Due to the growing demand for qualified professionals and the attractive salaries being offered. Human resources is one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States learn about HR Pros and Cons.
In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the field will grow by 9% through 2024, which will add approximately 10,800 new jobs to the workforce.
When you consider the fact that human resource personnel report some of the highest job satisfaction ratings in the U.S., it’s no wonder why the field is so alluring to so many.
If you are thinking about pursuing a career in human resources, it is important to consider all that the profession entails. Read on to find out more about a career in Human Resources and learn the HR pros and cons of pursuing your career growth:
The HR Pros and Cons A Career Has to Offer
1. Interacting with Other People
If you thrive off of interacting with others, you will make an ideal candidate for a position in HR. As an HR professional, you are afforded the opportunity to work with all of the individuals in your organization. Your work may be clinical in nature, or it may align more with social work.
Depending on your specific experience and education, pursuing a career in human resources may require you to tackle psychological problems or be involved with social welfare.
2. Having a Direct Impact on Your Company’s Well-Being
As an HR professional, you may not possess the technical knowledge that your organization is built upon, but you are responsible for handling its most important asset – its employees.
By getting to know your talented employees, and by ensuring their productivity and well-being, you will be providing an invaluable contribution to your company’s ability to achieve and further its motto and vision.
3. Handling New Challenges on a Daily Basis
Because the workforce is so diverse, and the scope of HR’s reach is so large, your job will never be boring. There are many HR pros and cons. New challenges will arise daily, and it will often be up to you to create black and white answers out of gray matter.
4. Attractive Salaries
Make no mistake about it, pursuing a career in human resources will be a demanding profession to learn. Not only do you need to know your organization’s policies inside and out, but you must also need to understand human emotions and feelings and how to effectively and sensitively deal with them.
Because people who can achieve this balance are rare finds, it’s no wonder that the median annual salary for an HR manager is $104,690.00.
The Downsides to Working In HR
1. Enormous Workloads
The demands of working in HR are considerable one of the major cons in HR Pros and Cons can be workload. Working with people is completely different from working with machinery. There are no set directions or instructions for working with people, so HR employees will have to develop their own methods of adjusting and managing the difficulties that arise on the job.
2. Serving as a Mediator
There will be times when you are called upon to act as a mediator between upper management and baseline employees. Rarely will you be able to satisfy the demands of all parties involved. Thus, it can be daunting to help both sides reach a satisfactory compromise.
3. Politics
Unfortunately, the human resources profession is not exempt from office place politics. Managers play favorites. Employees have ulterior motives. Gone are the days when a person could simply work their way up the corporate ladder through sheer hard work and determination.
It will be up to you to ferret out the political players. Then minimize the impact that they have on the company as a whole.
4. Growing Competition in the Marketplace
The field is lucrative and qualified professionals are in demand. Many companies are seeking job candidates who already have professional experience in the field. There are many people applying for these jobs.
If you have recently graduated from college, it may be necessary for you to take an entry-level position first. You can advance your career build the experience required for higher-paying management positions.
A career in human resources is a compelling career choice for those who love working with other people. Before deciding whether or not a career in HR is right for you, consider the pros and cons.
Do your homework, and invest some time into researching modern HR careers. A career in human resources could be the ideal fit for you if you like having a direct influence on the well-being of an organization. You can make an impact on your coworkers, and tackle complex challenges.
What Is It like to Work in HR?
The human resources profession is one of the fastest-growing fields in the United States, and with a median annual salary of $102,690.00 for HR managers, it is no wonder the field is so attractive to so many, but have you ever stopped to wonder what it is like to actually work in HR?
Technically speaking, a human resources professional is an individual who provides the necessary tools, knowledge, and training to employees. They coach, provide administrative services, legal and management advice that an organization requires to be successful.
The job duties of an HR professional include recruiting, screening, interviewing, hiring, and training new workers. They often handle payroll, employee relations, benefits, and training.
HR managers are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating the administrative functions of the organization they work for.
Pursuing a career in human resources is a challenge
Any seasoned HR professional will tell you pursuing a career in human resources is a challenge with many HR pros and cons. There is no typical day. Each day is different from the next. This is a large part of what makes human resources such a challenging and exciting field to work in.
At the same time, it is also why flexibility is such a required trait for any successful HR professional. You start your day with a mental checklist of things you are going to accomplish by the end of the day. But you can rest assured that list will change by the time your lunch break rolls around.
Prioritization of tasks is critical
What is most important is knowing how to prioritize. Choose between the employee who cannot log into the system for the fifth time because she keeps forgetting her password, and the client alleges a case of employee misconduct.
Did something go wrong with the payroll system? Expect that issue to go right to the top of your to-do list. Nothing will upset employees more than an incorrect paycheck.
While you are responsible for managing client relations, you must also maintain the relations you have with your employees.
A lot of your day-to-day activities will also depend on the type of company or organization where you work. For example, if you work in a multi-state environment, don’t count on one guaranteed answer or a guaranteed set of laws.
Oftentimes, you’ll find that there are no black and white answers. As a human resources professional, it is your responsibility to create the black and white answer out of gray matter.
You must clarify situations that aren’t clear. Ensure your employees and clients feel at home, even if the environment seems inhospitable.
Your Average HR Day
In an “average” day in HR, you can count on hundreds of virtual communications (including email) that absolutely cannot wait. You can guarantee that you’ll master the balancing act between what needs to be done and the things that need doing faster!
Despite the often hectic schedule of a human resources professional, they report some of the highest job satisfaction ratings of any profession. In a 2015 survey conducted by the Society of Human Resource Professionals, 88% of HR personnel surveyed reported experiencing overall job satisfaction.
HR employees report enjoying new challenges that arise on a daily basis. They enjoy being able to help others (both clients and fellow employees), and “out of the box” thinking.
In the same survey, HR employees report the two biggest sources of stress in their jobs were:
- The large volume of daily tasks creates a lack of time to devote to strategic planning due.
- They find it difficult to achieve an ideal work/life balance.
Most survey respondents said the latter has significantly improved in the industry over the last five years.
Human resources personnel, especially HR managers, are often thought of as “jacks of all trades”, and an effective leader must be ready and able to handle a diverse range of issues; however, for those who ultimately love working with and helping other people, this is the ideal career choice.