Managing and Developing HR Careers : Emerging Trends and Issues

This Research Report outlines the findings of a research project commissioned by the CIPD to investigate changes to the career paths of HR professionals.

Major transformations in the workplace over the past few years have resulted in the HR function experiencing a veritable sea-change.

New HR structures, roles and processes such as shared service centres, outsourcing and HR business partners are thought to have altered career paths in a fundamental way.

This research: explores the range and penetration of these changes; identifies the implications for HR professionals and their careers; looks at the impact foron organisations managing and developing the careers of their HR teams; and, details the findings from a review of the literature examining changes to the HR function and their impact on careers.

A multidisciplinary team from the Institute for Employment Studies conducted a survey of around 1,800 HR practitioners about their careers and carried out 9 in-depth organisational case studies into how organisations are managing and developing those careers.