So You Want to Be a Director of HR in Local Government? Here’s What You Need to Know

Stepping into the role of Director of Human Resources in local government is not just a career move it is a commitment to shaping the future of public service. It is a role that demands more than operational competence; it requires strategic foresight, emotional intelligence, political acumen, and a deep understanding of the complex challenges facing councils today. The local government workforce is vast and diverse. As of June 2025, there were approximately 1.97 million people employed in local government across the UK a figure that has declined by 1.1 per cent over the past year, reflecting ongoing structural changes and financial pressures on councils. At the same time, the sector is grappling with a recruitment and retention crisis. Only 45 per cent of local government leaders believe their organisation is effective at attracting talent, and just 40 per cent feel their senior leadership is good at motivating staff.

This is the environment you are stepping into. It is one where the expectations placed on HR leaders have never been higher, and where the margin for error is increasingly narrow. The Director of HR is no longer a back-office functionary. You are expected to be a strategic partner to the Chief Executive, a trusted adviser to elected members, and a visible leader of organisational culture and transformation. Pam Parkes, President of the Public Services People Managers Association (PPMA), puts it plainly:

“HR should be central to transformation planning, working alongside finance from the outset to ensure that organisational design supports both financial sustainability and workforce capability.”

To be ready for this role, you must be fluent in the language of change. You must understand how to lead through uncertainty, how to build trust in a climate of low morale, and how to use data to drive decisions that improve outcomes for both staff and residents. You must also be prepared to challenge the status quo. As Parkes continues:

“If we were designing local government from scratch today, it would not look or function the way it currently does. Much of what exists has been shaped by incremental change rather than a fundamental reimagination. HR has a responsibility to demand that organisations wipe the slate clean and transform by fundamentally doing something different to meet future demands.”

The statistics are sobering. A 2024 survey by the Social Market Foundation and the Chartered Management Institute found that only 67 per cent of local government leaders believe their senior leadership is effective, and 56 per cent say their organisation fails to ensure accountability for poor performance. Meanwhile, 69 per cent of managers report that critical obstacles such as bureaucracy, underfunding, and skills shortages are preventing them from doing their jobs effectively.

In this context, the Director of HR must be a catalyst for renewal. You are not just managing policies and procedures; you are shaping the workforce of the future. You are the architect of inclusive cultures, the guardian of employee wellbeing, and the driver of leadership development. You are the person who ensures that the council is not only legally compliant but also a great place to work. This blog will explore three key areas:

1. What you need to know to be ready – the skills, knowledge, and mindset required to step into the role.

2. What to focus on from day one – the priorities that will set the tone for your leadership.

3. What to avoid – the common pitfalls that can derail even the most talented HR leaders.

Whether you are a current HR Business Partner with your sights set on the top job, or a senior leader considering a move into local government, this guide is designed to help you prepare for the challenge and the opportunity of a lifetime.

1. What You Need to Know to Be Ready

a. Master the Core Competencies

To lead HR in a local authority, you must be more than a policy expert you need to be a strategic leader, a data translator, and a cultural architect. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), through its Profession Map and People Impact Tool, outlines the essential capabilities for HR leaders in local government. These include:

• Strategic workforce planning: Aligning people strategies with long-term service delivery goals.

• Change management: Leading transformation in complex, politically sensitive environments.

• Employee relations and conflict resolution: Navigating union relationships and fostering a culture of trust.

• Organisational development: Designing structures and systems that support agile, resilient services.

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership: Embedding inclusive practices that reflect the communities councils serve.

• Financial literacy: Managing multi-million-pound budgets and demonstrating value for money.

• Digital fluency: Leveraging AI, automation, and people analytics to drive smarter decisions.

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The CIPD’s People Impact Tool, developed in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA), helps councils benchmark their HR capabilities against national standards and identify areas for growth. It focuses on three pillars: people capability, business impact, and future readiness all of which are critical for aspiring HR Directors. As the Civil Service HR Career Framework notes,

“Our collective approach to building professional capability is fundamental to our continuous development… especially in environments that are volatile, uncertain, complex and with high degrees of ambiguity.”

b. Understand the Business of Local Government

You are not just managing people you are enabling public service delivery. HR is the engine room of transformation, and your ability to influence outcomes depends on your understanding of the broader system. As one HR Director put it:

“The HR Director is not a position where ‘wordless understanding’ is enough… HR must be able to convincingly explain that it is the staff who are the link between departments and the key to solving business problems.”

