Let’s face it—human resources (HR) isn’t really the most glamorous looking department within a company. In all likelihood, telling someone you want to work in HR will have them thinking back to the fictional struggle between Michael Scott and Toby Flenderson of The Office. Despite Toby’s general competence, you’re not going to hear people say they want to be like him when asked ‘Why work in HR?’
Luckily, the human resources field has a lot more going for it than a television character. We combined government data with expert insight from HR professionals to identify some of the top reasons for working in HR.
10 Perks of working in HR
1. You’ll be in a position of influence
HR professionals have a unique perspective on the businesses they work for due to the nature of their job. Not only do they have a strong understanding of an organization’s priorities and challenges, but they also have the ability to influence the future of the company based on the employment decisions they make.
Author and HR expert Sharon Armstrong says she loved having the ability to make a difference for employees in the workplace. “Good HR professionals have their finger on the pulse of what is going on in their companies and they continue to try to do what they can to make or keep it an employer of choice,” Armstrong says.
2. You’ll earn an above-average salary
The work of HR professionals is extremely vital to any organization, so it’s no surprise that they’re compensated appropriately. The median annual salary for human resources specialists in 2012 was $55,800, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).* To put that into perspective, the median wage for all occupations was $34,750. There’s also plenty of room to increase that figure as you work your way up the corporate ladder. For example, advancing into an HR management position could earn you an average of $99,720, the BLS reports.
3. You’ll have the chance to change lives
A great HR professional can have a profoundly positive impact on people just by clocking in each day. The daily duties of the job make employee welfare and happiness a matter of professional responsibility.
“A lot of the back stories of employees and the ways companies help them are never mentioned,” Armstrong says. There are countless examples of ways HR professionals have a hand in helping those in need: hiring someone who’s in danger of losing a home, providing health insurance or tuition reimbursement to someone who’s never had it before, or arranging job training that will give employees transferrable skills no matter where they work. “The list can go on and on,” Armstrong says.
4. You’ll have some real staying power
Technology and automation can change an industry rapidly – just ask the video rental business! However, HR appears to be well-situated for withstanding technological displacement. It’s true that human resources information systems (HRIS) have automated some of the duties of HR generalists, but there is a large element to HR careers that just can’t be automated.
“Software takes the ‘human’ out of human resources,” says Lynda Spiegel, a 15-year HR veteran and career coach. Spiegel says the profession requires intuition and common sense, something technology just doesn’t have the capability of effectively emulating.
5. You can help develop the people around you
The work you do in HR goes a long way in the professional development of other employees. With tools like performance reviews and exit interviews, human resources professionals can collect valuable information which is used to guide performance improvement plans. This ultimately provides you the rewarding opportunity to not just improve the organization as a whole, but also the individual employees you work alongside.
6. The industry is experiencing steady growth
The BLS projects HR specialist jobs to increase at a rate of eight percent through 2022, which is on pace with the national average for all occupations. This career field, barring the unexpected, appears to be anchored on steady ground for years to come. Companies will continue to need recruiters, benefits specialists and other HR professionals as they grow. HR plays a fundamental role in a business’ operations, which isn’t likely to change.
7. You’ll feel gratification from solving problems
Do you ever feel like you see trouble coming before everyone else does? In this position, spotting and addressing a problem area is going to pay off. HR professionals are on the frontlines of employee problem-solving. Because of this, they have the opportunity to smooth out organizational kinks before they become company-wide knots.
“It’s really gratifying to see employees go from being frustrated because they’re having a problem with their manager to feeling productive and appreciated,” Speigel says.
8. You’ll get to welcome the rookies
“Onboarding is an often overlooked aspect of HR that I always found satisfying,” Speigel says