Most companies run HR graduate programmes, including the top employers in sectors such as retail, healthcare, banking, construction, consulting and engineering. As a graduate, to get into human resources (HR) may seem as if your options are virtually unlimited because HR is a necessity for any venture.
HR is highly flexible, with opportunities for numerous specialities. This allows you exposure to various sub-fields to choose the one you would prefer. The placements vary. For example, HR advising in one placement, devising the current year’s reward strategy in another, helping in an IT company’s recruitment procedure in the next, and the last, liaising with the Learning and Development team on a new initiative.
Most employers will also support you in gaining the invaluable CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) qualification or possibly another relevant qualification. You will usually begin your professional studies at the start of year three, although if your performance is exceptional, you could be accelerated and start from year two.
There are a few specialisations in HR: Transformations, Technology and People Analytics.
- HR Transformation
HR Transformation works to maximise value by connecting people objectives with their business strategy. The team collaborates with HR Directors and business leaders to develop highly effective strategies and improved functions to help HR deliver their commitment to performance and growth to the industry. HR Transformations includes working on:
- HR process improvement.
- Strategizing novel methods for Human Resources to fulfil customer needs.
- Evaluation of extending HR Business Process and Outsource opportunities.
- Developing a new HR (Human Resource) operating model and planning the transition for change including policies, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and technology enablers.
- Defining and agreeing on future HR capabilities and undertaking assessment processes of the current state.
- Driving and embedding cultural change through the people agenda.
- HR Technology
With the advancement of telecommunications, it is critical for HR to use more progressive techniques such as cloud computing. The aim is to make HR procedures even more encompassing, innovative and flexible. HR Technology includes working on:
- Helping to understand the effectiveness of existing HR systems.
- Identifying areas where costs can be reduced and performance improved.
- Discerning the right technology operating models to increase flexibility, self-service and more efficient processes.
- Providing support for developing technology business cases and communicating key proposals to the business.
- End-to-end process of system implementation: this includes construction of the new structure, examining its efficacy in a test pool, and maintaining the setup based on the requirements at the time.
- Defining and executing implementation plans.
- People Analytics
The focus is on improving and resolving issues related to people, data, and analytics so that organisations can feel confident in their statistics. Accurate information can be used to implement new measures to improve the corporation’s profits. People Analytics includes working on:
- Employee Data Solutions: This involves reviewing, understanding, managing, controlling, designing and fixing their data issues.
- Workforce Business Intelligence/Management Information: This includes providing HR reporting and data interpretation, developing a clear Management reporting strategy, and facilitating strategies to improve work efficiency.
- Strategic People Planning (SPP): This involves working with senior teams to develop the capability to match the current and future demand for necessary competencies based on resources available. It requires tapping human potential to the fullest by examining statistics on the workforce.