Challenges and Opportunities in HR Management Careers

Human Resource management is the process of recruiting, developing, retaining, and supporting employees so that they can align their personal growth with the company’s core values. When done effectively, it’s one of the best ways to create a positive workplace experience.

And guess what? A McKinsey research report states that an organisation with positive employee experience is 1.3 times more likely to report outperformance.

This is the primary reason why the HR department is also called the driving force behind any business. They transform labour into invaluable talent. No wonder there are many valuable HR career opportunities in the job market now.

In this guide, we are going to explore the skills required to succeed in HR management jobs and how these skills help HR personnel address the everyday challenges of any workplace.

One report by Sage People reveals that 91% of HR leaders feel their profession has changed dramatically in the last five years. And 32% believe it will continue changing. For more context, let’s look a few years back. Back then, the role of HR used to be riddled more with administrative tasks, like writing contracts, hiring, firing, and managing payroll. But now it's more strategic.

Today, an HR role is deemed the modern architect of employee experience. An experience that does not run on the old-world corporate traditions of bureaucracy, but something that thrives on simplicity and agility.

In the post-COVID era, organisations worldwide recognised that they needed to flatten their organisation’s structure for employee satisfaction and better company performance. And the Chief Human-Resource Officers (CHROs) worldwide urged their staff to fulfil this vision by tackling the oncoming challenges with innovative solutions.

They owned employee engagement, reinforced positive culture, and created thriving pathways for the company’s talent. So yes, a talented HR department has an undeniable impact on every institution and there are immense leadership opportunities for HR professionals.

Yet, stepping into these roles isn’t without its hurdles. Modern HR professionals face many complex challenges like:

Talent Acquisition & Retention

People make or break a company. That’s why acquiring and retaining the right set of talented resources is one of the topmost priorities of the HR management scope. This task becomes extra arduous because that top-tier talent is already in demand. As we speak, they are being actively lured by the competitors with lucrative packages and benefits.

So the best way to tackle this acquisition situation is by adopting the following 6 effective hiring practices:

• Proactively sourcing talent: By using tools like internships or apprenticeships at job fairs or campus placements.
• Deploying employee referrals: Developing a referral program within the company and incentivising it with a reward in case of a successful hiring.
• Engaging with passive candidates: Sometimes a simple cold mail turns into a well-timed and wonderful hiring opportunity.
• Offering attractive compensation & benefits: Sharing the details of the compensation, perks, and bonuses of the job beforehand to make candidates realise their worth.
• Giving a clear job description: Communicating clearly what is expected of the candidates, giving all details regarding the needed skills and expected responsibilities without the jargon.
• Improving the company’s online footprints: Good candidates always research their potential place of employment. So HR has to keep posting about their company culture and encourage employees to leave reviews about their workplace.

Once onboarded, the next challenge is to keep these employees in the company by keeping them motivated and engaged. Disengagement or lack of involvement among employees can lead to absenteeism or turnover. When it happens, the rest of the workforce is left behind to tackle the unattended workload repeatedly, causing burnout and having negative implications on the organisation.

To avoid such an issue from arising, HR needs to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard within the company and their opinions are valued. Taking such steps makes more sense than having to repeat the entire hiring process.

Adapting to Technology & Automation

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have become the forefront of almost every operation in companies. The technical changes are happening at a maddening pace. And the skill gap is wider than ever. Thus, it poses various hurdles in the way of the company achieving its goals.

A McKinsey 2018 survey even states that 66% executives kept “addressing potential skills gaps related to automation/digitisation with employees” among their top 10 priorities.

That raises a new question: how digital transformation is reshaping HR careers? Well, to address this issue successfully, HR is now required to become a digitally-savvy strategic partner for the businesses. They need to not only onboard the right talent, but also help employees upskill. On top of that, they need to recognise the requirement of innovatively outsourcing certain work tasks to keep the operations smooth, be it to a new software or external agencies.

All this must be done while ensuring that outsourcing does not compromise their own employees’ data security. It is the duty of HR professionals to ensure that the company have robust security features like two-factor authentication, firewalls and data encryption in place to ensure confidentiality.

