Human resources can refer to either the people or the department in charge of all people operations. This includes hiring, onboarding, training, and other duties related to managing employees.
Depending on the size of the organization, HR department may be an entire team of people. Or, in smaller businesses, a single person may handle all these administrative tasks.
HRÂ focuses on several specialty areas:
- Recruiting and staffing, including writing job descriptions, placing ads on job boards, evaluating applicant resumes, scheduling interviews, and making an offer of employment
- Compensation and benefits, such as determining competitive pay rates, setting paid time off policies, and providing health and wellness perks such as medical insurance
- Promotions and performance reviews to discuss employee goals, areas needing improvement, and expectations for future advancement
- Training and learning, including educational opportunities, learning new software systems, and skill-building for future career development
- Culture and branding to protect the company’s reputation and enhance its public image to help attract top talent
Why should you pursue a career in human resources?
Depending on your area of interest, there are many career opportunities available in the HR industry. The top reasons for pursuing a career in HR include building connections, networking opportunities, and more.
New challenges
Continually facing new challenges is one way to stay engaged in the workplace. Every day is different in human resources.
If you think you’ll become bored with a job where you do the same thing day after day, consider a career in HR. One day you could help determine new hiring needs while the next you could be setting up the organization’s new health and wellness initiative.
Great salary
The recent Jobstore.com salary reported shows that the median salary for an HR specialist at RM5,000/month. Entry-level HR positions start in the RM2,500 to RM4,000 range, while professionals with a few years of experience can command salaries above RM8,000.
Steady growth
You probably don’t have to worry about longevity when you choose a career in HR. Human resources careers continue to show a positive growth rate. The projected HR job growth is 12% from 2022 – 2030 in Malaysia, with about 20,000 HR specialist positions opening every year.
What are the top 7 human resources careers to consider?
There are many different paths to choose from when pursuing a career in human resources. Here is a list of the top 7 HR career opportunities. It includes a brief description of job duties, along with the average base salary for each one.
1. HR assistant
This is the entry-level position to start a career in this field. People starting in this role typically help with answering phones, filing, paperwork, and other administrative duties. They may also help with new-hire onboarding and maintaining employee records.
Average HR assistant base salary: RM2,500/month
2. Training and development specialist
Training and development specialists help with all tasks related to employee education and career development. This can include everything from onboarding new hires to updating the employee handbook.
Average training and development specialist base salary: RM5,000/month
3. Senior recruiter
If you want to specialize in the interviewing, hiring, and onboarding side of HR, then you may want to consider a career in recruiting. Recruiters are responsible for providing staffing services for organizations.
You can work for a company, a private recruiting agency, or as an independent consultant. Senior recruiters are typically required to have at least 3 to 5 years of experience in human resources or as a junior-level recruiter.
Average senior recruiter base salary:Â RM6,500/month
4. HR manager
An HR manager is a generalist type of position that oversees all aspects of the HR department. The person taking on this job needs great communication abilities and exceptional time-management skills. Everything from hiring to enforcing company policies falls under their area of responsibility.
Average human resources manager base salary:Â RM8,600/month
5. Labor relations specialist
Labor relations specialists are sometimes called employee relations specialists. In larger corporations, they help bridge the gap between management and labor unions. Because they create employment contracts, they must be expert negotiators and proficient in all local, state, and federal labor laws.
Average labor relations specialist base salary: RM8,000/month
6. Compensation and benefits manager
The compensation manager prepares and implements the company benefits package. This includes things like pension plans, PTO allowances, and health insurance. They also work within a set budget and create a salary structure for each position within the organization.
Average compensation manager base salary: RM9,000/month
7. Vice president of HR
The VP of HR is sometimes called the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). From overseeing the management of all admin activities to setting company goals and policies, this position is in charge of anything and everything HR-related. You’ll need at least 10 years of experience to pursue this high-level career path.
Average vice president of HR base salary:Â RM15,000/month