Human resources

Download this Career Briefing as a PDF

Today Human Resources (HR) is at the centre of business performance. HR professionals have an important role to play in driving decisions that enable their organisations to develop. Where in the past HR delivered the fundamentals that underpinned the employee lifecycle (such as recruitment, induction, salary administration, performance management, and dismissals) supporting organisation performance is now the theme running through HR’s work.

Today Human Resources (HR) is at the centre of business performance. HR professionals have an important role to play in driving decisions that enable their organisations to develop 

HR professionals aim to make the most effective use of the people within an organisation. Given that anyone working in an HR department will deal with a wide range of people on a day-to-day basis, an approachable, relaxed, but professional attitude is key.

Recruitment roles look after the recruitment function solely and may be based either in-house (managing the recruitment needs of an organisation) or in a consultancy (handling recruitment for a range of different clients). Executive recruitment consultancies (headhunters) typically operate in specialist areas sourcing candidates for senior appointments. They often approach individuals directly rather than advertising openly.

Companies are becoming more aware of the value and importance of HR functions and almost every organisation now has HR staff in some capacity. The professional association for HR/Personnel specialists and generalists in the UK is the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and it’s current membership stands at over 135,000. Although most graduate opportunities lie with the large commercial organisations with big HR teams or in the large public sector employers, opportunities in all size firms do exist.

What types of jobs are there?

HR jobs include:
•    Generalist HR assistants, officers and managers,
•    Training and development officers and managers,
•    Compensation and benefits specialists,
•    Employee relations specialists
•    Performance managers
•    Health and safety managers
•    Resource planners
•    HR Consultants

Recruitment jobs include:
•    Recruiters– including graduate recruiters,
•    Recruitment consultants
•    Headhunters

Generalist HR officers will tend to get involved in some, or all, of the following; recruitment and selection, training, pay and benefits and related administration, employment contracts, handling disciplinary and grievance cases, providing limited counselling, advising management and staff on policies and procedures, creating new performance management policies, reporting on HR issues, negotiating with trade unions/staff associations or councils, and much more.

The key thing to note about generalist HR work is the constant change in the type of interaction with people. One minute you can be telling a director that if she unfairly dismisses her secretary she may well spend a good few weeks in an employment tribunal, the next you could be in a disciplinary meeting which ends in a dismissal, and preparing to deal with the resulting emotions of the member of staff concerned. Many HR staff begin in a generalist role and move to specialist positions or consultancy roles as they become more experienced.

Recruitment consultants and headhunters seek to match prospective employees to clients’ vacancies. Recruitment consultancies often specialise in particular employment sectors and, invariably, they aim to make as much commission as possible by successfully placing the individuals who register with them. Building good relationships with employers is key. It is a fast moving environment, riding high or low depending on labour market conditions. Depending on market conditions, there are often entry-level positions for graduates. Headhunters, on the other hand, tend to look for fewer specialist or senior staff and rely much more heavily on strong networks of contacts in the sectors concerned. They approach targeted individuals on behalf of prospective employers.  Other recruiter roles may be based in-house, meaning the source employees for specific vacancies or training programmes within the firm.

Salaries vary considerably depending upon location, specialism and level of seniority. Basic salary levels in London range from an average of £28,000 for entry-level HR graduates to upwards of  £80,000 for experienced HR directors. Bear in mind also that recruiters tend to earn a basic salary and then have an element of commission on top.

What skills do I need?

A wide range of skills is required for these business-focused roles. No specific degree discipline is required, although psychology, law or business related studies are useful. To succeed, candidates must be able to:

•    Demonstrate resilience, with an ability to handle pressure.
•    Have an analytical, often procedural, approach.
•    Form good working relationships and apply good interpersonal skills.
•    Have a good level of business/commercial awareness.
•    Be well-organised, flexible and numerate.
•    Be able to persuade and negotiate, influence, listen and question.
•    Apply excellent oral communication skills and have the ability to switch from one type of situation to another rapidly, adapting your communication style as necessary.
•    Demonstrate integrity and approachability, as managers and staff must feel able to discuss sensitive and confidential issues with you.

What are the entry points?

For HR positions, starting points are often on formal graduate training schemes, a broad range of organisations from public sector (NHS & civil service) to large corporations (Sky & Barclays) now run specialised HR graduate programmes. If you are not joining on a graduate training programme some organisations prefer to take graduates who have achieved the CIPD practitioner-level qualification. The core fields of study are: leadership and management, people management and development, generalist and specialist personnel and development and applied personnel and development. Study can be undertaken on a full, or part-time, basis, more information can be found on the CIPD website. Many organisations (particularly in the public sector) will provide support to take this qualification while working.

Recruitment consultancies regularly recruit new graduates, sometimes onto their own training schemes. Others recruit into administrative posts. Headhunters sometimes look for researchers to assist more senior staff - an increasing area of opportunity for graduates. Alternatively another good place to start in recruitment consultancies is as an administrator or secretary in an HR department, or in Personnel Assistant posts.

Whichever route you take, you can expect to be given as much responsibility as you can handle quite quickly.

How do I get experience?

HR experience is not essential but is often a distinct advantage given the competition for places on formal graduate training schemes. Opportunities in HR over the vacations are few and far between, although some larger multi-national organisations offer schemes. Some work placement opportunities are advertised on CareerConnect.

In many cases however, you will need to adopt a ‘speculative’ approach, sending your CV and cover letter to potential employers. Don’t wait for advertisements to appear, think about your network of contacts and how they could help you. Any form of business experience is useful, so think laterally.

