Requirements

Human resource manager or director - requirements

Human resource managers and directors are so important in organisations that employ people. They support all people-related processes, such as hiring new staff and organising holiday leave. See what else the role involves and if it might be the career for you.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a human resource manager or director?

Most employers will look for an undergraduate degree, but this doesn't necessarily need to be in an HR-related area. Relevant subjects to consider include:

Foundation degrees, college courses and apprenticeships are also available. Knowing a second language can also be really useful in this career area, especially if you work for a company with offices around the world.

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a human resource manager or director?

Most employers won’t require a postgraduate qualification, but having one will give you higher-level skills and more experience.

Examples of courses you could take at postgraduate level include:

Law - employment, work and equality
Human resource management and consulting
Business administration
Human resources and organisations

What skills do you need to be a human resource manager or director?

As well as strong people skills, you’ll need to be highly organised and passionate about employee success within an organisation.

Hard skills usually include:

Expertise in how businesses and HR departments operate
Strong understanding of employment laws
Managing employees and their performance, including providing training
Using people-related data to influence corporate decision making

Soft skills include:

Leadership
Communication
Management
Influencing
Computer literacy
Organisation
Administration

Do you need work experience to be a human resource manager or director?

For a senior role as a human resource manager or director, you’ll need plenty of experience working in HR. You might not need relevant experience for a junior position and a university degree may provide industry placements or other work experience opportunities.

To gain experience, you could find an internship or placement with the HR department of a local organisation. You can also gain experience through training courses, such as those with the CIPD.