HR Manager Interview and Writing Assignment Paper Example

Introduction

A human resource manager oversees the provision of HR services, programs, and policies for a given organization (Heathfield, 2018). An HR manager leads all the practices and processes aimed at ensuring that a company is well staffed, and everybody is working efficiently towards the set objectives. Interviewing an HR manager will help to shed light on the requirements of the career since they know what it takes to get to that position and operate successfully.

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Explain your primary responsibility as an HR manager in a few words.

My primary responsibility is to act as a link between the firm's management and the employees to ensure an excellent working relationship and adherence to all labor laws. People are the most crucial asset in the organization because they are involved in almost every aspect of the business operation. I oversee the processes involved in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees in the company by handling the administrative roles of the HR department.

What are some traits of a good HR manager?

Competent HR managers are responsible for the success of their departments hence they must possess specific skills. A good human resource manager should excel at leadership, ethical conduct, interpersonal skills, decision-making, and strategic thinking. There are many other traits that you get as you move along, but I have found these five particularly helpful over the years.

What are some of the primary educational qualifications for this position?

The roles and responsibilities of the HR manager require you to be well-educated and disciplined to achieve success. The typical requirement is a bachelor's degree in human resources or a related course, and a decent amount of experience operating in this field. Experience and education create a robust combination that makes an all-rounded manager. There is a high rate of competition in the area, and a typical manager is faced by a dynamic environment. Many employers are now looking for master's degrees when choosing their ideal HR manager to ensure top-notch competency.

What kind of experience should one gain before becoming an HR manager?

Fresh graduates rarely move straight into the HR manager role since it is complex and requires someone with an understanding of things like employee behaviors. Graduates first need to join companies at entry-level positions like HR specialist or HR assistant, HR generalist, or an HR representative among others. These positions will help one in learning and understanding the work environment, and other employees.

What are the main challenges you face as an HR manager?

One of my primary responsibilities in my capacity is to deal with the challenges that arise among the employees, limiting their performance. One of the most prevalent issues is dealing with resistance to change. People are creatures of habit, and hence employees like to maintain the procedures and tasks that they are used to performing. Things like the introduction of new ideas and technology could be perceived as a threat, and they employees might become resistant. The company is a dynamic place that is always changing, and thus I am always looking for ways to communicate the change and keep the staff morale high. The other significant challenge I face is staffing. There are constant workforce shortages despite the high levels of unemployment. The competition for skilled employees is very high such that most of those left on the market do not often meet the specifications. Attracting, motivating, and retaining staff is a significant challenge since the best people are always receiving offers to go and work elsewhere. It is vital to identify promising new talent while maintaining the experienced members.

What are the primary roles of an HR manager?

Adherence to the laws governing the labor sector is one of the critical roles. Another prominent role is recruitment to ensure that the company is always adequately staffed. It is also my role to ensure that employees work in a safe environment away from any bodily or emotional harm. Individuals will focus on their work when they do not have to worry about their safety. Other roles such as ensuring proper employee relations, and managing their benefits and compensation are also vital.

What is the typical day like for an HR manager?

The activities handled in each day differ since there are diverse tasks, responsibilities, meetings, and other duties. My morning routine usually involves checking my voicemails and emails since there are often many urgent issues requiring my attention. The days are then planned based on pre-scheduled appointments and meetings. I have several meetings almost every day where we discuss different things such as staffing and how to improve employee performance. My daily activities also involve managing the legal compliance of the organization. I am constantly working to ensure that the company always complies with the state, local, and federal laws in all its operations. I also must maintain high levels of performance, and hence I have to ensure that the team is highly motivated each day. I am continuously looking for ways to improve the output of each employee. Other days are spent on staffing activities such as recruiting, interviewing, and hiring employees, but these do not occur on a daily basis. Overall, a typical day is filled with diverse and demanding activities, but it is all enjoyable.

Analysis

The HR manager answered my questions candidly and in great detail. There are many diverse roles of an HR manager, but I understood the most important ones. I have always assumed that hiring and motivating employees is the most important activity. However, the primary function of HR is to ensure the organization's adherence to the local, state, and federal employment and labor laws, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Mayhew, 2018).

Going into the interview, I expected to understand the process of becoming an HR manager from college. The manager laid it out for me by explaining the educational qualifications that are required for a successful career in human resources. She also clarified that a fresh graduate often starts at entry-level positions before moving on to manage the HR sector of business. I had always thought that the position is too high for a fresh graduate, and the interviewee confirmed it by reiterating the need of experience. Individuals need to have experience on the job even if they majored in HR since a degree is not sufficient for the role (Feffer, 2016). I learned the one could get into HR management via other courses except those that are strictly related to human resources. Getting a degree in related subjects like organizational/business psychology can also lead to a career in human resources (Feffer, 2016). The daily activities of an HR manager are diverse and hence days are not the same. It shows that the job is not mundane, and it is, instead, filled with interesting challenges

Conclusion

The interview helped to shed light on various aspects of the HR manager's career. It is one of the most critical departments of any organization since people are the primary assets of any firm. There are many roles and responsibilities involved in ensuring that the human resources of an organization are well-utilized. HR managers must possess unique traits, alongside their bachelor's degrees and relevant experience, if they expect to be successful in this field.

References

Feffer, M. (2016). How to Get an Entry-Level Job in HR. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/how-to-get-entry-level-hr-job.aspx

Heathfield, S. (2018). Sample Human Resources Manager Job Description. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/sample-human-resources-manager-job-description-1919125

Mayhew, R. (2018). The Core Responsibilities of Human Resources in a Company. Retrieved from https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/core-responsibilities-human-resources-company-8502.html