An Introduction to the HR Career Pathways and Opportunities Model
What is the HR Career Pathways and Opportunities Model?
The HR Career Pathways and Opportunities
Model is a web-based tool, that provides
career planning and development information
to HR professionals in government. This
information includes an illustration of the
representative positions and potential career
pathways within the HR Community. It also
specifies how HR professionals in government
can move from one role to another, and
progress in their careers.
The HR Career Pathways and Opportunities
Model is a key success through HR
professionals tool to be used in the career
development process for the HR Community.
It includes information to help HR
professionals complete their development
plans needed for their own growth and to
prepare for the annual HR Community Talent
Review.
The HR Career Pathways and Opportunities
Model can also be used by managers to help
support career planning and development within
their respective teams. The model has been
designed to help meet the development needs of
the HR Community as a whole and its individual
members.
The HR Career Pathways and Opportunities
Model also serves as a useful link between the
career development and performance management
processes. It provides concrete career related
information that can be used to set goals and
achieve career goals as well as ensure skill set and
competency growth within the HR Community.
Note: The HR Career Pathways and Opportunities Model does
not include roles in which the primary function is not HR in
nature, even though some core responsibilities may include
aspects of HR management and/or processes and requires some
knowledge in HR processes and/or management.
Strategic Overview
Corporate HR Plan
HR Community Vision and Values
HR Strategy for the HR Community
success through HR professionals
Building Capacity
HR Skills & Competencies
Talent Management
Career Management Philosophy
Performance
Management
Career
Development
Knowing What Is
Expected
Setting performance
targets and career
goals.
Career Path Model
Knowing What
You Want
Setting career and
development
goals.
Whenever possible, take one or more of your development
goals and incorporate it into your performance plan.
Using the Model
The following steps are provided to help you navigate through the process of using
the HR Career Pathways and Opportunities Model.
Step One:
Consultant
Step 3:
Understand your current role
requirements (role profile) and identify
any areas for development. Make these
areas for development a priority.
Step Two:
Use the HR Building
Blocks for the role you are
currently in or aspire to and
incorporate skill building and
competency enhancing
activities into
your development
and performance plans.
Manager
Become familiar with the desired
future role requirements (role profile)
including competencies associated
with the role.
Manager
Consultant
Role Profiles
Role profiles have been developed for representative roles in the HR Community. Each profile provides
the overall purpose of the role, representative activities, associated competencies, functional areas as well
as any training requirements or experience needed.
HR Consultant Role Profile
Level of Work:
Consultant
Overall Purpose:
The Human Resources Consultant is accountable to provide direction and advice within a specific
functional area or across several functional areas to internal clients in a portfolio of departments, agencies,
boards and commissions and external stakeholders.
Key Accountabilities:
Key Accountabilities
Representative
activities required of
the role.
•Assists line managers in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to
consistently exercise their human resource responsibility.
•Promotes compliance with all corporate and departmental programs in
accordance with legislation, regulations, collective agreements and policies
as they pertain to human resource management.
•Collaborates with other HR Consultants across various functional areas in
partnership with clients to achieve strategic and operational objectives.
•Offers innovative solutions to issues facing managers and
employees.
•Promotes fair, equitable and consistent human resource practices across
government that contributes to effective corporate, strategic and operational
outcomes.
•Provides feedback on corporate programs and policies based
on operational outcomes.
•Contributes to the effective management of client budgets and business
plans.
HR Professional Competencies
Client Orientation
Change Leadership
Effective Interactive Communication
D
C
C
Leadership Competencies
Strategic Orientation
Development of People
Team Leadership
Impact and Influence
Achievement Orientation
Self-Confidence
Relationship Building
Decisiveness
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
Functional Areas: An HR Consultant may specialize in one or two functional areas (specialist) or may have some skills,
knowledge and experience in several of the following areas:
Functional Areas
HR area specific
activities and
knowledge.
•Employee Relations
•Compensation and Classification
•Organization and Employee
Development
•Attraction and Retention
•Workplace Health and Safety
•Diversity Management
•Payroll and Benefits
•Research and Information
Management
Required Training and Experience:
Undergraduate degree, relevant professional designation (asset), with demonstrated HR knowledge and practice or an equivalent combination
of education, training and experience.
Required Training and Experience
Any education or training that is needed as well as
any experience required.
Title and Level of Work
Overall Purpose
Brief description of why
the role exists.
Competencies
The behavioural
competencies and levels
associated with the role
HR Career Building Blocks
Building Blocks have developed to
help you identify the competencies
you should be developing and the
opportunities you should be seeking
to be exposed to new challenges and
areas that relate to the role you aspire
to be in.
