Managing the careers of employees is becoming an increasingly important part of the HR agenda - but how well are you managing your own? By Rob Hyde.

However, after having spent most of their careers focusing on other workers, few HR managers are now taking time to consider how they can best manage and advance their own careers.

According to HR managers throughout Europe, acting upon the need for a change within the sector, will secure career advancement for HR workers.

Antoine Willems is the manager of HR management company Plasa International, the Holland based division of the Plasa Group which manages major IT clients such as Hewlett-Packard, Arthur & Arthur International Services, and Computer Futures.

She says: "To fast-track their own career, Human Resources managers really need to study the market. If they are not up to date, they can't offer what is desired, and what is desired is required."

However, while all HR managers need to be aware of other HR trends throughout the world, Willems says the Netherlands HR market in particular desperately needs to find a way of 'bringing together' staff.

"I really favour the US-style philosophy that a company should function as one body, not a collection of departments. Everyone should be involved — from administration to management".

According to Willems, HR departments in Holland in particular must actively encourage 'brainstorming' on strategy ideas.

However, she says this should not only focus on how the company can be best placed in the market to serve the customer, but also, how attractive it will appear to an employee.

She says: "Companies will lose knowledge and also staff if people don't feel that they have a significant input."

"We have to bring people in and get them involved. HR managers must, must listen to their workers and then act upon what they hear."

Willems says the Netherlands HR industry is "small, slow, dominated by administration staff" and focuses far too much on making money.

"As a result, the innovative ideas and sources of creativity are coming from other countries, especially the United Kingdom."

"Many HR departments in IT companies in Holland either come from the UK or work closely with IT."

"Approximately 80 percent of our telecommunications and IT-related work comes from there, and many like Phillips and IBM send workers from the UK over here - Dutch clients just can't get the staff in Holland. I really think the UK is leading Europe in HR thinking."

However, not all senior HR staff share this view, even including those based in the UK. Manpower is a recruitment agency with 3,700 offices in 59 different countries.

Head of HR in the London office, Daniel Kismar, says the best way to secure a fast-move up the HR ranks, is a business mindset.

"Innovation and creativity are always greatly needed anywhere, and the UK is a great source of fresh ideas and good ground to develop this."

"But this just does not mean you can be airy-fairy about HR. The days of the old 'blue rinse'-style HR are gone and frankly you simply won't get far by entering the industry just armed with a vague 'I like working with people' attitude".

"HR is part of the company, it's about doing business and HR staff need to see themselves not as pen-pushers but as business generators. It's a crucial difference, and an approach that has to be in place."

Other practical steps HR workers should take to secure a successful career in Human Resources include developing an area of specialisation, along with working abroad.

Kismar says there are three magic ingredients essential to becoming a successful HR manager.

"Having a general basis of experience - ie at least two years."

"Then establishing a field of expertise - I would recommend compensation and benefits."

"And finally, getting some overseas experience. Having worked abroad is very impressive, as it brings in new expertise to the company, but also demonstrates an ability to entertain other methods."

At the moment the UK is a great place for Human Resources because of the innovation and creativity being brought in from workers returning from abroad, and it's a great place to develop new ideas."

UK-based Opus Trust in Ashford, employs staff for its IT division, Opus Systems.

The company, which intends to expand overseas, also has two French employees who live and work in France providing IT consultancy to French and other European countries.

Human resources manager Rebecca Chamberlain says British HR managers still have lots of work to do to convince high forces that HR is something that needs to be considered more importantly.

"Obviously, non-thrilling aspects such as administration need to be done, and done well, but they don't have to dominate HR, there are also areas such as retention, and recruitment which enters into areas of strategy."

"This is what HR should be about - making decisions that influence the future of the company".

However she recognises that this is not always easy, especially as it ultimately HR that has to work on long-terms goals in order to win over the hearts of MDs and CEOs.

"HR manager who want to get ahead need to get onto the Board as soon as possible, or at least into a senior management position."

"When there, you still can't stop, however, you have to keep up to date with current employment legislation, demonstrate good project management skills and commercial awareness as well as strong technical knowledge."

"Finally, just because you are locally based does not mean you need no international HR experience - make sure to get as much as possible whenever possible. Get out there - be proactive and determined, and you'll be far more likely to move on up through the HR career ranks."