The human resources (HR) department is a division in a company which is designated to carry out a wide array of functions. Many of its responsibilities focus on attracting suitable candidates, as well as screening, orienting, and training them. This department also administers employee-satisfaction and benefit programs. The HR field plays a key role in aiding organizations as they manage an evolving business environment and a surging demand for quality employees.
Human resource is an employee-oriented field that caters to a lot of facets. To mention a few, you have recruitment, compensation and benefits, training and development, employee relations, employee engagement, and so many others. All of these work together in contributing towards the organization’s success. Each facet uniquely provides you a different job experience. For this reason, a lot of individuals are eager to begin a career in the industry. It’s a rapid-growing field with plenty of profitable opportunities for HR professionals—managers, generalists, specialists and the like. There are several job positions for which you may qualify as you take on a role in the field.
Why A Degree Is Valuable In HR
In order to enter this field, plenty of people think that you need to obtain an HR-related degree. Nonetheless, the verdict still depends on the specific company. Some of them prefer their HR officers to have a degree in this specific program. For others, the odds of acquiring a position rely primarily on you’ve learned and what your previous job experiences were. Ultimately, having a degree increases the chances that you’ll qualify for the role. In particular, having a degree in business, psychology, or sociology can be quite advantageous.
Although it’s not necessary to obtain a degree to work in HR, not having one may limit you to basic, less competitive and lucrative functions in the department. The lack of a degree severely restricts your potential for growth, especially if you have any managerial aspirations. You also need to take note that regardless of your experience, there are certain companies which would filter you out from the screening process when you don’t have a college degree.
A college education is a worthy investment which may take you to places. It expands your opportunities and allows you to maximize them because of the knowledge and training you have obtained in class. Therefore, whether you’re transitioning into an HR career or about to look for a vacancy in the department, your college degree is your advantage.
Here are some of the top reasons why a diploma is a valuable asset in the field of HR.
- A degree will help you get acquainted with various roles in this field and their significant contribution to a company’s success
Human resource is an employee-focused area which comes with different roles. Potentially, a degree equips you with diverse knowledge and experience to navigate this field. Your degree may help you get acclimated with the various positions in the HR field. Likewise, a college degree may help you understand the nature and significance of each role. Though each of them focuses on a certain facet, all HR roles ultimately point towards one objective. This goal is to strengthen the company’s ultimate asset—the workforce.
For instance, a talent acquisition associate is assigned to help match talents with positions. They design and apply recruitment methods to source an adequate pool of candidates. They’re responsible for attracting the right applicants that may potentially become the company’s next leaders. Hence, a degree may help you learn how to filter out and select from an avalanche of resumes.
On the other hand, an employee relations specialist’s role involves a lot of conflict management and legal compliance. Hence, with a degree, you’ll acquire a strong understanding of labor laws. Additionally, thousands of employees comprise the workforce of a company. Ergo, an L&D (Learning and Development) associate is assigned to supply them with programs that boost their productivity, satisfaction, and development. In turn, this may enhance the quality of the employee’s deliverables.
Keep in mind that the company’s employees are its greatest advantage. They build and maintain the profit, market value, and sales figures of the company. Frankly, the component that sets one company apart from the others is not their fixed assets, it’s their employees. The quality of an organization’s workforce distinguishes them from their competitors and help them stand out from the rest.
HR professionals play a significant role in creating and preserving practices which help retain employees. Getting a degree provides with deeper insight into the strategies, measures, and policies that can keep employees motivated and connected. This level of satisfaction may influence their commitment towards their jobs. After all, the success of the company is actually a joint effort of the management and its employees.
- A degree will provide you adequate training and skills to perform your job
If you plan to work in the HR field, you need to develop skills that would become your advantage as you send in your application to different companies. Such skills include strong interpersonal skills, communication skills, empathy, leadership, and the like. Ultimately, these skills may be acquired through your internship during college. This adequate training is versatile enough to be molded and enhanced further as you work in the department.
A college degree may help you cultivate a better way of dealing with different employees across the company’s strata. As an HR professional, you need to understand that employees come from different sets of background which influences their personality and working style. This implies that you need to study and understand an employee’s inclinations or motivations. You can then use this information when you’re designing and implementing general employee programs.
As an HR officer, you’ll be managing certain issues like absenteeism, performance management, tenure, and many others. Hence, it’s essential to have the needed skills to effectively perform the job. College courses teach you to think analytically, communicate properly, and find alternatives when things don’t work as you initially expected. As a student, you’ll gain relevant experiences which may then be applied to real work situations.
