Human resources (HR) managers play a vital role in organizations. They are responsible for overseeing various aspects of human resource management, including recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, retention, policies, and more. HR managers come from diverse backgrounds and can have various profiles depending on their specific responsibilities, skills, experience, education, and interests. This article will provide an overview of common HR manager profiles.
Recruiting Manager
A recruiting manager is an HR professional who specializes in recruiting and staffing. Their primary responsibilities include:
- Developing recruitment strategies to attract top talent
- Posting and advertising job openings on platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.
- Screening resumes and job applications
- Conducting preliminary interviews via phone or video
- Coordinating with hiring managers to schedule in-person interviews
- Making job offers and negotiating salary/benefits with candidates
- Managing relationships with external recruiting agencies
Recruiting managers need strong communication and interpersonal skills to source, engage, and hire qualified candidates. They should be adept at using various sourcing techniques and recruitment technology. A bachelor’s degree and HR work experience are typical requirements for this role.
Compensation and Benefits Manager
The compensation and benefits manager oversees employee compensation, rewards, and benefits programs. Their key duties include:
- Conducting market research to benchmark and set competitive pay rates
- Designing and implementing compensation structures
- Administering pay programs like bonuses, equity, profit sharing, etc.
- Managing payroll systems and processes
- Developing and managing employee benefit plans, e.g. health insurance, retirement plans, etc.
- Ensuring compensation and benefits programs comply with laws and regulations
- Communicating compensation and benefits information to employees
Strong analytical skills, business acumen, and a good understanding of laws and regulations governing pay and benefits are critical for compensation and benefits managers. Relevant education and several years of HR experience are typical prerequisites.
Training and Development Manager
Training and development managers design, implement, and oversee employee training and development programs aligned to organizational goals. Key aspects of their role include:
- Assessing organizational training needs through surveys, interviews, etc.
- Developing training curriculum and materials based on needs
- Selecting and managing relationships with external training providers as needed
- Coordinating logistics for training programs and events
- Delivering training sessions for employees across levels
- Measuring training effectiveness through surveys, tests, monitoring performance, etc.
- Coaching and mentoring employees to support development
Strong presentation skills, instructional design capabilities, project management, and coaching skills are important for training managers. Educational qualifications like a master’s degree in human resources or adult education combined with solid HR work experience are often required.
HR Information Systems (HRIS) Manager
The HRIS manager is responsible for managing the HR department’s information systems and using data to drive workforce planning and decisions. Their key responsibilities include:
- Implementing and customizing HRIS software/tools for applicant tracking, performance management, learning management, etc.
- Ensuring smooth integration between HRIS and other organizational systems like payroll, timekeeping, etc.
- Mining HR data to generate insights and metrics on workforce issues, risks, productivity, etc.
- Leveraging analytics and metrics to guide HR and manpower planning
- Implementing information security and access controls for HR data
- Training employees on using HR tools and systems
HRIS managers need a strong background in HR combined with knowledge of information systems and analytics. Educational qualifications like bachelor’s or master’s degrees in IT, computer science, or engineering are common.
Labor Relations Manager
Labor relations managers oversee union-management relations and collective bargaining agreements. Their key tasks include:
- Serving as the point of contact between the organization and labor unions
- Supporting contract negotiations and collective bargaining processes
- Mediating disputes between labor unions and management
- Interpreting collective bargaining agreements and resolving grievances
- Advising management on labor laws, standards, and relations best practices
- Collaborating with union representatives to promote positive union-management relationships
- Educating employees and managers on labor relations issues
Strong conflict resolution, analytical, and communication skills are essential for labor relations managers. Legal knowledge and experience in labor relations are also critical and required through relevant bachelor’s and master’s degrees paired with HR work experience.
Organizational Development Manager
Organizational development (OD) managers focus on developing strategies to improve organizational effectiveness and performance. Their responsibilities include:
- Assessing organizational structures, processes, culture, and capabilities
- Identifying needs and opportunities for change initiatives
- Designing OD interventions like training, coaching, surveys, workshops, etc.
- Leading the implementation of OD programs
- Partnering with leadership and key stakeholders throughout the OD process
- Measuring and evaluating the impact of OD initiatives
- Promoting an organizational culture of continuous learning and development
OD managers require strong analytical, project management, communication, and influencing skills. Relevant master’s degrees paired with leadership experience in HR are usually needed for this role.
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
The CHRO is the highest-ranking HR executive responsible for overseeing the entire HR function at an organizational level. Their broad responsibilities include:
- Developing HR strategies aligned with business goals
- Overseeing areas like recruiting, compensation, benefits, training, employee relations, etc.
- Serving as the HR representative in the C-suite and boardroom
- Partnering with senior leadership on talent management and workforce planning
- Promoting optimal organizational culture and employee experience
- Ensuring compliance with employment laws and regulations
- Managing the HR budget and determining resource allocation
CHROs need to have a strategic mindset, business acumen, leadership capabilities, and extensive HR expertise. Typical qualifications are master’s degrees and many years of progressive HR leadership experience.
Global Head of HR
In large multinational corporations, the global head of HR holds an executive role overseeing HR across the organization worldwide. Their responsibilities are:
- Setting the overall global HR vision, strategy, and priorities
- Standardizing HR practices, processes, systems, and policies across countries
- Ensuring local execution of global HR initiatives across regions/countries
- Driving cultural integration throughout the organization
- Enabling mobility and growth for international talent
- Partnering with global business leaders and local HR heads
- Serving as a member of the global executive leadership team
The global HR head role requires exceptional strategic thinking, business partnering skills, and leadership capabilities. Extensive international HR experience is a must.
