Future workforce | The Evolution of Job Titles in HR

I was recently approached on LinkedIn by an Evangelist. I suspiciously looked at their profile and was somewhat surprised to see that it wasn’t of a religious denomination, but an Evangelist for People & Culture. 

In effect, he was an Evangelist for the corporate HR world. In my twenty year recruitment career this was not something I’d come across before, but it made me smile and wonder about the culture of that business.

It also made me pay attention to the fact that there has been a real evolution of job titles in recent years. Language constantly evolves, so why shouldn’t it do so when it comes to the HR industry, and when did HR become a dirty word? In some circles it now receives the same negative reaction that Personnel did 10-15 years ago. The language used for job titles can be indicative of how people/talent/employees/colleagues are viewed by a business, but job titles can also be confusing to some, even when used in the more traditional sense. 

Last month I had a conversation with an HR professional from the US who didn’t understand where she should be pitching herself. There was real confusion about the interchangeability of Heads of HR, Senior HR Business Partners and HR Directors.  I review CVs and job descriptions all day long and I sometimes get it wrong too. I recently met an HR Business Partner whose salary was £175,000 but on paper I thought he was going to be on £100,000.  Given this, what hope is there for job seekers and the success of adverts?!