Human Resource Management Concentration

Goodman School of Business




Human Resource Management Concentration

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In this guide:
Career Options
Professional Designations
Courses at Brock
Clubs & Associations
How the BCDO can help
Important Competencies

A concentration in human resource management provides you with the most effective methods of managing people. There are many aspects including labour relations, compensation, implementing organizational change, assisting in employee motivation, managing diversity, and integrating technology with people needs.

Nature of work & types of jobs

  • Benefits & Compensation Coordinator
  • Employment Diversity Officer
  • Human Resource Development Coordinator
  • Labour Relations Officer

Positions of Recent Grads:

  • HR Administrator
  • HR Coordinator
  • Recruiter
  • Recruitment Assistant
  • HR Advisor
  • Program & Workforce Manager
  • Health & Safety Officer
  • HR Generalist
  • Organizational Development Analyst

Career Options
The following are examples of career paths in the HR field:

Human Resource (HR) departments act to effectively organize people in a way that best meets the strategic direction of the business. Some of the main functions the department is responsible for are employee relations, health and safety, pay systems, evaluating employee performance and developing hiring methods.

HR Consultants are contractors hired to provide advice. They work in one or more areas such as compensation and salary surveys, benefit administration and design, employee relations, training, and performance management.

Labour Relations involves managing union and management relations. You may work for the union or management side of things. Your role may include doing research in preparation for arbitration, union/management negotiations, or mediating disputes.

Management - Basic HR skills and the ability to manage people and teams are essential in all management roles. Individuals with a background in HRM may also enter fields that involve helping people organize and solve problems together.

HR Specialists manage a specific human resources function within a company such as hiring or training new employees, managing compensation and benefits, resolving employee concerns and disputes, or improving company policies. Due to the development of new human resources management concepts, growing importance of manpower training and changes to legislation and work organization methods, the number of HR specialists has increased and continues to grow.

Professional Designations
The Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) is the highest and most well recognized certification level of human resources in Canada. Organizations look for individuals who are knowledgeable and skilled in managing employment relationships in order to be competitive.

Courses at Brock
A concentration in human resources teaches you how to manage employee and labour relations. The following are upper-year courses offered at Brock which are required for the CHRP designation:

  • OBHR 3P96-Labour Relations
  • OBH3 3P97-Human Resources Management
  • OBHR 3P98-Occupational Health & Safety
  • OBHR 4P66-Compensation
  • OBHR 4P67-Training & Development
  • OBHR 4P69-Recruitment & Selection
  • OBHR 4P94-Human Resources Planning

Clubs & Associations
Both work and volunteer experience can help you gain the necessary skills to get a job in the human resources field. Participating in competitions and getting involved in a student or professional association are excellent ways to build your HR network and gain relevant experience. The Organizational Behaviour Case Competition (OBCC) and Excaliburwill both allow you to apply HR theory to a real world situation and present it in front of a panel of judges.

Recommended Clubs on Campus:

Associations, Volunteer Organizations, and Other Resources:

How the BCDO Can Help
The BCDO provides various services and hosts different events to help prepare students for the job search process. Check out our workshops or book an appointment with our office.

You are also encouraged to attend the following events, hosted by the BCDO:

  1. How To Get A Job In HR – meet alumni and industry professionals
  2. Networking Breakfast – Meeting employers from different companies and find out about job opportunities

Did You Know…
The BCDO hires a volunteer HR Assistant to assist with HR activities in our office. The position is posted in February each year on our job board.

Important Competencies

  • Negotiation Skills
  • Coaching & Counseling Skills
  • Problem solving
  • Leadership
  • Dual Focus-Needs of Employee/Management
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Dedication to Continuous Improvement
  • Job & Performance Analysis
  • Conduct Organizational Audits
  • Work Effectively in Teams
  • Perform HRM & Labour Relations Functions

 

Patricia Bernardo

Throughout my time at Brock, I have been actively involved in various business clubs such as the Business Students’ Association (BSA) and I am the President of the Brock Human Resource Management Association (HRMA) for the 2012/2013 year. I have also been working for the Brock Business Career Development Office (BCDO) for the past year and I was able to gain HR experience in the areas of recruitment and selection, resource development, as well as enhance my communication and leadership skills. Both my volunteer and work experience has provided me with a number of networking opportunities with HR professionals while attending industry events. I hope to pursue a career in recruitment or training and development upon graduation and the Faculty of Business at Brock has really helped me gain the knowledge and skills I need to achieve my career goals!

-Patricia Bernardo, BBA HR student

Since I started at Brock, I've been able to take advantage of several opportunities that have helped me to add valuable experience to my resume. These have included a co-op term for the Faculty of Business, 2 co-op terms in Strategic Human Resources at the Ministry of Transportation, being involved in business clubs, participating in case competitions, and going on an international exchange to Sweden. I have also had the opportunity to participate in 3 HR Service Learning projects, which has helped me get "real-world" experience in recruitment and selection strategy development, hazard and risk assessment, and policy development. I am the Vice President of the Human Resource Management Association (HRMA) for this upcoming year and will also be working part-time for the Faculty of Business. All of these experiences have enabled me to gain important skills that are transferable to the workplace. I am working on completing all the course requirements for the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation and look forward to continue learning more about HR!

-Jane van den Dries, BBA HR student