HR Business Partner
The HR business partner acts as a strategic liaison between HR and specific business functions/units within an organization. They perform activities such as:
- Consulting with business leaders on using human capital to achieve objectives
- Co-creating workforce, talent, and organizational plans with business leaders
- Identifying people-related priorities, risks, and opportunities
- Advising on organization design, change management, and capability building
- Facilitating the implementation of HR solutions to address business needs
- Coaching business leaders on HR, talent, and leadership issues
- Promoting alignment between business strategies and HR strategies
HR business partners need a balance of business acumen, strategic orientation, HR expertise, relationship management, and consulting skills. Prior experience in HR roles is essential.
HR Generalist
The HR generalist is responsible for performing a wide variety of HR duties instead of specializing in just one area. Typical responsibilities include:
- Handling day-to-day HR activities like employee requests, questions, and needs
- Administering HR processes like onboarding, payroll, attendance, etc.
- Supporting various HR functions like recruiting, compensation, compliance, etc.
- Implementing HR programs, policies, initiatives and communications
- Providing guidance to managers and employees on HR issues
- Undertaking HR-related projects and special assignments
- Partnering with the business to address general people management needs
HR generalists perform a hybrid role requiring broad HR knowledge rather than specialization. A bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field is commonly required.
Types of Skills Needed
Given the diversity of their roles, HR managers need a varied mix of hard and soft skills. Some important ones include:
- Communication skills – For tasks like interviewing, training, counseling, collaborating, presenting, etc.
- People management skills – To coach, develop, motivate, lead teams, and resolve conflicts
- Ethics and integrity – To ensure fair, lawful, and ethical HR policies and practices
- Critical thinking – To analyze information, evaluate options, identify issues and solutions
- Business acumen – To understand the organization’s goals and align HR strategy
- Data analysis – To leverage workforce metrics in talent decisions and planning
- Project management – To execute HR initiatives on budget, time, and scope
- Technology skills – To utilize HR information systems, tools, and analytics
Common Education and Experience
Here are typical education and experience requirements for HR managers:
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, psychology, or related field
- 1-5 years of HR experience for specialized manager roles
- PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or other HR certifications
- Master’s degree preferred for senior roles like CHRO or Global Head of HR
- 8-10+ years of progressive HR experience for executive positions
- Prior experience as an HR business partner or HR director
Ongoing professional development is also critical for HR managers to stay updated on trends, technologies, laws, and best practices.
Reporting Structure
HR managers may report into different parts of the organization depending on the company structure:
- CEO or COO – Common for CHROs as part of the executive team
- Chief Administrative Officer – For heads of HR operations and shared services
- CFO – For heads of HRIS, analytics, compensation, and benefits
- Business unit leader – Applicable for embedded HR business partners
- Head of People/HR – For specialized HR managers like recruiting, learning, OD, etc.
In a matrixed structure, HR managers may have dual reporting relationships – functional reporting into the head of HR and dotted-line reporting into business unit leaders.
Career Development and Progression
Here are some common career paths and progression opportunities for HR managers:
- Starting as an HR coordinator or recruiter and getting promoted to HR specialist, then HR manager
- Gaining broad HR generalist experience before specializing in a particular HR function
- Moving from an HR business partner role into an HR director position
- Progressing from head of HR at a single site to head of HR for a country/region
- Advancing from a functional HR leadership role to CHRO
- Leveraging HR experience to shift into other leadership roles like COO, CAO, CPO, etc.
Ongoing development through courses, certifications, job rotations, international assignments, and leadership programs can help accelerate an HR career.
Work Environment
HR managers typically work in office settings but may also need to travel occasionally to other corporate locations, client sites, and professional events. Those in global or matrixed roles require more frequent travel.
Depending on the organization size and structure, they may be based out of corporate HQs, local offices, manufacturing plants, etc. They often splitting time between their desks doing computer-based tasks and meetings or walking the floor to interact with employees.
HR managers tend to work full-time hours but may need to work beyond normal business hours during critical initiatives like compensation planning, labor negotiations, or merger integrations. Work-life balance can be challenging at times due to deadlines and competing priorities.
Compensation and Benefits
According to Payscale, the average annual salary for HR managers in the United States is:
- Early Career (1-4 years experience): $59,000
- Mid-Career (5-9 years): $70,000
- Experienced (10-19 years): $85,000
Compensation can vary significantly based on factors like:
- Industry
- Company size and type
- Years of relevant HR experience
- Geographic location
- Nature and seniority of role
- Advanced certifications and education
Typical benefits include health insurance, paid time off, professional development budgets, retirement plans, flexible work options, and more. Bonuses and equity compensation are common at more senior levels.
Job Outlook
Human resources management roles are projected to grow at 6% from 2020-2030 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, on par with average job growth across occupations.
Demand for HR expertise is expected to increase as organizations become more complex, compliance and legal considerations rise, talent shortages intensify, and adoption of technologies like AI and people analytics grows.
More specialization within HR and expansion of data-driven capabilities will be key trends. Professionals with business acumen and technology skills in addition to HR knowledge will have an advantage.
Conclusion
HR managers encompass a diverse range of strategic and operational roles within the human resources function. They oversee critical workforce issues like recruiting, development, compensation, and employee experience.
Typical HR manager profiles include recruiting managers, compensation and benefits specialists, training managers, HRIS experts, labor relations leads, organizational development consultants, HR business partners, and generalists.
To be successful, HR managers need capabilities like communication, critical thinking, technology skills, business acumen, ethics, and project management. Progression can occur from HR specialist roles up to the executive level as CHRO or Head of HR.
As strategic business partners helping organizations navigate complex workforce challenges, capable HR managers will continue to be in high demand.
