Chapter 1: Perspectives on Human Resources Management: Exploring Why HRM Matters
Skills Needed for HRM
HRM is a specialized area, much like accounting, marketing or finance. In this section, we borrow extensively from the material produced by l’Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés, the professional association that governs HR professionals in Quebec. Later in the section, we will discuss the HR Order in more depth, but first, we list the set of 12 competencies that are important to have for an HR professional, as defined by the HR Order.
4. HR Competencies
The HR Order proposes 12 competencies that are key for the HR professional. The competencies define what it means to be an HR professional. We list those in the section below with a special focus on the first competency, ethics, which is by far the most important one.
Ethics
Ethics and a sense of fairness are very important in human resources. Adhering to a code of ethics is what distinguishes members of a professional Order from non-members. At the core of this code is the notion of protecting the public. As part of the ethical code of an HR professional it is essential to engage in continuous development, to maintain professional independence (i.e., avoid conflict of interest), and to preserve professional discretion. Consider the fact that many HR managers negotiate salary and union contracts, they also manage conflict. In addition, HR managers have the task of ensuring compliance with ethical standards within the organization. Many HR managers are required to work with highly confidential information, such as salary information, so a sense of ethics is essential when managing this information.
Agility
The capability to progress in an ambiguous, complex, and constantly changing environment is a key competence. HR managers have to foster adaptation and value creation through improvement loops by adjusting to context, people and developments.
Guidance
The HR professional must help individuals, teams, or organizations find and implement concrete solutions that suit their context. The HR professional supports employees in solving problems or meeting objectives.
Business acumen
The HR professional has the ability to identify opportunities and strategies that create value and can implement them in order to benefit the organization, workers, and society. To be effective, it is very important that she/he ‘understands the business’ and common, applicable business practices.
Comprehensive vision
The ability to have an overview of the organizational context, both internal and external, at the local, regional, and international levels is important for the HR professional. He or she must identify issues and opportunities in order to be proactive.
Influence
The HR professional must have the ability to identify resources that can be used to effectively increase her/his power to act. She/he must have the ability to inspire confidence and direct people toward a shared goal; and to motivate people to follow her/his lead.
Project management
The HR professional possesses the ability to organize work, manage their own and others’ time, and establish priorities. He or she has the ability to structure tasks in order to be as efficient as possible and meet deadlines.
Analysis and synthesis
The ability to use all available information to understand a situation from all angles is key for the HR professional. He or she must be able to identify the various aspects of a problem and obtain an overall perspective on the main issues at hand.
Communication
The HR professional must be able to convey information and adapt wording based on context and audience, while arousing interest and enthusiasm. He or she must have the capacity to write in a way that ensures they will be understood.
Relational intelligence
The HR professional has the capacity to forge relationships and establish meaningful connections with people. He or she recognizes, understands, and controls his or her own emotions and deals with those of others.
Digital literacy
The HR professional possesses the ability to understand and use computer and technological tools at work to support his or her practice and organizational processes.
Continuous learning
The HR professional is able to evaluate his or her professional practice so as to continuously develop both professionally and personally. He or she demonstrates their willingness to learn new things with interest and motivation.
5. The HR Professional: The HR Order
As mentioned at the beginning of this section, HR has the particularity of being governed by a professional order. This is somewhat unique in the business world, and if you think of JMSB as a microcosm of the different professions within businesses, only two JMSB majors lead to membership of a professional order: accountancy and HR. In Canada, professional orders are under the jurisdiction of each province and the Quebec HR Order is one of 46 professional orders in the province of Quebec. The role of a professional order is to:
- Monitor their members’ competence and integrity;
- Supervise the practice of the profession;
- Regulate the practice of the profession.
The primary mission of a professional order is the protection of the public. The license issued by an order is therefore a privilege granted to individuals who agree to meet the highest standards of competence and integrity of their profession. JMSB’s HR program (Major in HRM) is one of the handful of programs recognized by the Quebec HR Order. This means that graduating from JMSB with a major in HR automatically qualifies you for the Order. It is important to note that there are some language requirements for joining the Quebec Order, these are detailed in the following document on the language criteria. The benefits of achieving certification for HR professionals are numerous. In addition to demonstrating the abilities of the HR professional, certification allows HR professionals to be more marketable in a very competitive field.
5.1. How to get one’s career going as an HR student?
A university degree is a pre-requisite for admission in the HR Order, so if you are reading this you are on the right track if you are interested in this profession. There are also interesting extra-curricular activities that could boost your learning and potentially accelerate your career. For one, student membership to the Quebec HR Order is free. Being a student member of the Order offers some interesting benefits and activities for students. In addition, the John Molson Human Resources and Management Association (JHMA) is a “student-run organization led by a group of dynamic students working together to organize events in order to expose students to the Human Resources and Management industries”. Involvement in extracurricular activities has been shown to increase employability upon graduation (, 2017).
6. HR Jobs
Most organizations need a human resource department, or at a minimum, a manager with HR skills. The industries and job titles are so varied that it is only possible to list general job titles in human resources:
- Recruiter/talent acquisition manager
- Compensation analyst
- Human resources assistant
- Employee relations manager
- Benefits manager
- Work-life coordinator
- Training and development manager
- Human resources manager
- Vice president for human resources
This is not an exhaustive list, but it can be a starting point for your research on this career path.
Reference
(2017) Athletics, clubs, or music? The influence of college extracurricular activities on job prestige and satisfaction, Journal of Education and Work, 30(3), 249-269
Pinto, L. (2017). Perceived employability of business graduates: The effect of academic performance and extracurricular activities. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 99, 165-178.
