Dear Ascend, I’m a human resources professional with over two years of experience. I’m worried that I’m not learning as much as I’d like to in my job. What avenues or tools should I be investing in to upskill myself? I’m specifically interested in learning more about the latest HR practices in the industry and the expectations from HR professionals in the job market today. While there’s a lot of information available on the internet and YouTube, it’s more generic and not very practical. For example, I would want to know how attrition can be calculated and managed, whereas what I find on the internet is why there is a lot of attrition. Do you have any suggestions on how I can learn and grow as an HR professional? Sincerely, Eager to Learn We asked Joanne Alilovic, an HR specialist, employment lawyer, and author of the book, Homeforce, to weigh in. Dear Eager to Learn, You’ve accurately identified that upskilling and investing in your learning and development is an essential step to growing in your career. However, when you’re starting out, it can be hard to know where to spend your time and money. Sometimes, gaining this knowledge in a field like Human Resources can be incredibly difficult because of the wide variety of specializations within the industry, like recruitment, training and development, remuneration and benefits, industrial relations, diversity and inclusion, and workplace safety, among others. While it can seem daunting to get started, understand that learning and development are not just about acquiring hard skills related to an industry or role. It’s also a process that involves getting to know yourself better, and understanding what motivates you and what your goals are. Once you do this work, you can be more intentional about achieving those goals. Here’s what I recommend. Know what your career goals are. What outcome do you hope to gain from upskilling? Begin by understanding what areas of HR interest you, what you’d like to learn more about, and how you wish to grow in your career. This will help you figure out how much time, effort, and money you need to learn new skills. Ask yourself these questions: Do I want to be skilled in managing different HR functions for an organization (say, in a small startup) or focus on honing my skills in one or two specific areas of HR, such as remuneration and compensation or talent retention? What kind of industries, fields, or organizations do I see myself working in? Why? What’s my timeline to achieve these goals? Answering these questions may help you realize, for instance, that you’re interested in talent management as a focus area within HR. Or maybe you’ll learn that you’re more interested in finding ways to address high-attrition rates in the tech industry post-pandemic. Or perhaps, through a little self-reflection, you’ll discover that you want to work with multinational employers to gain exposure to a global workforce. Whatever your goals may be, take the time to introspect and identify your career aspirations. This will help you figure out what skills you need to learn, and how to apply them as you grow in your career. Find people who’ve done what you want to do. One of the best ways to gain deeper knowledge of the skills you need to develop is to look for people who’ve done (or are doing) what you want to do. This means you need to network extensively. If you’re working in an organization with a large HR team, try to find a senior colleague or a peer who has just stepped into the role you desire, and reach out to them for guidance. Send them a message saying something like, “Hi, Dana! Recently, I’ve been reading up on attrition rates, and I was curious to learn more about talent retention. I know you’ve specialized in employee engagement, and I would love to chat with you about what you’ve learned and observed. Do you have half an hour available to grab coffee next week?” During your meeting, ask specific questions about their career journey, and what advice they have for you as you attempt to grow in the HR industry. Your goal is to understand how they discovered their interests, what skills are needed to excel, and how they landed in their current role. The advantage here is that this person probably knows you — and your work — and may be willing to direct you to resources (such as learning programs, or any external courses) to help you learn. If you build a strong relationship with them, you can also request to shadow them for a few days to get a better sense of their work. More importantly, showing your senior team members that you’re passionate and eager to gain more knowledge may influence them to advocate for your promotion or career growth in the future. If you don’t have a strong network of peers within your organization, reach out to friends, peers, and alumni externally to see if someone can help you. Even if these people aren’t doing what you aspire to do, they may know someone who is. Similarly, you can connect with like-minded professionals on job platforms like LinkedIn or join HR associations within your region (like the Society of Human Resource Management in the U.S. and the Australian Human Resource Institute) to take advantage of any mentoring programs that they might run. Follow the latest news, trends, and influential people in your industry. The field of HR is always changing. More advanced technologies are entering the market, and new research on the future of work is continually being published. With those emerge new trends. To be a successful HR practitioner, it’s important to stay on top of these developments. There are many ways to educate yourself. For example, you might want to take a course or program in human resources — whether online or in-person. Start by researching different HR programs at universities in your city or country. If you’re interested, you can also look for courses in reputed international universities. If you plan to do an online course or certification, check the background and credentials of the course creator or instructor. As you explore different options available for further education, honestly evaluate the time and money you’re able to invest. Can you make time alongside your job to focus on studying? How much would it cost? Will your employer sponsor the education, or give you some paid time off to pursue your interest? Other ways to learn are to attend conferences and webinars, subscribe to, or read magazines and publications focused on human resources such as HRD Connect, The HR Director, and HR Magazine, and follow HR influencers on LinkedIn or Instagram. It’s a good practice to select a few different options for how to learn so that your learning is continuous, and you gain diverse perspectives. Seek out opportunities. To really learn new skills, you need opportunities to apply your knowledge and find out if you actually enjoy doing the work. You can start with your own organization. Are there specific projects in your area of interest that you can contribute to? If you’re keen on learning about DEI initiatives, and there’s a sustainability program in your company, for instance, raise your hand for it. Alternatively, you can look outside of your company for volunteer programs, short-term gigs, or freelance work. Find small organizations that could use your help. Think not-for-profit organizations without the budget for a big HR team, or any HR team at all. They might have the basic day-to-day functions in order, but could benefit from a specialist coming in to take action on a big project, like an employee engagement survey or a workforce planning initiative. Freelancing outside your current employment can be tricky, so ensure that your manager or leadership is in the loop. Another great way to contribute, as well as learn more, is to join a peer advisory group, or a local, national, or an international HR association (such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals, Council for Global Immigration, or the Human Capital Institute) and help them plan, organize, and execute events for their members. This will give you hands-on experience on how different projects get implemented. Measure (and celebrate) your successes. An important aspect of learning and development is measuring how far who’ve come. This means keeping a track of what new experiences you’ve gained, what skills you’ve learned, and how they align with your career goals. Each week, record your learnings using tools like Excel sheets or Google documents, or journal about your experiences and how you like (or don’t) the new things you’re learning. If you’re active on social media, take some time to share your learnings on a platform like LinkedIn to help you find people with similar interests and broaden your network. Finally, ensure that you regularly update your CV to reflect your new skills and experiences. Along the way, don’t forget to stop and celebrate your progress — no matter how small. Acknowledging your achievements has physiological advantages: It can stimulate the release of feel-good chemicals in your brain that reinforce your actions and keep you motivated. Growth is easier when we make an effort to check in with ourselves and give ourselves positive reinforcements throughout the journey. . . . Learning and development is a long journey. You’re likely to go through changes throughout your life (and career). But one thing that will help you stay adaptive, competitive, and resilient is your ability to learn and willingness to stay prepared for the new opportunities that come your way.
