Whether you have just embarked on a career in human resources or you have years of experience under your belt, everyone wants to climb up the career ladder at some point. Career advancement may have seemed simple when you were getting your degree, but there are probably more obstacles than you had originally anticipated. Besides maintaining a high standard in your current job, there are other ways you can further your prospects. Here are a few top tips to help you boost your HR career.
Don’t Be Afraid of Change
Although the field of HR encompasses many different duties, one of the main tasks includes helping employees deal with change. Proper change management can help employees stay engaged and positive, and it can prevent them from reacting negatively due to uncertainty. To guide a workforce properly, you need to open yourself up to change by learning new skills and broadening your knowledge base. A good balance of technical and interpersonal skills will help you help others more efficiently.
Stay Up to Date With Standards
In today’s world, the rules and regulations in workplaces are constantly being revised, and so you need to keep up to date with these changes. Human resources professionals are in charge of drawing up codes of conduct and making sure the company they work for remains compliant. With human resource management becoming increasingly complex in today’s society, it is imperative that HR professionals are on top of brand new conduct and compliance standards. Gaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) qualification will keep you updated in the modern business environment while helping you become an expert in your field.
Gain an MBA Qualification
HR professionals can stay clued up on ever-changing rules and regulations by gaining an MBA. An MBA provides students with fundamental knowledge in human resource management and can equip them with the skills and expertise needed to advise companies on conduct issues and standards. It will also help you gain further understanding of how to manage a diverse workplace and give you insight into current employment laws and ethics. Also, with constant changes to compliance laws, an MBA will keep you up to date with change management and help you implement changes in compliance within an organization.
Learn Online
Enhancing your education and gaining an MBA doesn’t mean you need to give up your job to go back to the classroom. There is a huge array of programs that can help you further your knowledge from the comfort of your home. With an online MBA program, you can grow your career and focus on your education at the same time. Not to mention, more and more people are making the decision to further their education with an MBA, including people who are fresh out of university with their first degree. Having existing knowledge and an MBA will give you an edge and help you stay competitive.
Challenge Yourself
A great way to advance your career in human resources is by being proactive and challenging yourself in your current job role. Excellent HR professionals should have the ability to upskill to manage changes. They should also have the skills to manage the cooperation and morale of employees. Always challenge the processes in place so that you can identify new ways to streamline business operations. Being proactive may involve exploring new ground, and it may require you to work beyond your job scope. However, it will help you to stand out to your superiors if you can create and apply an innovative way to do your job. For example, if your company is having trouble with recruitment, try to seek out alternative solutions. This could involve targeting a different demographic and dipping into untouched talent pools. Looking for new opportunities and challenging yourself to find new solutions will help you gain more experience and develop your skills.
Seek a Mentor
Experienced mentors and well-connected colleagues can help develop your career. You can connect with HR professionals in your organization by looking out for shadowing opportunities, or you can try to ask for mentorship directly. When asking someone to be a mentor, make sure you seek out people who you feel comfortable with and look up to. Being around experienced professionals who you respect can motivate you to do a better job and guide you in the right direction in your career.
Network With Other Professionals
Networking is key to most professions. The people you meet and the connections you make can expose you to new opportunities within your field. Broaden your professional network by attending work-related social events, and make connections via networking platforms such as LinkedIn. This can help you identify HR professionals both internally and externally. Additionally, there are a variety of human resources associations that you can join too. Although many of these associations have membership fees, the return on investment makes the cost worth it in the long run. These organizations are excellent for personal growth and career development, and they can help keep you engaged in your field. Becoming a member of these groups will enable you to liaise with a wider HR network, and it will also give you exposure to job opportunities that are exclusive to members.
Speak Up
It doesn’t matter how well you do your job if no one notices your abilities. Shameless self-promotion is ill-advised. However, you should try and get in the limelight for the right reasons sometimes. People who get promoted are noticed by their line managers and colleagues. They speak up during meetings, interact with their peers, and contribute their ideas and thoughts in the office. So make sure you and doing just this.
Get Creative
Get creative within your job role, and encourage creativity within the organization. By getting creative in the workplace, you can help foster an environment that is fun and enjoyable to work in. Not only can this help boost productivity, but it can also enhance your profile at work and keep you at the forefront of people’s minds when exciting opportunities arise.