The Human Resources Manager is responsible for managing and overseeing the personnel department within a company, organization or agency.  In most companies the Human Resources Manager is also key in providing employee supervision and evaluations, retraining employees, offering mediation services for struggling employees as well as firing employees that are not meeting standards.

Human Resources Managers must be aware of local, state and federal employment guidelines, manage payroll issues, maintain employee records, complete and record insurance and other programs offered to employees and be able to assist employees in understanding and evaluating the participation in these programs.
They may also be actively involved in retraining or training new employees or existing employees or answering questions that employees may have on policies or procedures within the company or agency.

Workplace safety, employee attendance and health and safety issues are also addressed by the human resources manager.  The manager may be able to work directly with outside agencies to provide on-site counseling or even specialized programs for additions or crisis intervention counseling or services.  Many HR Managers act as the bridge and liaison between management and workers in non-union companies. Conflict resolution and improving overall workplace moral is a key part of the role of the HR Manager.

Common work activities include:

Posting advertisements for new employees in newspapers, on the internet or in trade specific magazines.

Contacting employment services or even executive recruiters for very specialized postings.

Ensuring all record keeping with regards to workman's compensation, health and medical insurance, and other state and government regulations is completed as required.

Overseeing the human resources department staff and handling all issues involving employee complaints or questions that cannot be answered by other staff.

Managing office or agency health, safety and mental health and well-being issues.

Working with employers and employees in training and in-service presentations as required.

Hiring, supervising, training, monitoring and firing of staff.

Entry-level professional positions in Human Resources normally require a four year college degree.  The preferred degree could vary from business administration with a human resources specialization to industrial relations or sociology.  Some employers may look for a well-rounded background and choose liberal arts graduates.  Certain jobs may also require additional background in such fields as engineering, finance, health or law.  Graduate work is becoming increasingly important for specialists in labor relations.
Annual earnings are determined by a variety of factors including field, title, place of employment, level of education, experience and geography.

Salaries for HR Specialists range from about $24,200 to over $39,000.  Annual salaries for HR Managers usually range from $40,000 to $65,000 and could go as high as $99,000 for Human Resources Directors.

**Annual earnings are determined by a variety of factors including field, title, place of employment, level of education, experience and geography.**

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