The average demand for HR managers keeps rising by six per cent each year and the trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. This is well above the average for most other professions.
Apply for Free Online Courses for Human Resources
Free Courses for Human Resources: The main functions of an HR manager is:
Selection of proper employees compatible with the job functions: Bringing in the right people for the possible exact fit for each position is a well thought out process that matches the right skill sets, qualifications, the temperament and individuality in terms of the qualities of the person.
Training and development of employees: In the rapidly changing environment we live in, a good organisation invests in its employees giving them ample opportunities to enhance their skills to facilitate personal development and progress. This contributes significantly towards retaining those who work for you and eventually translates to smoother working.
Managing wages: Each employee is an asset that the company acquires. It’s of critical importance to keep employees well compensated for what they do for the organisation.
This requires that budgets should be smartly set up so that employees feel fairly treated and well rewarded.
Solving conflicts in the workplace: This part requires listening with great patience and empathy and talking with finesse.
It also requires that the manager carefully identify the reasons for the conflict and manoeuvre with dexterity and rationality without making it personal.
Maximizing the performance of employees: Maintaining good morale is what is of paramount importance. Aside from that regular appraisals and unhesitatingly being able to talk to the employees, empowering them goes a long way.
Other tools such as using the best of technology comes in handy.
So what are the essential qualities in a good HR manager?
- Sympathetic attitude
- Integrity
- Patience
- Leadership
- Good communication skills
Many HR managers are also competent psychologists. While the sales and marketing people are thought of as people’s people this is probably truer of HR specialists.
According to published data, the best countries for HR managers are:
- Luxembourg,
- Switzerland,
- Sweden,
- Norway,
- Australia,
- USA,
- Norway,
- Germany
- and Canada. This is both in terms of salaries and working conditions.
Because there is a shortage, Canada and Australia welcome immigrants who are qualified in HR to come and work in their countries.
Many of these go on to become naturalised citizens of these countries, more so in Canada.
Given the scenario, let’s have a look at some of the free online courses that are available.
Managing Human Resources in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry
This is an intermediate level course with scripts in English and Chinese. The program is devised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and takes about eght weeks to complete with an effort of 6 to 8 hours each week.
The course takes you through and helps you analyse the issues in the management of human capital with specific reference to the tourism and hotel industry.
This is from both the micro and macro perspectives.
The course goes into the details of how organisational culture has an effect on the employees, effective staffing of teams, leadership skills.
Obviously, different cultures approach management and HR management differently. The course gives a close look to these differences.
International and Strategic Human Resource Management
With the passing of time and the way the world is becoming closely knitted with constant movement across cultures, these kinds of courses are apt and in demand.
The program with a duration of 1.5 to 3 hours teaches about the internationalization of companies and how to manage a diverse workforce.
Strategic HR Management
This course from Massachusetts Institute of Technology addresses two important areas:
- (1) How to think systematically and strategically about aspects of managing the organization’s human assets, and
- (2) What really needs to be done to implement these policies and to achieve competitive advantage.
The course requires class participation: 40% of the grade, case write-ups: 20% of grade, and quiz: 40% of the grade.
This is one of the well structured and detailed programs.
Managing Social and Human Capital
The programme comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The course teaches you about why employees are the most important asset to any organisation, motivation of individuals, reward systems, organizing jobs for the best possible performance, timely management decisions and more.
Urban Labour Markets and Employment Policy
This is another course from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The programme takes you through the broader trends in the labour market, how urban labour markets function, public and private training policy, other labour market programs, the link between labour market policy and economic development, and the organisation of work within firms.
Preparing to Manage Human Resources
This course is from the University of Minnesota and takes you through the basics of human resources, resource management and HR strategy. The program takes about 17 hours to complete. While the medium of instruction is English the course has subtitles in several languages.
Human Resources – Recruitment and Selection
From the Open University, this course teaches you the skills and knowledge that is required to conduct full and fair recruitment and selection process as well as being able to take up the process systematically.
Photos: Shutterstock / Edited by: Martina Advaney
Want some more free courses? Find them here:
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