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Industrial Relations Specialist

Occupation Information table
Overview: Industrial relations specialists interview and survey workers in a business or government agency to assess their attitudes about work conditions and management. Their objective is to identify and resolve dissatisfactions and grievances affecting worker motivation and productivity.
Duties: They design and conduct employee surveys in an organization to measure their satisfaction with the work conditions, their job and management practices.

They identify work design practices that can improve worker satisfaction such as providing workers with more autonomy, job challenge and responsibility.

They design management training programs to teach managerial skills and processes can be used to improve employee-manager relations.

They design communications and grievance channels that employees can effectively voice their concerns to management about the quality of their work life.
Degree(s): A.A.S. Management: Marketing Concentration 
A.S. Business Administration (Accounting and Marketing) 
Job Outlook: Employment in this field is projected to decline by 2% or more from 2018 to 2028. For comparison, the average growth rate for all occupations over the same time period is projected to be 5% to 8%.
Salary Range (National Average): $32,000 to $36,000
Education Level: Typically, a Bachelor’s Degree from a 4-year college (some are 5 years) is required to be considered for this occupation.
Additional Training/Education: A bachelor's degree or preferably a master's degree in industrial or labor relations with a concentration in human resource management is desirable. Courses in collective bargaining, organizational behavior, psychology, labor law, statistics and computer applications are becoming increasingly important.
Recommended Skills:
  • Analyzing requirements for a new product or service and creating a design to satisfy those needs.
  • Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Paying attention to what other people are saying, and taking time to understand the points being made.
  • The ability to understand complex written paragraphs, instructions, or reports.
  • Using logic to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Being aware of the reactions of others, and understanding why they react the way they do.
  • Talking, giving speeches, or speaking in a group to convey information, explain ideas, or give instructions.
  • Teaching others how to do something.
  • Composing and communicating your ideas in written form.
Recommended Values:
  • Being able to decide on how to get something done without significant direction from someone else.
  • Having a level of income that will afford you with luxuries, and which will allow you to become financially independent.
  • Gaining the respect of others by the nature and/or level of responsibility of your work.
  • Persuading and influencing others to change their attitudes, behavior, and/or opinions.
 

* National data collected by the Department of Labor in 2014 with projections through 2024. For New York green job information .

* For New York salary data information .

* For New York green job information .

Understanding acquiring positions in this field may be enhanced through continuing academic study (i.e. earning a baccalaureate or a master's degree) and/or work experience in the field, Queensborough Community College has established transfer agreements with other institutions for students who wish to further pursue their educational goals. Students are highly encouraged to meet with one of our Career Services to fully understand the opportunities available through study in their degree program.