What is HR or Human Resources? 

Human refers to characteristics of people. Resources can be assets like money. Human resources refer to people who form the resources in a company. 

What is HR in a company?

The human resources department (HR department) of an organization works to manage these resources, which are the people or employees in an organization.

Managing or overseeing various aspects of employment like compliance with labor law and employment standards, administration, and execution of employee benefits, organizing and maintaining employee data, recruitment, employee induction and offboarding, employee appraisals, employee retention, leadership development, and training are all part of the HR job function.

What is the scope of HR?

The demand for human resource professionals in the country is on the rise as companies understand the need for HR functions. 

Graduation in HR has a good scope with ample job opportunities and a good pay package.

Should I pursue a graduation in HR?

In case you plan to go for a graduation in HR, you might want to weigh in your options. 

– Can I afford the fees for the course? Check on the fee structure of the institute and loan availability.

– Which institute is good for a program in HR – the ranking and course structure.

– What is the salary package graduates get – does it justify the fees paid.  

– Can I commit the time it mandates – a full-time program is two years, which is what you must consider if you have less than five years of work experience. If you have sufficient experience, a one to one and a half year executive program, where you continue to work. You will then need to plan a schedule between work and college. 

You will need to evaluate the above points and decide on the program you want to enrol. 

Where can you pursue a degree in HR?

There is a high demand for the course and is offered by many B-schools in India and abroad. XLRI Jamshedpur is the most sought after institute and is rightly ranked number one in India.

Other good places for MBA-HR in India include TISS Mumbai, SCMHRD Pune, IIMs, NMIMS Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, among others. 

How do you qualify for doing MBA-HR?

An undergraduate degree with a minimum of 50% marks is the first criterion. Some institutes run their entrance tests like XAT for XLRI, TISSNET for TISS, SNAP for Symbiosis, NMAT for NMIMS; most institutes accept CAT, XAT, MAT, or ATMA scores. Personal interviews, group discussions, and other institute specific tests follow the entrance test for admission. 

What skill sets are needed in HR?

A keen eye to spot and retain talent, administration, discretion, multitasking, focus, negotiation, change management, adaptability, communication, people-skills, dealing with grey areas of people, diplomacy, persuasions, interpersonal skills, motivational skills, event management, customized approach to benefit organization and employee, are some of the assets an HR person needs to have. 

You must have the knack for handling people who may be excited, depressed, or anxious. You have to be a people friendly person the employees in an organization look to in times of need. 

What is the career growth in HR?

The growth of a person in an organization depends on his / her qualifications, experience, and skill sets. This is equally applicable in HR as in any other function. One can grow from an executive position at the entry level to managerial and director roles as the person progresses in an organization.

How well do HR professionals earn?

The pay scale for HR professionals may depend on the qualifications, industry experience, seniority levels, and the company they work for. 

Entry level pay scale for undergrads and diploma holders may not be as good as the one for graduates. 

What is the current situation for HR roles? 

Human Resource is evolving in aligning closely with an organization’s strategic plan, from previously understood roles of handling personnel hiring, training, and pay check processing.

Management expert Dave Olson Ulrich avers that successful human resource management aligns HR and business strategy. HR departments currently involve themselves less in the transactional operations of personnel administration and pay more attention to recruiting the right employees, training and developing the workforce, and managing payscales. But this trend should be reversed. 

Companies in India have realized the pivotal role Human Resource Management plays and HR is now looked upon as a strategic function that helps businesses realize their long-term business goals through effective utilization of the People in an organization and ensuring the right person is in the right job at the right time.

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