what is an HR manager?
As a human resources (HR) manager, you contribute to the success of a business by handling issues related to its employees and maximising their value in the company. Your duties involve recruiting new employees and managing them to ensure they become valuable assets to your employer. Aside from performance management, you also handle promotions and the training and development of all staff in the company.
To do an excellent job, you should focus on individual employee needs and the work environment. For instance, ensuring workers have a conducive work environment to boost productivity is vital. Aside from supporting the company's staff, you deal with uncomfortable aspects of employment. For instance, you handle HR violations, lay off workers and discipline employees.
Your specific responsibilities vary depending on the size of the company. Small businesses usually have one HR manager to cover all the duties, while in a large company, you are likely to handle one aspect of employee management. You also develop human resources policies, improve recruitment practices and ensure employment regulations are adhered to in the company.
Would working as an HR manager suit your people? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in an HR manager role.
HR manager jobsaverage HR manager salary
According to the Economic Research Institute, the average earnings of an HR manager in Greece is €47,500 per year, equivalent to an average hourly rate of €23. Companies also pay HR managers an average bonus of €3,500 per year. When you are new to the role, you start with a lower salary of €32,500 yearly. As an HR manager, your earnings fluctuate based on your qualifications and work experience. In a senior HR manager role, you can take home over €58,000 annually.
what factors affect the salary of an HR manager?
As an HR manager, your earnings vary based on experience. When you have minimal experience, you start with a lower salary, which increases as you improve your expertise. Senior-level HR managers take home higher earnings due to the complexity of their roles and the high rank they hold in the company. Having professional qualifications and certifications also boosts your earning potential.
Small companies are likely to pay HR managers lower salaries due to the limited resources. In a big company, you handle a large team of employees, and the complexity of the tasks warrants a higher salary. Large organisations also have more resources, so they can afford to pay better salaries and offer additional benefits.
types of HR managers
In a small business, you handle all HR tasks alone, but in large companies, you tend to focus on one of the following areas:
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employee relations HR managers
The responsibility of a labour relations HR manager is to oversee employment policies and ensure the company complies with the legislation in union and non-union settings. You coordinate grievances and handle labour complaints affecting the organisation. Labour relations also involve negotiating labour contracts, including wages and benefits.
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job placement specialist
When you are in charge of job placements in the HR department, your job is to match skills with job roles. The process starts with recruiting and selecting the best candidates for a position. During promotions, you use the performance management details to promote employees according to expertise.
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compensation & benefits HR manager
As a compensation HR manager, your primary role is ensuring employees are compensated for their services. You also ensure your employer keeps up with workers' health insurance payments and the vital benefits required by the law.
working as an HR manager
To become a successful HR manager, you need a knack for recognising talent and expertise in organising personnel in a company. Let’s dive into the responsibilities, daily tasks and career opportunities of HR managers.
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what does an HR manager do?
As an HR manager, your responsibility revolves around the human capital in your company. That means you match the company's workers to different roles based on their skills and competency. The main responsibilities of an HR manager include:
- Recruitment and selection: you work with various stakeholders to fill your employer's business vacancies. Your primary role is to ensure internal hiring policies are adhered to and the company complies with employment regulations.
- Handling compensation and administrative tasks: as an HR manager, your administrative tasks include scheduling employees, running payroll and storing employee records. When scheduling employees, you allocate equal work hours based on job groups and ensure everyone gets time off with adequate breaks at regular intervals. Keeping records and maintaining employee files also ensures compliance with regulations.
- Ensuring health and safety: your job is to ensure employees have all the necessary safety equipment to complete their tasks. By complying with work environment health and safety standards, you minimise the risk of workplace accidents. Ensuring workplace safety also reduces turnover and productivity problems.
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work environment of an HR manager
As a human resources manager, you have diverse employers to choose from in your career. You can work in government offices, recruiting and managing employees for government institutions. HR manager opportunities are also available in professional, scientific and technical consultancy firms. Most manufacturing firms also need HR managers to handle labour relations and work safety issues.
