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Human Resources Manager

Human resources managers advise and support management on staff issues such as remuneration, staff development, strategy and training. They are also responsible for developing and putting in place systems for staff recruitment, management, training and performance management.

 

Tasks & duties

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Human resources managers may do some or all of the following:

  • develop human resources plans that are aligned to the organisation's strategic plan
  • advise management on staff and job matters
  • train managers to take on human resources (HR) tasks such as job candidate selection
  • design policies and standards for staff issues
  • write job descriptions
  • analyse and advise on wage and salary plans
  • consult with management, staff and unions over pay and conditions
  • seek advice on whether the company is complying with employment legislation
  • manage the human resources team
  • manage any equal employment opportunities plans or policies
  • be involved in the management of health and safety
  • interview and select staff and design staff training courses
  • keep staff records up to date and assess staff
  • manage the payroll
  • manage the personnel filing systems and the organisation's HR information systems

 

Specialisations

Human resources managers may specialise in certain areas of human resources, such as training and development or recruitment.

 

Skills & knowledge

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Human resources managers need to have:

  • knowledge of their organisation and the staff roles within it
  • understanding of labour and tax laws, and employment legislation such as the Employment Relations Act
  • knowledge of recruitment, including how to train and interview staff
  • knowledge of conditions of employment
  • knowledge of rates of pay, and performance management systems
  • understanding of health and safety regulations and equal employment opportunities (EEO)
  • excellent people and communication skills
  • negotiating skills
  • writing skills
  • project-management skills
  • planning and organisational skills
  • decision making and problem-solving skills
  • analytical skills

 

Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements to become a human resources manager; however, it is recommended that you have a tertiary qualification in a relevant area such as human resources, psychology, management or industrial relations.

 

Secondary education

Sixth Form Certificate or Bursary, or NCEA equivalent English, computer studies and economics is useful.

 

Tertiary education

Additional postgraduate study in human resources and/or organisational psychology may be useful.

 

Training on the job

Many skills are gained on the job and in-house training courses may be provided by some organisations. The Human Resources Institute of New Zealand also provides professional development courses for human resources (HR) managers.

Ongoing learning is important for HR managers, so they can keep up to date with legislation changes and industry trends.

 

Useful experience

Useful experience for human resources managers includes:

  • experience with industrial negotiations
  • work as a union official or delegate
  • vocational guidance work
  • management or supervisory work
  • experience as a recruitment officer or training personnel
  • experience networking with other people
  • working in payroll
  • policy development

 

Related courses

Business Management
Human Resource Management
Industrial Relations
Personal Management Training

 

For more information, please refer to Career Services.

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