Understanding HR career paths

HR professionals can impact countless lives throughout their careers. They drive HR transformation, foster connection and growth among team members, and keep the company culture aligned with organizational goals.

Whether starting an exciting career in HR or helping your HR team members with career pathing, this guide will review the key roles and stepping stones involved in an HR career path.

What is an HR career path?

An HR career path outlines the various progressions an HR team member can take to advance their role in the human resources field.

HR professionals take steps along the path as they develop new skills, grasp key HR processes, and take on additional responsibilities. Keep in mind that the information in this guide will differ depending on the company. Each organization has its unique dynamics influenced by size, team structure, goals, vision, and available HR headcount.

So, while the principles may be universal, the specifics will be tailored to fit the unique needs of your company. This variability makes the HR field both challenging and exciting, as it requires adaptability and a basic understanding of the progression your HR career path can take.

Generalist HR career paths vs specialist HR career paths

Generalist HR career paths encompass a broad range of HR functions. An HR generalist handles team member relations, onboarding, training, and retention. If you follow a generalist HR career path, you may start as an HR administrator and work up to an HR Director.

HR professionals may also choose to specialize in a particular area within the field. Specialist HR career paths focus on a specific area of HR, like compensation and benefits, recruitment, or organizational development. Specialists develop a deep understanding and expertise in their chosen focus and can advance within that HR vertical.

HR generalist roles and responsibilities

HR Career Paths: How To Advance An HR Career

While an HR generalist’s career path can vary, they usually follow this progression:

HR assistant

Many HR professionals start their careers as HR assistants. An HR assistant provides essential support to HR managers by handling administrative and clerical tasks. They maintain team member records, support recruitment processes, and ensure HR activities run smoothly. They can help create a positive and efficient work environment.

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HR coordinator

An HR coordinator communicates key initiatives between HR management and other team members. They serve as a bridge between departments, improving efficiency across the organization and ensuring all teams implement new or updated HR policies and procedures.

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HR generalist

HR generalists provide comprehensive support to HR management and other internal teams. HR generalists help manage recruitment efforts, maintain healthy team member relations, engage in performance management initiatives, and ensure compliance with all labor laws and regulations.

They play a consequential role in keeping the work environment positive and moving processes forward smoothly.

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HR manager

The HR manager plays a crucial role in shaping company culture and identifying areas for growth. They step into a leadership capacity and oversee daily HR operations. From recruitment to compliance, HR managers guide HR generalists and coordinators to ensure project quality and alignment with company goals.

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HR business partner

HR business partners act as strategic advisors and consultants to specific teams or groups within the company. They streamline communication between business management and the core HR team. By providing high-level guidance on HR strategy and goal-setting, HR business partners help every team support company objectives and internal changes.

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HR director

HR directors spearhead HR operations and ensure alignment with the long-term goals of the larger organization. They develop new policies, adapt existing policies, and implement initiatives to improve culture.

With a birds-eye view of the organization and the HR team, HR directors orchestrate lasting change through data-driven strategy and a thorough understanding of their personnel.

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VP of HR

The Vice President of HR serves as a key executive and drives the human resources strategy at the highest organizational levels. VPs drive HR initiatives to support business growth and team member satisfaction.

They integrate long-term HR expertise with strategic business planning to shape the direction of the company.

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Chief HR Officer/Chief People Officer

The Chief People Officer is the highest-ranking professional on the HR team. CPOs take a big-picture view of the company and use HR strategies to fill gaps, shift trajectories, and emphasize continuous improvement. They work hand-in-hand with other C-suite executives to support organization-wide goals and encourage alignment with the company’s mission and vision.

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HR specialist roles and responsibilities

HR Career Paths: How To Advance An HR Career

HR specialists focus on specific areas within HR. These HR professionals handle specialized functions within verticals like talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, team member training, and labor relations. You can find HR specialist positions in larger companies with lots of team members and extensive HR requirements.

Compensation and benefits

A compensation and benefits HR specialist, sometimes termed Comp & Ben, designs and administers team member compensation packages and benefits programs. They analyze broader market data to understand industry standards for specific roles, ensure competitive salaries and benefits, and attract top talent.

These HR specialists develop policies and procedures around benefits enrollment and communication. They support team members with questions about their compensation and benefits options.

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Payroll

A payroll HR specialist manages the organization’s payroll. They can use payroll software to handle payroll calculations and taxes and maintain payroll records.

Payroll specialists ensure that an organization meets compliance requirements and abides by legal standards. They can also help resolve pay discrepancies and explain internal policies that impact pay, such as paid time off (PTO) and overtime.

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Recruitment

Recruitment specialists manage the recruitment and hiring process from start to finish, including conducting interviews and analyzing resumes to find the perfect fit for open roles. They ensure companies attract and select top talent across all department openings.

Recruitment specialists create job postings, screen resumes, lead interviews, and coordinate hiring processes with HR managers. They also play a strategic role by balancing company budgets with team skill gaps and team culture.

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Learning and development

Learning and development, or L&D HR specialists, design and implement training programs to support team members in various departments. These programs help manage skill gaps and elevate overall company performance.

Learning and development specialists assess organizational training needs, develop learning curricula, and deliver training sessions. They encourage continuous learning by promoting professional development opportunities and inspiring team members to grow in their roles, all contributing to improved retention and engagement.

They also evaluate the effectiveness of training programs so they can make improvements over time.

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DE&I specialists

DE&I specialists, or DEI&B specialists, develop and implement initiatives to create a more inclusive workplace, like bias training programs and diversity recruitment strategies. Modern organizations prioritize workplace diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) to foster a more positive work environment.

DE&I specialists analyze workforce demographics, identify areas for improvement, and design programs to promote equitable opportunities and thoughtful improvement. They also provide training on DEI&B and monitor program effectiveness.

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HR analytics

HR analysts collect, analyze, and interpret HR data. They provide clear data insights into HR programs and initiatives so that informed decisions can be made to improve and progress.

Many HR analytics specialists use HR software to view data surrounding performance, retention, compensation, recruitment, and other HR initiatives. From there, they create and interpret reports and dashboards and communicate their findings to leadership teams. Their insights allow leaders to pinpoint key areas for improvement and develop action plans.

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Recommended For Further Reading

HR operations

HR operations specialists ensure HR processes and systems run smoothly. They look at day-to-day workflows and long-term cycles and work to improve efficiency. HR operations specialists might also serve as the HRIS director to manage the technological aspects of HR workflows.

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Grow your HR career

Embarking on your HR career growth journey begins with a clear vision of your goals and an understanding of the roles and skills required to achieve them. Use the information in this guide to develop paths for HR team growth or to help develop the relevant skills you will need for your own HR career growth.

Ensure your organization supports HR team members’ professional growth with the right resources to explore HR specialties, various HR roles, and professional certifications to ensure you remain relevant.

By understanding the steps involved in career growth, you can take a proactive approach to HR professional development.

Dana Liberty

From Dana Liberty

Dana Liberty is a content manager at HiBob, where she combines her creative writing with performance marketing. In the winter, you’ll find her sitting by the fire with a glass of wine, trying to solve the latest word puzzle (and in the summer, she cuts out the fire, but never the wine and puzzles).