Find out what employees who are working in HR want and how to keep them on board
With HR teams often focused on managing and retaining employees on an enterprise-wide level, some miss a looming talent threat that’s closer to home — valued HR employees who may be looking for a new job.
Losing non-HR professionals can present a number of productivity, skills gap and other risks. It’s no different when HR staff members leave; and with 52 percent reporting they were able to find a job in two months or less, companies have reason to be concerned about human resources workers jumping ship.
To encourage them to stay, employers need to know the most attractive job amenities, work environment and long-term career goals for HR professionals — a list that can include some of the following factors:
Specific development opportunities
Whether HR professionals study to enter the field or eventually segue into HR from another area, they tend to seek out professional development focused on certain HR competencies, according to a 2017 SHRM survey.
To engage and retain emerging HR talent, companies may want to consider providing learning opportunities that center on several of the topics SHRM says HR employees favor — such as relationship management, communication and business acumen.
Room to grow
Obtaining more compensation was the top reason HR professionals who participated in a separate SHRM survey said they planned to look for a new job; however, respondents ranked stronger career advancement opportunities second. Research published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development suggests employees who are working in HR are more interested in advancing their career than other personnel; the survey found 83 percent of U.K. HR practitioners described themselves as ambitious, compared to 78 percent of the general workforce — and HR professionals were more likely to pursue a senior management position.
Ascending to a higher role, though, can be difficult at some organizations. Analysis conducted by Namely involving its company and employee database found few mid-sized entities retain senior HR leadership; just 7 percent employ a C-level HR person. If your business has yet to reach the size where upper levels are necessary, establishing secondary tiers above your current human resources roles can give HR talent something to work toward within the organization.
A seat at the table
We know non-HR employees want to feel like they’re an integral part of the organization; 53 percent said they want greater insight into how their efforts affect the company’s performance, according to a Robert Half Management Resources survey. Human resources workers seem to feel the same way. A Software Advice analysis of 300 U.S. job postings for primarily upper-level HR positions found HR job titles now reflect an overall firm-oriented theme; although researchers were searching listings for an HR manager role, another job title — HR business partner — was the third most common designation they came across.
For additional information on some of the aspects involved in working in HR, view our previous posts on traditional HR practices that are being phased out, 3 steps to successfully outsourcing HR services and how automation stands to change the role HR talent plays in an organization.