Is a graduate career in human resources right for you?

HR offers a wealth of opportunities within every business sector. It is a competitive industry and an integral part of any successful organisation. Often involved in the execution of significant business change, HR professionals liaise with senior management on a daily basis to co-ordinate their organisation’s running.

What human resources professionals do

Whether you’re interested in corporate finance or crop rotation, organisations in every area have HR departments and once you have the experience and essential skills you can take them anywhere in the world. ‘It’s so varied and the opportunities are vast,’ says Rachel Forrester, graduate recruitment manager at Atos Origin. ‘Whether you want to work in a generalist role or become a specialist in learning and development, recruitment or consulting, there are a number of areas where HR can make a real difference.’

Opportunities now exist to explore HR in every sector imaginable and at many different levels. Responsible for all the functions associated with the staff side of an organisation, HR covers everything from training and recruitment, pensions, compensation, benefits, payroll and redundancy to implementing employment law and relocation packages. Large recruiters usually have large HR departments where responsibilities will be split across several positions. Specialisations could include recruitment or training and development. In a smaller organisation there may just be a personnel officer who deals with all HR-related tasks. HR is also increasingly outsourced to independent consultants who work on a freelance basis for a variety of companies as and when they are required. This offers increased flexibility if you like to live on the edge.

Implementing business change

‘HR is integral to the workings of a global business,’ emphasises Sarah McKinlay, graduate recruitment manager at Capgemini. ‘If you look at any significant business changes, HR will play a crucial role in their implementation.’ Human resources requires an excellent level of commercial knowledge but it’s sometimes overlooked in favour of more ‘glamorous’ areas, such as marketing and public relations. While the champagne lunches may not be quite as numerous, HR professionals can expect salaries at large organisations to start at around the £24,375 mark for an entry level graduate HR officer position.

Gender balance in human resources

Traditionally viewed as a predominantly female industry, human resources is increasingly popular with both sexes. While there is still a higher proportion of women in HR roles, employers are actively involved in attracting more men to the profession. ‘Men are definitely present in the senior HR positions,’ explains Sarah. ‘Employers are beginning to do more to attract men into the profession and the public are becoming increasingly aware of the scope for progression in HR for both sexes.’

Misconceptions

Common misconceptions about HR usually relate to its reputation as the friendly, handholding branch of business. This leads inevitably to the old gem: ‘I want to work in HR because I like people.’ ‘That’s fine,’ explains Rachel, ‘but what happens when you have to do something that’s not particularly nice to the people you like for business reasons? For example, if you have to manage a redundancy programme or a disciplinary process?’ A good HR person must be able to deal with business nasties without scrimping on professionalism.

The skills you need in an HR job

Jobs in human resources entail a broad range of duties. To get an idea of HR’s position in modern business consider applying for temporary work or putting yourself forward to learn more about the HR functions at your present employer. Many office jobs involve elements of HR and will allow you to see the processes involved. You must be able to work collaboratively with your colleagues throughout the company to be successful – it’s very much a team effort.

‘It depends largely on what area you are working in,’ says Rachel, ‘although in general you need to have strong organisational skills, be able to multi-task, possess excellent communication skills, including an ability to listen to the company’s needs, be client focused and results oriented.’

Succeeding at interviews for HR vacancies

In terms of making a good impression in your interview, Rachel offers some advice: ‘Understand what HR really is – it’s not about liking people but about enabling business success. HR needs to be close to the business for it to succeed, so make sure you know what area of business the organisations you are applying to operate in.’ This will determine the role of HR in that organisation.