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HR / HR Director / Chief People Officer

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First things first and in case you didn't know...

 

A HR professional, Director or Chief People Officer (CPO) is (a senior executive) responsible for overseeing all aspects of human resources within an organisation. They focus on aligning HR strategies with business goals, ensuring compliance with employment laws, and fostering a positive workplace culture. Key responsibilities include:

  • Developing HR policies and strategies.

  • Managing recruitment, talent development, and retention.

  • Overseeing employee relations, diversity, and inclusion.

  • Ensuring compliance with UK employment laws.

  • Leading organisational change and workforce planning.

  • Managing compensation, benefits, and employee wellbeing.

 

HR Directors manage HR staff and activities, including recruitment, retention, compensation, benefits, payroll, employee records, training, and policy implementation.

 

The CPO role is more strategic and forward-thinking, often focusing on long-term people strategies, while the HR Director may have a more operational focus.

Key skills/talents

The following are a few key skills you should have if you’re looking to go into HR and thereafter become a HR Director/Chief People Officer...

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  • Leadership and Strategic Thinking: Ability to lead teams and align HR strategies with business objectives.

  • Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication for negotiating, influencing, and building relationships.

  • Problem-Solving: Resolving complex employee issues and organisational challenges.

  • Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and managing emotions to build trust and rapport, including a deep understanding of care and sensitivity, coupled with the patience to remain calm in stressful situations

  • Excellent communication skills: With written, verbal, plus excellent listening skills

  • Commercial Awareness: Understanding business operations and financial drivers.

  • Change Management: Leading and managing organisational change effectively.

  • Data Literacy: Analysing HR metrics to make data-driven decisions.

  • Legal Knowledge: Understanding UK employment law and compliance requirements.

  • Conflict Resolution: Mediating disputes and fostering a positive workplace culture.

  • Innovation: Staying ahead of trends in HR technology and workforce management.

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​Qualifications required

To succeed in HR, a strong foundation of education and professional development is crucial. A Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field is essential. 

 

Further enhancing your credentials with a Master's degree in Human Resources Management or Business Administration (MBA) can significantly increase your career prospects. 

 

Additionally, obtaining professional HR qualifications, such as those offered by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), is highly valued by employers. 

 

Whilst not always mandatory, executive-level certifications in areas like Executive Coaching or Leadership Development can provide a competitive edge and demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning. 

 

Below we have listed some university courses related to business and management:

University of Bath (School of Management): www.bath.ac.uk 

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE): www.lse.ac.uk 

University of Manchester (Alliance Manchester Business School): www.manchester.ac.uk 

University of Warwick (Warwick Business School): www.wbs.ac.uk 

University of Edinburgh (Business School): www.business-school.ed.ac.uk 

University of Birmingham (Birmingham Business School): www.birmingham.ac.uk 

King’s College London: www.kcl.ac.uk

 

Here are some courses surrounding CIPD:

CIPD Online: www.cipd.co.uk 

Avado: www.avadolearning.com

ICS Learn: www.icslearn.co.uk 

University of Westminster: www.westminster.ac.uk 

Manchester Metropolitan University: www.mmu.ac.uk 

University of Strathclyde (Glasgow): www.strath.ac.uk 

University of Liverpool (Management School): www.liverpool.ac.uk 

BPP University: www.bpp.com 

Chartered Management Institute (CMI): www.managers.org.uk 

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Rules and regs

HR professionals in the UK must adhere to specific legal and regulatory requirements, including:

 

A DBS check may also be required if you need to work with/around young [people and vulnerable adults: https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record

 

As a HR professional, you should consider and make sure that several types of insurance are in place for you, either via your employer, or directly by yourself…

 

Professional Indemnity Insurance protects you against claims of negligence or errors in advice you provide. Employers' Liability Insurance is legally required if you employ staff and covers workplace injuries or illnesses. Public Liability Insurance protects your organization from claims made by third parties, such as visitors to your workplace. Directors and Officers (D&O) Insurance provides coverage for personal liability arising from decisions made in your leadership role. Finally, Cyber Insurance is crucial in today's digital age, offering protection against data breaches and cyberattacks, especially when handling sensitive employee data.

 

Simple Google searches will pop providers for you in all of the above areas;  however we often come across brands like Policy Bee and Hiscox as good providers.

