A company is only as good as its employees, or so runs the saying. But how you get those employees and how you keep them, comes down to the often over-looked team in human resources. Traditionally, HR officers joined in a junior role and moved up, taking their CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) exams as they progressed. And more recently, switching to HR when you want to remain in a particular sector but with a different job has become increasingly popular with career changers.
In recognition of this the CIPD has launched a new way of gaining membership. HR professionals can now choose to take a skills assessment, rather than exams, to gain membership. However, if you think HR might be an easy option, you're wrong. Good HR professionals not only know the law inside out but they can change a brand's image within the recruitment market. Google and Apple aren't just popular workplaces because they produce a great product, but because they're creative and fun places to work. And because when they're hiring, they think about who will be a good fit with the rest of the company.
We apparently spend 80% of our adult life working, so if you want to make that time an enjoyable experience for others make sure you check our Q&A, when our panel of industry experts will be taking your questions on all things HR.
The panel includes:
Georgina Kvassay, HR strategy consultant at the CIPD. She joined the CIPD in January 2010 on a one year secondment from KPMG. She is leading a project focussing on careers in HR and how to attract the best talent into the profession.
Claire Randerson-Smith, director at Hays Human Resources
Dr Lois Farquhason, senior lecturer in HR, management and law at Edinburgh Napier University
Claire Hill, senior HR manager at law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Claire has worked in HR for over ten years in areas such as pharmaceuticals and aerospace.
Bonnie Hopkins, a former HR professional and lecturer for Gainsborough Training
