Wage and Salary Survey Project

Human Resource Manager

Job Content

The human resources manager is what many consider today, as an encompassing job.  HR managers overlook almost all aspects of the business or corporation in order to keep all employees, from the production floor workers to the middle management all the way up to the CEO of the company, happy. 

They include the following:

•  Planning, directing, supervising, and coordinating work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
•  Formulating policies and procedures for recruitment, testing , placement, classification, orientation, benefits, and labor and industrial relations.
•  Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organization objectives.
•  Study legislation, arbitration decisions and collective bargaining contracts to assess industry trends.
•  Develop methods to improve employment policies, processes, and practices and recommends changes to management.
•  Negotiates bargaining agreements and resolves labor disputes.
•  Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related date such as newly hired personnel, transfers, performance evaluations, and how often employees are absentee for various reasons.
•  Represent the company at industry related meetings, legal hearing and even investigations of people and with the EPA. 
•  Overlooking all aspects of safety for the company for purpose of insurance and keeping the premiums down as well as accident expenses.
  

Graduating Students

      Employers typically look for 
      students who took a combin-
      ation of courses in the social
      sciences, business, and beh-
      avioral sciences. They will 
      typically look to college 
      graduates to fill entry-level
      positions, in order for them 
      to gain experience.  

      The duties given to entry-level 
      workers will vary depending on
      whether they have a degree in 
       human resource management,
       have completed an internship
       or have some other type of
       human resources related exp-
       erience.  They commonly 
       learn the profession by per-
       forming administrative 
       duties.    

            Small Firms

Small organizations search for people who have experience in a lot, if not all of the above.  This is due largely to the fact that they are working on a smaller scale and cannot pay a number of different managers to overlook specific aspects of the company.  These companies will hire someone who can handle all of the aspects of human resources work and depending on their employer's needs.  One way to get into a small firm without any experience is to be hired on as an assistant to the HR manager.  They may need help or looking for a person whom they can train and bring up to take their place when they decide to step down.

In large corporations, the possibilities are seemingly endless.  Due to the size of the company, it takes numerous people to look over specific areas of human resources in order to keep this department running smoothly and oversee large employee pools.  The top human resources executive usually develops and coordinates personal programs and policies, which are implemented by a director or manager of HR.  With this many mangers, there is a career path that is very big and exciting. 

                                 Other Human Resources Jobs
                           Director of human resources
                           Employment and placement managers
                           Recruiters for new employees
                           EEO officers, or representatives
                           Employer relations representatives
                           Job Analysts
                                  Occupational analysts
                           Compensation manager
                           Employee benefits manager
                           Training and development managers
                           Training specialist  
                           Director of industrial relations
                           Labor relations managers 
                           International HR managers
                           HR information system specialist

Information on these jobs can be view at www.bls.gov/oco/ocos021.html 

Wage and Salary

Expected Median Salary: $70,875

Expected Median Salary: $77,759

For a typical Human Resources Manager in the city of Denver, Colorado the average base salary is $70,875, which is without the normal compensation package added into the figure.  The salary can range from $62,208 all the way to $81,623.  When adding in the compensation package to these numbers, they rise considerably.  The average base pay becomes $77,759, while the low end is $68,371 and the upper percentile salary rests at $90,213.

Tips: Remember to check out what the compensation package includes, such as how much health insurance are you really given and who will specifically be covered.  

These figures can be checked out at 

http://salary.lycos.com/
 http://www.salaryexpert.com/
http://www.salary.com/home/layoutscripts/sall_home.asp

Cost of Living

Depending on where you are currently living, the cost of living in Denver, Colorado could be quite different.  Because of its size, the cost of living will be higher, so remember to keep that in mind when you are looking at different offers.  What may look like a lot on paper, may cause you to take a step backwards in your comfort of living. Denver has grown exponentially over the last few decades and many new companies have moved their operations, not only to the downtown, but to the outskirts of the city.  This trend has become popular due to the smaller, yet, bustling and unique city of Colorado Springs that resides less than an hour's drive from Denver.  Many people commute both ways and that should be a alternative you might consider when looking for cost of living. 

Denver is one of the Top 50 cities in the U.S. in reference to size in population.  It is the largest city in Colorado and the state Capital.  At least three professional teams are based in Denver, which can bring in more money for the local economy, more companies, and finally more people. 

To use a cost of living calculator
go to http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html?NETSCAPE_LIVEWIRE.src=moneymag
http://www.datamasters.com/cgi-bin/col.pl

To compare your buying power in your current location and that of Denver go to http://www.salaryexpert.com/

Negotiating Tips

When looking at different job offers, remember 
not to over look important aspects of the job.

• How much sick pay you will receive.                            

• Vacations, are they paid or not.                                       

• How long has the company been in business?                 

• Are they running a respectable operation, and 
  do they treat their employees with respect?
  
  For more helpful tips, check out these web sites:
  http://www.career.fsu.edu/ccis/guides/negotiate.html 
  http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/negotiate/19980410-miller.html
  http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20046.htm 
                                                                                                                                by  Brent Kanaly