When pursuing jobs in the field of business, often people are steered away from careers in human resources by well-meaning advisers who unfortunately hold many misconceptions about the field. What was once thought to be the fire-and-hire-only-crew is actually a group of professionals at the pulse of the organization. Here we will debunk five myths that have scared professionals away from what can be a satisfying and lucrative career.
Myth 1: The days of the human resources field are numbered
WRONG! In fact, the human resources field is predicted to grow by 21 percent between now and 2020, which makes it one of the fastest growing fields. Compare this to predicted 9 percent growth for financial managers and 16 percent growth for accountants and you can see what future prospects hold for the field.
Related: Top 10 Online Master’s in HR Programs 2016
Myth 2: Careers in human resources don’t pay
Untrue. For human resource managers, the median annual salary in 2015 was $104,440 and for human resource specialists, the median annual pay was $58,350 Compare this with $67,190 median annual pay for accountants and auditors.
Myth 3: You can only go so far in a career in human resources
False! As the curators for the human capital management of an organization or company, human resource professionals have catapulted in their value in recent years. The field affords the human resource professionals a view of the business and its people that is desired in other areas. In fact, in 2013, 13 CEOs of the companies in the Fortune 100 had past human resources experience.
Myth 4: You will not have much interaction with senior execs in the company
Wrong! Because of their expertise in human capital management, human resource professionals are often called upon by senior management to consult and advise on matters involving the company’s strategic initiatives. Specifically, they are involved in advising top management on ways to manage employees that will result in achieving the best possible productivity and budgetary goals for the company.
Myth 5: All human resource professionals do is hire and fire
Many years ago this may have been true, but today’s human resource professionals are engaged in many other functions. Human resource specialists typically do any or all of the following:
- Meet with managers to find out their employment needs
- Interview potential applicants, review their references and do background checks
- Hire or recommend potential candidates
- Design training for jobs and orient new employees to the company
- Keep track of and administer benefits
- Handle payroll
- Make sure all state and federal employment guidelines are being met
Human resource managers’ functions include:
- Maximize the talents of the organizations employees to meet objectives and goals
- Serve as the bridge between management and employees
- Consult on situations involving discrimination and harassment
- Supervise human resource specialists and other staff members
Its employees are the bedrock of every company and organization and to properly handle, manage, and train them is critical to its success. This is the milieu of human resources. Despite the myths that have plagued professionals from seeking careers in human resources in the past, the reality is that this is an exciting field and one of the few that promises significant future growth and possibilities.
