Management Careers of the Human Resources Managers

In the eighteenth century, the U.S. economy was primarily agricultural, dependent upon crops such as wheat and cotton. During the nineteenth century, the United States underwent an industrial revolution, and the economy shifted largely towards production of raw materials, such as iron and steel, and finished products, such as cars and refrigerators. In both instances, agricultural and industrial, the economy was based on the goods produced. Today, however, an increasingly large portion of the economy depends on service industries such as banking, accounting, health care, travel, and hospitality, among many others. A service industry is one in which the main product is not something that you can buy in a store, but rather a set of actions that someone performs for a client. For example, the travel agent who reviews all possible flight connections and prices and comes up with the best reservation for your schedule and budget is providing a service. The banker who helps arrange the best mortgage for the property you want to buy is providing a service. Similarly, the computer specialist who helps you choose the software package best suited for your needs is providing a service.

Service is the ‘product’ that they sell and you buy. This shift towards a service economy has contributed to the growth of a new industry - the human resources industry with a job nature similar with manager jobs.

Moreover, the success of any economy depends on it resources. The United States’ agricultural and industrial economies thrived because of the nation’s natural resources of rich farmland and substantial mineral deposits. The success of a service economy depends on the quality of its work force. As part of the jobs management function of the human resources industry is to produce competent personnel and to keep employees productive. The increased emphasis on human resources is not limited to service industries, however. High-tech goods-producing industries, such as the computer industry for example, are placing greater importance on the quality of their personnel. Such industries are more vulnerable to human error because the smallest error in a complex computer system can make the system unusable. The more technical skills that are involved in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sales of a product, the more competent a company’s workers must be.



As part of their management careers, human resources professionals, also known as personnel managers are responsible for hiring skilled workers and helping to maintain a productive work environment. Personnel management is not a new field, but the nature of the field is changing. In the past, personnel specialists served primarily as technicians with such responsibilities as hiring and training workers, managing the payroll, and dealing with labor issues.

Today, in manager employment, human resource professionals are being entrusted with a broader, more conceptual and strategic set of responsibilities. They may set up job classifications, employee benefit systems, and training systems. In addition, they work with top management to devise plans for the optimal use of human resources. For example, human resource professionals often advise management on policies to reduce absenteeism and on methods to improve morale and productivity.

The essence of human resource management is transforming an input, which is an employee or group of employees, into an input, which is a job well done. The transformation processes are systems for acquiring, developing, allocating, conserving, utilizing, evaluating, and rewarding workers. Human resources management comprises a number of job responsibilities, which may be carried out by one person or by a number of specialists. Different kinds of specialists include personnel managers, industrial-relation directors, recruiters, job-development specialists, job analysts, compensation manages, training instructors, benefit managers, retirement officers, employee health-maintenance specialists, and mediators. Human resources professionals are generally employed in one of two major arenas. First, they may work for large or medium-sized company in any kind industry. Any place where there are many employees, whether at a bank or a oil company, there is a need for personnel specialists. The second major arena is companies whose business it is to help other companies find qualified personnel, both on a permanent and temporary basis. Such companies provide a service to employers and those seeking employment. These establishments include employment agencies, executive-placing services, and temporary-help services, and labor contractors, registries for chauffeurs, maids, models, nurses, ship crews, and teachers.

In project manager jobs, once a plan is in place, management should evaluate the capabilities of the people already on staff to see how they might fit into this plan. If they discover that they do not have the personnel they require, they need to figure out the best way to hire the appropriate workers. Generally, human resource workers are also involved in helping a company acquire new workers through recruiting, selecting, and hiring people.

To search for hundreds of job-related management jobs, you can visit us at ManagerCrossing.com and discover vast opportunities awaiting you. Sign up now for free!