Human Resource Managers Face New Issues

by Sarah Clark
sarah.clark@careertrainingdirectory.com
Career Training Directory Columnist

Human resource managers’ jobs are changing as new policies are needed to address a range of issues from costly health care benefits programs to employee blogs that reveal sensitive work-related information.

Like any profession, human resource managers must evolve with the times, constantly updating their skills to effectively deal with a range of new problems. Today, one of those problems is rising health care costs.

Healthcare

Wal-Mart is a good example of a company whose human resource managers have had to address staggeringly high health care costs. Several months ago, the New York Times published an article that reported on the retailer’s plan to revamp its employee benefits program to allow part-time workers access to health care.

The retail giant isn’t alone in dealing with this human resources issue. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that this very issue will drive up demand for human resource managers in American businesses.

The Internet

Another issue that human resources professionals must address today, an issue that arose only during the last few years, is how closely to monitor employee Internet activity. Some companies’ human resources managers have crafted policies that discourage employees from blogging about work-related matters. Others have installed software that prevents employees from using instant messaging programs or limits the types of web sites they can visit.

Human Resource Training

The BLS predicts that competition for human resource jobs will be strong as plenty of qualified college graduates with plenty of training are expected to apply to them. The BLS reports that various educational backgrounds can lead to a job in human resources, but adds that many receive formal human resource training in a human resources degree program. It advises taking an interdisciplinary approach to education, enrolling in classes in business, the social sciences, and the behavioral sciences.

Experience is also an important part of human resource training, especially for those working at the management level. Start getting the training you need for an HR career by learning more about degree programs at colleges near you.

Sources

The Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author

Sarah Clark is a freelance writer who specializes in postsecondary education and career development.