How to compare MBA vs. Diploma and other HR Courses

Have you decided to pursue a career in HR? Or are you still contemplating with the thought of whether to pursue it or not? Or is it that you wish to, but don’t know which HR course would be right for you? 

Your queries are valid. With a number of courses offered in HR, by various colleges, it is a tad bit difficult to decide which one to go for. This is one of the crucial decisions of your life, and it is important that you consider every aspect of your career, such as job prospects, remuneration, growth opportunities etc. before arriving at a decision.

I come from an HR background. After spending a long stint in the area with training and recruitment, I thoroughly understand the predicament students go through while choosing a course.

To make your decision easier, I have attempted to describe the role of Human Resource in an organization, the key characteristics that this role demands and HR courses which you can evaluate before you enrol.

Role of HR

Role of Human Resource

The strength of an organization lies in its people and HR professionals are the ones responsible to drive the employees to give their best. Every organization, to succeed needs well trained and highly productive employees. However, it is easy said than done. Right training, creating a need for excellent work, building highly productive employees leads to success of an organization. But to attain this it is important to have a person who understands the employee as well as the employer. That’s where an HR comes into the picture.

One of the key roles of HR is of identifying the apt recruitment sources and utilizing the recruitment potential of the organization. The common roles that are part of any HR professional job profile are hiring employees, organizing training sessions for the employees, taking care of the compensation, enhancing company’s human resource and other such activities. The HR is the key person who evaluates the employee’s performance, introduces policies that would churn the best out of every employee, organizes training and workshops as per the requirement of the organization. 

• Dealing with diversity 
• Build the right culture for the organization 
• Upgrading the existing HR policies 
• Enhancing employee engagement and developing their potential 

About Courses in HR

MBA HRM/ MMS HRM / 2 Year PGDM HR

MBA HRM

MBA Human Resource Management is the most preferred course by students and professionals who wish to pursue a career in HR, or professionals who wish to get better opportunities in the field. MMS HRM and 2 year P.G. Diploma HRM are equivalent to MBA HRM. These are comprehensive courses, which cover all areas of HR. The subjects include all aspects of management, human resource management, fundamentals of labour laws and application, management audit, corporate governance, CSR and corporate leadership etc.


PGDHRM- One Year

One year PG Diploma in Human Resource Management course is a special management program with clear focus on in-depth understanding of HR concepts.

Usually management institutes state full time work experience of minimum 2 years as one of the eligibility criteria for admission.Also, many institutes offer this course as a part- time curriculum hence you can for this if you are a working professional.

MPMIR

MPMIR is Master of Personnel Management and Industrial Relations a course that emphasizes more on developing relations between a employees, employer, trade union and government. Compare industrial relations to human resource, which usually limits the management to employees and the employer.

Industrial relations focuses on providing job security, creating working conditions for maximum output, developing employee relation policies, administering collective bargaining agreement or labour contract and rectifying any employee relations issues for smooth functioning of an organization.

MPMIR is also a two year management course.

HR Ceritifcation Course

Human resources certification course programs provide an in-depth understanding of the specific tasks involved in HR like performance management, talent acquisition, etc.

The certification course is of great help if you come from an experienced background.

Conclusion

Carefully consider aspects that make a successful HR. Question yourself whether the HR profile excites you, do your own research, talk to professionals. Even if the job prospects are good, if the role sounds exciting, if the remuneration is as per your expectation; it is also very important to have passion for ones chosen profession. And if you think you fit the bill, then just go for it.

Understand which course suits your academic background and would be beneficial for you. The duration, course syllabus, eligibility are some aspects that you need to check before you enroll or start preparing for entrance exams. Check for colleges that offer the above course or related course and the placements provided.

HR Challenges in Retail Management

Are you a people’s person? Do you understand people and possess the quality to identify their skills and hone them? If the answer is yes, then HR is the right career for you. 

Career in Retail HR

Many a times it happens that you enter a store with the intention of shopping, but grumpy looking, disinterested sales stuff happen to change your decision, and all you do is walk out of the store. This happens when the staff is not well trained, which ultimately affects the store’s sales. But who is responsible in retail management for training the staff and making sure that the workforce is at par with the organization’s standards? 

The answer is Human Resource Department. 

Hiring employees, organizing training sessions for the employees, taking care of the compensation, enhancing the company’s human resource and other such activities, form the job profile of a HR professional.  In a nutshell, HR is the backbone of an organization. Before you take the decision, it is of utmost importance that you understand the functions of human resource management.

The retail sector has much to offer then one can think of. Being an HR, involved with training and recruiting employees, I have seen tremendous growth in the area. A career in retail is sure to be promising, with the increasing demand and boom of international labels entering the Indian market.

Challenges of Human Resource Management in Retail

The retail industry has seen a substantial boom in the last few years across the globe and especially in India. The increase in the working population and especially the youth has provided a huge impetus for the growth of this industry. However, the entrance of global players has started to pose severe challenges in the organized retail sector.

The normal functions of HR like taking care of compensation, hiring, performance management and other related activities will be very much a part and parcel of your career as a HR in the retail sector. However, the major challenges lie in recruiting and retaining the right talent for the industry. You will have to deal with the shortage of highly qualified and skilled talent in the industry. The majority of the employees in the retail industry are customer facing and hence the entire training programs and grooming sessions have to be in place. Your major role will be in recruiting such talent, devising training programs, reviewing their performances and ensuring the objectives of the organization are met.

• The retail industry is highly dependent on its people and its workforce is the most critical resource as the on-floor staff faces the customers directly

• Electronic Retailing or e-Tailing companies make attractive and easy to use websites, but running a 24/ 7 show needs proper HR planning.

• The retail environment is highly competitive with global players entering the market

• The people management is of utmost importance and is a mode for both cost and revenue generation

• It employs a lot of people with diverse skill set including both skilled and unskilled labor and training them the right way is important

• Strong orientation is required towards customer service

• Good and efficient decision making skills need to be employed while recruiting for the organization

• Workforce pressure and payroll expenses have to be balanced during seasonal promotions for good customer experience.

 

Stepping into Retail HR 

A number of students today opt for MBA. It has always been rewarding to pursue MBA, provided you do it from a reputed college. To enter the retail sector as HR, MBA in HR could be the right course. Some management institutes like JDBIMS SNDTWU Mumbai offer sectoral specialization with MBA Human Resource Management, which allows students to concentrate on developing their HR abilities in the domain of their interest. Find colleges that offer MBA in HRM, gather information about the entrance criteria and then apply for it.

 

Conclusion

With more and more global players flocking Indian retail, the industry poses significant challenges for Human Resource department. To stay competitive in this sector, HR must create strategies to align the performance of its employees with the overall client satisfaction and devise good motivational and incentive schemes to retain them. The training plays a significant role and helps the employees become more efficient and effective at work.