How My View of HR Evolved Throughout My Career

I began my career as a training coordinator at Vinnell, where my work centered on day-to-day operational tasks.

I then moved to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (now the Ministry of Tourism). There, I began to understand how HR could contribute to national development goals, particularly by attracting and developing talent.

After that, I worked at Elm, then at Mobily, where I led projects related to competencies and career paths. At Bahri, I developed organizational and structural strategies. At the Ministry of Investment, I led a complete transformation of the HR function. When I wrote the Arabic article, I was Executive General Manager of Talent Acquisition and Development at SEVEN.

Four stages in my view of HR

Each stage of my career changed how I saw HR. At first, I saw it as a support service. Later, I understood it as an essential function, then as an engine for building capability. Today, I see it as an active strategic partner.

What does strategic HR mean?

• Understanding the business, not only its people.
• Anticipating changes in the market and emerging trends.
• Building systems that can evolve, rather than merely survive.

My job title has changed, but the more important change has been in how I think.

My message to anyone starting a career in HR is this: understand your role and the field in which your organization operates. As you grow professionally, your role and your influence will change too.

What changed your view of HR: a person, a role, or a challenge?

Translated from the original Arabic article.