Dive Brief:

• Only 7% of midsize firms have an HR professional in the C-suite, according to a Namely survey. However, companies in the study with an HR C-suite member had an average Glassdoor rating of 3.84, higher than the sitewide 3.3 average. Namely collected responses from 1,000 companies.
• HR is the top career choice for women in leadership roles; 73% of C-suite HR leaders are women, compared with 43% in marketing and 27% in technology, per the report. Additionally, HR salaries flatten after three years; this suggests that job hopping can boost incomes, Namely says.
• The average salary for HR professionals is $98,048, with Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and California being the highest-paying states.

Dive Insight:

Namely suggests that companies with HR leadership have higher Glassdoor ratings —something to keep in mind, as other studies show job seekers are more likely to bypass organizations with low online ratings in their search.  

HR titles have changed through the decades from CHRO or manager to chief people officer, chief happiness officer, mood coordinator and even cultural evangelist. Employment specialists say those examples reflect not only title changes but also mindset changes in human capital management. HR pros are apparently on the front line of implementing strategies that emphasize humanity and employee engagement instead of viewing employees as simple assets.

Technology, a key aid for HR in achieving this more people-centric role, frees up professionals from some administrative tasks so that HR can carry out strategic goals, like adapting a changing workforce to new skill sets, introducing flexible work schedules and re-focusing recruitment methods.