How To Advance Your HR Career With Human Resources Professional Development (In 2024)
The average person spends one-third of their life at work. Why not make that time count by being proactive about professional development and planning your career advancement so you can increase your chances of landing major promotions and pay raises?
Human resources (HR) is a dynamic field where continuous learning and skills development are essential to propel yourself forward. A McKinsey study on the career progression of four million workers over a decade found that upwardly mobile workers consistently made bolder moves, taking positions requiring more significant skills and responsibilities.
By being strategic about your human resources professional development, you can gain sought-after skills, become a more valuable asset to your organization, and open doors to exciting career opportunities in the future.
So, how can you take charge of your career and maximize your potential? This roadmap will offer tips on how to define your work goals and develop the skills you’ll need to achieve them.
Contents
What is HR professional development?
The importance of Human Resources professional development
Key skills and competencies for HR professionals
Types of HR professional development opportunities
Top HR professional development programs
Creating an HR professional development plan
What is HR professional development?
HR professional development is about equipping yourself with the knowledge and skills you’ll need to excel and advance in your field. This includes formal learning (like completing accredited courses and certifications to enhance your abilities) and informal learning (attending conferences and networking sessions, listening to podcasts, or reading to gain more knowledge).
Successful and highly sought-after HR executives share a common focus on professional development in both HR-specific specialist competencies and broader skills, such as business acumen, communication, leadership, project management, and data analytics. This wider sphere of expertise makes them valuable assets to their organizations beyond HR functions.
Taking a proactive, strategic approach to developing your skills will not only help you succeed in your current role but also enhance your résumé, making you a more attractive candidate for future promotions and job openings.
The importance of Human Resources professional development
As the field of HR continues to develop and expand, continuous learning is your key to remaining relevant and successful. Your HR professional development shouldn’t be seen as a one-off event but rather an ongoing lifelong investment in further developing your skill sets.
Why? Consider the changes constantly reshaping the business landscape and tech advancements. In the past five years alone, the world has experienced a pandemic that has redefined where, when, and how everyone works; frequent regulatory changes that impact workplace compliance; social movements driving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB); and the rise of the fourth industrial revolution, robotics and AI, and more.
Why focus on your HR professional development?
HR professional development is vital to your continued career growth because it:
- Equips you with the latest industry knowledge and best practices
- Informs your ability to adapt to changing regulations and workplace trends
- Helps you become an even more valuable asset to your organization and supports your career advancement.
Key skills and competencies for HR professionals
Professionals in any specialized field, including HR, run the risk of becoming disconnected from broader business perspectives and goals. This comes from an overly narrow focus and siloed thinking, which hamper an individual’s ability to add value to their organization on a macro level.
This explains the increasing demand for HR professionals who have expert knowledge in their respective HR disciplines, as well as the ability to collaborate across disciplines with different internal stakeholders on a broad scope of projects.
A professional from this next generation of HR talent is called the ‘T-Shaped’ HR professional. AIHR’s T-Shaped HR Competency Model encompasses the competencies all HR professionals must have to equip them with the versatility needed to tackle complex problems, adapt to changing environments, and succeed in the future.
Becoming a T-Shaped HR professional
Possessing a T-Shaped skill set means building strong HR and leadership competencies, along with a broad range of complementary skills, including:
- Business Acumen: The understanding of the strategic and commercial aspects of the business, as well as how HR can deliver on organizational goals and contribute to the bottom line.
- Data Literacy: The ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data to extract insights for informed HR decision-making.
- Digital Agility: The ease of using technology to improve HR processes and champion digital adoption.
- People Advocacy: The use of productivity, culture, and wellbeing to build a human-centric workplace.
- Execution Excellence: Achieving objectives through problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, and purposeful execution.
Types of HR professional development opportunities
HR professionals can explore a range of opportunities to develop the five core HR competencies mentioned above. There are additional specialist competencies you should develop, namely, Awareness and Attraction, People Experience and Culture, Business Transformation, Talent Growth, Digital HR, and People Operations.
Here are some ways to help you further develop your skill set:
Internal training programs
Internal training programs are structured learning experiences designed and delivered within an organization to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies of its employees. The programs are often tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of the company and help to provide targeted skill development.
