Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Hochschule) für Personalmanagement

For more information on this profession, you can consult the information offerings of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency). Additionally, reports such as 'Blickpunkt Arbeitsmarkt, July 2025: Developments in Temporary Work' and platforms like BQ-Portal, which provide information on foreign professional qualifications in Germany, are available. Magazines and online resources such as Human Resources Manager, PERSONALFÜHRUNG, personalmagazin, personal manager, personalmarketing2null, Personalwirtschaft, perso-net, SBUR Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, and wiwi-online can also be helpful.

People Analytics and Digital Process Automation (DPA) are prominent trends in human resource management. People Analytics aims to make data-driven decisions and optimize business processes by systematically collecting and analyzing data about employees and the organization. This can enhance employee retention, engagement, motivation, productivity, and satisfaction. Digital Process Automation, on the other hand, increases efficiency by digitizing and integrating internal and external processes.

To succeed in this field, an interest in commercial-organizational and administrative-organizational activities is important. For example, developing and implementing HR strategies, designing consulting concepts for human resource management, and managing salary payments and bookings fall within these areas of interest.

Human resource management specialists primarily work in offices and meeting rooms. Additionally, they may also have the option to work from home or remotely.

Core competencies acquired or deepened during this university degree (Studium) include labor law, business administration, applicant selection and assessment, controlling, calculation, cost and performance accounting, organizational development, personnel development, personnel planning, personnel recruitment, personnel administration, social security law, and industrial psychology. Furthermore, additional competencies such as occupational health management, applicant management systems, bookkeeping, diversity management, aptitude diagnostics, employee experience, expatriate management, wage and income tax, marketing, mediation, public service law, organizational sociology, personnel controlling, creating personnel documents, project management, quality management, social media recruiting, social law, tax law, and talent management can also be significant for this profession. Competencies in business administration, finance, and controlling software, as well as personnel administration and payroll software, are also required.

The advancing digitalization of the working world and professions can change task areas and requirement profiles. For human resource management specialists, opportunities may arise to deal with technologies, procedures, or systems such as Algorithmic Decision Making (ADM) (e.g., contributing to the development of criteria for assessing applicant suitability), Applicant Management Systems (e.g., contributing to the further development of systems for automatic evaluation and assessment of applications), Business Intelligence (BI) (e.g., making operational and strategic personnel decisions using automatically analyzed data and the insights gained), and Business Process Management Systems (BPM Systems) (e.g., utilizing software to analyze and control business processes to increase efficiency). Digital Workforce Management (e.g., contributing to the development of software that manages qualifications) is also an important area.

Human resource managers independently plan, organize, and control business processes in human resources. If they lead a team, they motivate their employees and coordinate their collaboration, utilizing their communication skills. They apply their analytical and organizational abilities when, for example, creating personnel analyses, calculating personnel costs and their development, implementing personnel strategies, or optimizing internal training and development measures. Foreign language skills and intercultural competencies are necessary when dealing with employees or applicants from other countries. To achieve good negotiation results, they professionally employ their negotiation skills. They primarily work in an office at a desk, but also in meeting rooms where they conduct, for example, job interviews.

Human resource managers can work freelance, for example, as a human resources consultant or with their own service company.

Example collective bargaining gross basic salary (monthly): €5,261 to €6,378. Source: Collective bargaining collection of the Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labor and Social Affairs. Note: This information is for orientation purposes. No claims can be derived from it.

Construction, Architecture; Chemistry, Pharmacy, Plastics; Electrical Engineering, Electronics; Vehicle Manufacturing, Maintenance; Financial Services, Real Estate; Health, Social Services; Trade; Wood, Furniture; Media; Metal, Mechanical Engineering, Precision Mechanics, Optics; Food, Luxury Food Production; Paper, Printing; Transport, Traffic; Associations, Organizations, Interest Groups; Other Services.

Those who wish to work in this profession typically need a completed undergraduate (grundständig) degree in personnel management or services. Leadership positions or specialized tasks usually require a master's (Masterstudium) degree. Activities in science and research often require a doctorate (Promotion) or habilitation (Habilitation).

Personnel Management, -Services (undergraduate); Personnel Management, -Services (postgraduate)

Business economists specializing in Human Resources Management find employment in companies across almost all economic sectors.

Business Economist (University) - Human Resources Management. Also common job titles/synonyms: HR Manager, Human Resources Manager. Job titles in English: Human resources manager (m/f), Human resources officer (m/f). Job title in French: Responsable (m/f) des ressources humaines.

