Professionals in human resources help organizations by fostering and maintaining company culture, completing and processing sensitive employee documentation, addressing employee concerns, and actively working to recruit and hire new talent.
Some professionals in this field may choose to obtain a degree specifically focused on human resources. However, graduates with a bachelor’s in psychology are also well-positioned for success because of their studies concerning human behavior, organization, and management.
Where’s the psychology in human resources?
As a psychology major, you are developing a complex skill set that includes critical thinking, information gathering and organization, and understanding how human psychology can complicate and add nuance to these issues.
A human resources professional is tasked with juggling a foundational knowledge of people’s behavior as they pertain to diverse ideas, coworkers, company culture, and personal career paths. Human resources is especially important for organizations today because of the social demand for workplaces to mirror the diverse landscape of the world around them.
A psychology program can prepare future human resources professionals to refine recruiting methods to consider the demands of society while also recruiting applicants who match the aura of the office culture they hope to join.
Human Resources Career Paths
Human resources is a large field with several different potential career paths. Below are some examples of specific positions you can pursue as a human resources professional:
- Training and Development Manager — Human resources professionals in this position focus on the growth of employees who have already been hired. They also monitor existing training programs and trainers to make sure programs and protocols remain aligned with the company’s goals and operations.
- HR Generalist — A human resources generalist is likely the professional you’re most familiar with. This person is responsible for the hiring and interviewing processes, tending to employee relations issues, and assessing risk management. This position tends to be the entry point for most human resource professionals and serves as a great steppingstone into other roles.
- Recruiter — Recruiters focus on finding new talent that reflects the goals and missions of the company or organization they work for. They develop strategies and utilize their strong communication skills to fill open positions with qualified candidates.
- Human Resources Manager — This is often the leader of the human resources department. A human resources manager oversees the duties of other professionals within the department.
- Employee Relations Manager — This position serves as a mediator for conflicts among employees or management and resolves issues on the company’s behalf.
- Compensation and Benefits Analyst/Manager — These professionals pay special attention to employee benefits packages (suppliers, vendors) and the program that administers employee wages. They ensure the company operates within its budget and work to develop new proposals for packages that may incentivize future talent to join the company.
Choosing a career path in human resources
The positions listed above only scratch the surface of the wide array of career opportunities that exist within the field of human resources. Choosing the one that is the best fit for you depends on what you’d enjoy while considering what best complements your specific skillset. For example, if conflict resolution is something you have experience with, perhaps becoming an employee relations manager is a good fit for you.
Many companies, big and small, value their human resources department as it is essential to company stability and growth. An article by Forbes details how the implications of having no form of human resources can put companies at risk of violating employment laws and employees in difficult situations. Human resources employees are also integral in helping companies retain valuable talent.
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