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Availability of Part-time HR Manager roles in London

Paula

Dear All,

RE:  Part-time HR manager roles in London.

I wonder if anybody has been through similar scenarios, and if so, how on earth did you manage to resolve it?

I am a seasoned HR professional with experience of working as part of a global HR team at a large multinational bank in the City, this was followed by significant experience of working in a stand-alone HR manager role at a niche Central London-based asset management boutique where I sat and professionalise their HR function from zero.  I am a Chartered Member of the CIPD, have an MSc in HR Development and Consultancy and I am currently doing a PhD in Organisational Psychology.  I am now looking for a part-time (2-3 days/week) role in HR (really....I would consider any role from: HR advisor through to HR manager/HRBP).  I am not afraid of rolling up my sleeves and putting together paper files and dealing with excel spreadsheets rather than custom-made databases, etc..  Quite happy to deal with transactional/operational work as well as advising senior management.  The challenge is that this type of part-time work appears to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack!  So much for HR coaching and preaching to the business on the wonders of working flexibly!

In addition to the above, recruitment agencies, their consultants, and their wall of silence do not make the process of part-time HR job searching very easy to navigate.  I have dealt with recruitment consultants both from an employer's perspective in which they are only too happy to phone you several times a day and meet up with you at the drop of a hat, and also as a candidate.  The latter scenario is a very different narrative to the former.  As a candidate, recruitment consultants are quite happy to phone you at the last minute to attend an interview at short notice, but then they completely ignore you, do not return your calls, not even meet with you prior to sending you for interviews with one of their clients...My question is: What is this behaviour all about?  At a very basic level, 'acknowledgement' is something that is at the core of our very own identity as human beings (i.e.: who we are).  These walls of silence are not only disrespectful but a serious professional concern that should also worry future employers.  Do they want to be represented by these people?  Do these consultants forget that at a certain point in their lives the shoe may move to the other foot?  If so, I wonder how would they feel about being treated like they treat job applicants? 

I would wholeheartedly appreciate to hear from colleagues that have experienced similar situations (seeking for part-time work in HR in London, dealing with non-responsive recruitment consultants) that have successfully emerged from them.  Also, does anybody know if recruitment consultants are regulated in any way?  If they aren't, they should be!  

Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Paula

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  • Hi Paula

    I do understand your frustrations. I am not based in London but in Manchester but I don't think it is much different here. It is crazy that as a profession we are expected to "champion" flexible working and yet there are very few part time or flexible roles out there in the field of HR. I know of so many women in HR (although not limited to HR) who, due to the lack of flexible opportunities, choose not to go back to work after having children. There must be a huge talent pool out there going to waste.

    Last year I was on an extensive job search for a part time opportunity. I am HR Advisor/Manager level. I only found one Recruitment Consultant who actively put me forward for roles and had the conversation with her clients about the possibility of them considering a part time candidate. At best, I was being considered for 4 days whereas my preference (and current working pattern) is 3 days but I didn't come across any companies which would consider offering someone 3 days when advertising 5 days. The roles actively advertising 3 days (although very few and far between) tended to be stand alone for small companies, which is what I am currently doing and my preference would be to move away from that for professional and development reasons. My decision to work 3 days is hugely based on cost, my childcare vouchers just about make it financially viable to work 3 days (I have more than 1 child) but anything more than 3 days means I would be earning very little money for the extra days. In addition getting the kids dropped off and picked up for just 3 days is stressful enough, I think I would burn out if I had to do it for 5 days. A lot of nurseries/before and after school clubs don't open until 8am and close at 6pm so those times alone make it difficult to work a standard working day if you have more than a 30 minute commute. So even if I were to consider full time, my job search is massively limited by location.

    Keith, in your experience you may find the HR profession open to part time roles but if they are internal roles, it doesn't really help new candidates looking to move when applying for a full time role in the hope they can later negotiate reduced hours is not an option to them. I am also aware of a number of people who have left the profession because their current employers would not accomodate part time working. Those in part time jobs, possibly feel like I do - trapped because they struggle to move externally.

