HR professionals optimistic about job security

Human resources professionals who are new to the field are more confident in their job security than those with more HR experience, according to the Society for Human Resource Management survey. But the newer pros are less sure that they could find another job in the same field.

In a recent survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, overall job confidence is on the climb. The 2016 HR Jobs Pulse Survey found that 85% of early-career HR professionals reported confidence in their job security. This figure compared with 75% of all HR professionals who participated in the survey.

“HR professionals that are at the earliest stages of their career were found to be particularly confident in the stability of the profession, which suggests that new entrants to the profession are feeling optimistic about their future as HR practitioners,” says Alex Alonso, SHRM senior vice president of knowledge development.

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Respondents were asked about the state of hiring for HR jobs inside their organizations and their personal plans to seek new jobs, their overall sense of job security and confidence in their ability to find a new job.

Not all survey results were as rosy. Among the early-career HRs who responded to the poll, they also had less confidence that they could find a new job — 63% were somewhat or very confident compared with 88% of HR professionals overall. One reason could be a “perhaps due to a lack of experience in the profession,” according to a SHRM statement.

When it comes to changing employers, the majority of HRs polled responded that they have no plans to look for new work. Nearly one out of five respondents — 19% — said they were looking for a new job, either by choice or involuntarily.

The key reason for of those looking for a new position was salary. More than two out of five of those surveyed — 42% — who said they were looking or planned to look for a new job sited “more compensation/pay.” The second place response at 37% was “better career advancement opportunities.”

Those job seekers are looking at a tight HR market. Fewer than three out of 10 respondents said their organizations were hiring new HR professionals. The percentage is unchanged from 2015.

“Overall, HR professionals report that hiring remains somewhat flat for human resource positions compared with a year ago, but confidence in the stability of the profession has increased slightly,” Alonso says. “The vast majority of HR professionals (88%) had some level of confidence that they could land a new job if necessary.”

Among the companies that were hiring for HR positions, the top job functions sought were HR generalists with 49%, employment/recruitment with 31%, administrative with 15%, benefits at 14%, and employee relations came in last place at 13%.

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