What Is HR and How to Become an HR Specialist?

The HR specialist is a highly in-demand profession these days.

Especially after the lockdown era, the variety of work setups has increased tremendously. Now, businesses have to manage remote, freelance, and contract employees. These variations have increased the global demand for HR professionals.

Perhaps more importantly, HR is the profession most responsible for promoting employee engagement and reducing turnover, as we have seen an increase in employees switching jobs too frequently. Therefore, HRs not only manage administrative tasks but also serve as a bridge between employees and the company.

In this blog, we will read what is HR for, how to become one, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. We will also learn why an online HR system is necessary for modern employee management. Let’s start with the basics!

What Is HR, or Human Resource?

Human resources refers to everything related to the management of people working in a company. This includes recruitment, staff selection, hiring, training, and professional development within the organization.

Almost all companies have a separate department of human resources. We call it the HR department in short. Startups or very small companies may or may not have their own HR department; they usually outsource HR specialists because of the cost-to-expertise ratio. 

Furthermore, if you ask what is HR for, the answer is – they are responsible for the organization, strategies, competencies, organizational chart, strategic plan, trends, software, and the people who make up the company.

Functions of HR  Managers

Some of the roles and responsibilities of HR managers are:

• Personnel organization and planning: design of jobs and functions and setting up KPIs.
• Recruitment: a set of procedures designed to attract the best candidates. For an optimal process, it is recommended to hire a personnel selection firm.
• Selection: It is the process by which the best candidates presented are analyzed and decided upon.
• Career plans and professional promotion: Future planning within the organization for existing professionals.
• Training: HR managers need to constantly analyze what kind of skill gaps are presenting obstacles for proper training assignments, which are necessary for the evolution and adaptation of competitive knowledge.
• Performance evaluation and staff control: After the company tells the worker the objectives or KPIs to take into account, it is necessary to follow up to see what human resources factors can help improve their productivity.
• Work environment and satisfaction: Workers must be provided with a good work environment and a proper balance for reconciling work and family life.
• Personnel administration: Regarding bureaucratic procedures, everything related to the control of the rights and duties of the worker.
• Labor relations: Deals with the collective conditions of the worker as well as proposed solutions.
• Occupational risk prevention: To preserve the health of people working in the company.

How to Become an HR Specialist?

After knowing what is HR and the core functions of this profession, it’s time to know how to become one. Here are some steps to consider.

Get your bachelor’s degree.

Employers generally like to see some academic credentials to ensure you have the know-how to tackle an HR specialist job. Therefore, it is better to have a degree in human resources, psychology, business administration, management, or other relevant fields. Having this degree is the foundational step to breaking into the HR field. Further studies will include a Master of Arts (MA) in HRM or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in HR.

Sharpen relevant skills.

Now that you have a fundamental understanding of what is HR and their roles and responsibilities, as well as proof of knowledge in the form of a degree, it’s time to sharpen the skills further. Do the online courses in the field of human resources management or the management of business with a major in HRM. Focus on sharpening communication, leadership, and soft skills, as these are considered primary for effective HR work. This will further earn you a concrete, formal certificate that will put your resume above 1000s of candidates.

Pursue an internship.

When the formal degrees are in your hands, now the time comes to bring your knowledge to real life. So, start hunting for internships as HR specialists. There are many of the platforms that will help you get these opportunities. Some of the recommended platforms to find HR internships are Internshala, LinkedIn, and Naukri.

Explore HR specialist jobs.

Though there are many paths to becoming an HR specialist, starting a related entry-level job can be an excellent first step. Seek positions that work heavily with business management, such as recruitment assistants, HR coordinators, onboarding executives, or HR associates. Furthermore, once you’ve scored an interview, prepare answers to likely HR interview questions which could possibly need the understanding of what is HR and their day-to-day responsibilities. From there, you can work your way up to becoming a full-fledged HR professional as you expand your knowledge and skills. 

Build a professional network.

