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Senior HR Officer

Hello, there is a job which requires both HR generalist (including payroll) and strategic roles and you will be the only HR person in the company (approximately 50-60 employees).  This role reports to the Managing Director.  As this is a standalone HR roles which requires a wide range of experiences on operational and strategic sides, is Senior HR Officer a proper job title? Or it should be HR Manager or HRBP? Looking forwards to your advice, many thanks!

Regards,

Monie

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  • Hi Monie

    You will see on many threads on here that the duties don't always match what the job title says on the tin. What at one company could be a HR Officer in another could be a HR Advisor similarly a HR Coordinator and HR Administrator are often interchangeable to many organisations. I think it depends a lot on the sector, industry and the HR presence and whether the company has a national or international presence to name but a few variables.

    From what you are describing at the very minimum I would say that you are undertaking duties that are commonly associated with perhaps more mid level roles on the strategic side (though I have also seen payroll run entirely by HR Admin for 200 people) however, fundamentally the role and the experience that you get from this are the most important and what you make of those opportunities should you wish to utilise them to propel you going forward. If you are concerned that this title sounds too junior, I dont think it is too much of a red herring for would be employers if you were to apply for say HRBP for your next role - thats how I read it on the face of the basic information you have given here.

    Probably a simplistic viewpoint from me so would see what others say and get a broader view to inform your opinion
  • It matters not - its only words in a title. it will vary depending on other roles in the organisation and the personal preferences of the MD. I have seen these roles called HR Officer and have seen them called HR Director. But any of the titles you suggest could equally be used.

    Welcome to the communities
  • Hi Monie and welcome to the communities. "A rose by any other name would smell so sweet". what matters is internal consistency and the perception attached to the job title within a particular organisation - if the other functional jobs are "managers" then manager is the appropraite internal jargon for that company
  • Hi Monie

    I agree with the other contributors to the debate that a name is not the key thing but however the name does reflect peoples' views of what should be delivered by the role. From what you have said it does not feel like a HRBP which is most organisations delivers strategically whereas your role appears very much hands on so a title "manager" may be more relevant. What is key is to ensure the job description and person specification accurately reflects the requirements so that your recruitment process provides you with candidates who understand what the role is expected to deliver.

    Best wishes

    Rob

    Chartered Fellow
  • Hi all,

    Many thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

    Regards
    Monie