Running Head: HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

Human Resources: a Day in the Life

Khymm Flanders
Salt Lake Community College

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

Abstract

This paper will explore what it takes to have a successful career in the field of Human Resources.
I researched on-line at various employment sites as well as SHRM (Society for Human Resource
Management) as well as conducted an in person interview. I determined what each phase of this
career will be, starting with a HR (Human Resource) consultant, employee benefits,
compensation, generalist and a director of Human Resources. I researched what is needed in the
way of education to reach a career as a Human Resource director of a medium to large size
company as well as what the average salary is along the way. Does being a woman in this field
help me or hurt me? I have been in this field for a number of years but I want to expand and
move beyond the small company I am currently at and need to know what I will have to do to
make this successful career leap.

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

Human Resources: a Day in the Life

I am currently a Human Resources Manager for a small collection agency Law Firm in Salt Lake
City for over 11 years. I came into this position as an office assistant for the Collection Manager
and it has grown in responsibilities over the years. Shortly after the manager that hired me had
left the company we were audited by the Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL wanted to see if
we had any unpaid overtime. It seems that this manager was having his collectors come in and
work on Saturdays telling them that the work week was Monday thru Friday and that hours
worked on the weekends were straight pay. This audit took about seven weeks to complete and
as a result I realized that I have so much to learn about human resources, employment law,
employee rights as well as employer rights. I started attending seminars, webinars and doing
research on-line. This is when human resources became interesting to me and I decided that there
is more to this job than hiring, firing and payroll.

Job Description

A companys human resources department is responsible for creating, implementing and/or

overseeing policies governing employee behavior and the behavior of the company toward its
employees. TechTarget states the definition of a human resources manager is; Human resources
are the people who work for the organization; human resource management is really employee
management with an emphasis on those employees as assets of the business. In this context,
employees are sometimes referred to as human capital. As with other business assets, the goal is
to make effective use of employees, reducing risk and maximizing return on investment (ROI).
(What is Human Resource Management (HRM)?, n.d.)

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

My current job description is payroll and time & attendance along with tracking attendance
issues I will also prepare warnings and write-ups. I conduct the initial interview and screen the
candidates for the collection manager. I will research them on whatever social media they may
have to see if they are a fit for our company. I update and maintain all employee personnel files.
I am the group plan administrator for our health, vision and dental insurance. I created our
employee welcome packet as well as the collector training manual. Outside of the human
resources responsibilities I am the secretary to the owner of the company so my job goes beyond
the HR scope.
According to Career Planner a human resources manager can expect to identify a staff vacancy,
determine what it will take to properly fill that vacancy, administer compensation, benefits,
performance management systems, and safety and recreation programs. They will schedule in
person interview for the department heads and then discuss which candidates will be the best fit
for the organization. Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies,
job duties, working conditions, wages, and opportunities for promotion and employee benefits.
Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing
employees, and administering disciplinary procedures. They will also advise managers on
organizational policy matters such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and
recommend needed changes. Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive
attitude toward organizational objectives. HR will conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for
employee termination. Develop, administer and evaluate applicant tests. Maintain records and
compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data such as hires, transfers, performance
appraisals, and absenteeism rates (Job Duties and tasks for: Human Resources Manager, n.d.)

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

General Career Path

According to All Business Schools after obtaining a human resources certificate, a graduate is
qualified for the following positions: Human Resources Clerk, HR Assistant, Recruiter, Training
and Development Coordinator, Payroll Specialist and a HR Generalist.
A recent graduate with a human resource bachelor's degree may anticipate being placed in the
following positions: Human Resources Manager, Employee Relations Manager, Compensation
or Benefit Analyst/Manager, HR Information Systems Manager, Training and Development
Manager, Labor Relations Manager. HR Professionals who graduated with a master's degree are
qualified for the following positions: Director of Human Resources and a VP of Human
Resources. (What Education or Certificate will I need to work in human resources?, n.d.)

You can always switch between a generalist position and specialist position. Kathy DeCaprio, a
Senior HR Manager, emphasizes that it is always easier to make such moves early in your career.
As you spend more time in the industry, your skills and interests will become more fine-tuned
and your expertise in certain areas will be valued, so career changes may become more
challenging. It is a good idea to explore all possibilities early in your HR career.
Matt Aspin, a board member of the Seattle chapter of the Society of Human Resource
Management says that many entry-level positions are in recruiting and administrative roles. As
recruiters, Aspin says, young HR professionals will most likely be able to interact with HR
generalists and decide whether it is something they are interested in. (Charting Your HR Career
Path, n.d.)

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

General Education Experience

You'll need at least a bachelor's degree for most entry-level jobs, although it may be possible to
find a few HR assistant positions with an associate's degree in hand. Most BA-level jobs in HR
start at the assistant level. To become an HR manager in a large corporation or an analyst in a
specialty area, you will need an MBA, an MHRM (master of human resources management), an
MS, or some type of certification. Degrees in human resources, personnel administration,
industrial relations, labor relations, and industrial engineering are typical. (Who Does Well, 2012)
In addition, all human resources professionals tend to share the following traits: Ability to think
critically and analytically, strong oral and written communication skills, Business focus, Ability
to work with people of various cultural and educational backgrounds, Computer savvy and the
Ability to quickly switch gears, for example, from administrator to counselor to negotiator. (Who
Does Well, 2012)

Average Salary

According to indeed.com as of Feb 23, 2016, the starting salary for a Human Resource
Generalist is $31,000. For a HR manager it is around $54,000 while a Director can make around
$81,000 a year. These can vary depending on experience and the size of the company. (Human
Resources Salary, n.d.)

