How to Become an HR Manager: 5 Steps

Becoming a human resources (HR) manager is a potentially straightforward journey. A university education is almost mandatory because part of the job is to hire and develop professionals.

To qualify as an HR manager, study for a degree in human resources and gain five years or more of experience in a professional setting.

A career in HR management is worth striving for because of the benefits and job security. Almost every medium and large business has a human resources department. Let’s explore further the steps to take to become an HR manager.

1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

To become an HR manager, a good first step is to enrol in a business degree. Human resources management is often offered as a major. Choose the HR major if available. Other business majors are also suitable, along with psychology degrees to a lesser extent.

A degree is virtually essential to become a human resources manager today. Some HR professionals enter the field with a diploma or another undergraduate qualification, but progressing into management without a degree is uncommon.

2. Start Your HR Career

The typical career path for human resources leaders begins with an entry-level role, such as HR assistant, HR associate or benefits specialist. After that, employees often work their way up to positions of greater responsibility.

3. Build HR Experience

Since the human resource manager position is a senior role, work experience is a common requirement for any candidate to be considered. Therefore, organizations look for senior HR staff with years of experience in management, human resources, labor relations and talent acquisition.

Before entering the running for mid to top-level HR roles, HR professionals commonly need five years or more of related work experience.

4. Develop Management Skills

The human resources discipline has evolved dramatically within the past decade, especially in recent years. With the growing emphasis on creating equitable and engaging workplaces, companies are looking for HR leaders who can guide them into the future of work.

Key skills to master for this management role include:

Communication: Clear and effective communication skills are essential for HR managers because of their sensitive responsibilities, including dispute resolution and acting as a bridge between employees and the company.
Problem-solving: From compliance defaults to employee conflict, workplace issues can strike at any time. It’s up to the HR manager to provide the tact and flexibility to solve these issues within corporate and legal standards.
Business awareness: Although being a people person is a common trait of effective HR managers, understanding how people strategies apply to and help businesses succeed is just as vital.
Organizing: In most organizations, HR managers wear many hats, from recruitment to talent management, compensation design and disengagement. Being able to balance and direct multiple complex tasks will be crucial to success in the role.

5. Move Into an HR Management Role

With a relevant degree, several years of HR experience and demonstrated management skills, you can begin competing for HR manager positions. Experience leading projects, supervising employees or managing an important area of human resources may help you qualify for promotion.

Qualifications That May Help

A master’s degree or professional certification is not normally required to become an HR manager. However, additional qualifications may strengthen your knowledge and employment profile.

HR Master’s Qualifications

While a master’s degree isn’t required for HR leadership positions, gaining an advanced qualification can set you apart from other candidates. With a Master’s in Human Resource Management, you explore how to manage staff strategically and solve modern-day workforce challenges. Expect coursework in employee relations, negotiation, people analytics, managing and rewarding performance, and employment law.

Gaining entry into a master’s program may require you to demonstrate cognate work experience, which may include non-HR business administration. You may also be required to hold an undergraduate qualification in an HR-related field, which could include psychology or social studies.

If you’re already working in HR and looking to broaden your job responsibilities in the future, consider a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Human Resources Management specialisation. An MBA may position graduates for executive and senior management roles.

HR Certifications and Certificate Programs

While HR certifications are optional, they can demonstrate your proficiency in specific fields that are valuable to your employer. Completing a certification often helps provide a more nuanced perspective on types of HR management issues.

Popular professional certifications and university certificate programs include:

Professional in Human Resources – Human Resources Certification Institute
SHRM Certified Professional – Society for Human Resource Management
Certificate in Human Resources Management – York University
Human Resources Management Certificate – eCornell
Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management – Golden Gate University

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do HR Managers Do?

Human resources managers are people professionals who direct organizational employment strategies and HR teams. Their work centers around an organization’s greatest asset – their employees.

Duties of an HR manager:

Direct the HR department and train team members
Lead investigations, discipline and conflict resolution
Design and implement talent identification and acquisition strategies
Ensure organizational compliance with employment laws and safety regulations
Assess and improve workplace culture
Foster an open and engaging work environment

HR managers interview and hire new staff, design and facilitate onboarding programs, and provide workers with the tools to excel. Likewise, the HR head leads employee performance evaluation, training and development, and termination. A big part of the job is handling delicate labor relations issues, such as work rules, employee compensation and time off in exceptional circumstances, as well as disputes and contractual matters.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Human Resources Manager?

The timeline to qualify as a human resources manager depends on your academic preparation. Typically, HR professionals in leadership roles complete a 3 or 4-year bachelor’s degree and obtain five years or more of related work experience to enter the job.

You may also be referred to as an “HR manager” in a junior position where you have limited responsibilities and work under close supervision of a team leader. That sort of job may be more accurately termed “human resources assistant” or similar.

Advanced qualifications and certifications may strengthen a candidate’s skills and employment profile, but they do not necessarily replace the need for relevant work experience.

How Can You Become an HR Manager Without a Degree?

Although it’s uncommon, interested students may pursue this option to become a human resources manager with no degree. There are a couple of pathways you may explore.

First, you could strengthen your prospects for an HR career by gaining relevant certifications. The SHRM Certified Professional credential does not require a bachelor’s degree or previous HR experience. A basic working knowledge of HR practices and principles is recommended.

Alternatively, you could simply work your way up, starting with general business administration and office duties. While educational attainment gives employers a reliable marker of your expertise, it’s not an indispensable requirement. Demonstrable experience in positions of responsibility might be sufficient for entry into a senior role, depending on the employer’s unique preferences.

What Is the Average HR Manager Salary?

Salary statistics for human resources managers vary, in part due to classification differences. Human resources manager is sometimes used interchangeably with human resources professional and, in other cases, to designate a senior HR professional who is at least at the level of team leader.

According to salary data from Indeed, human resources managers in the US earn about $88,000 per year on average. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that human resources managers have a median annual wage of $140,030.

In Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia reports median weekly earnings of $2,768 for Human Resource Managers.

The job outlook for human resource managers is generally solid because employment is proportional to the size of the labor force. Wherever staff are employed in significant numbers, HR assistants, professionals and managers are needed.

How Can You Become an HR Manager With a Psychology Degree?

Earning a psychology degree is good preparation for a career in human resources. Psychology is relevant to the HR field, particularly in areas such as recruitment, employee development and industrial or organizational psychology. The skills you’ve developed and demonstrated are valuable. Being able to communicate well – including writing – having research skills, an interest in people, interpersonal skills, and statistical skills are all good qualities in HR management.

To become competitive for human resources jobs, you’ll need training in the HR field and, preferably, certifications and academic qualifications. Otherwise, your CV or resume will make you look unsuitable compared to other job candidates.

A postgraduate human resource management course, ideally a master’s degree, will help with this career transition. Any work experience will be beneficial, from being an intern to doing support work for an HR team.