Some characteristics of work and social behavior are equally relevant for all professions and are therefore not mentioned separately. These include: reliability, punctuality, honesty, ability to criticize, and appropriate manners. In addition, the following profession-specific characteristics are required to practice this (university) profession: Performance and commitment (e.g., willingness to prepare even difficult or unpleasant personnel decisions with dedication and speed), Perseverance / Determination (e.g., planning long-term personnel development strategies, adhering to implementation despite temporary setbacks or short-term changed priorities), Diligence (e.g., accurate recording and evaluation of personnel costs, changes in working hours, and employee fluctuation), Sense of responsibility and willingness to take responsibility (e.g., taking responsibility for the organization and supervision of personnel measures in the company).

Business economists specializing in Human Resources Management handle specialized human resources tasks in the areas of personnel planning, recruitment, and administration.

Human Resources Manager Jobs, Personal-Stellen.de, Personalwirtschaft.

Bundesverband der Personalmanager e.V. (Federal Association of HR Managers), Bundesverband Deutscher Volks- und Betriebswirte e.V. (bdvb) (Federal Association of German Economists and Business Economists), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Personalführung e.V. (DGFP) (German Society for Human Resources Management), ver.di - Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (United Services Union).

This profession involves responsibility for people (e.g., guiding and leading employees), responsibility for material assets (e.g., analyzing personnel requirements), customer contact (with applicants during recruitment), screen work (performing analysis, conception, and planning tasks), and adherence to various regulations and legal provisions (e.g., labor and collective bargaining law). Work typically takes place in office environments.

Career opportunities in this profession can be categorized into various fields: educational and career counseling, job coaching, lecturing at universities, lecturer at universities and academies, study program coordinator. In HR services, one can work as a volunteer coordinator, artist agent (not with the Federal Employment Agency), HR consultant, HR dispatcher, recruiter, relocation specialist/manager, HR intermediary. Furthermore, in human resources, one can be an employer-branding manager, head of human resources, HR developer, diversity manager, talent acquisition manager, HR officer, and head of corporate training and further education. In scientific research, one can work as a research officer or head of department.

Work materials include documents such as consulting and HR concepts, personnel and application documents, requirement profiles, employment contracts, statistics, payroll documents, and legal regulations (e.g., labor and social law). Data management systems and media presentation forms are also used, such as digital personnel files, HR management systems, online job boards, social networks, and AI-based applicant management systems. Office equipment includes PCs, internet access, and telephones.

Business economists specializing in human resource management support economic decision-making processes in HR. They create analyses and concepts, conduct projects, and evaluate their success. They organize and monitor personnel measures such as staffing, downsizing, or development. Additionally, they handle recruiting, training and further education measures, personnel and job interviews, and HR administration tasks. For this, they maintain personnel data, manage payroll systems, and oversee HR controlling, for example.

Adaptation training helps to keep professional knowledge current and adapt it to new developments (e.g., in the areas of personnel planning, development, recruitment, corporate social welfare, corporate training and further education, labor law).

Bachelor's graduates can expand their professional and career opportunities through further Studium (postgraduate studies), for example, in human resource management, HR services, or business administration. A Promotion (doctorate) is generally required for an academic career at a university; to be appointed as a university professor, a Habilitation (postdoctoral qualification) is usually needed. A doctorate may also facilitate access to senior professional positions in the private sector, in research, and in public administration.

Tasks in human resources management: analyze personnel levels and needs, coordinate operational activities in the personnel, social, and education sectors. Conceive personnel strategies and development concepts, e.g., peer-to-peer learning. Initiate recruiting and personnel measures, possibly using AI-based applicant management systems. Conduct personnel and hiring interviews, provide personnel support, considering labor law, business administration, and social framework conditions. Advise managers on personnel matters. Perform personnel administration tasks; maintain (digital) personnel files and records, manage payroll systems. Design consulting concepts for human resources management, conduct personnel controlling. Design and coordinate training and further education. In science and teaching: participate in research projects and write reports, conduct lectures, possibly administer exams.