This means understanding the political context, the financial pressures, and the statutory responsibilities that shape council priorities. It also means being able to speak the language of elected members and senior officers translating people data into strategic insight.

Digital transformation is a key part of this. According to a 2025 report by P3OD, only 16 per cent of public sector employees use digital tools to their full potential, and 67 per cent of council staff have basic or no Excel skills. As an HR leader, you must champion digital upskilling and ensure your team is equipped to harness data for workforce planning, engagement, and performance management.

3. What to Avoid

a. Being Reactive Instead of Proactive

One of the most common pitfalls for new HR Directors in local government is waiting to be invited into transformation conversations, rather than asserting a strategic role from the outset. According to Pam Parkes, President of the Public Services People Managers Association (PPMA):

“Historically, HR has been brought in after key decisions are made, tasked with implementing workforce changes rather than shaping them. This is a significant missed opportunity.”

To avoid this, HR leaders must position themselves as architects of change, not just administrators of it. That means being at the table when decisions are made about service redesign, digital transformation, and financial planning not just when it’s time to implement redundancies or restructure teams.

b. Underestimating the Emotional Toll of Change

Change fatigue is real and it is rife across the sector. After more than a decade of austerity, pandemic pressures, and now the demands of local government reorganisation, many staff are emotionally and professionally exhausted. The 2024 Local Government Association Workforce Strategy Survey found that 32 per cent of councils reported stress, depression, anxiety, mental health issues, and fatigue as the leading causes of sickness absence. This is a stark reminder that transformation without care can come at a human cost. Only 41 per cent of council leaders feel confident in their organisation’s ability to manage large-scale change effectively. This lack of confidence is not just about systems or structures it’s about people, culture, and leadership.

As Lizzie Henson, founder of HR Ninjas, wisely notes:

“Having data is one thing, doing something with it is another, but communicating what you have done with it and being transparent about the action you’ve taken is an important way for an organisation to build trust.”

Prioritising psychological safety, open communication, and visible leadership is essential. Staff need to feel heard, supported, and valued especially during periods of uncertainty.

c. Ignoring the Power of Data

In today’s environment, HR cannot afford to operate on instinct alone. The Local Government Association’s Better Use of Data Programme is helping councils build data maturity, improve performance management, and adopt predictive analytics to inform workforce decisions.

As an HR Director, you should be using data to:

• Track engagement and attrition trends across departments and demographics.

• Measure the impact of wellbeing initiatives, such as flexible working or mental health support.

• Forecast future workforce needs, particularly in areas with ageing staff or hard-to-fill roles.

The LGA’s data maturity assessment tool and access to the ONS Data Science Campus are just two of the many resources available to help you build a data-informed culture.

Final Thoughts: HR as a Force for Good

The role of Human Resources in local government is undergoing a profound transformation. No longer confined to the realms of compliance, policy enforcement, and transactional processes, HR is now recognised as a strategic driver of organisational success. At its best, HR is the heartbeat of a council shaping culture, enabling leadership, and ensuring that the workforce is equipped, supported, and inspired to deliver for communities.

This shift is not just desirable it is essential. Councils are navigating a perfect storm of financial constraint, rising demand, digital disruption, and shifting public expectations. In this context, the HR Director is uniquely placed to lead with purpose, to challenge outdated systems, and to embed values that reflect the diversity and complexity of modern Britain. As Dr Marna van der Merwe of the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) puts it:

“HR has the potential to truly be a force for good that makes a positive impact on organisations and societies if we have the courage to step up to the challenge.”

That challenge is not for the faint-hearted. It requires resilience, vision, and a deep commitment to people. But it also offers extraordinary rewards. As a Director of HR, you have the opportunity to influence not just how your organisation works, but how it feels to work there. You can be the catalyst for inclusive leadership, the architect of a thriving culture, and the champion of every employee’s potential. If you are ready to lead with integrity, to put people at the heart of public service, and to help shape the future of local government, then the role of Director of HR could be your next great chapter.