What is Human Resource Management?
Human resources (HR) involves everything to do with the management of people in a workplace. As a human resource manager, your days will be diverse and fulfilling.
HR managers may lead role planning, recruitment and selection; performance management; workplace health and safety; staff accountability; and workplace diversity initiatives, among many other responsibilities.
A strong human resource management division delivers a convincing competitive advantage for an organisation.
Much more than reviewing resumes and conducting job interviews, strategic human resource management focuses on helping individuals to reach their potential and ensuring organisations develop the capability and skills they need to achieve their goals.
In today’s digitally connected and increasingly flexible work environment, human resource management also plays a key role in transforming workplaces for the future.
HR managers may have the opportunity to deliver meaningful change in areas including virtual workplaces, off-shoring/outsourcing, work-life balance, organisational learning and workplace psychology.
As technology breaks down barriers between international teams, human resource management must also assist organisations to navigate global labour markets and facilitate multicultural exchange.
What does a human resource manager do?
As a human resource manager, you will likely be a people person who enjoys helping others to get the most out of their job and their work environment.
HR managers must be organised, proactive and discreet, developing trusted partnerships to support people at every level of an organisation. You will work directly with executive leaders, frontline staff and everyone in between. You may be privy to pay details, personal issues and professional tensions.
You must be a good written and oral communicator who knows how to motivate others and create a collaborative and positive workplace culture. An HR manager may work with other managers across the business to set key performance indicators and advise on incentives and bonus structures, pay scales, and equity and diversity targets.
A generalist HR practitioner may provide a range of human resource services, covering both practical people management and strategic human resource management areas.
Or, you may choose to develop skills and experience in HR specialist areas including change management, organisational psychology and behaviour, employee and leadership coaching, workforce economics and analytics, employment relations and more.
Explore your study options in Human Resources Management
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Kickstart your career with real-world industry experience and knowledge across the business sphere. Be ready today for tomorrow by learning how to analyse current trends to predict future priorities. Pursue profit and manage loss by developing effective strategies that are fit-for-purpose and unique to a business’s needs. Become a professional who can lead an organisation, support its strategy and innovate its operations.
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With an advanced understanding of human behaviour and motivation, a Bachelor of Business — Bachelor of Psychological Science will empower you with the skills to maximise your employability and stand out in your future workplace. Your critical thinking, decision-making skills and knowledge of business operations will be bolstered by an understanding of what motivates employees and how to create healthy, productive work environments.
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Combine the diverse, transferable skills of an arts degree with the practical knowledge of business studies to build a critical understanding of life and work in the Tropics. Develop a solid foundation of sociocultural contexts to underpin your learning in business operations and strategies, making you a well-rounded professional. Graduate with advanced communication and research skills to stand out in any field.
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Give your career a far-reaching, competitive start with this double business and law degree. Pair your business insight in accounting, economics, management, marketing or tourism, with a strong understanding of legal principles to bring unparalleled expertise to future roles. You'll gain practical experience through real-world case scenarios, internships and mock trials in 'moot' e-court facilities. This course is an approved qualification to practise law in Queensland.
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What jobs can you do by studying Human Resources Management?
Human resource managers are needed in nearly every industry globally. Studying human resource management equips you with a versatile skill set that can be applied to sectors including energy and resources, hospitality and tourism, healthcare, education, construction, retail and more.
Human resource management jobs will take you from big companies to family businesses, from innovative start-ups to global mega firms like Google, Facebook, Apple or Amazon. State and federal government agencies, local councils, not-for-profits, charities, sporting clubs and music events – all of these organisations (and many more) typically require in-house HR support.
In regional centres and more remote areas, HR jobs tend to be generalist. An HR manager will find their role filled with different tasks and deliverables from one day to the next.
When you complete a Major in Human Resources Management at JCU, you also gain exposure to range of more specialist HR areas, where you may choose to undertake further study or professional development.
The kinds of jobs you could hold with a Bachelor of Business majoring in Human Resource Management from JCU include:
- In-house or external recruiter
- People manager and performance reviewer
- Employment relations specialist
- Internal staff complaints handler
- HR economic analyst
- HR policy developer
- Change manager
- Internal business negotiator
- Leadership coach.
Why study Human Resources Management at JCU?
Cultivate a competitive edge in business by studying human resources management at JCU.
JCU students combine theoretical learning with practical application, gaining hands-on human resource management experience through HR work placements.
When you study human resource management at JCU, you can also attend field trips, apply for HR internships and complete our professional development program to prepare you for your HR career.
JCU students may also deepen their knowledge by completing an HR project sourced from industry.
At JCU, you will study human resource management with a global context and a local focus. Learn about HR challenges and opportunities specific to the Tropics, while joining a globally connected group of peers at our campuses in Queensland, Singapore or online.
Whether you’re studying an undergraduate degree, a diploma or a Master’s, a Human Resources Management Major can propel you into the workforce and open up a world of opportunity.
Alison McLeod
Alumni
Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resources Management
"A degree in business allows someone to gain strong foundations and knowledge that can be used across several different roles in many different industries. The organised field trips were invaluable as I was able to visualise the theory of the course being implemented into real life scenarios and business operations."