Human Resources

Human Resources Management is the specific process of staffing, training, developing, motivating, and appraising a sufficient quantity of qualified employees to perform activities necessary to accomplish organizational objectives. It involves developing precise activities and an overall organizational climate to generate maximum employee satisfaction and efficiency.

Industrial Relations involves managing the relationship between union and non-union workers in all work settings. Course work emphasizes the unionization process, collective bargaining, the collective agreement, and mediation/arbitration. As a Human Resources Management/Industrial Relations major, you will learn skills essential to supervising or managing others, including interpersonal communication, problem-solving and decision making, conflict resolution, training, and negotiation.

Career Opportunities

As a graduate, you may start in a number of areas such as planning, staffing, compensation, training, evaluating, health and safety, or collective bargaining. Graduates are currently employed as human resource managers, directors of industrial relations, labour relations specialists, occupational health and safety coordinators, and recruitment specialists. Employment opportunities in the Human Resources Management/Industrial Relations field exist in private business enterprise, public institutions, labour unions, and not-for-profit organizations.

Professional Certifications Available After Graduation

  • Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP)
  • Canadian Personnel Professional (IPMA-CA)
  • Membership with the International Association for HR Information Management (IHRIM)

Requirements for Human Resource Management/Industrial Relations Major

Please see the Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resources Management/Industrial Relations Major) listing in the Lakehead University Course Calendar.

There is also a Minor in Human Resources Management/Industrial Relations available to Honours Bachelor of Commerce students.

Discipline Members

Kunle Akingbola

Changquan Jiao

David Richards

Kathy Sanderson

Mirit Grabarski, Coordinator