Supporting employees has been named as the top reason for why people like working in HR, with recruiting new employees and growing the business a close second.
New research by HR, payroll and benefits software provider Ciphr, found half (50%) of HR decision-makers agree that supporting employees was a key element in enjoying their jobs, while a further 47% cited hiring new employees and growing the business as their favourite aspect.
Helping to improve workplace productivity and efficiency, and working with nice colleagues, were also important factors for two-fifths of respondents (selected by 40% and 39% respectively).
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Other popular aspects of the job revealed by the survey were those that prioritised making work better, such as supporting good employment practices and ensuring legal compliance (37%), solving problems (36%), and helping to create a good working culture (34%).
Ciphr’s findings suggested that most HR professionals enjoyed the important work they did. When asked to share which aspects, if any, they liked most about working in HR, only one person out of the 300 consulted opted for “none”. While some parts of the role may be more enjoyable than others, 90% of respondents could name three or more favourite things about their job (on average, they picked six).
For about one third of those surveyed, what they liked most was the sense of achievement and job satisfaction that their work provided (35%), as well as a good work-life balance (33%). A similar number (32%) were most happy to know that their work contributed to business success.
Opinions on HR pay, interestingly, are a bit more mixed. Only around a quarter (28%) selected competitive pay or a good salary as one of the main reasons why they like working in HR (ranking it in 16th place).
Ciphr found the top 10 reasons why people in HR most like their jobs were:
• Supporting employees: 50% of HR professionals surveyed
• Hiring new employees and growing the business: 47%
• Helping to improve workplace productivity and efficiency: 40%
• The people they work with: 39%
• Supporting good employment practices and ensuring legal compliance: 37%
• Solving problems: 36%
• It gives them job satisfaction: 35%
• Helping to create a positive and inclusive working culture: 34%
• Good work-life balance: 33%
• Supporting business success: 32%
Job aspects that didn’t quite make the top 15, besides pay, include the variety or versatility of the HR role (28%), transforming business processes (26%), and informing strategic decision-making (25%).
Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, said the poll underlined the importance of HR to organisations: “You can have the best strategy, products, or technology but without engaged, high-performing people, success is never sustainable. And HR sits at the heart of this – shaping cultures, enabling leadership, and driving the right talent strategies to unlock potential.”
Ciphr’s director of people, Karen Lough, added: “There’s something incredibly powerful about how a single learning moment, a new skill, or a well-timed coaching conversation can shift someone’s perspective, boost their confidence, or even change the trajectory of their career. Knowing that what I do can help someone feel more capable, inspired, or supported in their role is what drives me every day.”
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