Using this Map

There are three main sections to the Map:

  • Professional areas
  • Behaviours
  • Bands and transitions

Each section can be read and used on its own, but to provide a complete picture, they should be read in conjunction with each other.

Key design principles

The HR Profession Map was developed using the following design principles:

  • It covers behaviours as well as the technical elements of professional competence required in the HR profession.
  • It describes what you need to do, what you need to know and how you need to do it within each professional area at four bands of professional competence.
  • It's organised around areas of professional competence, not organisation structures, job levels or roles.
  • The scope of the Map will cover the breadth and depth of the HR profession, from small to large organisations, from fundamental to sophisticated practice, local to global, corporate to consulting, charity to public sector, traditional to progressive.
  • Although some of the content may relate to line managers and academics the map is not designed to capture the professional competence required in these disciplines.

The architecture of the Map

Professional areas

Describes what you need to do (activities) and what you need to know for each area of the HR profession at four bands of professional competence.

  • Find out more about the professional areas

Behaviours

Describes in detail the behaviours an HR professional needs to carry out their activities. Each behaviour is described at four bands of professional competence. Contra-indicators illustrate the negative manifestations of each behaviour.

  • Find out more about the behaviours

Bands and transitions

Describes the four bands of professional competence and the transition challenges faced when moving from one band to the next. The four bands of professional competence define the contribution that professionals make in the following key areas:

  1. The relationship that professionals have with clients, such as support, advisor, consultant or leader
  2. The focus of the activities performed by professionals, such as support, advising or leading
  3. Where professionals spend their time, such as providing information, understanding issues, understanding the business or understanding organisational issues.
  4. What services are provided to clients, such as information, handling issues, providing solutions or challenging hard issues.
  5. How their contribution and success is measured. 
 
 

The HR Profession Map