How to Grow Your HR Career

HR today is bigger, broader, and more influential than ever. Retail needs people, but not just any people. The right people. People with the skills, the attitude, and that intangible something that makes them a perfect fit. And once they’re in the door, they need onboarding, training, support, and development. They need to feel valued, heard, and rewarded. From recruitment and payroll to wellbeing and strategy, it’s HR that makes it all happen.

If you’re someone who thrives on building relationships, staying organised, and thinking strategically, HR offers a career that’s as rewarding as it is varied. It’s a field that moves with the times, adapting to new technology, evolving workforces, and the constant drive to create positive, productive environments. Whether your interest lies in data, development, diversity, wellbeing, or organisational change, there’s a route into it through HR, and plenty of room to grow.

At Zachary Daniels, we see the impact HR professionals have every day. In retail and beyond, they’re the glue that keeps teams connected, engaged, and performing at their best. And we’ve also seen just how many different directions a career in HR can take.

Starting Out and Building Your Foundations

Most HR careers start at an entry level, where you’ll get to see the whole carefully-tuned machine in motion.

A good starting point is a career as an HR Administrator. You’ll be at the heart of the basics, managing systems for pay, holidays, sickness, maternity leave, and more. It’s where you learn the processes, legal requirements, and day-to-day realities of HR.

From there, many move into an HR Assistant role. This is where you start getting more involved, helping to run inductions, supporting training programmes, and working closely with employees. You’ll start to see HR policy in action and understand how it shapes the working experience.

Taking the next steps

Where you go from here often depends on the size of the organisation you’re in. In a smaller business, you might find yourself wearing multiple hats – handling recruitment one day, payroll the next, then moving on to health and safety or training. It’s hands-on, varied, and gives you an incredible generalist grounding.

In a larger organisation, you’re more likely to specialise. You might focus on recruitment, payroll, training, or employee relations. This is where qualifications such as a CIPD accreditation can make a real difference, particularly if you want to move into more senior or specialist roles. Other qualifications can also come into play if your path leans towards wellbeing, CSR, or health and safety.

Moving into leadership

Reaching the top of the HR ladder is about more than experience; it’s about vision. In most organisations, this means stepping into roles like HR Manager or HR Director, where your focus shifts from day-to-day delivery to shaping the entire HR strategy. You’re no longer just applying policies; you’re creating them. Every initiative you lead needs to align with wider business goals, support the organisation’s growth, and strengthen its culture.

In larger companies, this leadership journey can take different forms. Some professionals choose to specialise in areas that have a major impact on the modern workplace. You might head up Diversity & Inclusion, designing and delivering strategies that create a truly inclusive environment where every employee can thrive. Or you could lead as a CSR Manager, driving the business’s social and environmental responsibility agenda, ensuring it makes a positive impact beyond its commercial goals. Others take on the challenge of Training & Development, building programmes that nurture talent at every stage, from apprentices finding their feet to senior leaders honing their skills.

Whichever path you choose, leadership in HR is about influence. It’s about guiding decision-makers, shaping culture, and ensuring the people strategy works hand-in-hand with the business strategy. And it’s about recognising that the way you lead can inspire not just your own team, but the entire organisation.

Making the move from another industry

You don’t have to start your career in HR to succeed in it. Many HR professionals join the field after building experience in other industries, bringing fresh perspectives and transferable skills. If you’ve worked in retail operations, hospitality, customer service, finance, education, or even project management, there’s a strong chance you’ve already developed capabilities that HR values.

Communication, problem-solving, organisation, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management are all key HR skills that are often honed in non-HR roles. Experience in managing teams, handling sensitive information, training others, or navigating employment-related processes can give you a head start. Even familiarity with systems, compliance, or data analysis can be a big plus in modern HR departments.

When applying for HR roles from another industry, focus on the human side of your past work. Show how you’ve influenced team culture, resolved issues, supported colleagues’ growth, or improved processes that impacted people. Pairing these examples with a willingness to learn HR-specific processes and legislation can help you stand out, and reassure employers that you’re ready to hit the ground running.

Beyond traditional HR

One of the best things about building a career in HR is how transferable the skills are. You could move into roles such as Compensation & Benefits, Wellness Management, or Organisational Development. You could consult for businesses, coach individuals, or work across industries.

In retail, many HR professionals take their skills into recruitment, including specialist retail recruitment agencies like ours. Understanding the needs of both businesses and candidates makes you invaluable in matching the right people to the right opportunities.

Why HR is a career with range

From your first role to the most senior levels, HR gives you the chance to make a real impact. You’re helping shape workplace culture, supporting people’s growth, and aligning talent with business goals. Whether you stay on the generalist track, specialise in an area you love, or branch out into something entirely new, the skills you develop in HR will keep opening doors.

If you’re looking for your next step in retail HR, or thinking about how to take your HR career in a new direction, we’re here to help you find the role that’s right for you. Talk to us about jobs in HR today.