticing the need to develop this function to improve the effectiveness of the entire organization.
What education will be useful in HR?
Hardly anyone goes to high school or finishes it with the feeling of "I want to be an HR"! Usually interest in this field appears during studies - acting in student organizations or gaining first professional experience. First of all, among HR people graduates of humanities or business / economic studies are most often found, less often people with technical faculties (although this is not disqualifying in any way). In HR, there will be graduates of e.g. psychology or management (when looking at job offers you can see that they are most often mentioned in the requirements for a given position).
What is worth doing in college to help you start in HR?
Any additional activity during studies works for the benefit of the candidate, while in terms of acquiring HR competencies, it is particularly useful to work in student or non-governmental organizations. It is worth choosing one that adopts the structure of the company (e.g. has HR, Marketing, Finance departments ...). Sometimes an organization will pay off better than an internship or apprenticeship because you get more responsibility (e.g. full recruitment process instead of a small slice).
10 Steps to become successful HR
10. YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR VISION
Know what you want to achieve and why. A little research will help you navigate a wide range of options. Make it your task. Explore everything you can find, communicate with colleagues in the shop to become an expert. If you are interviewed, clearly state your goals. If you are already working. Discuss indicative ideas to get communication and approval.
9. THINK STRATEGICALLY
HR manager. We wanted the staff to be more than just a department. This meant that employees at every level knew and understood the role in supporting the corporate culture and HR philosophy.
Thus, we developed HR tools that used managers and employees to independently obtain HR information and perform a number of operations. After training, we tracked their use and effectiveness. The availability of these self-service tools is provided by the HR team to become a strategic partner, not an operational clerk.
8. BECOME EXCELLENT COMMUNICATORS
Steve Wynn taught that the difference between a professional and a leader is the ability to communicate. You are the mouthpiece of the company's corporate culture, so try to play this role using the following tactics:
• adopt the speaker style that you admire. Practice out loud and then speak at each meeting and tell what the HR team does well;
• use your skills to help others communicate more effectively at company meetings, events and events, as well as with new employees during adaptation;
• Start attending meetings of leading wedding ceremonies - this kind of training will make you a good speaker.
7. BECOME TECHNICALLY SECURE
Using technology will improve processes and increase efficiency. The Problem was that people did not know enough to formulate ideas or participate in discussions. So, you can take courses that help you better understand terminology and methodology.
6. BE FLEXIBLE
First, show a healthy curiosity to find out what you did not know. It’s easy to do what you know how to do, but you need to be constantly up to date with the latest HR products. Take time online and offline to identify problems and learn best practices for resolving them. Consider sponsoring your company with business and industry meetings so that employees can interact with other professionals.
Secondly, try a new one. The world is changing: the rules and principles that have guided you in the past often need to be updated. How many of us have a manual that says “at will” ? Isn't that already outdated (in fact, the last time you fired someone for no reason)? The same thing with arbitration: have you ever wondered why you had so many lawsuits? Often we do what we did before, but sometimes there is a better way, and who, if not HR, can offer it?
Third, be a wise master of change. HR functions provide us with an ideal platform for learning, discussion, and influencing possible transformations.
A commitment to the past will not allow the introduction of the latest developments and technologies in the future. This is where an open and flexible mindset serves HR professionals. Planning - for the things we want to do, or for unforeseen situations when everything happens not as expected - this is a smart way to act.
Fourth, manage change effectively. Finding great ideas is one thing, and realizing them is another. Great ideas take time and effort, and someone needs to do it. Learn about project management best practices so you can implement these changes. Know what tools are available to you, use them and take a leading role in implementing your HR plans.
5. UNDERSTAND NUMBERS
Want something that costs money? It's all about budgets - and you have to fight for what you need. HR managers often do not want to offer programs, and generally take the initiative, because they are afraid to receive a refusal from the company's management.
4. BE A FULL PARTNER
We often hear that HRs want a “place at the table,” but this is not always justified. You must earn it. Top management and employees should see you as a leader and a smart business person - all this is necessary for a successful career. For this:
• Work with each department manager individually to find out the needs and expectations of HR. Collaboration is the best way to get and implement HR ideas in an organization;
• work with each department, conduct focus groups, run trial programs to assess the acceptability and usability of your ideas, and create an advisory group that can contribute to the planning process;
• appoint staff training managers - line managers who will take responsibility to determine what training is needed in their area, when and how it will be conducted, and will also monitor attendance and training outcomes.
Such cooperation gave our HR department a clear understanding of the context of all areas of the company and helped to understand whether we provide what our company needs.
3. DO NOT SIT IN YOUR OFFICE
Spend more time outside the walls of your office. Often for employees, going to HR is akin to receiving a director. Everything will be different if you will often come to the workers at their jobs. They will get to know you better, become more open to your questions, and you will better know the problems that you will have to deal with. Also:
• employees will appreciate your presence, and managers will understand your ideas. Soon you will be perceived as part of the team, not HR, who is hiding behind the instructions. You will be able to resolve issues before they turn into big problems;
• Create an open door policy so that employees can express dissatisfaction with decisions made, ask questions, receive answers, and develop a culture of trust in the company.
2. RISK
Most HR professionals are not risk averse, probably because they are not encouraged (or are not allowed to take risks). But successful HR practitioners recognize the need to take advantage of the opportunities available and the effect that can be achieved. For example, last year at TEDx I talked about several alternative recruitment programs that I developed. Within their framework, work was carried out with police units and local agencies that provided services to people in difficult life situations, and a program was developed to work with those who first committed a non-violent crime. We turned to people who could not imagine that they would have the opportunity to work in a casino - not just because we needed more applicants, but because it was right.
1. INSPECT OTHERS
The word that is often used to describe the style of personnel management is “inspiration”. Most HRs are associated with “rules,” and too often we perceive them as the most recent bureaucrats unconnected with the real world of organizational needs. Of course, this is present in our work, but the more you inspire others to get to know HR, the awareness and understanding of what it is for and what benefits it can provide, the faster you will become a recognized leader in your company, and not a gray cardinal. If you have enthusiasm, it will be passed on to the employees of your company and will manifest itself in your corporate culture. If it is not, then for you it will be the next place of work, however, as for other employees. There is little fun in this, but you must understand that this is not the type of leadership that is needed in HR today.
Follow these 10 steps and you will become a more effective leader in HR. Do not get stuck in their sequence: swap them, giving preference to more important ones. Good luck
Posted on Jun 12, 2020 by Anna
