How to become an HR Specialist in 2024?

Introduction

Are you someone who loves working with people on a day-to-day basis? Do you enjoy the process of being alongside people and making sure that they are giving their absolute best? If this sounds like you, you should look forward to becoming an HR. The question, however, is how to become HR?

When you aspire to be an HR, you must be ready to welcome challenges. One of the very prominent challenges that HR faces is competition from other employers. Over 43% of HR managers have stated the reason mentioned above as the root cause of their struggle to hire employees. In addition, over 36% of HR specialists feel the lack of technology hinders onboarding programs as they are unable to automate the processes. 

HR specialists are a highly crucial part of any organization. As an HR specialist, one can add value and help grow the company’s organizational culture. In 2024, if you want to become an HR, there is a lot you should know, including their role, responsibilities, and tasks they commit to daily. Keep reading to learn everything about how to become a human resource manager.

Who is a Human Resource Specialist?

An HR or a Human Resource Specialist works as a link between an organization and its employees. He/she is mainly responsible for looking after the human resource department and ensuring that everything in the workplace is working as expected. HR specialists are professionals who take care of various duties such as incentivization,  hiring, relationships between employees, etc. To get into this field, you need to pursue a course, training, or full-time education in HR and attain specialization.

Mainly, as HR, you must focus on different methods, work principles, and technologies. It will be your job to put in place the strategies that help in maintaining and establishing what is needed. Some of the key focus areas in Human Resources are: 

• Compensation
• Benefits
• Employee Relations
• Recruiting
• Staffing
• Development of Organization

Educational Requirements and Qualifications of an HR Specialist

To become an HR Specialist, you need a mix of education and practical experience. Employers seek candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related fields. A Master’s degree is valuable for senior roles. Gain hands-on experience through internships or entry-level HR positions. Strong communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills are essential. Stay updated with industry trends for success in the HR field. What truly sets you apart is gaining practical experience through internships or starting in entry-level HR roles. 

This hands-on experience allows you to showcase your real-world skills and knowledge, proving your ability to thrive in the field. Alongside your education and experience, possessing excellent communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal abilities is crucial. These soft skills are essential for building strong relationships and handling various HR responsibilities effectively. Staying updated with industry trends and advancements is a must to stay competitive and make a meaningful impact in the ever-evolving field of Human Resources. By striking the right balance between education and practical know-how, you’ll be well-prepared to embark on a rewarding journey as an HR Specialist.

What is the job of an HR Specialist?

This is a question that you must be thinking about, especially after you have figured out how to become HR. As an HR Specialist, you will be responsible for maintaining, managing, and looking after the employee’s details. Moreover, Human Resource managers also play a significant part in boosting engagement and adding to the existing productivity of the company. Employee Retention Programming is also one of the substantial duties of HR.

Additionally, HR Specialists back the employees of the organization. Along with managing disputes between employees in the workplace, they also ensure internal growth and development. Below are the everyday-responsibilities of HR specialists:

• Looking after the hiring process and onboarding candidates who match the requirements. 
• Recognizing the employment requirement in the workplace by closely working with the supreme leaders of the company/workplace.
• Taking care of employee benefits, packages, and compensation.
• Staying connected with candidates and keeping them posted on their application process.
• Maintaining the legal tasks, paperwork, and employment track records.
• Establishing training programs to help employees in their professional growth.

• Recruiting eligible candidates who have the required skills to fit an open position within the organization.

  What Skills Are Needed to Become an HR Specialist

  To become an HR Specialist, you’ll need diverse skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities are essential for working with employees and handling sensitive matters. Strong problem-solving skills help in resolving conflicts and finding effective solutions. Attention to detail is crucial for managing HR records and policies. You should be a good listener to understand employees’ needs and concerns. Adaptability allows you to handle various HR challenges and changes in the workplace. Empathy and emotional intelligence help build positive relationships with staff. Additionally, organizational skills are vital for managing HR processes and programs efficiently.
  HR Software and Tools
  HR software and tools play a crucial role in modernizing and streamlining human resource management. HR professionals can focus on strategic initiatives and employee engagement by automating mundane tasks, such as tracking applicants and managing payroll. These digital solutions foster transparency and communication within the organization, enabling HR teams to collaborate seamlessly and ensure compliance with regulations. Additionally, the data-driven insights provided by these tools empower HR leaders to identify trends and address workforce challenges effectively. Embracing HR software not only boosts operational efficiency but also cultivates a positive work environment, supporting the company’s growth and success in the long run.

