One significant challenge you face as an HR director is ensuring fair and unbiased recruitment to maintain workplace diversity. Our comprehensive guide offers proven strategies and tools to refine your hiring process, enabling you to systematically eliminate bias and promote equality.
Learn how to create your next hr director CV by:
- Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
- Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
- Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
- Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.
If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.
Resume examples for hr director
Explore additional hr director cv samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
By Experience
Junior HR Director
- Organized Presentation and Articulate Structure - The CV excels in clarity and conciseness, presenting information in a well-structured manner. It methodically outlines Amelia Murphy's career progressions, delivering key achievements, skills, and qualifications in a straightforward manner that ensures ease of reading and comprehension.
- Career Trajectory Demonstrating Strategic Growth - Amelia's career path from an HR Intern to HR Director showcases a notable progression in responsibility and impact. The trajectory indicates a focus on strategic HR leadership and operational effectiveness, which is notable considering her relatively fast rise through the ranks in different companies.
- Achievements with Strong Business Impact - The CV does an excellent job of linking achievements to business outcomes. By quantifying improvements in metrics like employee satisfaction and retention, Amelia's accomplishments clearly articulate the tangible business value of her work, demonstrating her capacity to drive significant organizational benefits.
Senior HR Director
- Structured and Concise Presentation - The CV is well-organized, starting with a succinct summary that clearly outlines Lily Cooper's extensive HR leadership experience. Each section is methodically arranged, offering a clear breakdown of her career history, education, skills, and achievements, allowing for quick and efficient comprehension.
- Clear Career Progression - Lily's career trajectory showcases a steady progression in the HR field, highlighting her growth from an HR Specialist to a senior leadership role as an HR Business Partner. This progression indicates her increasing responsibilities and expertise, reflecting her capability to manage complex HR functions.
- Industry-Specific Innovations - The CV emphasizes Lily's ability to innovate within the HR domain, mentioning her efforts in developing new HR analytics tools and HRIS systems. These initiatives not only demonstrate technical prowess but also show her commitment to improving operational efficiency and employee satisfaction in various organizational settings.
Associate HR Director
- Content Presentation and Clarity - The CV is structured with precision and conciseness, each section clearly delineated to allow for quick absorption of information. The use of bullet points under each job role provides clarity and focus, making it easy to identify key achievements and responsibilities at a glance.
- Career Trajectory - Scarlett Murphy's career shows a strong upward trajectory, with roles at leading firms like Deloitte and PwC, indicating growth and a track record of success in high-pressure environments. Transitioning from an HR Business Partner at Capgemini to a Senior HR M&A Consultant demonstrates a clear shift towards specialization in mergers and acquisitions, underscoring her commitment to this area of expertise.
- Achievements and Business Relevance - The CV effectively highlights achievements with quantifiable outcomes, such as reducing integration costs by 30% and increasing employee retention by 25%. These accomplishments not only demonstrate her ability to deliver significant business impact but also reflect her strategic approach to HR M&A tasks.
Assistant HR Director
- Effective Content Presentation - The CV stands out for its clarity and well-structured format, allowing important details to be quickly absorbed. Each section is concise, with bullet points effectively used to highlight notable achievements and responsibilities, ensuring key information is communicated effectively.
- Diverse Career Progression - Harper Webb’s career trajectory shows robust growth from a Human Resources Coordinator to an Assistant Director, reflecting significant advancements in responsibility levels. The progression within industry-leading companies like Marriott and Hilton indicates both personal growth and adaptability to different organizational cultures.
- Strategic HR Initiative Leadership - A noteworthy element is the candidate's demonstrated ability in leading strategic HR initiatives. This includes designing and implementing a talent acquisition strategy that improved hiring efficiency by 15% and leading organizational culture projects that resulted in a 25% increase in employee engagement scores, indicating a profound impact on company success.
Interim HR Director
- Clear and Structured Presentation - The CV's layout is clean and easy to navigate, with distinct sections for experience, education, skills, and achievements. This organization helps effectively communicate the candidate's qualifications, making it simple for employers to identify key information relevant to the HR field.
