Career Platform
Sign inGet early access
All careers
📊
Business

Human Resources Officer

HR officers help organisations recruit, support, develop and manage their employees. There is no universal degree requirement; CIPD qualifications and the People Professional apprenticeship can support progression.

See roadmap
Career fit

Sign in to see how your skills and qualifications match this career.

Entry level
£24,000 (starter)
Mid-career (typical)
£24k – £40k
Senior / lead
£40,000 (experienced)
What you'll do

A day in the life

  • Support recruitment and onboarding
  • Answer staff questions on policies
  • Keep employee records up to date
  • Help managers with absence and conduct issues
  • Organise training and development
The path

Your career roadmap

Every milestone from school to senior. Track progress as you complete each stage.

  1. 1

    GCSEs

    education
    Usually 2 years at school; adult courses vary

    Build English, maths and digital skills useful for handling employee records, workplace communication and later study.

  2. 2

    A Levels or equivalent

    education
    Usually 2 years; Access courses often 1 year

    Complete Level 3 study to prepare for a degree; business, psychology and essay-based subjects can be useful for HR.

  3. 3

    Degree

    qualification
    Usually 3 years full-time; longer with a placement or part-time study

    Study HR, business, psychology or another subject, ideally gaining workplace experience through placements, internships or student responsibilities.

  4. 4

    HR graduate / assistant role

    role
    Often 1–2 years before broader responsibilities

    Join an HR team to support recruitment, onboarding, employee records and routine staff queries under supervision.

  5. 5

    HR experience

    experience
    Often 1–3 years, overlapping with entry-level employment

    Build experience across recruitment, absence management, HR systems and employee relations, taking on more complex tasks with guidance.

  6. 6

    HR Officer

    role
    Varies; often several years before senior progression

    Manage day-to-day HR activities and advise managers on recruitment, policies, absence and employee issues, escalating complex cases when needed.

  7. 7

    HR specialist / Senior HR Officer

    role
    Varies; often several years

    Lead complex HR casework or specialise in areas such as employee relations, reward, recruitment or learning and development.

  8. 8

    HR Manager

    role
    Ongoing

    Lead an HR function or team, overseeing workforce priorities, complex employee matters, policies and advice to senior leaders.

What you need

Skills you'll build

Qualifications
  • People Professional apprenticeship (Level 5) — optional
  • CIPD qualification — optional
Certifications
  • CIPD Level 3 or Level 5