How to become HR? 

We have arrived at the most critical question on how to become a human resource manager. As someone looking to build a career in HR, you need to sort out the path you wish to pursue. Thus, depending on your experience level, you can explore options and opportunities that will work best for you and your career. After you have a transparent vision of the factors mentioned above, follow the below steps to proceed further.

Step 1: Acquire a Bachelor’s Degree

Usually, this is the first step to drafting a career in any field, let alone be in HR. If you aspire and have decided to become an HR Specialist, you should get a Bachelor’s degree in management, psychology, or another matching field. It is the building block that will help you to gain all the necessary skills and construct a ground knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of HR.

Step 2: Start with an Internship

In addition to your education, you must continue to expand your learning graph through internships. Internships are a great way to learn and help you gain experience before you directly jump to the battleground. Consider local NGOs or organizations and choose to volunteer as an HR. The road to how to become HR starts with an internship.

Step 3: Construct your Network

Networking is always helpful and especially if you want to pursue a career as a future HR. Start with building your network and slowly accumulate contacts in the same field. Get acquainted with fellow employees working as HR Specialists in their organization. Once you make a strong network, your contacts can hook you up for suitable positions. As a human resource specialist, this will eventually be a part of your job anyway. Therefore, it’s best to start as early as you can.

Preparing for an upcoming HR interview? Arm yourself with knowledge by exploring our comprehensive guide on HR interview questions and answers and stand out as a well-prepared candidate.

Step 4: Get Professional Experience

As soon as you are done with your Bachelor’s, start looking for jobs. Gaining professional experience is a significant factor for HR Specialists, especially if you have long-term goals. Skill yourself and get all the knowledge you need because to be in a high-level position, having experience counts.

Step 5: Advance your Career as an HR Specialist

You can either choose to get an advanced degree to become a senior-level professional or can consider some certification. Focusing on your personal and professional development is equally important once you land a job as a human resource specialist. These certifications will help you to do better and master your skills. Moreover, you will be up-to-date on the latest HR trends. 

HR Career Progression and Advancement Opportunities

The field of HR offers a wealth of career progression and advancement opportunities for aspiring professionals. Starting from entry-level positions, such as HR Assistants or Coordinators, individuals can carve their path toward becoming HR Specialists, HR Managers, and ultimately HR Directors or Vice Presidents. Specializing in areas like recruitment, training, compensation, and benefits can lead to higher-level roles with greater responsibilities. 

Pursuing HR certifications and advanced degrees can also significantly enhance career prospects and credibility within the industry. In this dynamic and ever-evolving field, networking and gaining diverse experience play a vital role in climbing the HR career ladder. Engaging with industry peers, attending conferences, and participating in workshops can open doors to new possibilities and help professionals stay updated with emerging trends and best practices. 

The landscape of HR is continually evolving, presenting exciting prospects for those seeking personal growth and professional success in this rewarding and people-centric domain. With dedication, continuous learning, and a passion for nurturing talent, HR professionals can build fulfilling and impactful careers that make a significant difference in their organizations.

Conclusion

Currently, there is a dire need in  HR for specialists, and the biggest challenge faced today is to retain and secure talent. However, using the best HR software makes application tracking flexible, but still, half of the employers don’t intend to do so. Human resources is a challenging sector and managing it could be tedious. There are plenty of responsibilities, from hiring to onboarding, that require equal attention. HR software makes things hassle-free and the few best ones to choose from are Workday, Kissflow, and Namely.

To take your personal and professional development ahead, you can choose the Executive Post-Graduate Programme in Human Resource Management offered by Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA). As a working professional, you will significantly benefit from this program as you have 8+ case studies and assignments to learn from and several capstone projects to practice.