HRDs Have Their Say on What It Takes to Reach Top HR Job

DNA of a HRD: HRDs Have Their Say on What It Takes to Reach the Top HR Job

Human Resources Directors (HRDs) are resilient and collaborative, work 46 to 55 hour weeks and rarely commenced their career in HR. They believe that aligning strategic requirements with the operational budget and workforce will be their biggest business challenge this year, while designing and managing organisational change will become a bigger part of the role in future. They say stakeholder engagement is the most important skill for a HRD to possess and advise the next generation of HRDs to be commercially aware and good business people.

That’s according to a report released today, The DNA of a HRD, which is based on in-depth surveys with 461 HRDs in New Zealand and Australia by recruiting experts Hays Human Resources.

So what makes up a HRD’s DNA? According to Hays Human Resource’s DNA of a HRD report:

Background and qualifications
• HRDs are typically women in their 40s and early 50s: 60% are aged between 41 and 55 and 64% are female;
• A career change into HR is possible: Only 32% have always worked in HR;
• HRDs first enter HR with a wide range of qualifications: They then undertake additional HR qualifications or certifications;

Experience
• To become HRD requires experience and hard work: 59% have more than 16 years’ experience in HR and 54% received four or more promotions before becoming HRD;
• During this time, 26% worked for two or three organisations, 39% worked for four to five and 30% worked for six or more. Just 5% stayed with the one employer;
• 47% of HRDs have worked outside Australia and New Zealand at some point during their career: the large majority (96%) say this experience benefited their career.

Stakeholder engagement and commercial acumen
• Over half (53%) of HRDs say stakeholder engagement is the most important skill for a HRD to possess, followed by commercial acumen (52%) and strategic planning (48%);
• These ranked well ahead of people management (32%), change management (31%), communication (22%), and operational effectiveness (10%);
• 57% said up-and-coming HR leaders need to be commercially aware and good business people.

Resilience and credibility
• 67% of respondents say resilience has helped them succeed in their careers to date;
• This was closely followed by being collaborative (54%), credible (53%), adaptive (52%), proactive (51%) and hard working and pragmatic (both 48%).

Upcoming challenges
• HRDs shared their biggest business challenges for the next 12 months: Aligning strategic requirements with the operational budget and workforce (54%), company culture (50%) and employee engagement (46%);
• They also shared their professional challenges for the next 12 months: Achieving company objectives (20%), demonstrating ROI from the HR department (13%) and achieving buy-in and support from the board or executive level to implement HR strategy (12%);
• HRDs gave their opinion on what will become a bigger part of the HRD role in the next five years: 59% said designing and managing organisational change, 57% said an increased need for commercial awareness and 56% said the identification and retention of key talent and succession planning.

Career development
• 68% say that if they had their time all over again, they would still choose the profession;
• Most would either like to stay in their current post or take on a bigger HR role in future;
• 68% have recently attended a networking event to meet other HRDs;
• 66% like to stay up-to-date with industry and legislative changes;
• Almost all (96%) are on LinkedIn yet only half (50%) use social media to network.

Interests and work-life balance
• 46 to 55 hour working weeks are the norm: 49% work 46 to 55 hours and a further 26% work more than 56 hours each week;
• Outside of work HRDs are generally active: 72% play sport or exercise in their spare time, 89% like to socialise with friends and family and 51% like to travel.

Of the survey findings Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand, says: “HRDs tend to be highly experienced and well-educated professionals with sound stakeholder engagement skills and commercial acumen. They work hard, play hard and genuinely believe they can make a difference. They nurture others and are resilient, collaborative, credible and adaptive.

“Over two-thirds have not always worked in HR and many argue this wider business experience gives them the commercial acumen they need to succeed once they do enter HR. They then typically gain additional HR qualifications, and are focused on their ongoing learning and development.

“They say achieving company objectives is the number one professional challenge for the year ahead. They also plan to work out how to align strategic requirements with operational budget and the workforce, deal with company culture and engage employees.

“Reassuringly, the HRDs of today look back on their careers as time well spent, and say that given the chance they would do it all over again. For most then, HR offers a very rewarding career,” he said.

Methodology
In November and December 2015 Hays Human Resources surveyed 461 HR leaders who hold the title of HR Director, Head of HR, General Manager of HR or similar. 87% were based in Australia and 13% were in New Zealand. They were asked questions about their education, background, qualifications, skills, attributes, international experience, responsibilities, challenges and personal aspirations.

We then conducted in-depth one-on-one interviews with seven HRDs, whose unique insights are shared throughout the report.

The DNA of a HRD is the third report in our DNA series and follows The DNA of a CFO and The DNA of a CIO. It is available at www.hays.net.nz/hrd from today.

ENDS

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