HR Leadership Development: Human Resource Informational Interview

about leadership is to learn from conversations with, and observations of, practicing leaders. This
balances academic theory with the practical applications of experienced human resource leaders.
Note: You are not required to complete this assessment before Assessment 3, however insights gained
from this assessment are expected to inform Assessment 3. Therefore, it is recommended you complete
this assessment before Assessment 3. Introduction Learning from others is a key tool in the development of leaders. While textbooks and publications can
advise you, they cannot replace the experiential information from others. The focus of this assessment is
understanding leadership from the human resource perspective. In this assessment, you will conduct an
informational interview with a human resource professional and write a paper discussing your findings
from that interview. The assessment focuses on understanding their perspectives on the human
resource leadership role and evaluating the information obtained from this interview as you consider
your approach to human resource leadership. Scenario You work in the Human Resources department and your goal is to be promoted to higher levels of
leadership in the human resource profession. In order to understand how you need to develop your
skills for advanced leadership positions, you decide to conduct an informational interview with a human
resource leader. Leadership Development Challenge For this leadership development challenge, you will conduct an informational interview that focuses on
a human resource leader whose primary role is being a strategic partner to people and organizations
from a human resource capacity. This interview will balance the academic theories addressed in
Assessment 1 with the practical applications of experienced human resource leaders. Your quest for the practical side of human resource leadership should include the following elements:
• Learn about a human resource leader’s role and the challenges and opportunities they face as a
leader and as a manager.
• Analyze the ways in which a leader influences people and organizations as a strategic partner. After conducting your interview, you will summarize your findings and incorporate ideas from your
interview into your personal understanding of leadership. Instructions

Conduct an informational interview with a human resource professional in which you explore the
leadership side of human resources. Write a 4–5 page paper that outlines your informational interview with a human resource leader.
Explain the leader’s role and unique perspectives of human resource leadership. You will also analyze
how this advises you on your own perspectives of being an effective human resource leader. Your paper
should be well organized and cover the following elements.
• Introduction.
• Describe the leader’s position and role in the human resource function.
• Examine the leader’s philosophy and approach for being an effective leader and strategic
partner. Be sure your interview covers the following facets of leadership and management:
o The challenges and opportunities of the interviewee as a human resource leader and
how that differs from their role as a human resource manager.
o The leader’s approach to influencing people and organizations as a strategic partner.
o The leader’s advice for being an effective leader.
• Analyze how the leader applies leadership theories to support human resource outcomes. Be
sure to cover the following elements:
o How theories of leadership did or could apply to the interviewee’s role and
responsibilities.
o How theories of leadership resonate with you after the interview.
• Analyze how key interview findings inform your own personal philosophy of human resource
leadership.
o How do insights from the interview connect to your own leadership behavior?
o How do insights from the interview impact your leadership development journey?
• Conclusion. Additional Requirements
• Length: 4–5 typed, double-spaced pages, plus the cover and resources pages.
o The first page should be a cover sheet with your name, the course number, assessment
title, and date. No other information is required on this page.
o The last page should be the reference list.
• Organization: Make sure your assessment writing is well organized, using headings and
subheadings to organize content for the reader.
• Resources: Use 2–3 references and include both trade publications and peer-reviewed articles
to support your assertions with data and/or in-text citations.

• APA formatting: Resources and in-text citations are formatted according to current APA style
and formatting.
• Written communication:
o Develop flow with organizational tactics which recognize relationship between the main
topic and subtopics. Review the HR Leadership Development: Human Resource Informational Interview Scoring Guide prior
to submitting to ensure you have met the requirements of the assessment. Competencies Measured By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following
course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Apply leadership and management theories and models to inform human
resource leadership practices.
o Analyze how a leader applies leadership theories to support human resource outcomes.
• Competency 2: Assess strengths and personal leadership capabilities to inform development as
a human resource leader.
o Analyze how key interview findings inform your personal philosophy of human resource
leadership.
• Competency 3: Analyze ways in which human resource leaders build trust and relationships to
create influence in the workplace.
o Describe the leader’s position and role in the human resource function.
o Examine the leader’s philosophy and approach for being an effective leader and
strategic partner.
• Competency 4: Communicate professionally through writing that is organized and supported
and that clearly conveys intended information.
o Develop flow with organizational tactics that recognize relationship between the main
topic and subtopics.