Career profile for Human Resources Manager

What does a Human Resources Manager do?

Human Resources Managers plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.

What kind of tasks does a Human Resources Manager perform regularly?

Human Resources Managers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
Prepare personnel forecast to project employment needs.
Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, opportunities for promotion, and employee benefits.
Investigate and report on industrial accidents for insurance carriers.
Administer compensation, benefits, and performance management systems, and safety and recreation programs.
Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices.
Plan, organize, direct, control, or coordinate the personnel, training, or labor relations activities of an organization.
Allocate human resources, ensuring appropriate matches between personnel.
Oversee the evaluation, classification, and rating of occupations and job positions.
Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
Analyze training needs to design employee development, language training, and health and safety programs.
Study legislation, arbitration decisions, and collective bargaining contracts to assess industry trends.
Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals, and absenteeism rates.
Prepare and follow budgets for personnel operations.
Conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for employee termination.
Develop, administer, and evaluate applicant tests.
Develop or administer special projects in areas such as pay equity, savings bond programs, day care, and employee awards.

The above responsibilities are specific to Human Resources Managers. More generally, Human Resources Managers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships		Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others		Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Staffing Organizational Units		Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others

Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Staffing Organizational Units

Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

What is a Human Resources Manager salary?

The median salary for a Human Resources Manager is $121,220, and the average salary is $134,580. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Human Resources Manager salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Human Resources Managers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Human Resources Managers earn less than $71,180 per year, 25% earn less than $91,730, 75% earn less than $162,720, and 90% earn more than $208,000.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Human Resources Managers is expected to change by 9.2%, and there should be roughly 14,800 open positions for Human Resources Managers every year.

Median annual salary: $121,220
Typical salary range: $71,180 - Over $208,000
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 9.2%

What personality traits are common among Human Resources Managers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Human Resources Manager are usually higher in their Enterprising, Social, and Conventional interests.

Human Resources Managers typically have very strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Also, Human Resources Managers typically have strong Social interests. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Lastly, Human Resources Managers typically have strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Human Resources Manager tend to value Relationships, Recognition, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Human Resources Managers very strongly value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Human Resources Managers strongly value Recognition. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious.

Lastly, Human Resources Managers strongly value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Human Resources Managers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as integrity, self-control, and leadership.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Human Resources Managers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Leadership		Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Leadership

Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

What education and training do Human Resources Managers need?

Many Human Resources Managers will have a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Human Resources Managers usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Educational degrees among Human Resources Managers

2.1% did not complete high school or secondary school
9.9% completed high school or secondary school
16.0% completed some college coursework
7.6% earned a Associate's degree
40.7% earned a Bachelor's degree
20.9% earned a Master's degree
2.8% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Human Resources Managers

Human Resources Managers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as personnel and human resources, administration and management, or law and government knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Human Resources Managers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Personnel and Human Resources		Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Law and Government		Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Personnel and Human Resources

Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Law and Government

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Important Abilities needed by Human Resources Managers

Human Resources Managers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Human Resources Managers need abilities such as oral comprehension, oral expression, and written comprehension in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Human Resources Managers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning		The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Critical Skills needed by Human Resources Managers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Human Resources Managers frequently use skills like active listening, speaking, and management of personnel resources to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Human Resources Managers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Management of Personnel Resources		Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making		Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Management of Personnel Resources

Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Manager

Table of Contents

Would Human Resources Manager be a good fit for you?