Human Resource Training – All That Plus The Kitchen SinkHuman Resources Professionals are expected to be proficient in arenas their counterparts of a generation ago couldn’t have imagined. Proof of this broad-based expectation might be seen by querying a sampling of employees at any business today. “What does Human Resources do?” you might ask them. And the answers could begin with, “They hire and fire,” advance through, “They help with our benefits,” and on to, “They’re where you go if you have a complaint about your boss” Every one of these answers would be correct, and scores more could follow – each of them equally correct. So the human resources offices of today are continually expected to send their staff for training. Let’s look at a brief overview of the kinds of training, why this training matters, and how the training is acquired. In addition to the areas touched on in the imaginary question and answer samples from above, know that human resources has expanded to include just about all manner of employee concerns imaginable. These professionals are often expected to be able to speak “off the cuff” about, and therefore be trained in – subjects as diverse as: Recruiting, Health care issues, related to insurance for employees as well as retirees, Workers Compensation concerns, Payroll issues, Retirement plan administration, Discrimination and harassment prevention, Management and leadership, Conflict resolution, Compensation, ADA, OSHA, HIPPA and other regulatory concerns, COBRA requirements…and more! Each of these topics matters to the Human Resources Professional because each of these topics affects the diverse populations that make up today’s workforce. People matter to organizations, and the issues involving and concerning people matter to organizations. Human resources employees know these concerns matter, and their organizations pay for continual education to those professionals so they can be up-to-speed with their office’s ongoing needs. Where is such training offered? The answer to that question is nearly as broad as the list of training expectations. Trainees attend workshops and seminars, their professional organizations offer education, online and computerized training exists, and in-house sessions are offered. Largely, today’s training of employees – whether those in the human resources field or throughout the organization – is as expansive as any other sort of training on the market today. Yet touching such a great number of individuals, its impact is among the most vital. The proficiency of Human Resources Professionals in their field –indefinable as that seems – is vital to organizations’ success. Once unheard of regulatory standards are now in place to ensure the compliance of all professionals charged with managing companies employee concerns. What that means to an organization is an expectation that training will be ongoing. And what that means to someone embarking on a career in the field of Human Resources, is that they’re in for a future filled with training and education. A long road, no doubt, but for the right person, what rewards! |