- Progressive Career Trajectory - Oscar Evans has demonstrated continuous professional growth, starting as an HR Assistant and advancing to HR Officer. This progression within the educational sector showcases his capacity to take on increasingly challenging roles and drive significant improvements in compliance, recruitment, and employee relations.
- Achievements with Business Impact - The CV details specific accomplishments, such as improving audit scores by 30% and reducing absenteeism by 20%, underscoring the tangible benefits Oscar has brought to his employers. These results illustrate his ability to implement effective HR strategies that directly contribute to organizational success.
Acting HR Director
- Clarity and Structure - The CV is well-organized, providing clear and concise information that guides the reader through the candidate's professional journey. Each section, from achievements to experience, is delineated effectively, allowing for easy navigation and comprehension.
- Career Progression - The candidate's upward career trajectory is evident through progressive roles in various respected universities. This ascent demonstrates growth in responsibility and expertise, culminating in the role of Senior HR Manager at the University of Liverpool.
- Strategic HR Initiatives - The CV emphasizes unique industry-specific strategies such as diversity and inclusion initiatives, which directly contributed to increased minority hires, showcasing the candidate's ability to implement successful and impactful HR strategies.
Deputy HR Director
- Clear and Structured Presentation - The CV is meticulously organized with distinct sections that provide clarity and facilitate easy navigation. Key elements such as experience, education, skills, and achievements are distinctly sectioned, making it straightforward for employers to quickly comprehend the candidate's qualifications and career history.
- Diverse and Progressive Career Trajectory - Jacob's career progression is well illustrated, showcasing a logical and upward trajectory from an HR Business Partner to a Senior HR Manager, and then to an HR Director. This progression not only highlights his growth within the HR field but also demonstrates his increasing levels of responsibility and leadership within each role.
- Impact-Oriented Achievements - Beyond just citing statistics, the CV demonstrates the real-world impact of Jacob's roles. For instance, a £2 million annual cost saving speaks volumes about his capability in increasing operational efficiency. Achievements like enhancing employee satisfaction by 20% and internal promotions rising by 30% underscore his effectiveness in aligning HR initiatives with business success.
By Role
Regional HR Director
- Structured and Easy to Navigate - The CV is well-organized and succinct, allowing readers to quickly identify key information. Sections like experience, education, skills, and achievements are clearly separated, providing an easy-to-follow structure that maintains the reader’s attention and facilitates the understanding of the candidate’s qualifications.
- Impressive Career Growth - Noah Jones demonstrates a significant and steady career progression from an HR Business Partner to a Regional HR Director. This trajectory showcases growth within the HR field, emphasizing a constant development of skills and responsibility, while shifting towards strategic leadership roles that reflect enhanced expertise and industry influence.
- Impactful Achievements with Business Relevance - Each position held by Noah Jones features achievements with quantifiable impacts, such as a 25% increase in employee engagement and a 15% reduction in recruitment time. These stats not only highlight accomplishments but also connect them to direct business improvements, showcasing Noah’s capability to drive substantial organizational benefits.
Global HR Director
- Strategic Clarity in Content Presentation - The CV is well-organized, with each section logically unfolding the candidate's professional journey. The concise bullet points under each experience offer clear insights into the specific roles and contributions, aiding in swiftly understanding the candidate's impact and capabilities.
- Impressive Career Trajectory and Growth - Alexander Jackson’s career progression is evident, moving from an HR Manager to roles of increasing responsibility at various reputable companies. This growth trajectory underscores his ability to deliver results and adapt to dynamic business environments, marking a continuous rise in leadership roles.
- Effective Talent Management and Strategic Implementation - The CV highlights impactful achievements in talent management, where initiatives like leadership development and HR transformation have directly contributed to improved retention, engagement, and productivity. These efforts align with organizational goals, revealing strategic foresight and effective execution.
Strategic HR Director
- Exemplifies a strategic HR vision - The CV clearly demonstrates Samuel Campbell's strategic approach to HR, focusing on people strategy, aligning HR initiatives with overall business goals, and influencing organizational change through data insights and effective stakeholder management.
