The job market varies wildly at different levels, but regardless of the broader economy it is always competitive for senior HR people. A lot of the time, a senior person will find themselves having to be truly ‘proactive’ in their job search, for the first time in a long time. As such, I notice time and again some pitfalls that are all too easy to fall into.
1. Neglecting Personal Branding
Mistake: Senior HR candidates often underestimate the importance of personal branding. They might rely heavily on their reputation within their current organisation and overlook the need to market themselves externally. HR people by their very nature are better at looking after others than they are at looking after themselves, so it is easy to see how this can happen. But a lack of awareness and/or conscious effort in this space can lead to outdated LinkedIn profiles, a lack of online presence and a weak personal brand.
Remedy: To remedy this, candidates should actively manage their online presence. It is time to get out of your comfort zone! Update your LinkedIn profile, share industry insights and engage with relevant content to showcase expertise and thought leadership.
2. Failing to Network Effectively
Mistake: Another common mistake is failing to leverage professional networks. Senior HR professionals may assume that their extensive experience and connections will naturally lead to job opportunities. However, passive networking can result in missed opportunities and limited visibility in the job market.
Remedy: Networking should be an active and ongoing effort. I always suggest putting aside a set amount of time each week and sticking to it. This could be attending an industry event, participating in a webinar, or meeting with a recruiter to discuss what’s happening in the current market. The easiest and most impactful thing to do is to reconnect with former colleagues. Work through your LinkedIn connections, thinking about those key stakeholders you have worked closely with over the past decade and proactively catch up with them to understand who they can connect you with or what opportunities exist at their company.
3. Being Overly Selective or Narrow in Job Search Criteria
Mistake: Sometimes senior HR professionals have very set views of what they want in their next role. This is to be expected and totally fine, if you are passively looking. However, the number of roles out there are fewer than there are people looking for them, so being too specific can lead to a much slower and more frustrating search. Something to consider if you are ‘active’.
Remedy: While it’s important to have standards of course, it is best to remain open-minded and flexible. If you are active and want to be in work, then keep the search criteria quite broad; at least in the early stages. Furthermore, if you are not working, then there is really no excuse not to remain open-minded to having conversations with Leaders from all sorts of companies. You never know where it might lead. It can bring about surprising or left field opportunities you may not have thought of. Ultimately, you still have the option to decide that it’s not the right thing for you but at least you’re hearing about them.
Stories break patterns!