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“Is HR a profession?”
Well, part of the response to that question depends on how you define profession. The dictionary I referenced defined it this way:
-Avocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science: the profession of teaching.
-Any vocation or business.
-The body of persons engaged in an occupation or calling: to be respected by the medical profession.
HR is certainly an occupation. But it was pointed out that HR is not the same type of “profession” (learned profession?) as is a law, medicine, architecture, engineering, or public accounting.
What is the big difference between those professions and HR? Those require someone to have a degree in the profession. Last I checked no degree is required in HR. Degrees are available and many have them, me included, but my degree was not required for me to hold any particular job. I could not have been an attorney without a degree, or a doctor or an engineer, but anyone can be an HR manager. And that is part of the problem HR has in its struggle to gain respect.
What is it going to take for HR to become a profession? First the continued good work of many who labor at a “professional” level. Continued certification efforts will help. But certification is not sufficient.
Does this mean that a degree automatically makes you a professional? Never. There are lots of untalented lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc. just as there are a lot of untalented HR people. But there are different hurdles to entry between the former and the latter.
Yes, it has been a profession as long as there are people and did not start with the books of any HR guru in the past century.The HR history is about the evolution of the first communes and growth of the first ancient societies. People management was crucial in China, as a nation without a strong army was overtaken by neighbors. A successful army requires a successful command, with brave and smart leaders and it designed and developed the first procedures for hiring and outstanding selection of new hires and leaders recruits.
So the first successful HR practices in the history can be found in ancient armies.
I won a national HR award in 2001 to create a "HR Business model" wherein leaders and HR Business partners play a crucial role.
What is it going to take for HR to become a profession? First the continued good work of many who labor at a “professional” level. Continued certification efforts will help. But certification is not sufficient. Many a CEO has no idea of what a PHR or SPHR is nor cares. It is not until CEOs require their HR “professionals” to be degreed that it will begin to be viewed as a profession. And that will not occur until CEOs get the word that “professional” HR is needed. But for that to occur HR must show they get business results through people. CEOs are not interested in activities
Ofcourse it is one of the classifications of Management as a profession. Thanks.
Human Resource Management is not only a profession but are unaware of its origins and its principles and its divisions in universitiesIt is the art of any profession both interact to produce a specialist in human resources and administration both complementary to some
Candidates need a combination of education and several years of related work experience to become a human resources manager. Although a bachelor’s degree is sufficient for most positions, some jobs require a master’s degree. Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills.
Get the education you need:
Human resources managers usually need a bachelor’s degree in human resources or business administration. Alternatively, candidates can complete a bachelor’s degree in another field and take courses in human resources subjects, such as labor or industrial relations, organizational development, or industrial psychology. Some positions are also filled by experienced individuals with other backgrounds, including finance, business management, education, and information technology.
Some higher-level jobs require a master’s degree in human resources, labor relations, or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
To demonstrate an ability to organize, manage, and lead others, related work experience is essential for human resources managers. Some employers accept management experience in a variety of fields. However, many positions require experience working with human resources programs, such as compensation and benefits plans or with a Human Resources Information System (HRIS), and require a solid understanding of federal, state, and local employment laws.
Although certification is voluntary, it can show professional expertise and credibility and may enhance advancement opportunities. Many employers prefer to hire certified candidates, and some positions may require certification. The HR Certification Institute and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans are among many professional associations that offer a variety of certification programs.
Decision-making skills. Human resources managers must be able to balance the strengths and weaknesses of different options and decide the best course of action. Many of their decisions have a significant impact on workers or operations, such as deciding whether to fire an employee.
Interpersonal skills. Human resources managers need strong interpersonal skills because they regularly interact with people. They often collaborate on teams and must develop positive working relationships with their colleagues.
Leadership skills. Human resources managers must be able to direct a staff and oversee the operations of their department. They must coordinate work activities and ensure that workers in the department complete their duties and fulfill their responsibilities.
Organizational skills . Organizational skills are essential for human resources managers. They must be able to manage several projects at once and prioritize tasks.
Speaking skills. Human resources managers rely on speaking skills to give presentations and direct their staff. They must clearly communicate information and instructions to their staff and other employees.
CONCLUSION : YES ... it need many specialities to work with ...
"Human Resource Management is a Profession"
A job implies that it is something anyone can do with a minimal amount of training or knowledge. I have always agreed that HR is a profession – it is not something that can be done effectively without commitment of the individual, continued learning and development, and skill levels capable of delivering and managing the most expensive, flexible and problematic resources in any business – the workforce.
For that reason the HR professionals should be at the very heart of business decision making. After all it is not the machines, the IT, the nice offices or the solid wood desks that drive a business forward…it is the people. It is the people who make things work and it is the people who can adapt to the different demands made of them.
So why is it that so often when decisions are made about what direction a company should take in meeting demand or changing its performance profile is the HR Director is usually the last to be consulted?