- Showcases career growth and leadership development - The progression from an HR Consultant to a Senior HR Advisor, and finally to a Strategic HR Business Partner underscores the career advancement into leadership roles. Each position exhibits increasing responsibilities and a history of successful leadership advisement and strategic planning, highlighting growth in expertise and influence.
- Demonstrates measurable outcomes and business impact - The CV effectively uses quantifiable achievements to illustrate the candidate's impact on organizations, such as increasing employee engagement by 30% and reducing turnover by 12%, demonstrating a clear link between the candidate's actions and improved business outcomes.
By Industry
HR Director for Manufacturing
- Emphasizes a structured career progression - The CV clearly maps out Leo Brown's professional advancements from an HR Assistant to an HR Specialist, reflecting steady career growth and increased responsibility over time. The transitions between roles illustrate not only his upward movement in the HR field but also his expanding skill set, adapting to diverse organizational needs in various environments.
- Showcases effective use of HR technologies - Leo’s experience with implementing an HRIS that improved data accuracy and processing speeds by 40% is a significant industry-specific highlight. It demonstrates his technical proficiency and ability to leverage HR technologies to streamline operations, which is crucial in modern HR management.
- Demonstrates impactful achievements in employee engagement - The CV effectively underscores Leo’s capability to produce meaningful business outcomes, such as increasing workforce engagement by 20% and retention by 15%. These achievements are articulated with clear metrics, emphasizing the direct positive impact of his initiatives on organizational performance and employee satisfaction.
HR Director for Retail
- Highly Structured and Content-Rich Presentation - The CV is structured with precision, presenting each section clearly. The layout helps follow the candidate's career progression seamlessly, emphasizing logical transitions and conciseness while avoiding information overload. This clarity aids in highlighting the key strengths and achievements at a glance.
- Impressive Career Growth Within HR Management - Jack Taylor's career trajectory showcases a solid and impressive progression from HR Manager at British Red Cross to HR Services Manager at Marie Curie. Each role incrementally builds on the previous experience, demonstrating growth in leadership responsibilities, project management, and strategic HR initiatives.
- Impactful Achievements with Relevant Business Outcomes - The CV includes focused achievements that underscore Jack's ability to drive significant business results, such as cost savings in payroll processes and improved employee engagement scores. These accomplishments not only reveal proficiency but also emphasize ROI, aligning with business goals.
HR Director for Healthcare
- Clear and Impactful Structure - The CV is structured with clarity and conciseness, making it easy to navigate through each section. It prioritizes essential information with succinct bullet points in the experience section, highlighting key achievements and responsibilities that are directly relevant to the role of a People Business Partner.
- Progressive Career Advancement - Daniel Baker's career trajectory reflects a strong upward trajectory, illustrated by promotions from a Senior HR Advisor to an HR Manager, and eventually to an HR Business Partner. His steady progression within the HR industry showcases his dedication to professional growth and adaptability to different scales of operations in various company environments.
- Strategic Impact on Employee Engagement - The CV emphasizes the candidate's direct contributions to enhancing employee satisfaction and retention, such as a 20% improvement in satisfaction rates and a 15% increase in retention. These achievements underline the strategic impact Daniel has had on business performance, making him a valuable asset for any organization seeking to boost employee morale and engagement.
HR Director for IT Services
- Clear and concise content presentation - The CV is structured with clarity, appropriately sectioned with headings that allow easy navigation. Bullet points are used effectively to list responsibilities and achievements, ensuring concise communication of key information while maintaining readability.
- Progressive career trajectory with leadership emphasis - The career path of Chloe Bell demonstrates steady growth from IT Manager to Director of IT, indicative of her leadership capabilities and strategic approach in the IT sector. This progression highlights promotions and increased responsibilities in educational technology, underscoring her leadership acumen.
- Focus on strategic IT achievements with business impact - Achievements throughout Chloe's career are directly tied to substantial business results, such as a 40% enhancement in digital resources and a 60% reduction in system downtime, showcasing a direct impact on organizational efficiency and educational outcomes.
