Any professional who is from HR understands exactly what a business requires and manages the whole process from hiring an employee to their exit with talent management & development, compliance, engagement, etc. 

Setting up organizational design and development for organizations are also covered by HR professionals. The employees are just a small aspect of the bigger picture. 

• My friend worked at the corporate compensation team and he used to simply work on his PC all the time. Getting into HR was because of the simple fact that he was good with numbers. 
• MBA programs that offer specialization in HRM, such as XLRI PGDHRM cover all the topics mentioned above in their course work. This is why people for HR roles are taken from XLRI. 
• According to the recent statistics, the major companies coming to the campus for recruiting HR students are McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc. 

Traveling isn't vital for HR professionals unlike what a consultant or salesman would do, the workload is, however, very similar. At the end of the day, that aspect falls on the employer culture rather than the department itself.