Abundance of opportunities in HR manager and business partner roles, research shows

Findings from recruitment agency Robert Half have revealed that the most in-demand roles in the HR profession have core HR and learning and development responsibilities.

High demand for HR-focused skills

Through its online survey, recruitment firm Robert Half explored the demand for HR-focused skills. The firm conducted its research in July 2025, collecting responses from 100 hiring managers in HR – drawn from Australian companies of varying sizes, such as SMEs, large private, publicly listed, and public sector organisations.

Its findings revealed that for roles with HR-focused responsibilities, roles with core human resources responsibilities (such as in HR management and HR business partner roles) had the greatest number of job opportunities (52 per cent), followed by roles with learning and development (45 per cent), AI and automation (41 per cent), leadership/management experience (40 per cent), recruitment (37 per cent), and compensation and benefits responsibilities (33 per cent).

Adapting to changes

Robert Half associate director Emma Sestic (pictured) said HR will continue to be increasingly crucial in organisational transformation.

Sestic said: “The focus will shift toward continuous learning, leveraging technology and AI, and developing leaders who can navigate change, creating workplaces that are adaptable, skilled, and future-ready.”

She said organisations need to “rethink how they attract, engage, and retain employees” to tackle the HR industry’s short talent supply.

“Hiring processes must become more agile, candidate-centric, and purpose-driven, while offering development opportunities and flexibility that set employers apart in a competitive market,” she said.