Not too many people who go into HR see it as just a nine-to-five job. The motivation for a lot of people to embark on a career in HR is the desire to make a difference and to make the working world a better place.
A survey conducted by CareerCentre, in partnership with 10Eighty and Career Engagement Group found 71% of HR professionals in the UK regard their career as the priority in their view of work-life balance, and 75% would use their own time to further their careers and take on additional learning.
So HR professionals are committed and ambitious but sadly most don’t seem to feel that their employers understand their aspirations or offer realistic development opportunities. As HR practitioners we are well aware that employee engagement focuses on the employment relationship as being at the heart of sustainable high performance.
Undoubtedly HR departments play a key role to play in implementing engagement initiatives. Equally HR professionals need such initiatives to help them develop and enrich their careers. The relationship between employer and employee is evolving and the employer is not necessarily in control of the development process. Increasingly the flexible nature of many methods of career development mean that it will be employees, rather than employers, who will dictate the pace at which learning takes place.
Our survey respondents want to fast track their careers and they want support with career development initiatives such as external training, mentoring and online study opportunities. 35% want greater work responsibilities and believe they can contribute more; more than 50% want specialist rather than leadership roles.
HR professionals need to take charge of their career planning and ensure that they maximise their potential and employability and enrich their careers by cultivating career agility and the achievement of aspirations.
What do I mean by career agility? Agility defines a capacity to act with purpose and flexibility in terms of collaborating and developing solutions in dynamic and sometimes ambiguous situations and environments. HR professionals who embrace continuing learning and deal effectively with change management are more likely to achieve their goals and optimise long-term career plans.
If you want to get ahead you need a plan that is built on a solid understanding of your strengths, drivers, preferences, values and aspirations. This is the framework that you use for developing your career to optimise your potential and access the opportunities that fit your aspirations. Then you need to be proactive in marshalling your resources to build agility – so use mentors and coaching as well as networking and training to ensure you able to explore the career paths that open before you.
Ideally you need a good enough relationship with your employer that you are able to discuss your career plans and development aspirations. There’s a perception that employers are held back from offering the kind of career development staff want because they fear that investing in training and effective career management could result in top talent leaving the organisation. If you can have effective career conversation with your employer you can tailor your career plan and development aims to mesh with organizational goals and imperatives.
To retain talent and drive engagement organisations need to equip their employees with the tools to drive their own careers. That includes their HR professionals. Get it right and it’s a win-win scenario. Career-agile employees are self-directed learners, resilient with increased career marketability and they bring benefits to the organisation because they are more open to volunteering for stretch assignments.
