The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
HR Business Partner (with a change focus)
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Understanding business unit needs, stakeholder management, basic employee relations, influencing managers on people issues.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led a local HR initiative with a change component (e.g., new performance review process).
- Consistently sought out opportunities to get involved in wider organisational change projects.
- Recognised by business leaders as a trusted advisor on people matters beyond day-to-day HR.
- 2
Change Coordinator / Junior Change Analyst
1-3 yearsSkills to master
- Project coordination, data collection and basic analysis, workshop support, communication drafting, understanding change frameworks.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivered project tasks on time and to a high standard.
- Proactively identified opportunities to improve processes or communications.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently on defined tasks without constant supervision.
- 3
Organisational Development Assistant
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Programme support, learning design, basic OD diagnostics, survey administration, report generation.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully supported the implementation of an OD programme (e.g., leadership development).
- Showed initiative in suggesting improvements to OD processes or tools.
- Received positive feedback on analytical and presentation skills for OD reports.