One of the most important factors to consider when choosing your ideal HR career – or any career – is the day-to-day responsibilities and workload.
While it is important to think about a career as a long-term commitment, it’s the everyday actions and priorities that will motivate you to get out of bed every morning, excited to go to work (within reason of course, we’re only human)!
An HR manager’s job description can vary across industries and sectors, but overall, the role includes:
1) Managing employee relations
Employee relations is all about fostering strong individual and collective relationships within the workplace. Creating a positive environment where employees feel involved, committed, and engaged not only enhances business performance but also supports employee wellbeing.
Duties aligned with this part of an HR manager’s role include:
Conflict management
While workplace conflict is something that most employers try to keep on the down-low, the reality is that it’s normal and likely to occur when individuals from different backgrounds and experiences come together in the workplace.
A vital responsibility of an HR manager, however, is to be confident in their ability to manage conflict. HR managers therefore focus on strategies like mediation to resolve conflict and prevent it from reoccurring.
Exit processes
HR managers often collaborate with recruitment teams and hiring managers to design effective exit processes tailored to an employee's role and responsibilities.
These interviews provide valuable insights into the strengths and challenges of a position, offering a fresh perspective that may not have been reviewed since the individual was hired. This feedback not only helps refine the role for future candidates but also presents an opportunity to adapt its responsibilities to better align with evolving business needs.
Employee engagement
HR managers play a key role in boosting employee engagement by creating a positive and supportive work environment. They develop strategies to keep employees motivated, gather feedback to understand their needs and implement recognition programmes to celebrate achievements.
HR managers also focus on employee development, offering growth opportunities, and encouraging work-life balance to ensure overall wellbeing.
Health, safety, and wellbeing
HR managers play a part in overseeing compliance and generally improving health and safety in the workplace. For instance, they coordinate training on safety protocols, monitor workplace conditions, and manage the reporting of accidents or hazards.
HR managers also play a role in promoting a culture of wellbeing by supporting mental health initiatives and making sure that employees have access to resources that maintain a safe and healthy work environment.
Supporting training and development
Working closely with learning and development (L&D) professionals, HR managers will support the creation and implementation of training and development programmes for all employees, including senior management.
HR managers will work closely with senior team managers to assess the specific training needs of employees, often overseeing employee performance reviews to identify skills gaps.
When it comes time to implement training and upskilling, HR managers support senior leaders by advising on adoption strategies, time management, and collaboration techniques. This makes HR managers crucial to fostering a culture of continuous learning.
2) Ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations
By law, there are several HR policies and regulations that companies must adhere to. This ensures the business operates in a fair and compliant manner.
Depending on the location or company country of origin, these laws will be subjective, and it’s the responsibility of the HR manager and their team to ensure the correct guidelines are implemented.
Designed to keep employees and employers safe, important laws and regulations include:
Each act protects employees across a variety of different aspects, which means to correctly advise staff and remain complimented with a constantly changing landscape, HR managers must stay informed and up to date with these laws.
Additionally, HR managers are vital when assuring a company’s readiness to adopt change, specifically when it comes to legislative updates and evolving alongside market demands.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) speak openly about how success within business is directly linked to an organisation's attitude towards adapting to change.
The best HR managers are those whoo strike the right balance between legal stipulations and the needs of their workforce, focused on developing and driving the business forward.
If you’re interested in learning about UK employment laws in-depth, you can find more information in our HR Professional’s Guide to the Major UK Employment Laws.
3) Overseeing talent acquisition
HR managers play a big part in talent management, often working in close collaboration with employees, leadership, and recruitment teams to align talent strategies and business objectives.
During recruitment, for example, HR managers work closely with Talent Acquisition (TA) teams to ensure new hires have the skills and potential needed to contribute to the company's success.
They’re also responsible for reviewing job offers and descriptions, ensuring compliance with employment regulations. This attention to detail streamlines the onboarding process, helping new employees integrate smoothly into the business.
How much does an HR manager make?
