Organizational Development Specialist Cover Image" />Organizational Development Specialist Cover Image" />
In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizational development specialists are extremely sought after because of their role in shaping an organization’s ability to improve operational efficiency through planned change – which is crucial to remaining competitive. Here’s what an organizational development specialist does and how you can become one.
An organizational development specialist is often referred to as Head of Talent because they are dedicated to supporting and developing the growth and effectiveness of an organization through its people.
An organizational development specialist is generally considered a mid-to-senior level role and will report to a director or senior manager. They usually have several years of experience in areas such as human resources, organizational development, or business management, as well as a relevant degree in a field such as organizational psychology, organizational development, or industrial psychology.
The responsibilities of an organizational development specialist include conducting organizational assessments, developing and implementing strategies, facilitating change management, supporting leadership development, analyzing data and making recommendations, and collaborating with other departments.
While day-to-day duties may vary depending on the specific needs of a business, organizational development specialists coordinate employee training and development programs, facilitate team-building activities, introduce new technology systems, and work closely with company leaders and stakeholders to align the organization’s goals with its operations.
This includes an organization’s current structure, culture, systems, and processes and involves reviewing data, conducting surveys and interviews with stakeholders, and analyzing results to identify areas for improvement.
Based on the results of the assessment, the organizational development specialist is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to improve the organization’s performance, efficiency, and effectiveness. This may involve designing and implementing new policies and procedures, identifying training needs, developing leadership programs, or redesigning the organizational structure.
One of the most important roles of an organizational development specialist is to facilitate change management within the organization. This involves communicating the need for change, providing guidance and support to employees and management during the change process, and ensuring that the changes are successfully implemented.
Mentoring, coaching, and training programs will typically be developed and implemented to help employees develop their skills and prepare for future leadership roles.
Organizational development specialists should regularly analyze data, identify trends, and make recommendations for improvement to the organization’s leadership team. They also provide ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the changes already implemented and recommend adjustments as needed.
Organizational development specialists work collaboratively with other departments within the organization, such as HR, Finance, and Operations to ensure that their initiatives align with the overall mission and goals of the organization.
The organizational development specialist’s role is to support and develop the growth and effectiveness of our organization, working closely with leadership, managers, and employees to identify areas where the organization can improve, and they develop and implement strategies to facilitate that growth.
Organizational Development Specialist Qualifications" width="1024" height="680" />
Successful organizational development specialists have a combination of education, skills, and experience:
Most organizational development specialists have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as organizational development, human resources, business administration, psychology, or sociology. If you’re serious about this career, make sure you select a program that provides a strong foundation in organizational behavior, development theories, project management, data analysis, and communication.
To stand out from the crowd and ensure your CV is noticed, look for opportunities to work with a variety of departments or industries to gain a broad perspective on the role. Focus on roles that engage with various teams, require communication and collaboration and involve training and mentoring. This is a role that connects people, teams and departments across organizations, so any experience in managing and supporting multiple teams while aligning projects to organizational goals is a bonus.
There are many additional certifications that will make you a better organizational development specialist, such as additional development in change management, project management, data analysis, or workshop facilitation. AIHR offers a Certificate Program in People Analytics, aimed at developing a comprehensive analytics skillset, as well as an Organizational Development Certificate Program to help you effectively apply OD techniques in your work.
Although not always required, a master’s degree in organizational development, human resources, or a related field may provide a competitive advantage for more senior-level positions, particularly positions that report directly to directors or senior leadership teams.
Successful organizational development specialists display a combination of technical and soft skills. These include having extensive knowledge of skills development and capacity-building strategies, advanced proficiency in office and business administration software, excellent leadership and collaboration skills, and superb analytical and time-management skills.
Salaries for an organizational development specialist will vary depending on the location of the position and the years of experience you bring with you.
According to Payscale, the average annual base salary for a compensation analyst in the U.S. is $66,109, while Glassdoor states the average is slightly higher at US$71,7256.
Understanding the organizational development specialist role, what skills, competencies, and qualifications you need and the value you will give an organization through your responsibilities will prepare you for future interviews and ensure you gain the experience and roles you want.
