{"id":7524,"date":"2017-07-25T11:28:35","date_gmt":"2017-07-25T11:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=7524"},"modified":"2025-08-29T15:12:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T13:12:29","slug":"become-hr-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-hr-director\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become an HR Director"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The HR Director reports to the HR Vice President or Chief HR Officer of their company, managing the human resources team of HR generalists, specialists, analysts and managers. The HR director&#8217;s role requires more advanced human resource management skills, compared to those of a HR consultant.<\/p>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HR-Director_Mobile_banner.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HR-Director_banner_desktop.png\" alt=\"HR Director_banner_desktop\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<p>Because talented people are a company\u2019s most valuable asset, the HR Director\u2019s role is vital to the success of any organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HR directors help manage the HR team, overseeing and ensuring:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recruitment, hiring, job satisfaction and resultant retention of qualified employees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhancement of employee productivity, job performance and professional development<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teamwork, collaboration and organisational culture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all, HR management directors are responsible for creating an environment that balances the needs and growth of employees with that of the business. Companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 20%.<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"221\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HR-Director_employee_engagement-300x221.png\" alt=\"HR Director_employee_engagement\" class=\"wp-image-7700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HR-Director_employee_engagement-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HR-Director_employee_engagement.png 730w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But the role of the Human Resources director is always changing. In order to meet the demands of today\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/lead-and-manage-a-multigenerational-workforce\/\">fast-paced and multigenerational organisations<\/a>, HR directors must compete relentlessly for talent, embrace HR training and technology and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/how-to-build-an-engaged-and-productive-workforce\/\">boost employee engagement<\/a> higher than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-key-responsibilities-of-an-hr-director\"><strong>What are the key responsibilities of an HR Director?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cTraditionally, HR focused on the admin side of people management &#8211; leave, payroll and recruiting. Today, we focus on the employee experience in its entirety. More and more, companies are giving Talent a seat at the ExCo table so that it has a say in key decisions, because at the end of the day, people are at the heart of what we do. Without people, businesses would fail.\u201d &#8211;&nbsp;<\/em>Kim Kay, GetSmarter Talent Manager<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>As an HR Director, your overarching objective is to lead HR services, policies and programs that will maximise employee satisfaction, business efficiency and development simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your key responsibilities as an HR Director will focus on the following three key areas:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>\n<h5><strong>Talent management&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/td><td>\n<ul>\n<li>Manage your organisation\u2019s human resource department<\/li>\n<li>Manage company-wide communication and employee relations, and resolving disputes<\/li>\n<li>Develop your organisation\u2019s policies, culture, and documentation and then ensure employee compliance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n<h5><strong>Training and development&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/td><td><ul><br><li>Integrate education, training and development into the\u00a0organisation and its teams<\/li><br><li>Design, develop and implement training programmes<\/li><br><li>Support organisational renewal through training<\/li><br><\/ul> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-training-and-development-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Want these skills<\/a>?<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n<h5><strong>Retainment and engagement&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/td><td><ul><br><li>Facilitate development of leadership skills and competencies<\/li><br><li>Impact the performance and productivity of a teams\u00a0by developing a corporate culture<\/li><br><li>Employee wellbeing and performance management through rewarding, incentivising and retaining employees<\/li><br><\/ul> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-executive-and-management-coaching-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Want these skills<\/a>?<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-career-path-for-an-hr-director\"><strong>What is the career path for an HR Director?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>For an aspiring HR Director, this job is very satisfying. While higher-ranking HR executives in larger organisations oversee strategy, HR directors retain the benefit of more person-to-person interaction, engaging with employees directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, as an HR Director you have the opportunity to climb the career ladder to the role of HR Vice President or Chief HR Officer, depending on the organisational structure of your department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, most people spend only five years in an HR director position before they\u2019re promoted.<sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An <strong>HR Vice President<\/strong> is responsible for an entire area of Human Resources, such as Total Rewards or Talent Management. HR VPs often present to the CEO and Board of Directors on their specific areas of expertise, and are widely recognised as executives of the company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Chief HR Officer<\/strong> is at the top of the HR pyramid. This person owns the people strategy of the company, working alongside the CEO and the VPs of HR to positively impact all aspects of the employee experience.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HR-Director_career_growth_desktop.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HR-Director_career_growth.png\" alt=\"HR Director_career_growth\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-potential-salary-for-an-hr-director\"><strong>What is the potential salary for an HR Director?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to work your way up to this role, your earning potential and job opportunities will be determined by your people management and strategy development skills, as well as your work experience, which is the biggest factor impacting pay for this position.<sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-click-on-a-country-nbsp-to-see-what-you-can-expect-to-get-paid-as-an-hr-director-nbsp-in-either-south-africa-the-united-kingdom-or-the-united-states-of-america\"><strong>Click on a country<\/strong>&nbsp;to see what you can expect to get paid as an HR Director&nbsp;in either South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States of America:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"show-for-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/graphics.getsmarter.com\/Blog+Post\/Interactive+Graphs\/HR+Director\/HR+Director+Line+Graph.html\" width=\"970\" height=\"580\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"show-for-small-only\">\n<ul class=\"accordion\" data-accordion=\"\" data-allow-all-closed=\"true\">\n<li class=\"accordion-item is-active\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a class=\"accordion-title\" href=\"#\">RSA<\/a>\n<div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content=\"\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Entry-Level<\/td>\n<td><strong>R390,000<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mid-Career<\/td>\n<td><strong>R862,187<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15 Years Experience<\/td>\n<td><strong>R901,126<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"accordion-item\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a class=\"accordion-title\" href=\"#\">UK<\/a>\n<div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content=\"\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Entry-Level<\/td>\n<td><strong>\u00a353,829<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mid-Career<\/td>\n<td><strong>\u00a362,908<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15 Years Experience<\/td>\n<td><strong>\u00a370,821<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"accordion-item\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a class=\"accordion-title\" href=\"#\">USA<\/a>\n<div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content=\"\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Entry-Level<\/td>\n<td><strong>$59,876<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mid-Career<\/td>\n<td><strong>$76,923<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15 Years Experience<\/td>\n<td><strong>$91,016<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-education-and-training-requirements-for-an-hr-director\"><strong>What are the education and training requirements <\/strong>for an<strong> HR Director?