Human resources is no longer the mundane company function that files performance reviews once a year. By entering the field of human resource management (HRM), you have the chance to be a leader in strategic hiring, company culture, and employee engagement and performance. Calvin prof Brian Cawley, a management consultant for over 100 organizations, helped us identify six key transformations happening in HRM that students like you should know about.
1. From rule-driven to community-driven
HR managers have typically been the ones to deal with “hiring and firing.” But creating a team of efficient employees involves so much more than that. HR managers are working to match employees with jobs that best utilize their strengths and best fit the corporate culture. As an HRM student, you’ll learn how to create a high performing organization where people experience fulfillment in their work.
2. From closed doors to inclusive practices and cultures
Historically, women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups have been excluded from roles of legitimate and positional power. Choosing HRM means you can be a leader in changing that. You can create attainable goals that make your company a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
3. From stagnant to dynamic
HR managers don’t just make sure the company maintains the status quo—they’re the ones propelling development and growth. When HR managers fit employees to the right jobs and support their continual development, everyone starts to work better as a team. That’s what healthy growth looks like.
4. From inefficient assessment to data-driven assessment
HR managers are starting to more accurately assess employees’ potential and job performance. Instead of relying on feeling and intuition to make decisions and give people feedback, HR managers are using data to find out what employees are doing well and what they need to work on. You’ll learn what data-driven assessment looks like in your HRM classes.
5. From impersonal to engaged
Employees often receive performance reviews once a year. But it’s hard for employees to grow when they’re not consistently checking in with their supervisors. HR managers now play a key role in setting up a coaching relationship between employees and supervisors. Feedback is no longer a check-off item. It’s part of company culture.
6. From money-draining to money-making
Company leaders used to think that having an HR function served as a cost center. Now they’re recognizing that the best way to drive profit is actually to do what HR does best: craft corporate strategy, company culture, and a compelling employee experience.
In light of these changes, why is Calvin a great place to study HRM?
Calvin’s new HRM curriculum will give you opportunities in your classes to work with real employee data and recommend organizational actions. And your learning doesn’t stop when class is over. The HR Club at Calvin is a great way to network with professionals and get connected in the business community. You’ll leave Calvin well-prepared. Calvin’s HRM students have great internship placements and entry-level jobs right after graduation. And our students who wish to continue their education are excellently prepared for graduate work.
The heart of Calvin’s mission is to shape students into agents of renewal. A business is the perfect place to apply this mission. As an HRM major at Calvin, you’ll develop a framework to think about how everyone can flourish in their work—including you.