HR
Manager
Building Blocks are also useful for
anyone new to their role or who wish
to stay in their current role to identify
where they should be and if further
development may be required.
Breaking down the role.
The career milestones that
are key to success and how
these key pieces fit together.
Building
Blocks
You are encouraged to incorporate the Building Blocks
into your Development Plan to help achieve your career goals.
Be Creative, Be Proactive, Be Open
Building Blocks
Building Blocks career milestones are captured in a form that includes
space for you to outline your plans for development and record the
completion date
HR Manager
Building
Blocks
HR Professional Competencies Building Blocks
Building Blocks
3 Primary Blocks
HR Professional
Competencies
Be Creative, Be Proactive, Be Open
My Plans for Development
Progress
Client Orientation
Identified my clients’ expectations of me and shared my list with
my colleagues and manager and asked for feedback.
Client Orientation
Significantly increased the time I spent in client-related
activities that increased my knowledge of their business.
Leadership
Competencies
Change Leadership
Identified an opportunity to improve or change a current
function, process or procedure within my dept./work unit. Built
my business case for change by preparing a proposal.
Change Leadership
Got involved with a special interest group or cause that I find
important. Asked and watched for ways that the group gets
others involved in their cause.
Effective Interactive Communication
Practiced by giving speeches and making presentations.
HR Skills &
Knowledge
Effective Interactive Communication
Analyzed my audience before my presentations or meetings.
Be Creative, Be Proactive, Be Open
Each Primary Block is broken down into several blocks or
career milestones for that role.
Building Blocks
HR Professional
Competencies
Leadership
Competencies
HR Skills &
Knowledge
Competency Buildings Blocks
Provides the building blocks for the three HR
Community specific competencies and leadership
competencies to help you prepare for current role or
your desired move.
It is important to remember that these Building Block
do not represent the ongoing responsibilities of a job,
but rather a series of key accomplishments that will add
to your foundation of skills and competencies. Each
accomplishment can be completed, in other words each
has a beginning and an end.
HR Skills & Knowledge
These career milestones include special projects,
training, team/committee work and tasks that focus
on giving you experience in one or more areas of
HR management and would be directly linked to a
particular position on your chosen career pathway.
In addition to the Building Block, A Competency Development Resource Guide has been prepared for the HR
Community that provides development ideas and activities for each of the eight government wide leadership
competencies for MCP employees. It also includes development activities for the three HR Community specific
competencies: Client Orientation, Change Leadership and Effective Interactive Communication.
HR Community Competencies
The following three competencies have been identified for all HR roles in government.
•Client Orientation
•Change Leadership
•Effective Interactive Communication
In addition to these three competencies are the leadership competencies.
•Decisiveness
•Strategic Orientation
•Development of People
•Team Leadership
•Achievement Orientation
•Self-Confidence/Courage of Convictions
•Impact and Influence
•Relationship Building
For more information on the HR Career Pathways and Opportunities Model including:
Planning and Managing Your HR Career
In the Government of Nova Scotia
Using the HR Career Pathways
and Opportunities Model
Please go to www.gov.ns.ca/psc/HRProfessionals
Leadership Competencies
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Decisiveness is the ability to make decisions based on analysis of the information presented in
the face of ambiguous or conflicting situations, or when there is an associated risk.
Strategic Orientation is the ability to link long-range visions and concepts to daily work. It
implies the ability to think conceptually and to “see the big picture”.
Development of People involves working to develop people’s contribution and potential. Involves
a genuine intent to foster the long-term learning or development of others, including direct reports,
peers, team member or other staff.
Team Leadership is the intention to take a role as leader in a team or other group. Team
Leadership involves communicating a compelling vision and embodying the values of the Nova
Scotia Public Service.
Achievement Orientation involves working to achieve results and improve individual and
organizational contribution. Achievement Orientation is a concern for working well or for
surpassing a standard of excellence.
Self-Confidence/Courage of Convictions is a belief in one’s own capability as expressed in
increasingly challenging circumstances and confidence in one’s decisions or opinions, within the
framework of public interest, values and organizational integrity.
Impact and Influence implies an intention to persuade, convince, influence or impress others
(individuals or groups) in order to get them to go along with or to support the organization’s
direction.
Relationship Building involves the ability to develop contacts and relationships internal and
external to the organization to facilitate work efforts or to gain support/cooperation. It implies
building long term or on-going relationships with clients or stakeholders.