HR is supposed to design career paths. So why are its own so unclear?

A new survey of thousands of HR practitioners conducted by HR Certification Institute reveals a profession at a crossroads. The data points to a lack of clarity around career progression and a growing willingness among HR professionals to walk away.

More than a quarter of respondents (26%) say they have no clear career path. Another 41% report that while there is a sense of direction, it is not well-defined. Forty-one percent say they are considering careers outside of HR, and more than half have looked for another job in the past year.

For a function tasked with designing career frameworks, succession plans, and leadership pipelines for the rest of the organization, the irony is hard to ignore. HR often architects others’ growth, yet it seems to be struggling to map its own.

The findings reflect what many call an identity crisis in the field. HR has shifted fast—from compliance work to a strategic partner in culture and workforce planning. But the internal scaffolding of HR has not always kept pace.

Research from groups like the Academy to Innovate HR and the Society for Human Resource Management supports the trend. Career pathing consistently ranks among HR leaders’ top concerns.

One major challenge is the generalist-versus-specialist trap. Early in their careers, many HR professionals land in narrow roles like payroll, benefits, compliance, which are operational and transactional. Such positions that demand administrative depth often don’t build the consultative credibility needed to become an HR business partner, which uses a different skill set. Without a deliberate bridge, many get stuck.

There is also a legacy perception problem. For decades, HR was viewed as a cost center rather than a revenue driver. In functions like sales or operations, success is tied to quantifiable output. HR’s impact, while significant, can be harder to measure in straightforward financial terms. Promotions can feel subjective rather than milestone-based, reinforcing the sense that career progression lacks transparency.

Structure compounds the issue. HR teams are often lean. In a midsize company, there may be only one HR director or chief people officer. Without layers between manager and executive, upward mobility is limited. The next rung may not exist unless someone leaves. For ambitious practitioners, the only way up may be changing companies or careers.

Burnout has also intensified. Since 2020, HR teams have handled the pandemic, workplace safety, remote work transitions, social justice, layoffs, and return-to-office demands. Many describe emotional strain that almost reaches the point of empathy fatigue. The fact that 41% may leave HR could stem from exhaustion rather than just restlessness.

Despite these challenges, there are signs the profession is evolving.

One emerging bright spot is people analytics. Data fluency has become a differentiator, with HR leaders who can translate workforce trends into business insights gaining influence. Jobs in workforce analytics and talent intelligence barely existed a decade ago. Today, they are among the fastest-growing areas within HR.

The senior HR role is also shifting. The modern chief people officer increasingly sits alongside the CEO as a strategic advisor on culture, succession, and organizational design. While historically few HR leaders ascended to the CEO seat, examples like Mary Barra—who began her career in HR before becoming CEO of General Motors—or Chanel’s CEO, Leena Nair, who was formerly Unilever’s CHRO, illustrate that the ceiling is not as fixed as it once appeared.

Practitioners facing uncertainty may want to avoid focusing only on climbing the ladder. Instead, they can make lateral moves across recruiting, learning and development, compensation, and talent strategy. This helps build a T-shaped skill set: broad exposure with deep knowledge in one area. In a flatter organization, such versatility is valuable.

The survey data make clear that HR professionals are craving structure, visibility, and stability in their own careers. Organizations that fail to provide clearer pathways risk losing the very leaders responsible for cultivating talent across the enterprise.

Ruth Umoh
Editor, C-suite and Leadership
ruth.umoh@fortune.com

This newsletter was compiled by Kristin Stoller.

Around the Table

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