HUMAN RESOURCES JOB POSTINGS HAVE SEEN A HUGE RISE, BUT WHO’S HIRING THE HIRERS?
HERE’S WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A JOB IN HUMAN RESOURCES
Job postings are soaring as Canada enters its post-pandemic era. Indeed Canada’s latest update shows that job postings on their site are up 35 per cent seasonally adjusted compared with early February 2020. In turn, companies need people to manage all these potential new hires. And so, human resources job postings have also seen a dramatic rise on Indeed: up 64 per cent in the same period.
With that in mind, it’s worth taking a look at, what else? Human resources jobs. What sort of skills are required? What kind of person is ideal for the work? And, of course, how much can they make?
Salary
Let’s get the most important bit out of the way. According to talent.com, the average salary for someone in human resources is around $58,000, based on the site’s 4,253 documented salaries.
Entry-level positions can start at around $45,000, but more experienced professionals can command salaries in the range of $89,000. Like most careers, there’s plenty of pay variety due to different HR roles and the size of the company. For example, talent.com also lists an HR manager as having an average salary of $82,000.
Who the role suits
Like many careers, those in HR have an organization representing them. The Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) counts 24,000 members and offers certifications for various HR roles.
HR is often the first point of contact a potential hire has with the employer. HR teams often double as recruiters. So that means part of their role is making sure a potential hire has the right skills, mindset and experience to do the job.
“I think that those in HR have to have very good people skills, and they have to be very mindful of diversity and inclusion,” said Shelley Hogan, an independent recruiter. “They have to have some sort of education, typically the Certified Human Resources Professional certification from the HRPA. Having that education is really important, because there’s so many people who do have it.”
There’s also certified Leader and Executive programs from HRPA. And while they don’t need a legal degree, there are laws around hiring that HR professionals should know, as well as employee and labour relations rules when working in a unionized environment.
They are also part of a company’s marketing effort.
“Because the workplace is so competitive, you want to put a really good impression of your company forward,” said Hogan. “So, you’re selling your company as well. So, I think it’s really important that that person has a good handle on why it’s good to work at that company, what that company offers, and be able to highlight all of the good things about working for them.”
Beyond that, they’re the people in charge of making sure everyone gets along. They’re going to be tracking employee conflicts, creating employee support programs and developing performance metrics and reviews. In essence, the ideal HR professional helps to attract talented people who are good fits with the company, as well as working to retain them.
Where the jobs are
Hogan noted she has seen a spike in demand for IT recruiters in major cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. But if you’re looking to get into HR work, judging by Indeed’s numbers, chances are there’s a role at a company somewhere near you in most business areas across the country.