HR Director for Finance
- Structured clarity with comprehensive sections - The CV is meticulously organized into distinct sections including summary, experience, education, skills, and achievements, ensuring each area of Scarlett's professional profile is clearly communicated. The logical structure aids readability and allows for a quick overview of her qualifications and career progression.
- Impressive career trajectory with progressive roles - Scarlett's career path displays a steady ascent from Senior Financial Analyst to Director of Finance, showcasing her capability to take on increasing levels of responsibility and leadership in prominent financial roles at leading companies like Revolut and TransferWise. Her consistent rise in roles reflects her professional growth and competence in the financial industry.
- Emphasis on strategic achievements and impact - Her CV effectively highlights significant achievements that demonstrate her strategic impact, such as securing £100 million in Series C funding and implementing automation solutions that boosted productivity by 40%. These accomplishments underline her ability to achieve business-relevant, impactful results that drive company growth and efficiency.
HR Director for Education
- Clear Structure and Conciseness - The CV is structured in a logical and concise manner, presenting the candidate's qualifications and experiences in a way that is easy to follow. Each section is distinct and well-organized, allowing for a quick overview of key accomplishments and skills, which ensures that important information stands out to potential employers.
- Impressive Career Progression - Henry White’s career trajectory is marked by significant growth and upward movement, showcasing a steady advancement from a Senior IT Lecturer to a Director of Digital Strategy. This progression demonstrates both an accumulation of expertise and an increasing scope of leadership and responsibility within digital education, highlighting his ability to adapt and thrive in different roles.
- Impactful Achievements with Concrete Results - The CV effectively emphasizes achievements that are not only quantifiable but also impactful. For example, the implementation of a digital strategy that led to a 40% increase in engagement, and the revamping of a curriculum that improved student performance by 25%, underline the candidate's ability to influence substantial positive changes in educational settings through digital strategy.
HR Director for Non-Profit Organisations
- Compelling career growth story - Sophia Brooks' career trajectory demonstrates a steady progression from HR Manager to Regional HR Director, showcasing her ability to ascend through increased responsibilities within the HR field while gaining expertise in LATAM markets.
- Showcases unique cross-border expertise - The CV emphasizes Sophia's proficiency in handling HR operations across multiple countries, particularly within Latin America. Her understanding of complex LATAM labor laws is evident through certifications and strategic achievements, which add a distinctive international dimension to her profile.
- Impactful achievements with clear business relevance - The documentation of achievements goes beyond mere numbers, highlighting the transformational scope of Sophia’s work, such as her leadership in cultural transformation initiatives and enhancing employee engagement, both of which significantly contributed to the organizational resilience and efficiency.
HR Director for Hospitality
- Structured and comprehensive presentation - The CV displays an excellent structure with well-organized sections, presenting information in a concise manner. Each section, from experience to skills, is clearly defined, contributing to the reader's ability to easily navigate through the details of James Lewis's professional journey, showcasing an effective and coherent layout.
- Proven career progression and industry expertise - James’s career trajectory demonstrates strategic growth, with a steady rise from Compensation and Benefits Analyst to Director of Organisational Performance. This progression indicates strong industry expertise, adaptability, and a commitment to personal and professional development, climbing the ranks within top companies like LanguageLine Solutions and SDL International.
- Impact-driven achievements with strategic depth - The CV powerfully highlights achievements with direct business relevance, presenting clear metrics like a 15% increase in organizational effectiveness through innovative strategies. These figures are paired with strategic implications, such as aligning performance management frameworks and launching performance-based pay strategies, showcasing a deep understand of business optimization.
HR Director for Logistics
- Clear and Structured Presentation - The CV is meticulously organized with clearly defined sections, ensuring easy navigation through Eva Fisher's professional journey. Each section is labeled well, contributing to a concise and coherent narrative flow that highlights her qualifications and experience in an easily digestible format.
- Progressive Career Trajectory - Eva's career progression is evident from her roles, moving from a Logistics Coordinator to becoming the Director of Fulfilment & Logistics. This demonstrates her growth and consistent advancement within the logistics field, emphasizing her commitment and capability to take on greater responsibilities over time.
