Organizations in every industry—from government to healthcare to education to technology and more—need professionals skilled in human resource (HR) management. Human resources managers serve as an essential link between an organization’s management and employees. Among their many responsibilities, HR managers define, direct, and evaluate company staffing, training, development, retention, performance management, and compensation processes and policies. They play a role in business strategy and analytical thinking as well as in mentoring and helping people grow. Whether you’re interested in moving into HR management or you’re already there and want to make a bigger impact, here are three of the most important things you should be prepared to do to help your organization succeed.
1. Offer Strategic Input to Senior Leaders
Being able to understand and consider how HR can support company strategy is essential to transitioning from HR administration into leadership. By working closely with senior leaders and top executives, HR managers can proactively identify and execute plans to acquire and retain the resources needed to achieve organizational goals. By providing insight and guidance on HR trends, best practices, ethical principles, and laws, they can also be influential in forging a company’s strategic direction and help to guide decision-making on new projects and strategy. The insight and leadership of HR managers can be especially valuable during times of significant organizational change, such as a company merger or expansion.
2. Create, Monitor, and Address HR Metrics
HR metrics and information systems are another area of importance in the upper levels of HR. Developing and sharing HR metric dashboards and reporting can help companies identify and monitor talent and staffing needs as well as plan for and assess new initiatives. Tracking HR metrics will provide useful information in organizations of every size and is particularly important for companies who manage a large and distributed workforce. Making sure you have the right people with the right skills at the right place around the world is a complicated task that requires careful planning and oversight.
3. Find Ways to Attract and Retain Employees
Companies that can attract, develop, and retain top talent have an advantage over their competitors. Achieving that advantage requires HR managers to create policies and programs that attract and engage skilled employees. With today’s diverse and global workforce, changing workplace preferences and expectations can present challenges even for experienced professionals. For example, modern employees increasingly value flexible working options. The expectations for leaders and managers have also changed over the years. Where leadership was once more aloof, employees now want leaders who communicate frequently and transparently and who welcome collaboration, feedback, and employee input. As an HR professional, you can add value by finding new ways to attract diverse talent, training managers on effective leadership methods, and developing an inclusive, welcoming culture that supports employee success and retention.
Level up Your HR Management Skills
In South University’s Master of Science in Human Resource Management (MS in HRM), you can learn more about the business concepts, strategies, and structures that impact organizations and their stakeholders and the role of HR managers in helping companies to succeed. Case studies are a key tool for teaching HR competencies in the program, allowing students to examine and develop solutions to real-world business problems.
Designed to equip students for a variety of HR management roles, our HRM master’s degree program explores topics such as:
● Strategic human resource management
● Human resource planning
● Labor laws and ethical standards
● Organizational staffing
● Classification, compensation, and benefits
● Performance management
● Training and development
● Labor unions, workplace safety, and security
● International human resources management
● Metrics and measurement of HR management
The program curriculum is built around competencies that the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM) describes as necessary for HR professionals, with the SHRM program directory acknowledging our program’s alignment. With a SRHM-CP practice test included in the program’s capstone course, graduates may be eligible and prepared to sit for the SHRM-CP certification exam.
The MS in HRM degree program is available online as well as at our Austin and Tampa locations. To start the next step in your education and your career, request more information online today.
