The human resources department of a company will therefore be responsible for internal customer (employee) relations as well as the hiring, training and retaining of staff to ensure that all employees are performing to their full capability while being satisfied and fulfilled by their jobs. The HR department determines the staffing needs of a company, whether the company should hire full-time, part-time or contract employees and making sure that new employees are qualified and capable of handling the tasks they are hired to perform; they also determine when the company needs to lay off employees.

Other areas dealt with by the HR department are to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations of the company and managing employee benefits, compensations and employee records.

A human resources manager then is basically the person that oversees and manages the functions of the human resources department; if you are interested in pursuing a career as a HR manager it can be a rewarding career, however you have to be prepared and dedicated to starting at the bottom and working your way up to the top as it is highly unlikely that you will get a managerial position fresh out of college.

Aside from having the necessary qualifications and the experience HR management also requires integrity, confidentiality and a love of interpersonal interaction; in short, one has to be a ‘people person’.

In terms of qualifications, a HR manager will have to be knowledgeable in business management, finances and accounting; a degree in human resources is not a requirement for working in the HR department but without a degree it is almost impossible for one to become a HR manager and such a person will most likely be confined to lower level positions. Especially in these day and age when even low level employees come in with at least a bachelor’s degrees and people in managerial positions have masters or doctoral degrees.

Where you will work as a HR manager is totally dependent on your preferences since all larger companies around the world will have a HR department and require a manager. Whichever company you work in, being an efficient HR manager will require that you learn all the ins and outs of the industry that you are working in and all the regulations and policies upheld by both the company and in the industry in general.

If you think you are up for the challenge, being a HR manager can be a very rewarding career choice as it allows you to interact with people on a daily basis and to positively impact the way in which they work.