Picture the scene………When new events arise, such as changes to legislation or market conditions and you get that “big idea” but it means people working or behaving in a different way, most business start by “I’ll write a policy to cover that”.
Well it’s a start, but policies are an expression of good intentions, they say what you would like to do, but is its existence is not really enough.
In many organisations when it comes to making that transition, all that commitment and all those skills of the HR professionals are at worst simply not counted, or at best treated as if they are some advisory service – an adjunct to the process rather than the key driver. It is as if people are a “given” and have no part to play in making that big idea happen.
Now I am not arguing that HR professionals have the final say. But I am arguing that they should have much more of a say rather than no say.
So how have we arrived at this situation where HR professionals in many businesses are not really consulted? And perhaps more importantly how do we move the HR profession from the last to be consulted to the first?
Well it’s all about how we handle that transition process….the conversion of that big idea through a measured process that delivers the desired outcome.
Sounds simple enough, but I have always found that many businesses just don’t follow the big idea through.
Mundane as it may be, in order to make a big idea a reality you have to be clear about:
You also need to have inclusive processes that effectively communicate what you need to be done to the people who will actually deliver your vision and, just as important, get that news out to customers, clients and suppliers.
So what are those 5 factors that will drive HR from last to first?
Flexibility
People have to become the centre of the process, the key driver in success. To do that they need to become more responsive, more flexible in how they work……and no more so than now. HR has to lead the way in new ways of working, looking at different work patterns such as home working, multi-task training and job-sharing and evaluating what benefits they deliver to the business. Engaging the staff by encouraging them to become more flexible in their approach to work and by building transferable skills that can add value throughout the business making people more receptive to change and ready to take advantage of new business opportunities
Proactive
Being proactive means reading the market and making the adjustments necessary to address the perceived opportunities or changes ahead of time. That often translates into the “guys in marketing”….but actually it is much more. HR have a key role to play as the market is not just for the product or service your business offers, but it is also the identification of the human resources or ways of working that can offer competitive advantage. It means keeping an eye on what is happening in the markets, how your sector competitors operate, new initiatives and changes in legislation. It means feeding that back into the system, making sure your business understands the challenges or opportunities these can bring, not just keeping your thoughts within HR. You need to think bigger………
Keeping it lean
Whatever happens in business, one thing remains constant, overheads and process act as deadweight. You often hear the phrase – the market is very competitive at the moment – which means margins are being squeezed. It is in everyone’s interests to ensure the business is profitable which means keeping an eye on administration. I know that administration is essential, and I have worked in it long enough to be able to mount a creditable and powerful case for the need of good administration, but I also know that it can run away from you and start to become an end it itself rather than something that supports the delivery of the product or service. Hard as it may be to admit, administration does not generally earn money, unless you are an administration provider of course and HR is administration….and yes I know that other areas within the business may have the same problem…but you are seeking to establish your credibility.
Leadership is about leading by example and that means examining what you do and making sure that your staff are effective…and flexible….that HR process are kept light and reviewed on a regular basis to make sure the deliver what you want…and encouraging feedback from your users so you can evaluate if the user ends up with what they want from the service you have provided. In short you need to operate HR like an efficient business…and that builds credibility
Effective conduit
HR has a unique role in any business as it is seen both by the workforce and by the management structure as the main conduit for information exchange. It almost acts like a relationship site….the agony aunt, the mediator, the person who finds new people, the problem solver…and the list goes on. This conduit allows you to understand the workings of a business from a far more sophisticated standpoint than anyone else….it tells you about people …..the people who make the business work….and therefore the health of that business in facing new challenges. So do not discourage it but remember, to be of value, you may have may have to let other Directors know your overall health assessment.
Language
Like all professions we all develop our own common language dotted with code, shorthand and euphemisms. Believe it or not, but just like when you ask someone from IT to fix the problem you are having when you click on an icon nothing happens …..and then they go into detail about the inner workings of a programme….. most people tend to look a little like a goldfish. Remember to talk in language that business understands – about increases flexibility, enhances profit potential, measures and validates achievement, aligns business practice, enhances reputation – how it benefits the bottom line.
The result
That is simple……people become the value add to the process of transition…. vision to success….not just another resource…..and the Director of that resource becomes someone who is a key driver not just an afterthought and you move from the last to be consulted to the first.
HR is a profession – it is not something that can be done effectively without commitment of the individual, continued learning and development, and skill levels capable of delivering and managing the most expensive, flexible and problematic resources in any business – the workforce.
For that reason the HR professionals should be at the very heart of business decision making. After all it is not the machines, the IT, the nice offices or the solid wood desks that drive a business forward…it is the people. It is the people who make things work and it is the people who can adapt to the different demands made of them.
In addition to the answers I would like to say that it is a profession, education, and an art !
It is a part of the whole management system that deals with human, therefore it will be become more effective when new ideas and development are implemented !
Thank You
