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Board of
Canadian
Registered
Safety
Professionals
cover feature
“Success in HR depends on the person
more than their education,” said Paterson.
“I’ve worked with people that don’t have a
formal education, so I think the person is
what makes you great at HR as opposed
to how you got there.”
FROM HR PROFESSIONAL TO HR
LEADER
In addition to various educational paths,
experience really plays a strong role in the
success of an HR leader, according to the
survey.
“I strongly believe in the ‘70-20-10’ philosophy
of learning,” said Nielsen. She says
that 70 per cent of what HR professionals
do comes through experience, 20 per cent
through mentors or peers and 10 per cent
from education.
It’s well-rounded knowledge that takes
HR professionals to the higher levels and
makes them great. The survey reports that
a broad range of experiences and exposure
to different aspects of the business is important.
Almost 50 per cent of HR leaders
surveyed say their past experiences played
a role in securing their next job, more than
credentials and personality fit. O’Grady
says that being adaptive, collaborative,
confident and able to communicate well
are essential abilities.
“It’s not about being a safe pair of
hands,” he said. “It’s having the characteristics
of being a credible business partner
and manager within the organization.”
Paterson says without key business
knowledge, one cannot be a great HR
leader.
“If you have that knowledge, then every
program you put in place is going to be
supporting that,” she said.
She also says that when hiring, technical
skills like understanding compensation
and global benefits, for example, can be
learned. It’s the softer skills of dealing with
people and the enthusiasm for the job
that she looks for and would expect from
someone looking to move up the ranks.
In many ways, the road of an HR professional
moving towards the executive
ranks is uphill.
“Some companies struggle to differentiate
between the fundamental basic
role of human resources versus what human
resources could actually bring to the
achievement of the long-term strategy of
the organization,” said O’Grady. “That’s
why it’s difficult.” ■
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HRPATODAY.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2015 ❚ 27