Career options in the people profession

The people profession has a huge variety of roles within it – from numerical and data-driven roles in reward and analytics to development roles in talent and learning and development. These roles tend to fall into two categories: generalists, who perform a variety of activities in any aspect of people practice, and specialists, who work in an area of expertise.

Which career route will you choose?

Careers in HR generalist roles

If you’re looking for a varied and rewarding career in the people professional, this could be the ideal job for you

Careers in learning and development

Creating a culture of continuous learning and growth

Careers in organisational design and development

Bringing together all parts of the organisation to help the system operate at its best

Careers in equality, diversity and inclusion

Creating an environment where difference is embraced and individuals flourish

Careers in employee experience

Creating an engaging and trusting working environment where employees have a voice and can be their best

Careers in employee relations

Managing the relationship between an organisation and its people through transparent practices and relevant law

Careers in talent management

Maximising the potential of those working in an organisation

Careers in resourcing

Creating a brilliant candidate experience for future employees

Careers in reward

Aligning pay and benefits with context, culture, and market

Careers as an HR business partner

Working with the business to develop an effective people agenda

Careers as a people consultant

Working with organisations to help them get the best out of their people

Careers in people analytics

The heart of evidenced-based decision-making within the people profession

Careers in workplace health and wellbeing

Creating a holistic offering to help improve workforce wellbeing

Working in different sectors

One of the great things about working in the people profession is that it enables you to work in any sector. Here’s a little bit more about the different sectors you could work in.

The public sector

The public sector is classed as any organisation which is run by a government; this can include central or local government organisations, healthcare, schools and emergency services.

You’ll find a variety of organisations both in size and type within this sector, all sharing the aim of providing services for public interest.

Given their size, most of these organisations will have people functions, with the larger ones boasting a significant variety of generalist and specialist people roles

The private sector

Private sector organisations are run by individuals or companies for profit and come in all shapes and sizes:

· Sole proprietorships: Individuals working on their own (for example, plumbers and designers)

· Partnerships: Where two or more people own the organisation

· SMEs: Small to medium-sized enterprises, typically with 250 employees or less

· Large multinationals: Generally, large organisations producing and selling goods in various countries.

People functions may exist in partnerships, SMEs and large multinational organisations, with the size and breadth of these increasing with the number of employees.

The third sector

The not-for-profit or voluntary sector operates in the space between government and private organisations, and is typically defined by these features:

· Values-driven - motivated by social goals rather than profit

· Reinvesting surplus profit into the pursuit of organisational goals

· Independence from the government.

The number of employees within these organisations will determine the size, type and variety of its people functions. A smaller organisation with fewer than 50 employees could, for example, consist of one stand-alone people role, whereas an organisation employing thousands will likely have a larger people function with a variety of different roles.

Organisation size matters

The size of the organisation will likely influence whether you take on a generalist or specialist role. In smaller organisations, you may perform a variety of activities as an HR generalist in a stand‐alone capacity. In larger organisations, the greater volume of people roles might typically include both specialist and generalist positions.

Working as a people professional in a small organisation

Find out what HR responsibilities you could be asked to take on in a small organisation
Working as a people professional in a large organisation

Explore the range of HR, L&D and OD roles you could take on in a large organisation.
Working as an independent people consultant

Find out what it's like to work for yourself or be an independent people consultant supporting other organisations with HR, L&D and OD projects.

Take control of your career

Why work in the people profession?

Explore the many rewards of working in the people profession
Career options in the people profession

Explore career areas within the people profession, and the typical activities you may find yourself doing
Career guidance

Information and guidance to help you excel in your role, transition into the profession, and manage a career break
Getting into the people profession

If you’re looking for a career in HR, L&D or any other aspect of the people profession, there’s a route that’ll suit you