Is the Field of Human Resources Growing?
For those interested in planning, directing, organizing, and coordinating a company’s workforce to best utilize employees’ talents, the field of human resources may be the perfect fit.
Human resource managers are typically responsible for administering employee services, overseeing the recruitment of new staff, consulting with top executives on strategic planning, supervising the work of specialists, and mediating labor negotiations. With the goal of attracting and retaining the most qualified employees in suitable positions, human resources managers serve as a vital link between an organization’s management and human capital.
If you are considering entering the fascinating career path, read on to learn more about the occupational outlook for human resources managers in today’s current job market.
Job Outlook for Human Resources Managers
As the economy continues to recover from the recession, experts indicate that human resources will become a rapidly growing field with tremendous career opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for human resources managers is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations at a rate of 13 percent between 2012 and 2022. In other words, it is expected that the field will create 13,600 new jobs and 36,700 replacement jobs over the next eight years. Since there are already an estimated 102,700 human resources managers employed within the United States, it is believed that there will be at least 116,300 management jobs in the field of human resources by 2022.
Fastest Growing Specialties in Human Resources
While a smaller organization with few employees may have just one human resources manager, larger corporations typically divide human resource management duties across several specialty areas, some of which are growing exponentially faster than others. For instance, Compensation and Benefits Managers are highly in-demand for supervising an organization’s salaries, bonuses, life insurance plans, pensions, and medical insurance packages. In addition, the position of Training and Development Manager is growing in importance to build performance improvement measures, arrange on-the-job training workshops, and conduct new employee orientations. Many organizations are also hiring more Recruiting Managers to specifically oversee the recruiting and hiring responsibilities to effectively compete for the best employees.
How to Obtain the Most Promising HR Job Prospects
Although job opportunities are expected to rise steadily over the next eight years, it is important to note that openings will vary based on the staffing needs of individual companies and there is the possibly of encountering strong competition for new positions. For the best job opportunities, it is absolutely essential for human resources candidates to have a solid background on the fundamental programs, policies, practices, and employment laws impacting the field. Therefore, it is highly recommended that individuals seeking to take advantage of growing HR demand receive a master’s degree with a concentration in human resources management and pursue certification after obtaining at least five years of experience for the most promising outlook.
Overall, as new companies grow and existing organizations begin expanding their operations thanks to the economic recovery, there will be an increasing demand for human resource managers to supervise their HR departments. Due to today’s rapidly changing employment laws regarding issues like occupational safety, equal employment opportunity, retirement plans, minimum wages, and healthcare insurance from the Affordable Care Act, the field of human resources will be hiring more managers to help implement these complex policies.
