Career Profiles

Career Profiles

Human Resources

Introduction

At a time of growing international globalisation, there is an increased level of recognition that better management and utilisation of Human Resources are the keys to maximising business success. The new millennium is an exciting era for managing people, and the advent of new technologies has increased the need for innovative approaches to the management of those who work both inside and outside their businesses. This booklet provides information about the various functions of the people management profession including areas of specialisation and future growth, the skills and qualities required to embrace such a career and a few tips on the best ways to enter this diverse field.

Overview

In the past, the generic term for ‘staffing’ functions within organisations was Personnel. However, Personnel had become only one – usually administrative – function alongside Industrial Relations, Training, Health and Safety and so on. The increasingly urgent demands for strategic planning for and development of organisations’ Human Resources resulted in widespread adoption of the term Human Resource Management (HRM).

An organisation’s Human Resources, or human capital, consist of all people employed by an organisation; they are what every organisation depends upon to make it operate. HRM refers to those activities and employees that assist the organisation to meet its stated operational objectives by providing a motivated, well trained workforce which understands what the business is about, knows where it fits in within the organisation and how it can contribute to the organisation. HRM deals with recruiting and selecting the most suitable and qualified staff for the organisation; it is concerned with their development, motivation and training in order to minimise turnover and increase performance. Increasingly, HRM is also concerned with the strategic issues associated with people management, with those involved in HRM focussing on organisational change, statutory compliance and industrial matters and performance optimisation. Today HRM professionals work jointly with the Board and senior management team on critical people issues.

In this booklet, you can read more about thedifferent areas of Human Resources, and see profiles of people working in different roles.

Download a complete copy of Careers in Human Resources below.

The Australian Human Resources Institute website - www.ahri.com.au