Although the HR recruitment market has improved across all sectors in 2010, most of the movement we have seen has been in the £30-70k bracket. At the very senior level, roles are still few and far between. That said, we are recruiting more HR directors now than we were this time last year.

Generally the position of HR director is strategic, although the extent to which this is the case can vary depending on the size of the business. Within smaller organisations an HR director may be more operational than they would be within a large corporate, for example.

The types of task HR directors are usually responsible for can also vary depending on employer. Typical responsibilities may include:

• Change management
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Involvement and implementation of various HR initiatives, such as succession planning and talent management.

An HR director would work closely with senior stakeholders and would typically report directly to the CEO or COO, and would in most cases sit on the board.

Competition for these roles is fierce, however there are some common features employers look for. The ideal background for an HR director would be someone who is currently a senior HR business partner or a head of HR, or someone who is already an HR director looking for a change. Specific sector experience is generally considered important at this level, however there is likely to be crossover between closely aligned sectors within commerce (e.g. retail and FMCG, media & advertising, telecommunications and technology).

Most employers also tend to value stability and clear career progression on CVs. Businesses also look for candidates who can demonstrate experience of:

• Introducing new HR initiatives
• The ability to influence change and experience of leading a team
• Restructuring experience is also particularly valued

As HR directors represent the people within their business, great interpersonal and communication skills are a must, as is excellent commercial acumen. Employers also look for broad generalist HR experience and for candidates who are passionate about their industry.

Role: UK HR director
Salary: £100k+

This global marketing group seeks a new UK HR director to contribute to the growth of its UK business by driving high-calibre forward-thinking HR practices, which maximise company performance and improve employee satisfaction across the business.

Reporting to the group CEO, the successful candidate’s responsibilities will include:

• Translating HR strategy into initiatives and policies that enable the business to recruit and retain the best people
• As a board member, he or she will also be responsible for representing HR to senior management and informing them of its wider contribution to the business

Specifically, one of the successful candidate’s key duties will be to establish a new talent management framework. This will include defining clear measurable goals and objectives for board members’ performance to be assessed against and working closely with the group finance director to develop an appropriate reward strategy for the rest of the business.