These internal courses can help hone your recruitment, compensation, leadership expertise, or talent management skills, depending on the specific needs of your company and employee KPIs.
External HR professional development opportunities
Investing in external development opportunities fuels personal growth and moves your career forward. Venturing beyond internal training can unlock your full potential in four main ways:
Professional associations:
- Become a member: Joining internationally respected organizations like the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) grants access to an invaluable network of HR professionals.
- Access communities: You can leverage their online communities, attend exclusive events, and pursue industry-recognized certifications (see below) to elevate your professional credibility.
Join an active and engaged community
AIHR has a thriving and engaged community with over 25,000+ ambitious HR professionals from all over the world who discuss thought-provoking HR topics, share ideas and learn from one another. We also offer weekly live events to help members stay current with the latest in HR.
AIHR certificate programs:
Formal industry certifications boost your HR career in two important ways. First, they provide a structured learning path, ensuring a strong foundation in the skills and knowledge necessary to take on greater responsibility. Second, these credentials enhance your résumé, showcasing your commitment to professional development and expertise in the field
- Access a wide range of certificate programs: AIHR offers a comprehensive suite of certificate programs designed to hone your HR expertise and provide impressive credentials to beef up your CV.
- Become certified: AIHR’s certificate programs can help you become certified in the areas of HR Generalist, People Analytics, HR Metrics & Reporting, and more.
Industry conferences and webinars:
- Attend industry conferences to gain knowledge and learn from other HR professionals
- Gain insights into curated topics on pertinent issues impacting the business
- Leverage events like these to connect with your industry peers and grow your professional network
- Although webinars don’t provide credentials you can add to your résumé; they do offer a convenient and cost-effective way to expand your knowledge in specific areas by learning from industry experts
- Some webinars also offer recertification credits — look out for these if you need a refresher course and updated certification.
Did you know?
- AIHR is accredited by leading international HR organizations like SHRM, HRCI, HRPA, and CPHR. By completing our HR certificate programs, you can earn valuable Professional Development Credits (PDCs) toward maintaining your professional designations.
- AIHR’s programs are perfect for HR professionals seeking to advance their careers and remain compliant with ongoing learning requirements.
Top HR professional development programs
Staying ahead of the curve in HR requires continuous learning. Here’s a list of courses and certifications to accelerate your HR professional development journey, including options from AIHR and its esteemed partner organizations.
1. Expand your horizons with AIHR partner certifications
Earning a global HR certification strengthens your ability to handle HR complexities, including legal and cultural aspects, and proves your eligibility for global HR roles.
- HR Certification Institute (HRCI): Offers globally recognized certifications for various HR experience levels, including Associate (APHRi), Professional (PHRi), Senior (SPHRi), and Global (GPHR). Focuses on HR operations, recruitment, employee relations, and global HR strategy.
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): Offers globally relevant certifications with a strong US market focus. Also provides certifications for HR professionals (SHRM-CP) and HR leaders (SHRM-SCP), and focuses on HR practices related to organizations, people, leadership, and workplaces.
- Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): Prominent HR body in Europe and the UK that offers certifications through accredited universities or their membership programs. Its highest ‘chartered member’ level signifies expertise and leadership.
- HR Professional Association (HRPA): A Canada-focused organization offering certifications, including the CHRP, which validates proficiency in Canadian HR practices and regulations.
Did you know?
Some of the world’s most renowned companies, including Meta, Ikea, P&G, and PWC, rely on our certificate programs and courses to upskill their HR teams.
2. Elevate your career with AIHR’s certificate programs
AIHR certificate programs that align with your career aspirations will provide you with the knowledge and skills to advance your career in the ever-evolving HR landscape. You’ll also earn points and credits toward accredited HR certification from eight professional associations. Click here for more details.