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Remuneration framework

A general pay-scale for low-to-mid HR roles can look thus:

  • HR Assistant: £19,000 - £25,000, or £22,000 - £30,000 for more experienced assistants.

  • HR Officer: £32,000 - £45,000, or £36,000 - £50,000 for more experienced officers.

  • HR Manager: £43,000 - £60,000, or £50,000 - £70,000 for more experienced managers

 

A Human Resources (HR) Director's salary can range from £53,000 to £114,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and role. 

 

'Glassdoor' estimates that the average salary for an HR Director in the UK is £93,925 per year. 'Indeed' reports that the average salary for an HR Director in the UK is £121,796 per year. 

... The average salary is thought to be around £95,000 per year. 

 

A Chief People Officer (CPO) in the United Kingdom earns an average salary of £150,000-175,000 per year, plus an average additional cash compensation of £50,000-70,000.

 

Additional benefits like bonuses and profit sharing increase a CPO salary.

 

Factors affecting all salaries: 

  • Location: Salaries vary by location, with cities like Watford paying the most

  • Experience: Years of experience and expertise affect salary

  • Industry: Different industries have different salary scales

  • Qualifications: Professional qualifications affect salary

  • Company culture: A good cultural fit can affect salary expectations

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How to get started

As we’ve said above, a successful career in HR often begins with a strong educational foundation, such as a degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field. 

 

Entry-level positions like HR Administrator or Coordinator provide valuable on-the-job experience, and these can be applied for both externally or via internal moves. As Jordan explains in the chat, he worked (and established a strong reputation) in a different department within an organisation and then applied for a sideways move into HR.

 

To enhance your credentials, pursuing CIPD qualifications is highly recommended, starting with Level 3 for entry-level roles and progressing to Level 5 for mid-level and Level 7 for senior positions. 

 

Building a strong professional network through HR associations and industry events is crucial. As is continued personal development (CPD)... Laws and rules/regs are changing all the time, as is societal culture, so making sure your knowledge bank and experience is always as relevant and ‘fresh’ as possible, is key to success in this field.

 

Like Jordan did, if you consistently demonstrate strategic impact and strong leadership skills, you can progress towards senior leadership roles relatively quickly.

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Job site links

Finding a job as an HR Director or Chief People Officer often involves exploring various avenues; however, more often than not, such senior roles are head-hunted for, not posted out publicly.

 

There are always exceptions to this, and popular job boards like the CIPD Jobs Board: https://jobs.cipd.co.uk, Indeed UK: https://uk.indeed.com, LinkedIn Jobs: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs, Totaljobs: https://www.totaljobs.com, and Reed: https://www.reed.co.uk are all go-to job sites for HR.

 

Engaging with recruitment agencies specialising in HR roles, such as Hays, Michael Page, or Frazer Jones, can also be beneficial. 

 

Don't forget to also check the career pages of large organisations that interest you, and/or submit your CV and details to these organisations as a show of interest. 

 

Finally, and as we’ve touched on, networking at HR conferences, seminars, and CIPD events provides valuable opportunities to connect with employers and industry professionals.

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Associations or official bodies to register with

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Progression pathway​

The HR career path generally looks like:

HR Coordinator/Assistant

HR Manager

Senior HR Manager

Group HR Manager

HR Director

HR Consultant / HR Business partner

Talent Acquisition specialist

 

Beginner roles involve a wide range of HR responsibilities, including recruitment, training, performance management, policy implementation, and helping with HR's day-to-day administrative tasks. 

 

Manager roles involve directly managing employee relations, learning and development programs, plus key employee engagement initiatives. 

 

Senior roles are responsible for making executive-level decisions and more progressive and proactive forward thinking surrounding people and culture.

 

A HR Consultant / Business Partner is a professional who specialises in very high-level, executive-level human resource and ‘culture’ management, offering services such as developing new/updated benefits packages and employee engagement schemes, plus more strategic L&D functions. They are usually brought in for a set period of time, on a freelance basis. This is what Jordan now does alongside his own change-management businesses.

 

Talent acquisition specialists are experts in recruitment and finding the right people to fill open roles. They can be employed in-house, or more commonly are brought in on a freelance/agency basis, to recruit for very senior level roles.

 

‘Prospects’ have lots of great information on HR career progression, here: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/recruitment-and-hr/human-resources-jobs

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Additional Information/links

Some popular book suggestions, are:

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