With a few years living with knowledge like what is HR and what they do, it’s time to showcase to the professional network. For this, building a professional network is important, as these contacts may be able to help you secure employment in the future. This network is not only helpful for landing dream jobs, but also you will learn a lot from industry experts, get referrals of candidates to hire, and showcase your skills to the relevant circle that will allow you to situate yourself as a professional.

Additionally, the amount of time it takes to become an HR specialist depends on your previous experience, education, and skills. If you’re transitioning into the HR field from a related career such as a recruiter or business administrator, you’ve already gained many of the skills to get into the HR field in a few months. Or else, you may have to do preparation for roughly around 2 years. Let us tell you that the average salary for freshers in the HR field in India can range from ₹2 LPA to ₹8 LPA.

Along with that, modern business needs a modern solution to the problem just like online HR systems or human resource management software systems. But what is the HR system and how having knowledge of such tools will make you a preferred candidate among others? The next section answers this.

What is the HR System?

As a professional in the human resources area, you probably have many manual tasks that make it difficult to correctly monitor the processes and the various aspects that make up human talent management. Common challenges include the HR recruitment process, time & attendance control, creating & sending HR policies and procedures, and employee performance tracking, among others.

For that, you have to use a wide range of tools and platforms. An online HR system, which is also called an all-in-one HRMS software solution, concentrates on what is necessary for a good HR job. Such systems store, organize, and analyze company data, providing a centralized source of truth for the entire team so that they can enter, visualize, and do data analysis and make better decisions based on them.

Some of the functionalities of an online HR system

• Storage and organization of data: Storage and easy access to employee data, such as phone number, salary, date of birth, or tax information. 
• Time monitoring and assistance: Automatic tracking for total hours worked, leaves, half-days, and overtime will help in month-end payroll.
• Payroll automation: An HR system not only collects data on attendance data for salary calculation but also automates payroll processes, keeping tabs on taxes and benefits deductions and maintaining payroll records.
• HR policies and procedures creation: Create, document, and broadcast the company’s HR policies and procedures to ensure everyone is informed about the rules and adheres to compliance.
• Performance management: The best HR software solution has a separate module for tracking every employee’s performance and efficiency. It presents data to identify skill gaps and star employees and auto-suggests training for the employee who needs it.
• Employee self-service portal: Among the thousands of tasks, one core task involves resolving employees’ concerns. But this is also automated through the HR system’s ESS portals. An ESS portal allows employees to see and update their personal information, apply for leaves and vacations, upload expense receipts and request reimbursements, access payslips, apply for loans and salary advances, track their learning progress, and many more.

It should be noted that large companies hire different employees for different roles, such as recruiters for hiring, payroll managers for compensation, and HR generalists for overall employee management.

Read more: Payroll Manager Job and Salary in India (2025)

NYGGS HRMS: All-in-One & Compliant HR System

Implementing an online HR system brings multiple benefits for companies that decide to optimize their processes and thus offer a better experience not only for the human resources area but for the entire company. Now that you know what is HR system and its importance for companies today, we recommend that you know the software of NYGGS HR.

NYGGS brings a centralized HR platform that allows you to fulfill all the tasks that we have read above. But not just that, NYGGS HRMS brings much more for you:

• Automated compliance management: Enables compliance with the Indian labor laws with daily control of attendance, working hours, and benefits management digitally.
• Shift and schedule management: Organize shifts efficiently, improving planning and reducing errors.
• Absence and vacation management: Centralizes requests and approvals, facilitating control and transparency.
• Reports and analysis: Provides real-time data on staff productivity and support.
• User experience: Offers an intuitive interface for employees and managers. No learning needed to get started.
• Integration capability: Connect this HR system with modules of software solutions from NYGGS or with third-party calendars, SMS, and email providers.

So simplify your HR operations with NYGGS’s fully integrated HRMS platform. Manage employees, contractors, and freelancers easily in one place—without spreadsheets or scattered systems. Click here to explore more or directly contact us for a live demo!

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