Human Resources (HR) management encompasses the strategic and operational functions that enable organizations to attract, develop and retain talent while ensuring compliance with employment regulations. HR management responsibilities include recruitment, compensation and benefits administration, training and development, employee relations, and workplace safety. Modern human resources departments serve as strategic partners to business leadership, aligning workforce initiatives with organizational objectives.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Human Resources program prepares professionals for these diverse HR management responsibilities through coursework in HR management and employment law. If you are an aspiring HR manager, you will need to develop critical thinking abilities, analytical skills, strong decision-making capabilities and skill with effective communication across multiple channels. These competencies enable you to navigate complex human resources functions and drive organizational success.
What Are Essential Skills for HR Management Success?
HR roles and responsibilities require a combination of analytical capabilities, interpersonal skills and business acumen. In judging your aptitude for an HR management career, consider your strengths in the following areas:
- Evidence-based reasoning and data analysis
- Statistical analysis and interpretation
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving
- Learning and implementing new technologies
- Interpersonal and group communication
- Navigating sensitive topics with empathy
- Writing effectively across business channels
- Change management and adaptability
If you possess strengths in most of these areas, you may be an ideal candidate for graduate-level training in HR management. Southeastern’s MBA in Human Resources online degree helps students further develop these competencies through coursework in strategic management, organizational behavior and specialized HR topics.
Strategic Human Resources Management: Defining Organizational Purpose
Strategic human resources management involves aligning talent strategies with business objectives and organizational culture. As a human resources manager in modern organizations, you will serve as a strategic partner and advisor to the business. One of your primary areas of responsibility and expertise will be helping define your organization’s purpose and communicating it throughout the workforce.
Today’s business world is undeniably consumer- and customer-centric. Factors like the reputation, loyalty and support developed through the relationship between a business and its customers are integral to that business’s success. The defined and demonstrated purpose of an organization profoundly impacts reputation, loyalty and customer relationships.
HR plays a major role in defining the organization’s purpose, helping employees understand how their work aligns with it and communicating this connection throughout the company. Effective HR managers do this continuously, starting before a job candidate walks through the door. As an HR leader, you’ll help employees understand their individual purposes, how they connect to the larger organization’s mission and how this alignment drives business objectives.
Professional Development and Training
HR management ensures employees’ continuous mastery of the skills necessary to perform their roles while meeting and exceeding standards and expectations. Professional development and training start with new-hire onboarding to transition employees to the new business and culture. It continues throughout employment with professional development opportunities, including seminars and workshops. Organizations may also offer leadership training to employees who demonstrate advancement potential, further aiding in succession planning.
HR managers conduct routine assessments to determine what skills employees need to keep the organization performing optimally. They work with departmental managers to evaluate employee performance and determine if additional training would benefit the organization. As an HR manager, you’ll be responsible for identifying these training needs and coordinating professional development initiatives.
For example, the rapid advancement of technologies in the modern business environment demands ongoing training for employees. HR managers may work with departmental heads, team leads and IT personnel to plan technology integrations, assess skills gaps and coordinate effective training. Within HR departments, managers must also identify training needs for evolving HR technologies such as AI-driven analytics systems, recruiting tools and process automation software.
Compensation and Benefits
As an HR professional, you’ll help strike the right balance between attracting/retaining talent and managing costs, one of the most critical HR management functions. HR personnel devise compensation plans and structures, constantly evaluate local competitive pay practices, and align performance with compensation incentives.
Benefits specialists negotiate group rates for health insurance, retirement planning and other offerings. They coordinate meetings and activities with providers and covered employees. These experts prove invaluable in acquiring and retaining top talent, especially when the hiring market is competitive.
Compliance With Labor Laws
HR professionals must ensure compliance with myriad state and federal labor and employment laws. They ensure compliance with these laws and develop provisions to improve working conditions and employee retention.
Noncompliance can result in workplace complaints and lawsuits based on discrimination or unfair labor practices. Given this, a deep understanding of employment law is critical to your success in HR leadership.
Employee Relations and Engagement
In your role as an HR manager, you’ll maintain mutually beneficial relationships between employees and employers. Positive relations promote employee engagement and a positive workplace environment, both of which correlate strongly with retention and performance. This type of work environment also supports collaboration and the open sharing of ideas, leading to creativity and innovation.
Managing employee relations also involves preventing and resolving workplace conflict at organizational and interpersonal levels. In unionized environments, this function includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements and managing labor union contract issues.
Safety and Risk Management
Employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment. As an HR professional, you’ll oversee workplace safety and maintain mandated records of workplace injuries. Personnel responsible for safety and risk mitigation work with benefits specialists to manage workers compensation and ensure workstations are ergonomically designed to promote health and productivity.
Organizations continuously update safety protocols, risk mitigation measures, office layout, and other workplace systems to maintain employee safety and business continuity. Furthermore, carefully documented workplace safety and risk mitigation measures are essential components of compliance with labor regulations, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.
Build Your Human Resources Career With Southeastern’s Specialized MBA in HR
An MBA in human resources provides you with comprehensive training in finance, accounting, economics, behavioral management, research, data analysis, marketing and strategic management. The core competencies of HR management are built on these fundamental business studies. Southeastern’s online MBA in Human Resources degree augments core MBA studies with two courses focused on HR management responsibilities:
- Employment Law examines relevant laws and regulations through legal analysis and practical application to real-world policy development and planning.
- Human Resource Management covers contemporary issues in the field, focusing on the strategic role of HR managers in securing competitive advantages and driving performance for their organizations.
Southeastern’s HR curriculum equips you with a comprehensive understanding of human resources functions. With a solid foundation of general business knowledge and specialized expertise in HR practices, you’ll be prepared to tackle the complex challenges of modern human resources management.
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online MBA with a Concentration in Human Resources program.