Are you working in human resources or interested in pursuing a career in this field? If you are, or if you’re coming out of an HR program, you’ll want to put yourself on a great trajectory right from the start. With that in mind, why not learn more about the top management positions you can strive for when navigating your career?
As specialists in recruitment in Canada, we place talented human resources operations management candidates in top positions across multiple provinces and industries.
In this article, we outline the job expectations and must-have skills for an HR operations manager. As you read, think about whether your current skills and experience are sufficient for the role or how you can work toward achieving them.
HR operations managers are tasked with many responsibilities. Here are just a few of the roles you are expected to perform in an HR operations management position.
Companies operate efficiently when they have a framework of rules and regulations to follow. It is the responsibility of the HR operations manager to create and implement company policies related to human resources. To be effective in this role, you need to have a critical eye to identify policies that work and replace or amend those that don’t.
Employee recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding are major functions which are vital for maintaining the staffing needs of the company. Successful recruitment involves the creation of efficient systems and processes for recruiting and onboarding new employees.
While lower-level staff are assigned responsibilities in the recruitment process, important hiring decisions for key positions often fall into the hands of the HR operations manager. As such, they may be involved in screening applications and overseeing advanced interviews to identify the most suitable candidate for the position.
Although the finance department creates the budget, it’s important to ensure an accurate budget is allocated for personnel needs for the year. The HR operations manager is tasked with ensuring the HR department has adequate funds to fill key positions to meet the company's business goals. To fully understand future needs, they must also liaise closely with top management to anticipate future staffing requirements to support the company's growth.
The HR operations manager directly oversees the human resources department. They support the human resources team by providing the resources they need to perform their jobs effectively. This includes putting systems in place for recruitment, introducing new and reliable technology to improve their processes, and providing adequate training and upskilling for HR department employees.
The HR operations manager is also responsible for implementing DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) initiatives to promote fair workplace practices to enhance employee satisfaction. They also create programs to support employees' professional development, provide adequate training and upskilling to improve their capabilities and identify resources to support their well-being (including mental health support).
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in human resources management, here are a few of the HR operations management skills you’ll need.
Any HR team needs a skilled individual to provide guidance, so the HR operations manager must demonstrate exceptional leadership skills to effectively fulfill the role. The most successful operations managers are also skilled change agents and influencers who are capable of promoting meaningful change.
Excellent communication skills are essential for this role. The HR operations manager’s ability to remain impartial and be an empathetic listener is crucial to promoting a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and can thrive.
An HR operations manager should be friendly and approachable. They should possess superior interpersonal skills so they can work comfortably with employees, management, and external stakeholders.
The onboarding process can be intensive—from completing employee contracts to sharing relevant employee manuals and providing necessary training, there’s a lot to do!
New technological advances can help streamline the onboarding process, so the HR operations manager should be tech-savvy and up-to-date on the latest software to implement better systems in their firm. This makes the HR department’s jobs easier and enhances the employee onboarding experience as well.
If you’re passionate about human resources and have the skills, experience, and education to be successful in this role, connect with Urban Legal Recruitment today. As one of the top recruitment firms in Calgary, we work with Canada’s leading companies to place talented human resources managers in positions where they can make a difference and thrive.
