The 10 Best Jobs of 2012: 3 - Human Resources Manager

I worked as HR in Hospital industry, a Baby died in dengue fever, the baby parents are not educated to understand the serious ill but all they know is hospital are built to cure illness. They blamed the hospital administration and i was directed to handle that angry parent and relatives. i was about to get beat up and killed by them for no cause. HR job is stressful and dangerous , depending on the industry we work. 

Yeah, I do have a great job as an HR Manager.  I feel like I am in the know, have a good amount of power in the workplace, can make a positive difference, and feel my work is meaningful.  I can control my stress level and don't let other get under my skin.  And I am paid $101k to be the HR Manager for 90 people.  Yep, great job if you can get it.  

yea  my  mom   did   it   ,   with  a  law  degree.  (  couldnt  find  a   job   as  a   lawyer  )  , she   got   paid  around  120,000.000its   great  for    people   with  law    degrees  !!!!! 

Here is what they used for stress...Travel, growth potential, deadlines, working in the public eye, competitiveness, physical demands, environmental conditions, hazards encountered, own life at risk, life of another at risk and meeting the public. All are on a scale from 0-5 to 0-15.  Stress level still sems off track - I am an HR Manager for a Hospitality Industry Company Employing just under 1500 and have had many sleepless nights and even a panic attack while working and trying to deal with basically being investigator, judge, jury and executioner at once for hundreds of employee relations issues. 

I spent a career as a manufacturing general manager and the two most difficult jobs to fill were HR and maintenance. Look at the average HR job description and it describes a person who has to wear far too many hats. Only God would be able to do all the functions properly. I was as guilty as anyone at ignoring them until something went wrong. The analysis that it is remotely low stress is completely wrong.

An HR Manager is a leader in an organzation... I am a HR Manager and the stress level here is poorly represented.. I have a great deal of stress and the job is a great deal of problem solving. As far as compensation, it varies based on size of the organzation, company, and how much they value the function, 100K plus jobs are out there, but you have to be willing to go to those jobs and relocate..

Is it wrong if since I red those comments I would like to be an HR employee, give me a good salary and I'll lay off whoever you want!!

You've got to be kidding!!! Low to Moderate Stress??? This has to be someone who hasn't worked in the field. The HR Manager is the one who is responsible for keeping the organization out of trouble. HR Managers really should be attorneys, because we have to know all the in's and out's of employment law, FMLA, COBRA, ADA, ADEA, Title V, and the list goes on. Not only do we need to know the laws, but keep constantly updated on recent court cases (employment law is not so clearly stated). And the HR dept is usually understaffed and it's very difficult to show the value to the organization at least in dollars. And when does the organization need you or call on you, when there is a problem to solve which alot of the time is the result of some stupid act by a supervisor, manager, or another employee. And the salary, that's another issue. It's not what it should be unless you are employed by a Fortune 500. Yes, the title sounds good, but it's hard work and very stressful. You're constantly trying to keep the organization out of trouble and be an employee advocate too. IMPOSSIBLE!

I want to know where these $100,000 HR jobs are!!! In my area of the country, even in the large corporations, this is not even close.

Low stress in HR? I've worked in HR for 20+ years, mostly at Fortune 500 companies. It's very stressful - HR doesn't add to the bottom line, so it's typically way understaffed, yet everyone wants something right now. It's often like working in the complaint department.... If you work with the right group of people, it's tolerable, but I would never describe it as low stress. It's interesting work, but not for everyone.

I think a main problems with the HR field is its constant use of buzz words in the place of meaningful discussion, and on-going title inflation. Consider, what used to be a salesperson is now Manager of Customer Relations and Engagement; what used to be a hiring manager is now V.P. of Talent Acquisition and Development. Also, nobody is in charge of anything anymore, they "Champion" it. A job does not require a certain set of skills, it requires "core competencies". New employees are not trained, they undergo an "onboarding process". The substitution of generic buzz words for real analysis is a disservice to the entire industry. At its best, its artless wordplay, at its worst - a farce.

THE PERFECT WORKING EXAMPLE OF, ÏF YOU CANT BEAT EM, JOIN EM. MUCH LESS OF A CHANCE OF GETTING SHIT ON AFTER WORKING FOR A CORP. FOR 10 LOYAL YEARS. I CAN SAY THIS MUCH, FUCKING PEOPLE OVER OR NOT - AT LEAST YOU KNOW YOULL GET TO GO HOME EVERY DAY AND HAVE A JOB TO NOT LIKE.

Surprenant! c'est l'un des métiers les plus stressants au monde avec des conflits à gérer, les plaintes et complaintes quotidiennes du personnel, sans compter les problèmes diciplinaires à gérer avec les conseils de discipline, sans compter les licienciements écnomiques en ces temps difficiles et qui sont très douloureux à gérer! et les licenciements pour fautes graves etc......... qui a répondu à ce sondage? je ne pense pas qu'ils y connaissent grand chose!

Almost $100K for what? I know, having a God Complex and screwing everyone over with unrealistic policies. I have yet to meet anyone in HR worth anything more than minimum wage; hell, most do not even know their own policies.

I don't support a client group but my peers do and I absoluletly see the stress. As Talent Manager my job is not as involved with the day to day drama and problems that I have to mediate. Besides the thanklessness, and being left "bleeding on the street" despite the fact that you get paid on time and am the one you run to with every complaint of discrimination, and "that's not fair...wahhhh"...I do love HR.

I thought newspaper reporters were in it to change the world, yet you wouldn't rescue a bleeding HR pro? That's cold honey, that's cold. But, at least you would write an objective story about her demise the next day, right?

I am not sure who answered this but this is an extremely stressful job! You are in the middle of most work conflicts!

although I do admit I LOVE MY EMPLOYEES, but I hate doing the layoffs, demotions, and anything to do with finger pointing, even with managers...this is stressful since we are dealing with peoples lives and emotions, all based on laws and "policies". Its great, but it is STRESSFUL indeed.

Please. I work at a newspaper (reporter, #196). If the HR manager was bleeding on the street, neither I nor anyone else who works here would take the time to dial 911.

I think that someone has seen the George Clooney movie and has romanticized this role. This is a high stress role especially in these days of frequent layoffs. Role should rank somewhere in the middle of the pack given its strategic nature.

What was your point exactly? Looking at the salary range, it looks like it landed pretty close to where it should be.

Oh sure, planning staff outings, giving new employees the office tour, and ordering cake for the boss'bday party sounds like a cushy job but consider this. Who gets to walk that disgruntled employee to the door when they get the ax? Who gets to give feedback to managers who do something stupid? Who gets to share the lay off news with employees who have become friends over the last five years? THAT'S STRESSFUL! Don't get me wrong, I love my job but I don't think it should be toward the top of this list!