HR professionals wear so many hats at work. There’s a funny meme that says HR pros are “the unofficial psychologist, event planner, peacemaker, lawyer, and teacher” of the company and it’s not too far from the truth.
Because you wear so many hats, it’s critical to take advantage of every professional development opportunity that you comes along so that you can be the best HR leader.
Professional development seminars like this year’s “Get a Seat at the Table” event hosted by SAHRA are great ways to learn how to best improve your role at your organization.
There are some key things to know that will make sure you are the strategic business partner that your organization requires.
- It’s important to know how your organization works, inside and out.
- Demonstrate how HR initiatives impact an organization’s profitability and growth.
- Know how to strategically build relationships. Have a plan for that relationship building.
- Understand the concept of a “Symphonic C Suite” where C level members lead their areas of expertise but also work together with other functional leaders and teams that affect the strategic direction of an organization.
- Understand how to connect people programs with strategic objectives.
SAHRA’s Professional Development Committee is also a great resource whose objective is to promote continuing education, training, and of course, professional development. You can also join the committee to help others work on their own professional development. Committee members’ responsibilities and goals are as follows:
- Identify and promote professional development opportunities for SAHRA members.
- Obtain HRCI and SHRM recertification credit for all SAHRA-sponsored events.
- Plan, coordinate, and promote the SHRM Certification Study Group, SHRM Certification and Recertification.
- Partner with and support other SAHRA committees to assist in planning, coordinating and promoting SAHRA events to improve community awareness, advance the quality of Human Resources and provide SAHRA members opportunities to improve their HR skills and knowledge.
Whether you're part of the committee or not, continuing to hone your skills with professional development is a must. HR professionals are strategic partners with the business and it’s important to stay up to date to make sure your business and all its employees are functioning like a well oiled machine.