Regardless of your industry, most of your roles are office-based with minimal off-site duties, such as attending conferences and training workshops. As an HR manager, you can work from home and complete many of your tasks remotely. Teleworking is made possible with the increased adoption of human resource management technologies.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on the company you work for, you collaborate with HR coordinators, office managers and HR generalists. As an HR manager, you may work in close proximity to accountants, operations managers and team leaders. You also work with HR business partners, employee relations specialists and payroll administrators.
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HR manager work schedule
As an HR manager, your typical workday begins at 9 am and ends at 5 pm. That means you work an average of 40 hours weekly. Most HR manager positions are full-time, but it is possible to get a part-time job or a remote working opportunity. When organising training and development workshops or attending conferences, your job also involves some travelling. Overseas travel is minimal unless you work for a multinational company.
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career opportunities as an HR manager
Human resources managers have a significant influence at the leadership table due to their crucial contribution toward achieving business goals. When you are an HR manager, you have a promising career path in higher managerial positions, especially if you gain the skills and expertise needed to become an HR business partner. From an HR manager position, you can become the HR director in charge of supervising the implementation of human resource policies. You can also become the vice president (VP) or chief human resource officer of an organisation, where you work alongside top-level executives to develop human resources plans that affect the company. An HR manager role also allows you to specialise and become a consultant in labour relations, payroll, recruitment, and diversity and inclusion.
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advantages of finding a job as an HR manager through randstad
Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- a range of jobs in your area
HR manager skills and education
To work as an HR manager in Greece, you require the following educational qualifications:
- Education: pursue a bachelor's degree in human resources, psychology or business administration. When you complete your undergraduate programme, you can go for a master's degree to improve your skills and gain knowledge in leadership.
- Work experience: as an HR manager, you require extensive work experience to improve your skills. Consider entry-level jobs in human resources to gain relevant knowledge and skills.
competencies and characteristics of HR managers
Aside from academic qualifications, you need exemplary technical and soft skills to become an HR manager. Some necessary skills include:
- Communication skills: you need excellent communication skills since you link the company with the best talent in the industry. Your communication ability helps you provide clear instructions to employees and report the progress in your department to stakeholders. Knowledge of various modes of communication is crucial to your success and promotes transparency.
- Administrative expertise: since your role involves scheduling and filing, strong administrative skills will help you manage your tasks more efficiently. You should organise your tasks to avoid missing deadlines or forgetting important details.
- Proactive: if you are not proactive, you will miss red flags and the signs of problems until they escalate. You should pick up employee issues when they arise and deal with them promptly. With proactivity, you can keep up with emerging trends in work culture and technology.
- Coaching skills: employee training and development skills ensure growth and help you motivate workers. You need coaching skills to train employees and organise workshops for professional development. These skills are also helpful for onboarding.
FAQs
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of an HR manager.
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what does an HR manager do?
As an HR manager, you oversee the welfare of employees in the company. You perform duties associated with workforce management, from recruitment to payroll and performance management. You participate in recruitment and supervise employee-related services, including training, payroll and benefits. Other duties include supervising the performance of assigned tasks and ensuring employees meet performance targets.
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how much are HR managers paid in Greece?
The average earnings of an HR manager is €47,500 per year. However, your compensation package fluctuates depending on your educational qualifications and competencies. Junior HR manager positions in Greece attract a salary of €32,500 per year. When you work in a senior position, you will likely earn a higher salary above €58,000 annually. The size of a company and your location may also influence your earnings.
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how many hours does an HR manager work?
As an HR manager in a full-time position, you work 40 hours a week, typically from Monday to Friday. When you work in a part-time position, you work fewer hours, most likely between 15 and 30 hours weekly.
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what skills do HR managers need?
As an HR manager, you require exceptional leadership skills to direct and oversee the operations of the human resources department. You also inspire and motivate workers to complete their duties by creating a conducive working environment. As an HR manager, you require good decision-making abilities, as you must balance the strengths and weaknesses of different options to determine the best course of action.
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is HR manager a stable career?
Working in human resources is a promising career with good job prospects. In an HR manager role, you have a high earning potential, and the role offers longevity. You can specialise in different HR areas, such as employee relations, payroll or performance management.
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how do I find a job as an HR manager?
Finding a job near you as an HR manager is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the ‘Apply’ button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Then log in or register an account to send us your resume and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.
