According to recent research by XpertHR, four in ten HR professionals say the pandemic had a positive impact on their HR career.
Also, 76.9 percent of HR professionals reported that they are confident about their career prospects.
This is the same figure as recorded in XpertHR’s 2017 research, suggesting that the pandemic has not dampened HR’s overall positive outlook.
The 2022 HR careers survey shows that 38.8% of UK HR professionals report that the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have had a positive impact on their HR career.
Half this number (18.3%) saw a negative impact, while a further 32.3 percent experienced no impact, and the remainder (10.6%) were unsure.
Those who reported a negative impact, point to a significantly increased workload caused by the pandemic.
Clearly, HR has proven its worth to organisations during the pandemic, boosting HR’s confidence in its career prospects.
How attractive is a career in HR currently?
It is interesting to note differences in gender surrounding prospective careers in HR.
A breakdown by gender finds that male HR professionals would be less likely than their female counterparts to provide an enthusiastic recommendation for an HR career, according to XpertHR.
“It is heartening to see that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not dampened HR’s overall positive outlook and enthusiasm for careers in the profession,” says Benchmarking Editor at XpertHR, Michael Carty/
“For many HR professionals the last two years have been among the most eventful and testing times in their careers. People management issues – such as implementing remote work models and creating safe office environments for returning employees – have topped the corporate agenda for many organisations during the pandemic, creating both challenges and opportunities for HR,” Carty adds.
“As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, now is a particularly lively and vibrant time for people to embark on a career within HR. A strong emphasis on people issues – like recruiting and retaining key talent, ensuring a strong organisational commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a focus on the employee experience – means that HR has a key role to play now and in the future,” says Carty.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
