Last updated on February 23rd, 2025 at 11:35 am
We answer the question “Is human resource management marketable in Kenya?” in this article.
Human resource management is categorized as a business course and we all know that the government has largely been encouraging students to move into technical courses and forget about business courses for now.
So, is human resource management marketable in Kenya? Or how marketable is human resource management?
Well, here is what we feel about your job prospects if you do a human resource management course in Kenya:
Is human resource management marketable in Kenya? (is HR marketable in Kenya /is human resource marketable in Kenya? /Is HR a marketable course in Kenya?)
Well, the course has more jobs than many business courses and is not as flooded so there is not a lot of competition for human resource management jobs in Kenya.
So, yeah, there are jobs out there and it can be a good course…at the moment..
In short, HRM is an exception to most of the other business courses:
You see, a few years ago, universities and colleges in Kenya really hyped business courses- including business management and procurement- resulting in a lot of form 4 leavers enrolling in these programmes.
Unfortunately, the economy has not been able to absorb all the graduates and many have been looking for relevant jobs since then.
But for HR, things are still rosy- even though the salaries are not as high as people in professions such as sales..
Is diploma in human resource management marketable in Kenya?
Well, as I have mentioned above, human resource management as a course is not flooded so competition for jobs is not big.
For that reason, you are unlikely to ‘tarmac’ for years before you get your dream job.
Remember you can go for the diploma in human resource management because of the friendlier entry grade (you just need a C- to do the course while you must have a C+ to take the course at the degree level).
But if you have the grades, go for the degree in human resource management straight- there are slightly more opportunities for graduates.
I believe that answers you…
So overall, human resource can be a good course if you know what you’re doing- for instance, it’s so necessary to have a good network that will help you get a job (start building networks asap).
With that out of the way, I will now share with you more details about the course including what the course is all about, the minimum entry qualifications, and institutions offering the course.
Let’s dive in:
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Now proceed reading below..
What is Human Resource Management course all about?
Human Resources Management(HRM) is the activity of managing employees within organizations.
Put another way, HR is the department that is responsible for managing all employees in an organization
To be clear, your functions as an HR officer include the following:
- Hiring/recruiting and firing employees
- Proper placement, training, and nurturing of employees.
- Doing everything to ensure positive employee-company relationships.
- Developing relevant company policies regarding the human resource (people) asset.
- Aligning human resource functions to applicable labor laws.
Most importantly, as a human resource personnel/official, you will work hard to make sure all employees are productive in their areas of work.
You are also expected to support them effectively so that they can utilize their abilities and skills to their full potential.
What the job/career/profession entails
As we have seen above, Human Resource Management in an organization does the following:
- Developing and implementing, policies and strategies for recruitment, management, training, reward, punishment, retention and retirement of employees.
- Advising management on existing skills gaps in the organization
- Coordinating the recruitment of employees
- Creating a conducive environment and providing the tools, equipment, and space that employees require to perform their roles.
- Looking after the welfare of employees.
- Rewarding excellence and assisting and assisting poor performers to improve their competency.
- Ensuring succession and continuity in an organization.
Key Skills and Interests required when pursuing a career in this field
- Passion for people
- Interpersonal skills
- Empathy
- Collaboration skills
- Resilience
- Effective communication skills
- Ability to pay attention to detail
- Fair and objective attitude
- Adaptability- you cannot excel if you’re a rigid person
- Leadership skills
- Team player (Team spirit)
- Planning and organization skills
- Problem solving-skills
- Effective decision-making skills
- Arbitration skills
Human resource management course requirements in Kenya
Below are the minimum entry requirements for human resource management courses in Kenya:
Degree in Human Resource Management
KCSE Mean Grade: C+
Cluster requirements: None
Diploma in Human resource Management
KCSE Mean Grade: C-
Cluster requirements: None
Certificate in Human resource Management
KCSE Mean Grade: D plain
Cluster requirements: None
Be sure to register with the Institute of Human Resources Management(IHRM) once you finish the course.
Why?
Because most employers prefer to hire members of IHRM(This is the professional association for human resource managers in Kenya just like the LSK is the professional association for lawyers in Kenya)
Universities and Colleges offering HR courses in Kenya
Nearly all universities in Kenya offer the course in Kenya!
Go through our list of accredited universities in Kenya (Updated) if you are not sure which university to attend for your course.
For the Diploma and Certificate, most of the accredited TVET colleges, TTIs (Technical Training Institutes), and National Polytechnics teach the course.
See our List of Top Ten Polytechnics in Kenya and huge list of colleges (TVETs, TTIs, and Universities) too for the names of these institutions.
There are also countless private colleges offering the human resource course in Kenya so you can reach out to the colleges in your local town and see if they offer the course.
Career Prospects for graduates of Human Resource Management courses in Kenya
Certificate holders
- Records Clerk
- Office Administrator
Diploma in human resource management in Kenya
- Human Resource Assistant
- Human Resource Clerk
Degree in human resource management
- Human Resource Officer
- Human Resource Manager
- Human Resource Assistant
- Human Resource Administrator
- Employee Relationship Manager
- Employee Benefits specialist
- Human Resource Analyst
- Training Manager
- Human Resources Recruitment manager
- Human Resource Talent Manager/Specialist