Western Michigan University’s human resource management degree prepares students to take on positions in the corporate world or go on to graduate education in human resources or labor relations. In fact, 12% of this year’s human resource management graduates are pursuing higher education at a variety of institutions. The high proportion of students attending graduate school is rare and a testament to the quality of the education HR students receive and their drive to profoundly impact the field.
According to Dr. Christina Stamper, professor of management, “In the 2000s, WMU’s human resource management program developed a reputation of sending one or two strong students every year to the best HR-related graduate programs in the country. With 12% of our 2020 graduating class going onto graduate study, we have a growing group of students who take this route, and this group of students has exceeded all our expectations. The universities, which recognized the high quality of our students and the superior education they received from the Haworth College of Business HR program, competed for these students by awarding generous scholarships to attract them to their institutions. It has truly been a joy helping our students gain knowledge and experience in human resources. I look forward to seeing them grow further in graduate school and watching them launch high-profile careers at some of the country’s best companies!”
Where are they heading?
• Samantha Carroll, Northwood University
• Lilly Cerven, Michigan State University
• Sarah Hamilton, University of Minnesota
• Holly Harmon, Cornell University
• Rana Holmes, Georgia State University
• Riley Husted, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Kayla Ringle, Cornell University
What are these recent alumni hoping to accomplish? How did WMU help them find their purpose? And what HR issues are top of mind as they look to the future? Let’s find out.
Taking HR talent to the next level
Through graduate study, recent WMU human resource management alumni are excited to gain more experience in many areas of the field, including employee engagement and satisfaction, strategy, diversity and inclusion, leadership, change management, organizational behavior, conflict resolution, business analytics and more.
Their graduate school trajectories will qualify them for more advanced work when they enter the business world, which is increasingly complex and dynamic.
“After I complete my master’s degree, I hope to work in a position that increases employee engagement within a company,” says Riley Husted. “My goal is to guarantee each employee is satisfied with their career and committed to the goals and values of the organization.”
Holly Harmon has a long-term plan for her career, “I am exceptionally passionate about bridging human connections with analytics, using human resource analytics as a tool to increase job satisfaction and productivity. After being in the workforce, I plan to pursue an MBA. After several more years investing in my career, having new and exciting experiences, I will obtain my Ph.D. in organizational psychology and begin conducting research and teaching the next generation of students.”
As these HR alumni look to their futures, they appreciate their WMU experience—a foundation that allowed them to find themselves and their career paths.
Lilly Cerven
“The WMU HR program has fantastic faculty,” says Lilly Cerven. “After learning many HR concepts, I wanted to continue to learn more about the field. With the support from my professors, I knew furthering my education was exactly what I wanted to do. By doing case studies, mock negotiations and writing policies, I was well prepared to pursue my master’s degree. Joining the Society for Excellence in Human Resources and hearing from graduate schools and companies was what pushed me to continue my education. The opportunities are endless in the WMU human resource management program with the outstanding professors and resources provided for students to succeed.”
Kayla Ringle echoes this statement. “I strongly believe I am everything I am today because of the amazing professors I had at WMU. Of course, I have an enormous interest in the human resources field which helped to push me through my undergraduate journey, but it was the professors who inspired and supported me that got me to where I am now.”
Future-focused
WMU students who enter the human resource management major have a futurist mindset. They contemplate the questions that both employers and employees ask. How can we support employees and develop talent? How can we effectively transform our organization? What are the best practices and tools that will enhance the way we do business? How do I contribute and have a meaningful career?
Below, some of our graduate school-bound alumni note critical issues they see on the horizon for the human resources profession.
Remote work
Riley Husted
“Many professionals do not want to return to the office environment once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Employees realize that they can perform their job functions from home, and there is no need to commute to the office each day. I hope to address this in my career by determining an acceptable balance between working in the office and working from home. Some professionals believe that if an employee is not physically in the office they are not truly working, but studies show that remote employees are actually more productive. I want to help cultivate a successful balance between telecommuting and physically working in the office because I am certain this will increase employee morale and motivation, which will then strengthen commitment to the organization as well as retain top performers.”
– Riley Husted
Job satisfaction and diversity and inclusion
“Employee job satisfaction is crucial to retaining talented employees. Employees need to know that their job is meaningful and that they have a purpose within the company. Attendance and productivity stay at a high level when an employee is satisfied with their position. One way for professionals to address this is through compensation. Also, providing benefits like generous paid time off is beneficial, as studies have shown that many working professionals care more about paid time off than having higher pay rates. An opportunity in the business world is diversity and inclusion in the workplace—many companies have important work to be done in building a culture that thoroughly embraces diversity, creating a safe and successful workplace for all employees.” – Lilly Cerven
Sarah Hamilton
“Oftentimes, people tend to think of HR with an ‘us vs. them’ mentality; however, this trend is starting to shift, and I’m excited to play my role in ensuring that all team members feel valued and engaged in the way that they want. Instead of the mentality of ‘treating people how you want to be treated,’ organizations need to reflect and pivot to ‘treating people how they want to be treated.’ This can be accomplished though allowing team members to help choose how the organization will positively impact their communities, creating more opportunities to give team members a better work-life balance, public shout outs acknowledging hard work, or even allowing more comfortable work attire. By truly listening to team members and empowering them, organizations can increase employee satisfaction and retention while simultaneously decreasing employee relations issues.”
– Sarah Hamilton
Change management
Kayla Ringle
“One of the biggest challenges and opportunities I see in the business world related to HR is the handling of change management in organizations. In my professional experience, I have observed how internal and external changes can be the root of uncertainty and turmoil in the job setting. The impact of improper transition management manifests itself in both stunted organizational development and the loss of a company’s most talented individuals. I look forward to expanding my knowledge of the best techniques to handle these transitions through my studies at Cornell University.” – Kayla Ringle
Analytics
Holly Harmon
“The most critical challenge facing the world of HR is the continued complexities in the relationship between HR and analytics. While analytics and technology can help us increase productivity and find patterns in our employee groups, we must not forget that HR’s focus is on its people and their wellbeing. It is our job as HR professionals to use technology as a tool for success while protecting those we employ. This is why I am so excited to continue my education in computer science and human resources and learn ways we can ethically and productively weave these disciplines together.” – Holly Harmon
Learn more about the human resource management major.