Namely, an HR platform for midsized companies, has released its HR Careers Report 2018. The report analyzed data from over 1,000 companies to uncover trends in the fast-growing HR profession. The resulting data cuts through stereotypes to take a closer look at the 5.6 million HR professionals across the United States who are so central to today’s workplace.
In a year of high-profile HR nightmares, key among the report’s findings is the impact of hiring C-Suite HR talent. Namely data showed that only 7% of midsized companies have an HR executive in the C-Suite. However, there is a direct link between an HR representative at the C-level and employee happiness: Companies with a C-Suite HR leader have an average Glassdoor rating of 3.84, a significant increase over the 3.3 average. Given that 75% of jobseekers consider an employer’s brand before applying, an increased score matters not only for employee retention but also talent attraction.
Additional insights from the report include:
- Women lead in HR. Bucking the gender “leadership gap,” HR is the top career for women in leadership roles. According to Namely, 73% of C-Suite HR leaders are women, in comparison to marketing (43%) and technology (27%) leaders.
- Three years means time to job hop. As an employee’s tenure at a company lengthens, their salaries decrease relative to peers. Namely’s data showed that HR salaries show a dramatic decrease after year 3 with a company, suggesting that job hopping can boost incomes.
- The golden states of HR. Across Namely’s database, the average HR salary is $98,048. Connecticut, Washington D.C., and California clocked in as the highest-paying states for HR professionals, with New York City, New York; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington taking the title of highest-paying cities. This comes as no surprise, considering that these jurisdictions have some of the country’s most complex employment laws—from “ban the box” legislation in Connecticut to the $15 minimum wage in California.
“There’s never been a better time to work in HR. Companies are beginning to understand and appreciate the true value of creative and strategic HR professionals,” says Matt Straz, Founder and CEO of Namely—in a press release. “Our HR Careers Report helps practitioners understand industry trends and know their worth. We hope that this data helps them advance their careers.”
As more and more people join the ranks of HR, the HR Careers Report will arm them with the data they need to understand their worth, make smart decisions about job-hopping, and even decide where to pursue their next role.
To learn more about this report, click here.