Career Outlook

For success in any industry, companies must appeal to and match employees to jobs for which
they are best cut out for. Nevertheless, several organizations are too big for direct interaction
between top management and workers. This is therefore provided by human resources, training,

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

and labor relations managers and specialists. At one time, these workers have dealt with
functions in administration; these include: managing employee benefits concerns or recruiting,
conducting interviews, and appointing new personnel in compliance to top managements
policies and requirements. Current human resources workers balance these responsibilities and
more and more discuss strategic planning with top executives. Moving from unnoticed support,
they now lead companies as they give recommendations and change policies. Top executives
recognize the asset that the human resources department is to ensuring economic success.
(Human Resource Careers, Jobs and Training Information, n.d.)

Bio of someone in the profession

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Todd Anderson, SPHR and discussing how he got into
Human Resources. Anderson is currently the President/CEO of Platinum HR, where he is a full
service HR consultant. He has over 30 years experience and has worked with over 800 clients
across the western US. He was the HR consultant for the Olympics when they came to Salt Lake
City in 2002. When he graduated from BYU, he went into the business world with little
understanding of what someone in human resources does or what the responsibilities are. He
quickly realized that this field is vast and there are not many people that specialize in HR at that
time. Anderson found it very rewarding to be the voice of the employees and to make sure that
they have someone to support them, as well as someone that can protect the company. Anderson
travels coaching companies to stay compliant with State and Federal laws. He also trains
employers and teaches employees important issues such as what sexual harassment is so that
everyone can feel safe. He also writes employee handbooks for companies. (Anderson, 2016)

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

Pros and Cons

Learning Path reports from the US Bureau of Labor Statics that some of the PROS of a career in
Human Resources are the high earning potential (median salary of $103,000 as of 2014), HR
jobs exists in nearly every industry, typically only requires a bachelors degree and it has the
opportunity to specialize in different aspects of HR management. Some of the cons of being an
HR manager are it often requires years of experience, the stress involved in dealing with
employee conflict or tension, upper-level HR management positions often require a masters
degree and this can be a pro or a con, there may be work related travel. (Human Resource
manager Career Overview, n.d.)
Your fit with this career

Josie Sutcliffe references the US Department of Labor that 76% of Human Resources Managers
are women, according to 2014 statistics and, perhaps even more impressive, given gender
disparity at executive levels, 49% of HR Officers at the USs top 100 corporate employers (based
on employee counts) are women. Here are the numbers, according to 2014 statistics from the US
Department of Labor: Although 76% of HR Managers are women, male HR Managers earn 40%
more than their female counterparts. Female HR Managers hold an average median weekly
salary of $1,300 compared to $1,827 for male HR Managers. That is $527 less a week, or
$27,404 less a year. Similarly, in the HR Worker category, men earn 38% more than women.
Female HR Workers hold an average median weekly salary of $912 compared to $1,257 for
men. That is $345 less a week, or $17,940 a year. It is also interesting to note that male HR
Workers are earning almost the same average weekly median salaries as females holding the
more senior HR Manager role. Finally, in HR Executives HRs Elite: Class of 2013 list,

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

printed in September 2014, only 11 of the 50 top earning HR leaders were women. (Sutcliffe,
2016)
A career in this field looks very optimistic. I believe that with all my years of experience and
with my education I will be able to move forward with what I already love and that is working
with people. I also want to be the voice of the employees, to make sure they are treated fairly and
with the respect that they deserve.

An exciting part of this research is finding out what other companies are willing to do not only
acquire qualified employees, but what they are willing to do to keep them. Corporate culture is
an important aspect of how the company will present itself.

I am seeing a field that I want to be a part of. I have worked for a small company for a long time
but feel that becoming part of a larger company will allow me to spread my wings and soar
through so many fields that interest me. I dont have to limit myself.

As I finish this paper I have accepted a new job with a much larger company, 170 employees.
This is going to open some of these doors and expand my knowledge and in doing this research I
am better informed of what I need to make it to the top.

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

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References
Anderson, T. (2016, March 1). (K. Flanders, Interviewer)
Charting Your HR Career Path. (n.d., para, 3). Retrieved April 2, 2016, from All Business
Schools: http:allbusinessschools.com/business-careers/article/building-your-hr-careerpath/
Human Resource Careers, Jobs and Training Information. (n.d., para, 1). Retrieved April 2,
2016, from Career Overview: http://www.careeroverview.com/human-resourcecareers.html
Human Resources Salary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2016, from indeed.com:
http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=Human Resources
Job Duties and tasks for: "Human Resources Manager". (n.d., para, 1). Retrieved April 2, 2016,
from http://job-descriptions.careerplanner.com/Human-Resources-Manager.cfm
Pros and Cons of a Career as Human Resources Manager. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2016, from
Learning Path: http://learningpath.org/articles/Human Resource Manager Career
Overview.html
Sutcliffe, J. (2016, March 4). The Great HR Gender Divide: Part 1. Retrieved from Visier.com:
http://www.visier.com/hr-leadership/gender-divide-part-1/
What Education or Certificate will I need to work in human resources? (n.d., para, 3). Retrieved
April 2, 2016, from All Business Schools: http://www.allbusinessschools.com/businesscareers/human-resources/job description/

HUMAN RESOURCES: A DAY IN THE LIFE

What is Human Resource Management (HRM)? (n.d., para, 2). Retrieved March 3, 2016, from
Tech Target: http://serchio.techtarget.com/definitions/human-resource-managementHRM
Who Does Well. (2012, December 3, para 2, 5). Retrieved April 2, 2016, from Wetfeet:
https://www.wetfeet.com/articles/career-overview-human-resources

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