Should I be a human resources specialist?

So you just hire and fire people, right?

Yes and no. We do much more in between.

HR Specialists can be responsible for:

• communication & connection to the mission

• employee engagement, team morale & motivation

• workplace design & wellness

• hiring & onboarding

• growth & development

• customer experience

HR specialists act as an important link between the organization and the employee. Although they are trained in all areas of human resources, they tend to specialize in one.

Depending on their area, they may:

• phone candidates, schedule and conduct interviews

• organize and host new employee orientation

• develop training materials and deliver training sessions

• guide employees through HR procedures

• administer compensation and benefits

• sometimes fire employees

How much will I be paid?

This will depend on where you live and the organizations you work for.

Photo by Miguel Teirlinck on Unsplash

Canada

Median wage is $36 per hour and average salary is $74,880 (CAD).

Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash

U.S.A

Average salary is $61,920 and median wage is $29.77 (USD).

HR professionals can be found in any organization. The largest employers are:

• Employment services - 15%

• Professional, scientific, and technical services - 13%

• Government - 11%

• Healthcare and social assistance - 11%

• Manufacturing - 8%

Usually, you need a university degree or a college diploma in human resources management or a related field.

Canada

It's highly recommended to get the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation .

USA

Many associations exist to enhance skills of members and are offering certification programs. E.g. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and HR Certification Institute .

You will enjoy this role if you:

• have great communication and interpersonal skills

• can think critically and have good analytical abilities

• love to solve problems

  

You should probably consider something else.

Working in HR means that you deal with people in some capacity such as in recruitment or in an advising role.

If this sounds painful to you, you might want to look for a job that deals more with facts and numbers and less with people and their problems.

Want to know more?

• Take a look at the job outlook and other info on Job Bank (if you're in Canada) and U.S Bureau of Labor Statics (if in USA).

• Research Human Resources programs near you.

• Find others in the field via LinkedIn or through your network. Do informational interviews with them to learn more about the ins and outs of the role!