Skills and competencies for human resources management cover a broad range of technical, business and interpersonal skills, making this one of the more appealing professions for people who are interested in working with people, and justifying the need for a well-rounded business management education. Teambuilding.com recently compiled a list of skills, competencies and qualifications of effective HR professionals. Here are 5 from their rundown:
- Interpersonal skills: HR officers interact with employees, strive to make a positive first impression on prospective new hires and act as an employee advocate. In any of these roles, strong social skills are important.
- Event organizing: Employee engagement campaigns often involve events like training, health fairs, blood drives, recruitment fairs and company retreats. A well-rounded business education and some project management experience are indispensable tools for HR managers.
- Conflict resolution: The HR department often mediates arguments between teammates, providing neutral ground for parties to work through issues. Effective HR managers stay alert and have the emotional maturity and communication skills to de-escalate tension and keep the parties working toward a solution.
- Analytical capabilities: The ability to collect and analyze data enables HR managers to strike a balance between staffing needs and budgets and measure the health of their organizations.
- Recruiting: Effective HR professionals know how to write compelling job postings and attract and screen qualified candidates. Talented recruiters understand best practices in hiring and know how to evaluate candidates on multiple levels, such as technical prowess, attitude and culture fit.
In an effort to answer the question, is an MBA in Human Resources worth it, one can say that earning a Master of Business Administration could help you stand out to employers over other job candidates with more limited education.
Our MBA with a Specialization in Human Resources can help give you a deeper understanding of business practices, immersing you in planning, staffing, rewarding and developing talent, and allowing you to hone presentation and corporate-level communication skills that are essential in the HR field.
Core classes include:
- Financial Accounting: Managerial Use and Analysis
- Business Economics
- Corporate Finance
- Leadership and Organizational Behavior
- Innovation Through Technology
- Strategic Marketing
If your goals include attaining a mid-to-senior-level human resources management position, our MBA with a Specialization in Human Resources can help prepare you to pursue roles such as:
- Human Resources Manager
- Sr. Human Resources Consultant
- Manager, HR Operations
- Vice President, Human Resources
- Director of Employee Experience & Communications
- Employee Relations Manager
Keep in mind that the requirements for these jobs may vary depending on the company you’re applying to. Job titles and requirements are not standardized across the wider business industry, so while you may meet the application requirements to be a marketing manager at one company, it doesn’t mean that you will meet those requirements at every company.
It’s also important to remember that no single program can be right for everyone, but the well-rounded nature of our MBA with a Specialization in Human Resources can equip you with the tools and knowledge to pursue roles outside of human resources as well, such as those combining HR and operations, marketing or communications.