When I first came to Carroll I was a health care major, just like 99% of the rest of the campus. After about two weeks, I knew that specific path wasn't for me. I had to brainstorm what I would be happy doing for the rest of my life. Then it hit me, I want to work in Human Resources! I fell in love with human resources when I was in middle school when the human resources department at my mom's work helped her out with workplace conflict. I am able to still help people, but without their actual life in my hands.
When I tell some people that I want to go into human resources, they just look at me and ask why? I had a co-worker ask me why I wanted to do filing and paperwork for the rest of my life. The truth is, human resources is so much more than just filing and paperwork.
Human resources basically ensures that the company stays afloat in terms of the employees. It's a big responsibility to work in a human resources department because of you the first stop that employees will make when they are having workplace conflict or personal issues. If an employee is having workplace conflict with another employee or their supervisor, they will go to the human resources department to get advice on handling the situation. The department will then conduct investigations in order to fully understand the situation and best help the troubled employee.
All of those new employees that are coming into your company, that is HR's job. The department screens and reads through thousands of resumes and applications to find the best employees that will fit the organizational culture of the company. They are the ones doing the phone interviews and setting up the in-person interviews. They are the ones collecting the hiring paperwork and requesting background checks for new hires. They are the people who are responsible for the new hire orientation and ensuring that the new employees are comfortable and understand what is expected of them.
When it comes to insurance and benefits questions, HR, is usually your first stop. Insurance policies are worded in a language that takes some real skill to fully understand. When I was interviewing a human resource manager for my Business Management class, she told me the best story that confirmed to me that this is the career path I want to be in. "I was eating lunch and an employee came into the room looking frustrated. She was trying to figure out her benefits are. I stopped eating my lunch and I asked her to sit down with me. I pulled out the policy and I went through it step by step and explained what it meant. By the end of the explanation, she seemed relieved. She thanked me repeatedly that I was able to explain it in a normal language for her." It's moments like this that make going into HR worth it.
Human resources seems the least understood career out there. Everyone knows the struggles that people in the health care field go through or what tax personnel goes through (especially right before tax season). Human resources are more than just paperwork and filing. It's about conflict resolution, recruiting, training, benefits and insurance advocates, knowing the business/employment laws of the state and county, and so much more. Human resources are the heart of the company because, without it, the company would not live.