How do I get a job?

Vacancies are advertised on a number of websites, as well as journals and newspapers. Check our website, particularly in Michaelmas Term. Vacancies may appear under other categories as well, e.g. General Management. Recruitment consultancies will advertise vacancies throughout the year, you could try Hays, Michael Page, Frazer Jones or Randstad.

Speak to HR professionals at all kinds of recruitment fairs and employer presentations and build your network of useful contacts. Try a speculative approach. Look for vacancies at lower levels within HR that will allow you to work your way up. Target HR consultancies that regularly advertise. Look also in the main professional journals Personnel Today and People Management. 

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS AND EQUALITY

For information about your employment rights, including the National Minimum Wage, please visit: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/index.htm and http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Yourrightsandresponsibilities/DG_10014458

Postgraduate students

Unless you have a relevant postgraduate qualification in HR Management, that provides exemptions from all or part of the CIPD Practitioner-level qualification or have fully or partly achieved the CIPD Practitioner-level qualification, then postgraduate qualifications are unlikely to set you apart from undergraduates who are applying. However, it will be worth examining closely how your postgraduate qualification helps you provide evidence that you meet the job requirements, as this may give you leverage when it comes to agreeing a salary.    

International students

Elements of HR work require you to have an international perspective, so if you are applying for expatriate tax positions or positions working on particular overseas recruitment campaigns, you may be able to use your knowledge of another country and culture to help your application and provide an employer with the justification they need to apply and obtain a work permit for you.

There are frequent changes to the rules affecting international students and recent graduates wishing to work in the UK. Until April 2012 the Tier 1 Post-Study Work category of the Points-Based System to work in the UK will be in operation. Under this scheme, international students can apply for leave to live and work in the UK for a maximum period of two years, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. In April 2012 this will be replaced with a new route in Tier 2 which will require a job offer, a minimum salary and students will need to apply within the UK. It is recommended that, for the most up-to-date information, you check the UKCISA: UK Council for International Student Affairs website which offers independent information and advice about immigration, finance and working in the UK, and also the UK Border Agency website. Please refer to our Diversity files at the Careers Service for more information, or consult the University's Student Information and Advisory Service.

Relevant events

For full details of events, check the What’s On section of our website and log in to CareerConnect.

•    The Oxford Careers Fair, Saturday 5th November, Examination Schools, 11.00-15.00. (There will also be a wide range of careers talks).
•    Employer Led Skills Sessions: ‘Tackling Application forms’ & ‘How to demonstrate Commercial Awareness’.

Resources available

OXFORD CAREERS NETWORK (OCN)

The OCN is a database of Oxford alumni who are willing to be contacted about their career. Read their case studies for behind-the-scenes insights into an organisation or occupation, and contact volunteers for more advice and information via CareerConnect.

ONLINE INTERVIEW FEEDBACK

The careers website includes access to online interview feedback forms completed by Oxford students; please see the link below to access.

https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/auth/interview_feedback/

RESOURCE CENTRE
The Careers Service has an extensive resource centre at 56 Banbury Road, Oxford, where you can drop in to browse during opening hours (visit our website for details).

FILES
•    Occupational Files: O5 Human Resources, Recruitment and Training
•    Employer Files: Recruitment Agencies and Executive Search Companies

BOOKS
•    Personnel Practice (2000, but still useful)
•    Wetfeet Guide: Careers in Human Resources

E-BOOKS
The following e-books are available through SOLO (Search Oxford Libraries Online) -  http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

•    HR leadership plans: creating a talent management strategy, Annette Dominguez
•    Performance management: putting research into action, Manuel London
•    The employment relationship: key challenges for HR, Paul R. Sparrow
•    The human resources revolution: research and practice, Ronald J. Burke

JOURNALS
•    People Management, fortnightly
•    Personnel Today, weekly

Useful websites

In addition to the websites listed below, all companies and organisations mentioned throughout this Briefing can be found via a web search.

SECTOR VACANCIES AND OCCUPATION INFORMATION
•    www.prospects.ac.uk
•    www.targetjobs.co.uk
•    www.jobs.ac.uk
•    http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/
•    www.jobs.telegraph.co.uk
•    http://jobs.thetimes.co.uk/


SECTOR VACANCIES
•    www.personneltoday.com  excellent source of information on HR careers.
•    www.lgcareers.com  careers in Local Government, including HR roles.
•    www.jobsgopublic.co.uk  public sector job opportunities.
•    www.thegraduate.co.uk  good source of potential recruiters.
•    www.local.gov.uk/national-graduate-development-programme-ngdp Local Government National Graduate Development Programme

NEWS, INSTITUTES AND ORGANISATIONS
•  www.cipd.co.uk  Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
•    www.peoplemanagement.co.uk  online magazine of the CIPD, HR and training careers.
•    www.rec.uk.com  Recruitment and Employment Confederation for Recruitment Consultants
•    www.wfpma.com  World Federation of People Management Associations
•    www.hrzone.co.uk  articles on specialist HR topics.

Social media

Twitter is a quick way to develop your knowledge about the sector and find opportunities.  You can read and search it without an account.  We’ve made 20 handy lists, so that you can see at a glance information tailored to your interests.  See http://twitter.com/#!/OxfordCareers/lists

If you’d like to join Twitter, remember to ‘follow’ us (www.twitter.com/OxfordCareers) as well as your chosen lists to keep receiving useful information to help your career.

RSSPeople Management

RSSHuman resources news

 



Page last edited: 08 May 2012

Back to top