Moreover, an HR professional must be able to deliver difficult messages about retrenchments, demotions, and firings. A degree may aid you to effectively respond to these critical functions. It may likewise equip you with the training on how to console a worker who may feel abandoned or mistreated by the company. You need to keep in mind that an HR officer serves as a middleman between the organization and its employees.
- A degree will potentially aid you as you adjust and overcome unforeseen challenges
The HR industry is an ever-evolving field. Apart from focusing on employee needs, they also take into consideration business trends. Today, amid the challenges brought by the pandemic, it needs to keep up and preserve employee morale.
For instance, a company’s recruitment arm has to learn and adjust when they’re onboarding employees remotely today. They have to develop effective methods for recruiting, interviewing, and then onboarding new employees. The rigorous coursework and learning opportunities during college may aid you in managing these challenges. The knowledge you’ve attained in college may direct you in approaching and creating alternatives to these problems.
Today, companies are still learning about new directions to cater strict measures of the new normal. With this transition, the HR department must lead the way with strategic goals and programs. The diversity and depth of the knowledge you’ve acquired in class may boost your confidence to adapt and win over obstacles like these. This may further assist you in developing new policies that may ease up the needed transition.
- A degree may bring you job fulfillment
There are plenty of lucrative positions in the HR industry. This is why career analysts forecast a surge in the number of job opportunities in the field. However, job satisfaction is not only measured through external success and profit. It can also be reckoned through intrinsic rewards. For this reason, it’s relevant to have a multifaceted approach when it comes to employee satisfaction.
Alongside preserving the workforce’s satisfaction, HR professionals must also feel fulfilled with their respective jobs. Your college diploma serves as your key in obtaining a position in the HR department. As you transition into a tenured employee, your level of responsibility may grow as well. This greater responsibility may provide you more challenging work tasks and responsibilities. In turn, this may provide more growth and advancement.
Additionally, besides the competitive pay in HR, access to the right digital systems and equipment bring employee satisfaction. This eases up employee workload and aids them to become more efficient during working hours. With a college degree, it may be easier for you to quickly learn technical jargon and their uses in your work. All of these may further allow you to appreciate and feel connected with your role in the HR department.
Furthermore, because you’ve studied a degree that is of your interest, you may be able to maximize career opportunities in the industry. This will help you enjoy what you do for a living and improve the quality of your life.
- A degree may provide career advancement
The promise of career progression in the HR field is attainable, most especially to those who have a college diploma. The HR industry is a competitive field full of aspiring applicants who desire to gain a spot. You need to have credentials that make you a more suitable candidate compared to the rest. You also need to make a good impression during the selection process. With this, your college credentials may influence the outcome of your career objectives.
The difference between individuals who have degrees and those who don’t is the chance to climb the career ladder. No matter which HR arm you’ve initially worked in, you’ll eventually be considered for a managerial position. This is a role which may be difficult to attain, particularly if you don’t have any degree credentials. A degree, especially if you pursue higher education, will give you rewarding opportunities that’ll help you reach your unique career goals.
Your college diploma is regarded as your smart tool to increase your career success in the HR industry. Employment opportunities are more accessible to those who only earned a high school diploma, which is why you need a college degree to work in Human Resources.
- A degree is your edge in the field
It’s inevitable that during the interview, you may be asked situational questions which you can easily answer when you’ve studied a degree and passed the licensure exam. Your college diploma is your competitive advantage over other applicants. It gives you the edge to be regarded as the best fit for the job. Many employers tend to favor potential candidates who have obtained a college degree. Having a degree creates an impression that you’re capable of committing to roles and trustworthy enough to fulfill them.
Likewise, a college education may widen your reach for opportunities due to your social network. It may also help connect you to colleagues, professors, and mentors. These individuals may help you out by opening more doors in the industry. These people may help you meet experts in the HR field who may possibly offer you new endeavors.
Moreover, your diploma may keep you in demand as the need for skilled, college-educated workforce surges in the field. Notably, organizations have become particularly selective with their candidates not just to directly fill in vacancies, but to minimize the cost of hiring applicants.
Other than these, most jobs that require a bachelor’s education also bring in more perks. From health care and retirement investment to community discounts, these advantages can create a pertinent difference in your life outside of work. These types of benefits are not commonly given to high school-level jobs. Perks like these are essential for your family because they provide long-term job stability.
The Bottom Line
There are plenty of advantages which accompany obtaining a bachelor’s degree. It expands your reach of opportunities and may provide you access to opportunities that’ll help you attain your career objectives.
The HR field is one that’s ever-evolving and competitive. Because of this, companies are looking for suitable candidates they can shape and train to become part of their tangible assets. If you desire to attain a spot, a college diploma may be your greatest advantage.
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