After completing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), many students search for the best courses to pursue for their higher education. Most are always guided by the marketability of the course with hopes of getting a job quickly and earning big upon completion. The human resource management course is among the most enrolled courses because of its entry requirements. But is human resource management marketable in Kenya?
Selecting a marketable course enhances the likelihood of securing a job upon graduation and facilitates career advancement. Most marketable courses perfectly align with the current and future industry needs and offer skills and knowledge relevant to evolving job markets.
What is human resource management (HRM)?
Human resource management (HRM) is the practice of recruiting/hiring, deploying and managing a company or organisation’s employees. HRM are commonly referred to as human resources (HR).
A corporation or organisation's human resource department is usually responsible for creating, implementing and overseeing policies governing workers. It also monitors the relationship between the organisation and its employees.
What does the human resource management course entail?
A bachelor's degree in human resource management has coursework designed to deepen your knowledge of personnel management and the development of company employees. You'll explore topics such as:
- Organisation behaviour,
- Diversity in an organisation,
- Cross-cultural management,
- Strategic HR leadership,
- Important employee policies,
- Creating remote workforces and more.
Human resource management entry requirements
Individuals aspiring to specialise in human resource management have the flexibility to pursue varying levels of academic qualifications, ranging from certificates and diplomas to degrees. This versatility allows aspiring HR professionals to tailor their educational journey to match their qualifications, career goals and time commitments.
Here are the requirements (including subjects required for human resource management) for each level:
Certificate in HRM
- KCSE mean grade D+ or KCE Div. 3
Diploma in HRM
- KCSE mean grade C (plain) or above with a C- in commerce or mathematics, economics or accounts and a C- in English or Kiswahili.
- KCE Div. 3 or above with a pass in accounts, commerce, or mathematics and a pass in English or Kiswahili.
- Professional HRM certificate from a recognised institution
Bachelor's degree in HRM
- KCSE mean grade C+ or above with at least C in mathematics and English.
- KCSE mean grade C (plain) or above with at least C (plain) in mathematics and English plus a diploma in human resources management or diploma related to disciplines in business from a recognised institution.
- KCSE mean grade C- plus a certificate and diploma in human resource management or a certificate or diploma related to disciplines in business from a recognised institution.
Jobs for human resource management graduates in Kenya
An HRM degree holds broad applicability across diverse organizations and sectors. This versatile qualification empowers graduates to play critical roles in recruitment, training, development, and applying essential interpersonal skills within any organizational context. Here are the jobs that are directly related to a HRM degree.
- Occupational psychologist
- Human resources officer
- Office manager
- Training and development officer
Other areas where the HRM degree would be useful include:
- Talent agent
- Recruitment consultant
- Sales executive
- Operational researcher
- Mediator
- Trade union research officer
- Management consultant
- Life coach
- Health service manager
- Equality, diversity and inclusion officer
- Career adviser
- Business adviser
- Arbitrator
Is human resource management marketable in Kenya?
Indeed, human resource management in Kenya has more job opportunities than other business courses. However, similar to many business fields, there is a saturation of professionals, leading to intense competition for human resource management positions.
Human resource management salary per month in Kenya
According to Mywage.org/Kenya, an entry-level human resource manager's monthly wages range from Ksh34,948 to Ksh82,749. But after gaining experience (5+ years), their income rises to between ksh54,111 and Ksh140,659 monthly.
Salary of a diploma in human resource management in Kenya
The salary of a diploma in HRM holder ranges typically from Ksh32,435 (minimum wage) to Ksh 63,149. However, salaries can vary drastically among different job positions.
FAQs about the human resource management course
- Is HR certification a good course in Kenya? Yes, having a professional HR certification can help you get better prospects when applying for jobs in the country or globally. It shows employers you have a particular expertise in HR already.
- How much does a diploma in human resource management earn? Most human resource employees make between Ksh32,435 and Ksh63,149 monthly in 2023.
- How long does a certificate in human resources take? The HRM certificate is divided into two modules and two terms, each taking three months.
- Do human resource managers hire? No, the HR managers oversee the recruiting, interviewing and hiring new staff.
- What degree goes best with HR? Most people in the HR field typically have an undergraduate degree in management, business or social sciences.
- Which country pays the highest salary for HR? Generally, people receive higher wages in the USA than in the UK or Canada.
- Does HR have a future? Yes, as employees demand more from their employers than ever before and the competition to retain top talent continues, HR professionals will always be needed to ensure business success.
Final word on the human resource management course
Is human resource management marketable in Kenya? HRM has more job opportunities than other business courses, but it's flooded. This means you must be the best to get the top position. You can be the best by advancing your studies to a master's, PhD, etc. or doing other short business-related certification courses.
Tuko.co.ke has shared an article about computer science marketability. It’s advisable to know the marketability of a course before choosing it to ensure you can secure a well-paying job after completion. In recent years computer science course has been hugely vouched for by educationists, but is it marketable? Read this article for more details about the course.