AIHR Certificate Programs SHRM PDCs HRCI Credits HRPA Credits CPHR Credits Sourcing & Recruitment 32 32 HR (General) 32 32 Talent Management & Succession Planning 26 26 HR (General) 25 25 Strategic Talent Acquisition 28 28 HR (General) 28 28 HR Generalist 26 26 HR (General) 26 26 People Analytics 35 35 HR (General) 40 40 Digital HR 2.0 26 26 HR (General) 42 42 HR Business Partner 2.0 33 33 Business 42 42 HR Metrics & Dashboarding 30 30 Business 42 42 Organizational Development 30 30 Business 30 30 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging 29 29 Business 44 44 Compensation & Benefits 27 27 HR (General) 32 32 Learning & Development 24 24 HR (General) 30 30 HR Manager 22 22 Business 34 34
3. Get full access to AIHR’s online Academy
When you sign up for our Full Academy Access, you’ll be able to:
- Unlock our extensive library of on-demand training content, including 13 certificate programs, 56 courses, and mini-courses covering various HR disciplines and industry trends
- Use our interactive HR career planner to help you tailor your learning path to suit specific goals and interests
- Have access to a dedicated coach to help you reach your professional learning goals
- Interact with our community of 25,000+ HR professionals
- Get access to hundreds of off-the-shelf templates, playbooks, and tools to enable you to create more value in your current HR role.
HR tip
Be publicly accountable for your goals. A study on goal achievement that involved five diverse groups found that the group that had created written goals and action plans, as well as publicly informed and updated a supportive friend on these plans, was most effective. They accomplished significantly more of their desired outcomes than the other groups did. So the next time you commit to a goal, like completing a certified training program, enlist the support of a trusted colleague or friend or announce your plans and post regular updates on social media.
Creating an HR professional development plan
Take control of your professional development with this five-step guide to creating a personalized plan that aligns with your goals and unique strengths and interests.
Step 1: Identify your strengths
Start your journey by reflecting on your strengths. Consider past performance reviews, feedback from colleagues, and successful projects. Determine if you excel at communication, data analysis, or strategic planning to identify strengths you can leverage in your desired career path.
Step 2: Align your passion and values
Let your values and interests guide your career choices. Which areas of HR are you most passionate about, and what type of work do you find most stimulating and rewarding? Answering these questions will help you identify an ideal career niche.
Also, think about the kind of work environment you thrive in and what your non-negotiables are in a company culture. Reflect on values like trust, respect, collaboration, work-life balance, and continuous learning to identify the organizations that appeal to you most.
Step 3: Define your career aspirations and set SMART goals
Define your career aspirations — consider your key strengths, passion, and values, as well as what position or specialty you want to explore. If you’re wondering how to develop yourself as an HR professional, AIHR’s Career Mapping tool provides an easy, intuitive way to visualize various career pathways to help you define your journey.
Once you’ve mapped a clear career pathway, draw up your HR professional development goals using the SMART goals formula:
- Make your goal specific by defining it precisely. For example, ‘become a Compensation & Benefits manager’ is more specific than ‘get a promotion in HR’
- Ensure your goal is measurable by establishing metrics to track your progress. For instance, ‘obtain a certification within 12 months’ sets a quantifiable target
- Choose an attainable — it should be challenging yet achievable, based on your skills and resources
- Make sure your goal is relevant by aligning it with your strengths, values, and overall career aspirations
- Set deadlines to stay focused and ensure your goals are time-bound. For example, ‘complete a Compensation & Benefits certificate program within 10 weeks’ creates a sense of urgency.
Step 4: Identify skills gaps and development opportunities
Compare your current skills with those needed for your target career to achieve your goals. Take AIHR’s T-Shaped HR Competency Assessment to pinpoint knowledge areas that need development. This online assessment evaluates your depth of HR expertise alongside your broader business acumen, digital fluency, and data literacy needs.
Step 5: Build your action plan
Finally, create a concrete, step-by-step action plan using AIHR’s Career Aspirations Template to map out specific activities, timelines, and resources to bridge your skills gaps and reach your development goal.
Take the next step
Ready to unlock your full HR potential and propel your career forward? AIHR’s certificate programs are your springboard to success. Earning an AIHR certificate shows your commitment to your professional development and positions you as a valuable asset in today’s competitive job market.
Start with individual courses or sign up for Full Academy Access for unlimited access to our extensive library of HR professional development courses, templates, resources, and more. Enroll today to build the HR skillset to take your career to the next level.
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