How to Start a Career in Human Resources

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Human resource is a vital role in the success of any business. The human resources department is a branch of management dealing with the inner workings of a business including staffing, motivation, training and maintenance of employees in an effort to accomplish goals of the organisation. If you are a highly motivated team player who loves to be in charge, a career in human resources may be the right choice for you.

More specific tasks of the human resources department which fall under the broader categories listed above include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Job analysis and position description writing - looks at each position to determine duties to be performed and the skill sets needed to meet achieve those goals;
• Hiring deals with filling each position with a qualified applicant who can succeed in the position and get the job done;
• Orientation and training introduces new hires to the corporate mission and makes sure they get a good start in their new position within the company;
• The human resources department conducts performance appraisals to evaluate the performance of each employee to determine if their job is being performed both properly and efficiently;
• Compensation covers an employees' hourly or salaried wages as well as other monetary benefits such as commissions, bonuses, or awards; and,
• Discipline may cover such issues as write-ups or reprimands, enforcement of company policies and procedures, attitude, behavior, and overall expectations of each position.

A career in human resources will give you an authoritative position within a company as well as an inside view of how the company works. Skills needed to be an effective team player within the human resources department include strong leadership abilities in order to plan, organise, and control the company, excellent communication skills, effective teaching and training skills, the ability to motivate people, which will help the individual accomplish their goals and ultimately help the company succeed.

A human resources position also requires conflict resolution skills to deal with and solve any problems that may arise with personnel due to attitude and behavior and non-performance of their duties. In addition, evaluation skills are needed to assess situations properly, enabling informed decision-making and to conduct performance evaluations.

You can learn all of these skills and more with a formal education. Programs are available at local colleges and universities as well as online to best suit your budget, lifestyle, and the amount of time you have available to devote to course study. The most common types of programs offered for a career in human resources include certificate programs, diplomas, advanced diplomas, associate degrees, bachelor degrees, and master's degrees.

For on campus programs, consult your local community college or university for a list of available courses and curriculum, however, if you need more flexibility and freedom in your studies, an excellent online resource offering in home study for a management position in human resources is the International Career Institute.