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>There isn\u2019t a single, direct path to becoming an HR Director, but with a certain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/skills-operations-managers-need-faqs\/\">educational and training background, <\/a>you may experience a smoother path to the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Obtain a bachelor&#8217;s degree<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The minimum requirement for becoming an HR director is typically a bachelor\u2019s degree in HR or any related field. Applied or organisational psychology is a good choice, as an in-depth understanding of human behaviour and workplace dynamics is vital to the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you already have a bachelor\u2019s degree in a different field, you may choose to take <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-human-resource-hr-management-online-short-course\">a short course in HR<\/a>. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/meet-stephanie-thomas-getsmarter-notable-achiever\/\">this article on the experience of Stephanie Thomas<\/a>, who augmented her social work degree with industry-ready HR skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Related content:&nbsp;<strong>How much does an HR Manager earn?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/how-much-does-an-hr-manager-earn\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"169\" height=\"42\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRDirector_button.jpg\" alt=\"HRDirector_button\" class=\"wp-image-7704\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Obtain a master\u2019s degree<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Though not essential, HR directors often carry master\u2019s degrees which have made them into more competitive candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports: HR directors who have taken advanced human resource management courses&nbsp;and received HR management certifications will enjoy the best career opportunities.<sup>4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By completing a master\u2019s degree, HR professionals are able to specialise in a certain aspect of HR or fill holes in their experience. For example, an MBA can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/lse-mba-essentials-online-certificate-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">develop a candidate&#8217;s business skills<\/a> while also offering focused coursework in HR subjects.<sup>5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Get the right experience<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-human-resource-hr-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">In your ascent up the HR ladder<\/a>, you\u2019ll have to choose between generalist and specialist roles. Specialists focus on specific areas such as recruitment, new hire, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-training-and-development-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">labour relations<\/a> or payroll and benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, HR Director is a generalist position and so requires candidates to be knowledgeable about multiple areas of HR. Employers hiring HR directors look for at least five years of experience in a range of areas including staffing, compensation, benefits and HR software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-which-skills-do-you-need-next-nbsp\"><b>Which skills do you need next<\/b><b>? &nbsp;<\/b><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Download a course prospectus to find out how one of these online short courses can help you become a HR Director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-training-and-development-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"296\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Training-and-Development-Manager-300x296.png\" alt=\"HRD_Training and Development Manager\" class=\"wp-image-7707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Training-and-Development-Manager-300x296.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Training-and-Development-Manager.png 730w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-executive-and-management-coaching-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Foundations-of-Executive-Coaching-300x295.png\" alt=\"HRD_Foundations of Executive Coaching\" class=\"wp-image-7709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Foundations-of-Executive-Coaching-300x295.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Foundations-of-Executive-Coaching.png 731w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-human-resource-hr-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Human-Resource-Management-300x295.png\" alt=\"HRD_Human Resource Management\" class=\"wp-image-7705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Human-Resource-Management-300x295.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Human-Resource-Management-768x756.png 768w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Human-Resource-Management-1024x1009.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Human-Resource-Management.png 1460w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-professional-communication-and-office-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"296\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Professional-Communication-and-Office-Management-300x296.png\" alt=\"HRD_Professional Communication and Office Management\" class=\"wp-image-7706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Professional-Communication-and-Office-Management-300x296.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Professional-Communication-and-Office-Management-768x757.png 768w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Professional-Communication-and-Office-Management-1024x1009.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_Professional-Communication-and-Office-Management.png 1459w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-foundations-of-business-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_FoundationsofBusinessManagement-300x295.png\" alt=\"HRD_FoundationsofBusinessManagement\" class=\"wp-image-7710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_FoundationsofBusinessManagement-300x295.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_FoundationsofBusinessManagement-768x756.png 768w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_FoundationsofBusinessManagement-1024x1009.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/HRD_FoundationsofBusinessManagement.png 1460w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><sup>1<\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dalecarnegie.com\/employee-engagement\/engaged-employees-infographic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dale Carnegie Training<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><sup>2<\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/hrpeople.monster.com\/benefits\/articles\/319-hr-career-path-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HR People<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><sup>3<\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.payscale.com\/research\/ZA\/Job=Human_Resources_(HR)_Director\/Salary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Payscale<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><sup>4<\/sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridatechonline.com\/blog\/psychology\/human-resources-director-career-path-and-applied-psychology-degree\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Florida Tech<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em> <sup>5<\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/study.com\/articles\/Become_a_Human_Resource_Director_Step-by-Step_Career_Guide.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Study.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to lead your company&#8217;s work force as HR Director? Find out how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":17550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[127,123],"article-format":[],"class_list":["post-7524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice","tag-career-advice","tag-talent-management"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Become an HR Director - GetSmarter Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out what skills and experience you need to lead one of your organisation&#039;s most important resources: its workforce. Become an HR Director.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-hr-director\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Become an HR Director\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Find out what skills and experience you need to lead one of your organisation&#039;s most important resources: its workforce. 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