- Significant Achievements with Business Impact - The CV effectively links Eva's professional achievements to tangible business improvements. For instance, her initiatives resulted in a 30% boost in delivery efficiency at Pearson Education and a £100,000 annual reduction in operational costs at McGraw Hill, underscoring her impactful contributions to organizational success.
HR Director for Construction
- Clear Progression in HR Roles - Leo Brown's career trajectory shows a strong progression from an HR Specialist to the Director level, reflecting significant professional growth and leadership capabilities. Their continued advancement within HR roles indicates a deepening expertise and expanding responsibilities, aligning well with a Human Resources Director position.
- Impactful Achievements with Business Relevance - The CV highlights numerous achievements that are not merely limited to numerical improvements but also emphasize business impact. For example, Leo's implementation of a comprehensive manpower planning system reduced recruitment costs and improved staffing efficiency, directly contributing to organizational effectiveness and cost savings.
- Comprehensive Soft Skills and Leadership Qualities - Leo's profile underlines key soft skills and leadership attributes, such as conflict resolution, employee engagement, and strategic planning. These skills are crucial for successfully managing teams and driving HR initiatives that align with broader business goals, making these attributes particularly pertinent for a director-level role.
How complex should the format of your hr director CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your hr director CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:
- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
PRO TIP
For certain fields, consider including infographics or visual elements to represent skills or achievements, but ensure they are simple, professional, and enhance rather than clutter the information.
The top sections on a hr director CV
- Professional Summary outlines HR expertise: This section introduces the candidate's qualifications, leading with their strategic HR leadership abilities which are critical for the director role.
- HR Leadership Experience showcases relevant roles: It details the candidate's prior positions, highlighting their experience in managing HR functions and leading teams.
- Key HR Achievements demonstrate impact: Employers seek proof of the candidate's ability to deliver results, so this section focuses on specific accomplishments in HR initiatives.
- HR Skills and Competencies list vital attributes: Listing essential HR-related skills, such as talent management and employment law knowledge, aligns with job requirements.
- Professional Development in HR underscores growth: Recruiters look for continuous learning, so this section includes HR certifications, workshops, and further education pertinent to the director level.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your strategic HR initiatives and how they have positively impacted the organisations you've worked for, showcasing your ability to align HR with business goals.
- Demonstrate your leadership experience by detailing how you have successfully managed HR teams, developed talent, and fostered a constructive work environment.
- Include specific examples of innovative HR policies you've implemented that have improved employee engagement, retention, or organisational culture.
- Detail your experience with change management, particularly how you have led organisational restructuring or navigated mergers and acquisitions from an HR perspective.
- Emphasise your proficiency in HR analytics and how you have used data-driven insights to inform decisions, improve processes, or measure the impact of HR initiatives.
Recommended reads:
Tips and tricks on writing a job-winning hr director CV header
The CV header is the space which most recruiters would be referring most often to, in the beginning and end of your application. That is as the CV header includes your contact details, but also a headline and a professional photo. When writing your CV header:
- Double-check your contact details for spelling errors or if you've missed any digits. Also, ensure you've provided your personal details, and not your current work email or telephone number;
- Include your location in the form of the city and country you live in. If you want to be more detailed, you can list your full address to show proximity to your potential work place;
- Don't include your CV photo, if you're applying for roles in the UK or US, as this may bias initial recruiters' assessments;
- Write a professional headline that either integrates the job title, some relevant industry keywords, or your most noteworthy achievement.
In the next part of our guide, we'll provide you with professional CVs that showcase some of the best practices when it comes to writing your headline.
Examples of good CV headlines for hr director:
- Senior HR Director | Strategic Workforce Planning | CIPD Certified | 20+ Years Leadership Experience
- HR Director | Employee Engagement Specialist | HR Technology | 15 Years Progressive Experience
- Global HR Director | MSc Human Resources | Organisational Development | 18 Years in HR Management
- HR Director | Talent Acquisition & Retention | Change Management | 22 Years Industry Expertise
- HR Director | Equality & Diversity Champion | Performance Improvement | 12 Years Senior HR Roles
- Chartered HR Director | Leadership Coaching | Cultural Transformation | Over 25 Years HR Excellence
Your hr director CV introduction: selecting between a summary and an objective
hr director candidates often wonder how to start writing their resumes. More specifically, how exactly can they use their opening statements to build a connection with recruiters, showcase their relevant skills, and spotlight job alignment. A tricky situation, we know. When crafting you hr director CV select between:
- A summary - to show an overview of your career so far, including your most significant achievements.
