Developing Future HR Leaders was a hot topic for discussion participants because they are struggling with the challenge of keeping talented, more junior, HR professionals engaged when there are limited opportunities for job transfer, redeployment, or promotion. While people may stay with their current employer due to the lack of opportunities outside the company, when the economy turns around and jobs open up, this talent will leave if they have not been able to grow and stay engaged during the downturn.The population of HR professionals that participants are most concerned about are those at the $75,000 to $85,000 salary level. They have been educated in the field of HR, are highly motivated, and looking for a well-defined career path. Some of the most talented of this population have great networking skills and the capacity to make everyone feel like he or she is their only client. They exhibit good judgment, are calm and thoughtful, and respond quickly.

Training, as one development tool, tends to be developed for line organizations. HR professionals may receive training in conjunction with a specific initiative they are involved in executing. Participants felt that people with functional roles should attend training designed for the line, as the information and learning they obtain this way is relevant for them. It helps them to gain a better understanding of the business. Also, development of HR professionals should include management training.

Other development approaches identified included:

• Pairing an HR professional with someone from another part of the business in order to develop human capital measures that would be used in driving the achievement of strategic objectives
• Providing rotations to learn about other parts of the business — for this to work there needs to be clear outcomes; something in it for the releasing manager and something for the receiving manager.
• Providing mentors to help train the individual to perform assignments in another area
• Moving to an apprenticeship model where managers are responsible for their direct reports’ learning.
• On-line or in-person sessions where managers explain their business area (gives managers public speaking experience and employees an opportunity to learn about the business)

It was noted that the organizations that get it right will stop thinking of learning as separate from people doing their jobs. Learning and development happens in the course of doing the work.

For senior HR professionals still trying to get a seat at the management table, participants noted that this is not about the individual as much as it is about the environment/senior line management providing the opportunity. It is difficult to contribute at a strategic level if you are not privy to decision-making discussions and do not have the opportunity to influence them.

Steps the individual HR leader can take include building credibility and having a defensible point of view, learning the business and demonstrating understanding of the business and the priorities, and developing relationships with members of the senior team.