Where next? - Working in HR - Careers Clinic

2 Where next?

20 Mar, 2018 11:33

Hi all,

Firstly sorry in advance for the waffly post...

I have just completed my CIPD Level 5, and have been working as a HR Generalist in an engineering company for nearly 2.5 years (started the first year as a HR Assistant then moved roles internally). I also have around 2 years in HR admin and work placements within Europe (part of the Erasmus+ grant programmes as a placement coordinator).

I cannot see myself staying in this company much longer as they refuse to acknowledge HR as a strategic function and see us (myself and my manager) as glorified administrators and doing purely transactional HR. The Director cannot let go of his responsibilities and interfering in all decision-making, which is frustrating quite a few of us. Despite encouraging best practice and ethical working, he will often make questionable decisions without involving us and this is making my role here untenable as I want to operate in the realms of best practice, upholding what I have been learning!

I don't know what my next move is. I feel like working with this sort of management has disillusioned me from HR, and I find the standalone work I do quite stressful. I am so passionate about people, about representing them, giving them the best we can and being there for them.

What would you recommend I do next? Is it best to stay in the Generalist/Advisor route for a few more years to get more exposure to the 'right' way of running a business and how to do HR? Should I look at the next level up (Junior HRBP or such)? Should I take a break from HR (I was a PA for 2 years between my placements job and starting in this organisation and quite enjoyed it) - is this advisable?

I am completely stuck and don't know what is next for me, as I am quite well-paid here but I know money is not the be-all and end-all.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rebecca

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Nina Waters | 0 Posts

20 Mar, 2018 13:38

Hi Rebecca,

I wonder if you might do better moving to an HR role in a smaller organisation - where you may well be a sole practitioner or in a small team, but where you might have more of a day to day influence on the way the organisation treats/manages its people. I've always worked in SME organisations (up to around 200/250 headcount), because I feel that I can make more of a difference when I know the people I'm working with well - and that gives me a lot of job satisfaction. I've also always had the opportunity to get really involved with each business, not just its people issues, in a way that (I assume, maybe wrongly) it would be harder to do in a much larger organisation.

I'd suggest that if you are trying to shake off the administrator label that HR can sometimes get given, that a move into a PA role could limit you rather than give you breadth. On the other hand, in some organisations the management of administration sits with/alongside HR, so there could be some synergy there in the right place.

Whatever you do next, it does sound like you're ready to move on from your current organisation - so good luck!

Nina
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Rebecca | 0 Posts

20 Mar, 2018 14:13

In reply to Nina Waters:
Hi Nina,
Thanks for your reply. I am in a fairly small organisation currently, around 140 on payroll plus contractors, and was running the HR function by myself last year when one of my counterparts left and we struggled to recruit a HR Manager... So I am confused as to whether it is simply this small organisation I struggle with or if I maybe need to be in a team of other advisors, to share best practice etc...
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, it is much appreciated.
Rebecca
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