It’s not hard to see the appeal of the top Human Resources job. But how do you get there? Career paths can vary, but those who become HRD share something in common – the DNA of an HRD. We spoke to 461 HRDs across Australia and New Zealand in person to uncover commonalities and find out whether there is a DNA of an HRD. From qualifications and experience to personal development and work-life balance, our report gives you an insight into what it takes to reach the top HR job.

1. DNA OF AN HRD
THE MAKINGS OF AN HR LEADER
Candidates frequently ask us about the path to success. How
do I become an HRD? What do I need to do to transition from
senior management to an executive role? What should my CV
include?
Our report the DNA of an HRD is designed to answer these
questions. On the following slides we look at the path to
becoming an HRD.
Our findings are a result of face-to-face interviews with 461 HR
leaders across Australia & New Zealand.
Eliza Kirkby
Regional Director, Hays Human Resources
hays.com.au/hrd | hays.net.nz/hrd

2. BACKGROUND
& QUALIFICATIONS
88% of HRDs hold a bachelor degree, 24%
hold a human resources degree, 4% a
psychology degree
35% have a postgraduate diploma, 27%
have a masters degree
44% hold additional HR qualifications or
certifications
The majority (68%) have not always
worked in HR
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3. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
47% of HRDs have worked outside
Australia and New Zealand at some point
during their career. This includes in the
UK (51%), Asia (40%), North America
(24%), Europe (18%) and the Middle East
and Africa (16%)
The large majority (96%) say the
experience benefited their career
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4. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
& COMMERCIAL ACUMEN
Over half (53%) of respondents say
stakeholder engagement is the most
important skill for an HRD to possess
Commercial acumen was a close second
place (52%), while strategic planning
ranked third with 48% of the vote
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5. RESILIENT & CREDIBLE
For two-thirds (67%) of our survey
respondents, resilience is the most
important personal characteristic that has
helped them succeed in their careers to
date
This was closely followed by being
collaborative (54%) and credible (53%)
Adaptive (52%) and a proactive nature
(51%) are also important
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6. CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Encouragingly, 68% say that if they had
their time all over again, they would still
choose the profession, and most would
either like to stay in their current post or
take on a bigger HR role in future
68% have recently attended a networking
event to meet other HRDs
Almost all (96%) are on LinkedIn yet only
half (50%) use social media to network
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7. TOP TIPS FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION
57% of HRDs think up-and-coming HR
leaders need to be commercially aware
and a good business person
HRDs also advise the next generation of
HR professionals to build strong
relationships with their director (41%) and
be able to find out what a business needs
not what a business wants (32%)
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8. UPCOMING CHALLENGES
54% of HRDs think that aligning strategic
requirements with operational budget and
workforce will be the biggest business
challenge for them
This was followed by company culture
(50%) and employee engagement (46%)
When asked about their own professional
challenges, achieving company objectives
came in at number one, followed by
demonstrating ROI from the HR department
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9. INTERESTS
Outside of work HRDs are generally
active; 72% play sport or exercise in their
spare time
89% like to socialise with friends and
family
51% like to travel
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10. SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS
TYPICAL HR DIRECTORS
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11. Hays is the most followed
recruitment agency on LinkedIn® in
the world. Join our growing network
by following Hays Worldwide.
Get expert advice, insights and the
latest recruitment news by following
us on Twitter @HaysAustralia or
@HaysNewZealand
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