- An objective - to show a conscise overview of your career dreams and aspirations.
Find out more examples and ultimately, decide which type of opening statement will fit your profile in the next section of our guide:
CV summaries for a hr director job:
The best formula for your hr director CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Strategically aligned HR functions with organisational goals, leading to a 20% improvement in employee engagement and retention rates over a 3-year period.
- Implemented a talent management system that increased efficiency in recruiting processes and reduced time-to-hire by 30%, enhancing workforce planning capabilities.
- Oversaw the successful negotiation and renewal of the company's employee benefits scheme, resulting in a 10% cost reduction while maintaining high coverage levels.
- Developed and executed comprehensive learning and development programmes, increasing leadership capacity and supporting career progression pathways for high-potential staff.
- Led a company-wide diversity and inclusion initiative, which raised minority representation in leadership roles by 15% and fostered an inclusive corporate culture.
- Managed HR due diligence and integration for two major acquisitions, ensuring smooth transitions and maintaining a 95% employee retention rate post-merger.
- Championed the use of HR analytics and data-driven decision-making, which reduced labour costs by 8% and improved workforce productivity by identifying key performance drivers.
- Revamped performance management systems to focus on continuous feedback and goals alignment, leading to a 25% decrease in staff turnover.
- Facilitated a transformation in the HR department by introducing agile methodologies, which shortened the time for rolling out new HR initiatives by 40% and enhanced team collaboration.
Work Experience
Director of Human Resources
Pearson Plc
07/2018-Ongoing
- Led the restructuring of the HR department to streamline hiring processes, shortening the average recruitment cycle by 25% while maintaining quality of hires.
- Implemented a new performance management system that aligned employee objectives with business goals, increasing productivity by 18% in the first year.
- Designed and executed a leadership development program that nurtured internal talent, resulting in 10 employees being promoted to managerial positions.
Work Experience
Head of Human Resources
Sainsbury’s
05/2015-06/2018
- Developed a robust talent acquisition strategy that reduced turnover by 20% and filled critical roles with high-calibre candidates.
- Overhauled compensation and benefits packages, which directly improved employee satisfaction scores by 35% and positioned the company better against market competitors.
- Initiated and led a workforce diversity program, enriching the organizational culture and increasing diversity hires by 50%.
Work Experience
Human Resources Director
British Airways
03/2012-04/2015
- Managed the successful integration of HR systems following a merger, ensuring a smooth transition for 3,000+ employees with zero downtime in critical HR services.
- Created an employee wellness initiative that decreased absenteeism by 15% and improved employee morale and productivity.
- Negotiated with unions to implement flexible working policies, which increased employee retention by 22% and enhanced employer branding.
Work Experience
Senior HR Executive
Barclays Bank UK
11/2009-02/2012
- Spearheaded a digital transformation of the HR function, adopting cloud-based HRIS and ATS systems, reducing manual work by 30% and improving data accuracy.
- Implemented a company-wide upskilling program that closed 95% of the critical skill gaps identified in the workforce analysis.
- Engaged in strategic workforce planning that supported company expansion and a 20% increase in staff, without compromising on talent quality.
Work Experience
HR Leadership Director
GlaxoSmithKline
01/2017-12/2021
- Boosted employee engagement by launching an advanced analytics dashboard, revealing key insights that led to a 40% uplift in engagement metrics.
- Orchestrated a GDPR compliance program for all HR-related data processing activities, ensuring 100% adherence to legal requirements.
- Drove cultural transformation initiatives that bolstered an open and inclusive work environment, achieving a top 10 position in the 'Best Places to Work' rankings.
