The exact requirements of a role in HR will vary according to the individual organisation and your particular specialism. There is scope to move across roles, particularly in the early stages of your career. There are a number of areas and functions covered by human resources including:
-
training & development
-
remuneration
-
talent acquisition & management
-
equal opportunities
-
diversity
-
recruitment & selection
-
employee relations
-
performance management
-
graduate recruitment
-
job analysis
One of the key distinctions is between generalist and specialist. A general HR employee might have a job title like 'Human resources officer' but deal with many of these specialist areas on a day to day basis. An HR specialist would focus on just one or two areas.
The following core skills and competencies are required across these divisions:
-
business awareness
-
team working
-
leadership
-
influencing
-
communication skills
-
the ability to make and justify fair decisions
-
working well under pressure
HR roles are found across departments and divisions including Personnel, Human Resources, People Services, Staff Development and Human Capital depending on the company.
HR consultancies and freelance
See routes into HR|.
Useful links