Human resources professionals
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Human resources (HR) professionals develop and manage a range of activities for a company. This may include hiring and promoting employees; training and supporting workers; creating labour relations policies, programs and procedures; and laying off or firing people.
HR professionals work in the private and public sectors, may work for an HR consulting company, or may be self-employed.
Job Titles
Duties
In general, human resources professionals:
- Plan and manage staff and labour relations including policies, programs and procedures
- Oversee programs that support employees and make sure that the workplace is diverse, fair, respectful and inclusive
- Write job descriptions, occupational classifications and pay scales
- Hire, promote, layoff and fire staff
- Develop and deliver training programs, or contract trainers to do this
- Support management by providing advice on what jobs are needed and how employees can be supported
- Tell employees about policies, pay rates, benefit programs and union agreements
- Settle collective agreements on behalf of employers or workers, and act as a go-between in labour disputes and grievances
- Co-ordinate employee job reviews
- Oversee programs that make sure that the workplace supports health and safety measures, and put forward changes when necessary
- Deliver programs that help employees to do their best work and help them to feel good about their work
- Advise on wage/salary levels and other rewards programs
- Set goals and make recommendations to senior management about HR efforts in the company
- Manage HR risk to the company
In smaller companies, often one person handles all HR duties. In larger organizations, there is often a team of HR staff who work in specific HR areas.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
9,285% Employed Full Time
74%Human resources professionals generally work a five-day workweek, with a minimum of 40 hours per week.
Better technology means that some HR professionals are able to work from a home office. Technology has also helped HR professionals to be more productive. Examples of this include having a video call instead of an in-person meeting or working together by sharing an online document, allowing each person to access the most recent version of it.
Workers may experience back and neck injuries and eye strain from using computers for long periods of time.
Career Pathways
Recent graduates can expect to find work as an HR administrator, payroll co-ordinator, benefits clerk, recruitment co-ordinator, HR co-ordinator or HR advisor. Workers with more experience and education may take on roles such as HR generalist, senior specialist, benefits manager, compensation specialist, training manager and recruiting specialist. Over time, HR professionals can hold more senior roles such as HR manager, HR director, vice president of HR, chief HR officer, or a title that has come into being more recently: chief people officer.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
People in this career need a university degree or college diploma in a field related to personnel management (including business administration, industrial relations, commerce or psychology).
Some employers may expect a human resource professional to have:
- Three to five years of work experience that shows growth in their job
- Skills in using computer-based management information systems
- A Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation
- Understanding of the Employment Standards Act and other employment laws and regulations
- Experience working with confidential information
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Business Administration/Management/Commerce
- Human Resources
- International Business
- Psychology (Arts)
- Psychology (Science)
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
9,285Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 205 | 2.2% |
| Kootenay | 155 | 1.7% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 6,390 | 68.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 65 | 0.7% |
| Northeast | 60 | 0.6% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 775 | 8.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,635 | 17.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
4,350Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 50 | 0.1% |
| Kootenay | 60 | 0.3% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 3,070 | 1.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | 0.5% |
| Northeast | 10 | 0.5% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 380 | 1.2% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 770 | 1.0% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 750 |
| Public Administration | 740 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 620 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 530 |
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 310 |
Insights from Industry
While there are currently enough people graduating from HR programs, most recent graduates do not have the experience needed for a specialist role—and that means those jobs are in high demand. In the past few years, employers in B.C. and throughout Canada have found it difficult to find experienced HR professionals and HR generalists. This is expected to continue in the coming years until graduates gain the skills needed for these jobs.
HR professionals can work their way up in a business without a formal HR education or a CHRP designation. However, most companies want their HR person to have these qualifications. Employers also have a growing interest in HR professionals who can use technology and who have analytical skills.
People in this career who work for an HR agency may step into a client’s business for a number of weeks or months, depending on the client’s need, or may act in a “consultant” role, supporting HR professionals who work for that company.
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what a human resource specialist does in a day.
Watch the video below to see what a human resource specialist does in a day.