Work Experience
HR Department Director
Unilever
06/2019-Ongoing
- Championed advanced HR analytics to inform C-level decision-making, contributing to a 10% year-over-year growth through strategic talent management.
- Collaborated with IT to develop proprietary workforce planning tools, enabling the company to anticipate talent needs and reduce hiring costs by 30%.
- Cultivated a continuous improvement culture within the HR department, which saw a 15% increase in process efficiency annually.
Work Experience
Chief HR Officer
HSBC Bank UK
08/2016-11/2019
- Spearheaded the transition to a modern HR business partner model, which aligned HR initiatives with business units resulting in streamlined operations across the board.
- Facilitated advanced training programs, addressing key leadership gaps and propelling the company to exceed productivity targets by 12%.
- Implemented a succession planning framework that identified and prepared high-potential employees for future leadership roles, securing organizational sustainability.
Work Experience
HR Strategy Director
Vodafone UK
02/2013-05/2016
- Directed a company-wide HR transformation project, integrating collaborative technologies that improved cross-functional team engagement by 20%.
- Revitalized the employer brand strategy, which amplified the company's market presence and drew in 25% more qualified applicants.
- Introduced an innovative benefits scheme that was pivotal in decreasing annual turnover by 17%, retaining key personnel in a competitive industry.
Lacking professional expertise: how to write your CV to highlight your best talents
Don't count on your lucky stars when you're applying for a role, where you happen to have less (or almost none) professional experience. Recruiters sometimes do hire inexperienced candidates if they're able to present their unique value from the get-go. So, instead of opting for the traditional, CV experience section:
- List any applicable expertise you happen to have - no matter if it's a part-time job, internship, or volunteer work. This would hint to recruiters that your profile is relevant;
- Focus your CV on your transferrable skills or talents you've obtained thanks to your whole life and work experience. In effect, you'll be spotlighting your value as a candidate;
- Separate more space for your applicable academic background and certificates to show you have the technical know-how;
- Ensure that within your objective, you've defined why you'll like the job and how you'll be the perfect match for it. Always ensure you've tailored your CV to individual applications.
Looking for more good examples for your first job? We'll show you how other candidates, with less professional experience, have created their job-winning CVs.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills
Your hr director CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:
- Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware). List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
- People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems. Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.
Top skills for your hr director CV:
HARD SKILLS
Talent Management
Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
Performance Management
Labour Law Compliance
Benefits Administration
Employee Relations
Recruitment & Staffing
Workforce Planning
Training & Development
HR Policy Formulation
SOFT SKILLS
Leadership
Strategic Thinking
Communication
Interpersonal Skills
Problem-Solving
Adaptability
Negotiation
Empathy
Teamwork
Decision Making
PRO TIP
Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
Your university degree and certificates: an integral part of your hr director CV
Let's take you back to your uni days and decide what information will be relevant for your hr director CV. Once more, when discussing your higher education, select only information that is pertinent to the job (e.g. degrees and projects in the same industry, etc.). Ultimately, you should:
- List only your higher education degrees, alongside start and graduation dates, and the university name;
- Include that you obtained a first degree for diplomas that are relevant to the role, and you believe will impress recruiters;
- Showcase relevant coursework, projects, or publications, if you happen to have less experience or will need to fill in gaps in your professional history.
PRO TIP
Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
Recommended reads:
Key takeaways
What matters most in your hr director CV-writing process is for you to create a personalised application. One that matches the role and also showcases your unique qualities and talents.
- Use the format to supplement the actual content, to stand out, and to ensure your CV experience is easy to comprehend and follows a logic;
- Invest time in building a succinct CV top one third. One that includes a header (with your contact details and headline), a summary or an objective statement (select the one that best fits your experience), and - potentially - a dedicated skills section or achievements (to fit both hard skills and soft skills requirements);
- Prioritise your most relevant (and senior) experience closer to the top of your CV. Always ensure you're following the "power verb, skill, and achievement" format for your bullets;
- Integrate both your technical and communication background across different sections of your CV to meet the job requirements;
- List your relevant education and certificates to fill in gaps in your CV history and prove to recrutiers you have relevant technical know-how.
