Human Resource Skills
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Just like any other job and profession Human Resources continues to develop and align itself to the employee and business needs. In today’s recruitment sector HR core skills like recruitment, employee relations and compliance are still very much required. Increasingly though change management and technology play a big part.
Something I am incredibly happy about is that employers are looking increasingly more at finding HR professionals who have had experience outside of HR which I think is fantastic because HR did use to be a bit of a closed shop. Why wouldn’t we be better HR professionals if we have a better understanding of how a business works in all its departments and areas. It helps if you have experience in other roles to diversify your understanding.
Unfortunately, according to Ciphr more than 66% of HR practitioners are considering changing jobs. Clearly there are a lot of HR jobs changing hands this year. How do you ensure you get the right candidates and hire the right person?
If there is one skill that stands out above any other for me it is the person’s ability to change and adapt. In HR, your constantly faced with multiple tasks, views and decisions so if your inquisitive and you can consistently have an eye on the future of the workplace you stand yourself in good stead. Think about technology and AI. If your HR advisor is a luddite and IT illiterate they are going to miss saving you and the business a lot of time in automating transactional work like annual leave and absence records and reporting.
AI technology has been part of HR systems for some time especially in the recruitment space where it helps identify suitable CVs for your vacancy. More CVs are reviewed using AI than any poor human doing a first sift of applicants. Automating alerts to ensure annual leave is booked and used. There are lots of ways to streamline the services and be able to monitor trends in absence and performance.
Analytics is a must these days for HR as all this information being received and generated by IT gives us insight and an ability to redirect and plan ahead. Like that saying goes if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Data is just data what your HR advisor should be doing is interpreting that data into information and actions to maximise your resources. This is HR adding value to your business.
HR is likely to become increasingly technical and in larger organisations they have the capacity to have multiple HR practitioners and the ability to split them into experts in the numerous HR areas.
That’s not a practical option for a smaller employer who realistically need just the one HR advisor. Packing all this HR acumen into one person isn’t easy to find. The reality is a small business does need HR advice but not at a full-time cost. What they need is an HR Generalist who can provide practical advice to allow the business to run smoothly. Unfortunately, HR Generalists are a rare commodity. That’s because when you learn your trade in HR you do so in big organisations that quickly squeeze you into a specialism. An HR practitioner who can cover the full remit of HR topics is what you need. If a specialist is needed for anything a good HR Generalist will have a network of people and refer good specialist for their clients.
Guest Writer
Our Guest Writer – Jaqui Winston
Writing an Effective CV in Today's Job Market
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Writing a CV has never been a simple task, but in today’s UK job market it has become a particularly complex challenge. Candidates are expected to present their experience clearly, demonstrate measurable achievements, align with employer expectations and ensure their CV can successfully pass automated screening systems. At the same time, they must remain authentic and persuasive in a document that often gets less than a minute of human attention. Balancing all of these demands requires far more strategy than many job seekers realise.
One of the most significant changes in recent years is the widespread use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) which are used by many employers to filter and rank applications before a recruiter even sees them. ATS software scans CVs for keywords, qualifications, job titles and relevant experience that match the job description. While this helps organisations manage large volumes of applications, it also means candidates must carefully tailor each CV they submit.
However, optimising for ATS introduces its own challenges. Job seekers often feel pressure to include numerous keywords, sometimes at the expense of readability or clarity. Overloading a CV with keywords can make it feel mechanical and difficult for hiring managers to scan once it passes the automated stage. The key is balance: aligning your experience and stated key skills with the language of the job description while maintaining clear, concise descriptions of what you achieved in previous roles.
Many see AI as the solution as it promises to generate professional CVs quickly. AI can certainly be helpful with structuring content, suggesting phrasing, identifying relevant keywords and improving grammar or clarity. For people who struggle to articulate their achievements or who are unfamiliar with current CV trends, AI can provide a valuable starting point.
Yet relying too heavily on AI comes with risks. AI-generated CVs can sometimes feel generic or overly polished, lacking the personal voice that distinguishes a strong candidate. Recruiters who review large numbers of applications often recognise patterns in AI-generated language and a CV that sounds similar to many others will struggle to stand out. In addition, AI tools do not “understand” the nuance of your career, achievements or professional motivation. Without careful editing and personalisation, the final result may not accurately represent your strengths.
This leads to perhaps the most important challenge of modern CV writing, remaining authentic while effectively marketing yourself. Many professionals find it uncomfortable to “sell” their achievements but as a CV is fundamentally a professional marketing document for brand “you”, it must clearly communicate the value you bring to an employer. Authenticity does not mean underselling your abilities, it means giving context to your claims in real outcomes and measurable results. Rather than simply listing responsibilities, effective CVs highlight impact: projects delivered, problems solved, revenue generated, efficiencies created or teams led. These specifics help employers understand not only what you did but what you achieved.
Ultimately, writing an effective CV today requires a combination of strategy, technology awareness and personal reflection. Candidates must understand how recruitment systems work, use tools like AI thoughtfully and present their experiences in a clear and compelling way. When done well, your CV is not a list of jobs, it is a concise story of your professional growth, capability and potential.
For CV support or more information please contact Jaqui Winston from New CV: jaqui@newcv.co.uk www.newcv.co.uk
How can you help stranded employees?
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Unfortunately, we are living in a volatile world and the recent Middle East conflict is an example of where employees became stranded away from the workplace.
British nationals who work and travel abroad may be raising questions with their employers about their safety and wellbeing all of which comes down to an employer having a duty of care for their employees.
The Middle East conflict saw thousands of travellers stranded after countries closed their airspace causing major disruption due to the military activity between USA, Israel and Iran leading to flights being cancelled.
These incidents will be causing concern to a great number of people. Not only those working abroad but their families, friends and colleagues and employers will be anxious. The foreign office is most people’s port of call in these situations and they estimated there were 140,000 Brits who had registered for their government updates.
Those stranded may well have been without accommodation or financial means to pay for longer stays in what is likely to be an expensive situation to rebook flight and travel costs.
Employers with employees who were travelling or working in the region are concerned about their employee’s safety, wellbeing, and business continuity. The immediate action to take would be to check the employee is safe and well and their immediate needs along with activating continuity plans.
An Employee Assistance Programme can really come into play in these situations where an employee can access mental health support and counselling. It took some days to get the first British flight to bring those stranded home and you need more than one flight to get everyone back to the UK.
However, it’s not just the Brits an employer has to worry about it’s your foreign national employees as well because sponsorship systems facilitate employers taking control of their employment meaning the employer must demonstrate duty of care.
If an employer is seen to not uphold their obligations to their employees, they undermine trust and that will quickly affect reputation. Those with automated expense systems may need to override the approval process to avoid unnecessary worry in what is an emergency situation.
In a snap poll of 160 senior HR, finance, and C-suite professionals by Occupational Health Assessment, 96 per cent of business leaders said employers should review their duty of care for overseas workers in the wake of renewed hostilities in the Middle East.
Clear communication is essential in these situations and that doesn’t happen if it’s a surprise and not been thought about before. Have a documented action plan with clear communication, consistency and documented decision making. Then you will have an immediate go to and a this is what we will do………………
