Almost a quarter (23%) of personnel professionals are seeking to move jobs, and 13% have changed job within the last twelve months. The offer of an interesting, challenging and responsible role was the main attraction to their new role, according to the latest reward survey of personnel professionals from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in association with Croner Reward.

The survey, based on nearly 8,000 HR professionals in over 1,400 organisations, also finds the main reason for seeking to move jobs is lack of promotion prospects (28%).

Charles Cotton, CIPD Reward and Recognition Adviser, says:

"These findings support CIPD's HR Careers Survey which found staying in one organisation is seen as a significant barrier to career progression. It is clear that personnel professionals want a career where there is scope for development and progression, together with opportunities to fully utilise their skills.

"It is important to get the pay and rewards right, as well as the non-financial benefits. Organisations need to take all of these factors into account, thinking about how to build and retain talent, while satisfying both the needs of the organisation and employees."

Organisation size:

• Over a third (39%) of employees who now work for small organisations moved for a better work-life balance.
  
  
• Personnel directors in larger organisations (4,001-10,000 employees) earn 50% more than their counterparts in organisations of fewer than 100 employees.
  
  
• A head of Personnel in a large company earns almost £27,000 more than one working in a small organisation

Earnings by job sector:

• Personnel directors in the private sector are paid an average of £65,000
  
  
• Personnel directors in the public sector are paid an average of £59,500
  
  
• Personnel directors in the voluntary sector are paid an average of £53,000
  
  
• Personnel directors in the manufacturing sector are paid an average of £67,500
  
  
• Personnel professionals in the construction industry and transport sector have seen some of the highest pay rises averaging 3.7%.
  
  
• Pay rise expectations are highest in the private services sector, with 16% of them forecasting a 5% pay rise.

Vivienne Copeland, Director of Client Services at Croner Reward adds:

"The survey results indicate quite wide variations in how personnel professionals are valued and rewarded across different sectors, regions and types of organisations. With the level of labour turnover in the profession, employers need to be well informed in all aspects of pay and recognition in order to recruit and retain the right people for their business."

CIPD adds value:

• Senior HR professionals can expect to earn up to £4,000 more a year in recognition of their CIPD qualification and membership.

Other key findings:

• Reward Managers remain the highest paid specialism within the personnel profession. But the gap between their pay and other specialisms has closed - senior reward managers earn 21% above the average for a senior manager in comparison to 32% in 2004.
  
  
• Senior personnel professionals with responsibility outside the UK can earn a premium of up to 32%.
  
  
• Overall bonuses received last year by personnel professionals averaged 7% with a range of 3% to 14%.
  
  
• Over a quarter (28%) of personnel directors in the private sector are eligible for an incentive plan.
  
  
• Generally, the higher the job level, the higher the bonus, with Personnel Directors receiving, on average, £9,600 (14% of their basic salary) as a bonus. Bonuses are slightly higher in the private sector at £10,000.
  
  
• While the majority of organisations (97%) offer a pension scheme, only 61% of these are now defined benefit schemes, compared with 90% in 1994.
  
  
• 82% of personnel professionals have contracted hours of 35-37.5 hours, but 46% of professionals work more than these hours (34% work 40-45 hours and 11% work up to 60 hours a week).
  
  
• 68% of personnel professionals rate their job satisfaction as good or excellent. This rises to 80% in the not for profit sector.
  
  
• 67% of personnel professionals feel they have good or excellent job security. This rises to 73% in the voluntary sector.

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