HR Manager Job Description - Duties, Skills and Requirements

An HR Manager (or Human Resources Manager) is a person responsible for recruiting, managing, training and developing the human resources of a company or other organization. HR managers typically report to an HR Director or directly to the company’s senior management team. The role of HR manager is a complex one with a broad range of responsibilities.

Let’s now take a detailed look at what the job of an HR manager involves.

A key area of an HR Manager’s remit is search and selection (also known as recruitment or staffing). HR managers work with senior management (i.e. the CEO and other senior managers) to identify a company’s recruitment needs. The recruiting process, which an HR manager may direct personally or delegate to a team of selecters, involves a range of tasks, including creating and publishing job advertisements, screening CVs, running assessment centers and conducting job interviews.

An HR manager plays a key role in negotiating the contract terms and conditions that will be offered to the chosen candidate, including the remuneration. The aim of negotiations is typically to offer a satisfactory salary package without exceeding the agreed budget limits.

An HR manager is also responsible for a range of HR management tasks, which are carried out in conjunction with the personnel administration function, often using specialist HR tools and software (such as SAP HR). These tasks include awarding promotion and setting compensation policies (e.g. salary increases, bonuses and benefits). Other key areas of responsibility of an HR manager include employment termination and dismissal procedures and industrial relations.

Human resources managers are also in charge of creating and implementing personal development plans and training opportunities designed to enhance the skills of a company’s human resources and establishing monitoring and evaluation tools for measuring employee performance and satisfaction. Where necessary, they may also plan actions designed to improve individual and collective performances, such as transferring workers or assigning them new duties.

Other important aspects of the job of an HR manager include working to foster employee engagement and reinforce company culture, which are key factors in a company’s ability to attract qualified personnel, reduce staff turnover and increase employee retention.

A human resource manager’s remit thus also includes developing an HR policy that reflects the company’s vision, mission and values, conducting employer branding initiatives and implementing strategies that increase employees’ sense of belonging and engagement and enhance their personal and professional satisfaction (e.g. through team-building activities).

Finally, HR managers are responsible for encouraging the application of good HR practices and for supporting change management processes and initiatives designed to enable business growth and respond to key trends.

Human resources managers are a key figure for a company’s employees and its management.

They should always be ready and willing to engage in dialogue with workers of all levels and seniority, to listen to their needs and complaints and to find a solution that is satisfactory for all parties to any critical HR-related issues that may arise (e.g. issues related to pay or working conditions). Consequently, strong interpersonal and communication skills are an essential requirement for an HR manager.

As human resource management is a cross-disciplinary function, HR managers are employed in public and private companies and organizations of all kinds.

Depending on the size of the company they work for, the organization of a human resources function can vary widely. For instance, in smaller companies, an HR manager may handle all HR management issues directly, making use of external consultants (e.g. recruiters and employment consultants) where necessary. In larger organizations, on the other hand, an HR manager may coordinate a team or department of human resource workers and focus personally on a number of key issues or areas only (such as employee performance evaluation or training and development programmes).

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HR managers have the following responsibilities:

• Managing the recruitment and selection process
• Dealing with the administrative and financial aspects of HR management
• Planning training and development programmes for personnel
• Monitoring and evaluating employee performance
• Creating models and procedures for defining organizational roles and structures
• Fostering company culture and sense of belonging
• Improving employee engagement and satisfaction
• Managing and developing the HR function in accordance with company strategy

To become an HR manager typically requires a degree in economics, law or a humanities subject, although completing a training course in human resource management and development or gaining some other form of HR certification may also prove useful.

In addition to university training and HR qualifications, job advertisements for HR managers usually require experience of human resources management in large and/or complex settings, such as the human resources department in a medium to large sized company or in an employment consulting firm.

Human resources managers need the following skills and capabilities:

• Knowledge of employee evaluation methods and performance management processes
• Ability to manage employee remuneration and incentive systems
• Knowledge of employment and contractual law
• Ability to plan training and development programmes
• Excellent interpersonal, listening and negotiation skills
• Organizational and decision-making skills
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Problem-solving skills
• Capacity for change and flexibility

The career of an HR manager typically starts in a junior position, for example as an HR assistant or a staffing assistant. Later, as their experience and proficiency grows, HR workers may have the opportunity to tackle more challenging tasks involving additional responsibilities (e.g. coordinating an HR work team) and may eventually progress to the role of human resources manager. In larger and/or more complex corporate settings, there may be the possibility of further career advancements (e.g. to positions such as executive human resources manager or director of human resources).

HR and organizational management skills can open doors to a wide variety of other professions. Possibilities include specializing in scouting out top talent to fill managerial positions (i.e. as a corporate headhunter) or moving into self-employed work and offering specialist consulting services on issues such as organizational development, competitive positioning, HR analytics, employment rights and law or industrial relations.

A job as an HR manager is suited to candidates with strong organizational and planning skills and a talent for interpersonal relations. This is a dynamic role that involves frequent contact and interaction with company personnel at all levels, all the way up to senior management, that calls for flexibility and a strong capacity for change. In addition to an aptitude for planning and organization, HR managers also require the ability to accurately monitor and evaluate performance and an understanding of how to motivate and reward employees and prevent dissatisfaction.

Finally, with human resources management considered a critical factor for business success, HR Manager have a significant level of responsibility, for which they are well-rewarded.

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