Planning your path is important whether you are just beginning your HR career or have years of experience. You have seemingly endless possibilities to advance based on your competencies and interests.
Mapping your HR career path lets you decide the direction you want to develop in. This helps you achieve your goals.
Creating a career plan provides insight into your skills and competencies, the ones you need, and how you can develop them. It also lets you identify development opportunities for career growth within and outside your company.
Use the following information to develop a plan for your HR career and reach your professional goals.
Experiences as a Career Path
Your HR career likely will consist of a series of experiences that develop your knowledge and skills. Although your path may lead upward, your positions might not be immediate steps up in a company’s hierarchy.
The shift to a career based on experiences rather than hierarchy is partly due to the need to succeed in a disruptive business environment. With the changes still taking place due to factors such as the coronavirus pandemic, diverse skills and competencies are needed to move forward. These skills typically cannot be developed by following a linear path upward in an organization.
As a result, compensation and benefits, hiring, and learning and development are not the only areas of business you need to be knowledgeable in. You also must understand company operations, including how products are produced, how services are delivered, and how profits are earned.
Progression in Your HR Career
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, HR jobs are expected to increase by 10% by 2030. Also, the growing number of HR job postings includes new responsibilities related to well-being, digital transformation, and sustainability. This provides additional opportunities to develop your HR career.
Your HR career path should include diversity in the roles you take on. This involves switching roles and employers to build your skills and competencies. Since these requirements may vary by company size, structure, and industry, knowing your end goal should impact the positions you hold.
As a result, you should focus on developing functional and general HR competencies that are transferrable between positions. This helps you innovate, collaborate, adapt to new work environments, and future-proof your career path.
Development of HR Skills and Competencies
Your focus should be on developing both functional and general HR skills. Your specialization may include recruitment, HR analytics, organizational development, or diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Proficiency in four core competencies, including business acumen, data literacy, digital dexterity, and people advocacy, also is important.
Talk with a Recruiter
A recruiter from High Profile Staffing would be happy to discuss your HR career and help map your professional path. Visit our job board to see which roles interest you today.