    The thing is, I probably work far more efficiently now than I have ever done. My company get good value for money because I I make sure I get everything done in the 3 days I am here and anything that doesn't get done I would take home with me and do once the kids are in bed. I don't mind doing that as I know how valuable a part time HR role is. I don't know if there is a fear from companies that by hiring someone part time they will somehow get substandard work/service but in reality they probably get more committment because of how limited decent part time work is! Just my opinion and experience on this.

    You are not alone

    Anna
  • in reply to Anna
    The topic of part-time and flexible roles in HR is one that's been raised intermittently over many years both in this community and in the CIPD LI group.

    I wrote to Peter Cheese almost two years ago asking for more CIPD support for members looking for flexible roles and have tried to get a SIG around flexible working set up in my local branch - with very little response from the powers that be!

    As others are saying - the current situation is a shocking waste of talent - particularly when I keep hearing there's a shortage of good people for senior HR roles.
  • in reply to Anna
    Hi Anna... This really ought to be part of the 'Future of Work' conversation. All part of the transition to better work. I'll have another word with people here.
  • in reply to Anna
    Dear Anna,

    Many thanks for your response and your insight. Yes, I would agree that forming a SIG for part-time HR practitioners would be an excellent idea. As you say, it is such a shocking waste of talent....

    Speaking on a personal note, I do not tend to agree with recruiters or hiring managers that say that there is a shortage of 'talent' out there. In my experience, there is more of a shortage of 'know how' to recruit than anything else. Transferable skills/experience...does anybody understand how that works? Is anybody interested? At the moment, it would appear that there are far too many candidates per position advertised so very few people really care. They are are 'placing' people that 'tick' boxes, not necessarily the 'right' or the 'best' candidates for the organisation(s) in question. In the recent past, I have been sent to interviews with clients at the last minute without even having met the agency recruiter(s)...I am not having a 'go' at agency recruiters! I now understand that they have targets imposed on them otherwise they'll lose their jobs. So, they are in sales jobs. But indeed, I agree with you that this is a shocking waste of talent and experience.

    Peter Cheese is unlikely to be interested in part-time or flexible work arrangements for the HR community. HR is till grappling with much more basic challenges such as: Is HR a 'profession' on equal footing as accountancy or law? but perhaps a SIG/Support Group for part-time/flexible workers in HR could be formed at CIPD Central London branch-level if we could possibly have someone to sponsor us with their interest?

    Have a good evening, and thank you again.

    Paula
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  • in reply to Anna
    Dear Anna,

    Many thanks for your response and your insight. Yes, I would agree that forming a SIG for part-time HR practitioners would be an excellent idea. As you say, it is such a shocking waste of talent....

    Speaking on a personal note, I do not tend to agree with recruiters or hiring managers that say that there is a shortage of 'talent' out there. In my experience, there is more of a shortage of 'know how' to recruit than anything else. Transferable skills/experience...does anybody understand how that works? Is anybody interested? At the moment, it would appear that there are far too many candidates per position advertised so very few people really care. They are are 'placing' people that 'tick' boxes, not necessarily the 'right' or the 'best' candidates for the organisation(s) in question. In the recent past, I have been sent to interviews with clients at the last minute without even having met the agency recruiter(s)...I am not having a 'go' at agency recruiters! I now understand that they have targets imposed on them otherwise they'll lose their jobs. So, they are in sales jobs. But indeed, I agree with you that this is a shocking waste of talent and experience.

    Peter Cheese is unlikely to be interested in part-time or flexible work arrangements for the HR community. HR is till grappling with much more basic challenges such as: Is HR a 'profession' on equal footing as accountancy or law? but perhaps a SIG/Support Group for part-time/flexible workers in HR could be formed at CIPD Central London branch-level if we could possibly have someone to sponsor us with their interest?

    Have a good evening, and thank you again.

    Paula
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