THE STATE OF THE
Human Resource
Profession in Australia
2022 Report
The human resource (HR) profession in Australia has faced many challenges and crises. Most recently the COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the profession. The purpose of this research was to examine the current state of the profession through understanding how HR now operates and the emerging issues for professional practice.
This report is a part of a broader project that compares the current state of the HR profession with previous data collections since the 1940s.
The research was conducted with researchers from Deakin University, University of South Australia, Swinburne University and RMIT University, with the support of the Australian HR Institute (AHRI).
Method:
The survey was distributed to the AHRI member database via email and circulated through other HR practitioner social media channels during April-June 2022. The survey was developed as a contemporised version of a previous State of the Profession Report, which was initially run in 1985, and again in 1995 and 2006,1 building on studies conducted each decade since the 1940s. The survey captured the current state and future concerns for the profession, and it will allow us to chart the evolution of the HR profession. The sample included both HR practitioners and consultants.
The survey and methods were approved by the Deakin University Faculty of Business and Law Ethics Committee.
We distinguished between HR practitioners and consultants with different items. No forced choice questions. Scale totals could exceed 100% as respondents could select multiple answers.
Demographics:
In this sample 88.9% identified as HR practitioners and 11.1% identified as HR consultants (Table 1). The gender profile of the sample included 81.9% women, 15.8% men, 0.5% trans/non-binary/other2, and 1.8% chose not to disclose.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Julie McNamara
Media Specialist, Mahlab
[email protected]
0419 595 688
