|
|||
|
|
|
||||||
|
Down on HR?
A new survey finds HR executives are advising college freshmen to pursue degrees in the fields of engineering, computer science and healthcare, but not human resources. Is that indicative of unhappiness with the profession or an attempt to steer students toward skill gaps? The answer may be yes -- to both.
As approximately 2.9 million young people begin their pursuit of a college degree this fall, Chicago-based outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. released its list of the best fields of study as advised by 150 human resource executives. It may come as no surprise that the surveyed HR executives selected computer science as the most recommended field of study for students (16 percent), followed closely by engineering (15.2 percent) and medicine (14.3 percent). But, in an ironic twist, and perhaps a troubling sign indicative of the state of the overall industry, only 2 percent of the human resource executives actually recommended HR as the best field of study for college freshmen. HR scored next to last, just above law (1.4 percent). "This recession may have many freshmen second-guessing career plans," says the firm's CEO John Challenger. "Certainly those who were contemplating a future in financial services or homebuilding may be looking for new options." Challenger adds that this survey was aimed at advice for undergraduates, not graduate students, which may reflect why so few HR executives recommended an HR degree. "Most of the HR leaders surveyed felt that incoming students should start in something broad and work their way towards something more specific," he says. "It's not an indictment of HR. Most HR executives likely do feel that getting a master's in HR would be a good thing to do." Kurt Ronn, founder of HRworks, an Atlanta-based HR consultancy, says he's not surprised by the survey's findings. "The typical HR executive is not projecting large employment gaps in the HR profession," he says. "The market is saturated with experienced HR executives, and they're probably seeing a gap and a need elsewhere, so I don't think the survey necessarily says negative things about HR. "If the topic is [selecting a major in] college," he continues, "you tend to want to point people to where you believe there's a higher need and higher earnings, so right off the bat you'll want to say you'll go where the gap is. The gap isn't in HR, it's in science, technology, engineering and math, so if I'm advising students, I'm going to direct them towards those gaps." Sue Meisinger, retired CEO of SHRM and now an independent HR consultant, says there may be another reason why HR executives aren't steering students towards an HR degree, and the current economy may have something to do with it. "Considering the economic environment and what HR executives have all experienced over the last year ... who wants to recommend to others that they, too, might want to be the Grim Reaper of the corporate world?" she asks. As the economy rebounds, "and the competition for talent comes to the foreground again, I think the [HR] field will become more appealing again," she says. "In organizations where HR executives are integral to the business strategy, and there's no whining about 'having a seat at the table,' you'll see great interest in the position." The selection of an undergraduate major or a graduate degree is easily remedied. HR executives who have a background in business should get certified or pursue a graduate degree in HR, she says, while "for those with a degree in HR or simply years of experience in the field, I recommend emphasizing business classes for their professional development." But Fred Foulkes, faculty director of the HR Policy Institute at Boston University, says the survey's focus on undergraduates neglects a bigger academic problem for HR -- the disregard of HR by graduate students and by graduate programs. "It's disappointing that it's still the case that, with M.B.A. students, only a handful of them are considering going into HR," he says. "And in the M.B.A. programs, very few have any HR courses to offer. That's a bigger issue," he says. Ronn says that "smart people will end up in HR whether they have a degree in HR or not," adding that he thinks that someone with a technical background or a degree in statistical analysis, for instance, could make an impact in HR. "That person could be great in compensation," he says. But, Ronn says, having formal knowledge of HR practices is important. "HR degrees are important because they teach about the legal and tactical aspects of the field, and operational functional experience is critical to driving businesses, whether that's through certification or advanced degrees."
September 21, 2009 Copyright 2009© LRP Publications |
||||||
Print
Email
Write to the Editor
Reprints
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
© Copyright 2010 LRP Publications. All rights reserved.
|
||||