Workforce Diversity & Inclusion

A diverse workforce is a modern-day reality. When managed well, these teams come up with the most astounding results. And it is the task of HR management to ensure that the right policies are in place to successfully. It must:

• Address and remove unconscious biases in the recruitment and promotion process
• Promote inclusive behaviour within the staff at each stage
• Foster equal and fair access to opportunities
• Accommodate various backgrounds, perspectives, and needs

When managed well, a diverse and inclusive workforce shows its gratitude to the company in the form of:

• Increased innovation
• Better culture
• Improved productivity
• More business value
• Enhanced reputation

Compliance & Legal Complexities

The labour laws of one region may be different from those of another. Moreover, they keep changing with the government's policies too. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the candidate who wants to pursue international opportunities for HR management professionals to make themselves familiar with the laws of that nation and state.

If in a job within an MNC, the HR needs to hold regular policy audits and collaborate closely with regional HR for better adaptation and alignment.

Yes, it’s true that the responsibility of such regulatory compliance lies with every employee. However, enforcing these processes and guidelines is the remit of HR. Because when breached, these can lead to fines and damaged reputation for the company.

Change Management

A company that aims to see its operations thrive for long is bound to face many changes, either in their hierarchy, structure, processes or models. It is upon the HR department to see that their employees are not resistant to these critical changes. Because such resistance can lead to a decline in team morale and collaboration.

HR managers need to communicate all such changes well before their implementation. A few ways to do so are through email, regular bulletins, meetings or (if needed) dedicated training sessions. This way, HR gets the right opportunity to explain everything regarding new procedures and policies, while addressing any concerns the employees may have.

Gone are the days when a single HR personnel would try to juggle the technological, strategic, emotional and administrative side of this job alone. With so many duties to perform and challenges to tackle, companies have started hiring for specialised HR roles according to their needs.

Want to understand what these specialised roles are and what the latest emerging trends in HR management careers are? Let’s check it out:

Strategic HR Leadership Roles

HR plays the role of a key strategic partner to a business. That is why the leadership roles in HR (like that of CHROs) hold the immense power to influence major C-suite decisions. These leaders use analytics, make tough decisions based on data, predict the needs of their workforce, and align employee motivation with business goals.

HR Technology & Digital Transformation

The role of artificial intelligence in HR management careers is a crucial one. Even though it has forced organisations to adapt readily, people are still wary about its threats. That’s the reason why companies hire for positions like HR Technology Manager, AI in HR Consultant, and People Analytics Specialist.

Focus on Employee Experience (EX)

In 2015, Airbnb transformed its HR function by appointing its first global Head of Employee Experience. And with companies trying to implement people-first policies within their firm, it was just the beginning. Organisations now headhunt specialised people-centric talent like Culture and Engagement Specialists, People & Culture Officers, and Employee Experience Managers.

Learning & Development (L&D)

The consistent need for reskilling and upskilling has branched HR career growth into one more part: L&D. These HR specialists craft personalised learning paths for company employees through digital platforms. They also provide resources for talent development and career coaching, thus enhancing employees’ skillsets.

Sustainability and CSR Integration

Nowadays, organisations are bound by the responsibility to move towards better CSR initiatives and sustainable work practices. That’s why to embed ethical practices in their team, ensure diversity and inclusion and align themselves with ESG goals (Environmental, Social and Governance), they hire specialised HR professionals. They appoint Well-being Officers, CSR & Employee Engagement Specialists, and HR Sustainability Managers.

Here’s how to prepare for human resource management jobs:

• Develop strong communication skills and emotional intelligence
• Build expertise in labour laws, digital tools, and HR analytics for a strong foundation
• Invest in networking, certifications, and continuous learning for HR career growth
• Combine empathy with technical know-how to handle both people-centric and data-driven aspects of HR effectively.

The future scope of HR management as a career is highly promising. All it needs is a candidate with the right attitude and willingness to learn continuously to steer the company towards success.

Looking to build these skills with the right academic foundation? At MIT School of Distance Education (MITSDE), we offer industry-relevant programs to prepare you for the best career opportunities in HR management. Our flexible learning model ensures that you can balance professional growth with your career goals. Join us now!