The following additional employment alternatives are available for the profession of business economist for human resources management: Field of activity Human Resources: Social economist, business psychologist, business educator, social scientist. Commonalities: Applying knowledge from sociology and social economics, conducting analyses and consultations on personnel development and employee satisfaction, participating in personnel recruitment. Field of activity Management, Corporate Leadership: Business economist (Hochschule) for corporate leadership, Master of Business Administration, business economist (Hochschule) for service management, economist. Commonalities: Planning, monitoring, and organizing operational processes, supporting economic decision-making processes, negotiating with business partners and customers. Note: The mentioned job alternatives may require a longer induction period or additional training.

Business economists for human resources management handle specialized human resources tasks in personnel planning, recruitment, and administration. For example, they coordinate personnel development, ensure that personnel planning aligns with other operational planning, and ensure that the required personnel are available. From applicant selection to hiring and dismissal of employees: managing personnel in a company means, among other things, participating in or coordinating all activities related to employee care. Business economists consider business, social, and labor law aspects. When business economists for human resources management support personnel development measures, they are involved, for example, within the company.

The following abilities, knowledge, and skills are required for performing possible activities in this (Studium) degree profession. Abilities: Numerical (calculating) thinking (e.g., calculating costs for personnel strategies; analyzing personnel needs based on statistics), observational accuracy (e.g., closely observing the behavior of applicants in interviews), memory (e.g., memory for people and numbers), adaptability (e.g., quick and frequent switching between planning/administrative activities and job interviews under time pressure), commercial aptitude (e.g., developing personnel strategies), ability to plan and organize (e.g., coordinating operational activities). Knowledge and skills: Calculation skills (e.g., calculating personnel costs).

The exercise of this profession may entail the following physical requirements. This information does not necessarily apply to every activity profile or every professional application. Undisturbed speech ability (e.g., conducting personnel and hiring interviews), near vision - even corrected (e.g., performing analysis, conceptual, and planning work on the computer), hearing ability and speech comprehension (e.g., understanding applicant questions). Note: This information does not form a basis for legal action and is not to be understood in the sense of a medical fitness assessment. The actual physical fitness or unfitness must always be determined on a case-by-case basis and taking into account possible reasonable accommodations.

The following lists professions or activities that show similarities to the original profession. These professions represent a possible alternative for applicants who cannot find a vacant position in their learned profession. Furthermore, employers can consider specialists in these professions as alternatives for filling a position in the original profession. Some alternative professions only comprise partial activities of the original profession, while others may require an induction period, which can vary in length in individual cases. The following immediate employment and staffing alternatives are available for the profession of business economist for human resources management: Job and staffing alternatives for the overall activity (usually short induction): Business economist (Hochschule). For partial activities and professional applications (with/without induction): Coach / Supervisor, Diversity Manager, Employer Branding Manager.

Working as a business economist (Hochschule) in human resource management is not a regulated profession. Therefore, no professional recognition is required to work in this profession with a qualification acquired abroad. However, it is possible to apply for an individual certificate evaluation for foreign university degrees through the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). This can be helpful for job applications in the German labor market. Further information on living and working in Germany can be found at: Hotline Working and Living in Germany (BAMF and BA), Information for people from abroad (BA), Central International and Specialist Placement Service of the Federal Employment Agency, Make it in Germany (The welcome portal of the skilled labor initiative for international professionals).

The following health limitations could lead to problems when performing this profession, but they do not necessarily apply to every job profile or every employment opportunity. Increasingly, there are also ways to compensate for limitations, for example, through technical aids. Speech disorders or impediments (e.g., conducting personnel and hiring interviews), uncorrectable near vision impairment (e.g., performing analysis, conception, and planning work on the computer), hearing loss, hard of hearing, deafness, hearing impairment, or chronic ear conditions (e.g., understanding applicant questions) could pose challenges. Please note: This information does not form a basis for legal action and should not be understood as a medical fitness assessment. The actual physical suitability or unsuitability must always be determined on a case-by-case basis and taking into account possible reasonable accommodations.

From an employer's perspective, the following alternatives are available for the profession of business economist (Hochschule) in human resource management: In the field of management and corporate leadership, a Master of Business Administration or a business economist (Hochschule) for corporate management are similar. Common aspects include: planning, monitoring, and organizing operational processes; supporting economic decision-making processes; and negotiating with business partners and customers. In the field of human resources, a social economist or business psychologist are similar. Common aspects include: applying knowledge from sociology and social economics; conducting analyses and consultations on personnel development and employee satisfaction; and participating in personnel recruitment. Please note: The mentioned alternatives may require an induction period, which can vary in length depending on the individual case.