HR Standalone role

Hi Danielle,
I had a standalone role and it was a good experience; value-added! Please make sure you have all the support you needed from the Management, otherwise yes, you will sink with your job alone, which mostly would be on admin work.

Tips - manage your time effectively, prioritize your work smartly, and stay positive. Time management is very important. Be selfish sometimes so you can get your work done. Engaged with employees are good (you will get walk-in employees to share their concerns or issues) but sometimes it drags your work. So, be selfish and watch your time. Work smartly also include hiring an intern to help you with the admin-related.

Don't look on the con's too much. Stay positive as this is your learning curve to be where you want to be in the next 5 or 10 years.

Good luck!

Shi

I'm in a stand alone role. All other central support services e.g. finance, IT , comms have a team. Sometimes I'm slightly jealous that they have like minded colleagues to discuss their work with and team meetings to debate and talk about strategy. It can be tough for this reason. It does depend on your company's view of HR and also the view of your MD.

Hi Danielle,

I made the move from HR Admin in a team of 5 to standalone HR Officer/Advisor. For me the it all depends on the company. My first standalone role I left after only 3 months as the company just wasn't the right fit for me, I felt unsupported, found it difficult to settle into and very lonely. The role I moved into following this is also standalone however the experience joining couldn't have been more different and I have now been there for 6 months and am feeling very much like part of the furniture.

They hadn't had onsite HR previously and everyone was really pleased to have someone onsite and were very warm and welcoming. The management team are supportive and try their best to keep me in the loop as to what is going on. Although I have my own office it is based just off the open plan office and has windows looking into the open plan, the other teams in the open plan are very friendly and between the 6 of us on that floor we're a small team made up of different teams and roles, so no more lonely feeling. Even though I cannot talk to them about what's going on in my role at times, they look out for me and make sure I'm ok if I'm having a bad day etc.

My advice would be do your research, check out the company more, understand the culture there, does management seem supportive etc. If possible see if you can meet some of the people in the teams around you and check out your working environment. Some companies offer the chance to come in for a trial day. If this is an option you might find it beneficial as it may give you a chance to meet more than just the people who interviewed you.

Standalone can be a great learning opportunity and chance to get involved in many different areas of HR and will certainly keep you busy, but I believe it's important to make sure you pick the right company as this makes all the difference.

Hi Danielle,
I am a (standalone) HR Manager and have been in post for 5 years. I love it! As a member of the CIPD I rely heavily on them for support and if in doubt, I ring the legal team to ensure I am on track. I am now on the Senior Management Team, due to exposure to senior leaders from the start (something you don't always get in a larger organisation, where you are part of a bigger team). I get to push the 'people agenda' at strategic level without having to go through layers of management. Last year we won the Wiltshire Business Award for Customer and Staff Care. This may be a great opportunity for you. Good Luck!

Pros: HR is entirely your responsibility.

Cons: HR is entirely your responsibility.

If you're on the fence about the role, the main thing you should ask yourself is how much you expect the company's leadership to support you in setting up a good direction of travel for the HR. Are you the first person in HR in this company or replacing someone else?

If you're the first person, you need to be realistic about what they expect from you. It's more likely that what they are looking for is someone to put the paperwork in order than someone who is going to introduce innovative and cutting-edge people practice.

If you're replacing someone else, you should find out as much as you can about why they left. Were they liked and respected? Or were they shoved out of the door with extreme prejudice and, if so, why?

Great first post, Coleen... and congrats!

I think it will depend on several factors. How skilful and knowledgeable are you - can you operate confidently on your own? How much power will you have? If you report to the decision makers, you will have the opportunity to change that which you deem needs to change (provided you have the skills, of course!) and that is priceless. Will you have administrative support? If you won't, then you may find yourself bogged down in administration, with little time to flex your muscles and improve policy and culture. Do you trust the organisation which is giving you this role? If you do, then my view is 'Go for it!' I think there will be a lot of HR professionals who would give their eye teeth to have the chance to do your own thing successfully.

Hi Danielle,

I think that I can echo all of the thoughts of others on here.

I started in a standalone as HR Manager in February. I am just shy of completing my 3 month probation period, but in that time I have had a Baptism of fire.

The volume of work and weight of some of the cases I have had to deal with has been astounding, but I have fully embraced it and seen it as a massive learning curve.

As the company I have joined are growing at a rapid rate they were in desperate need of HR. Starting as a family business and now 100+ employees means that there is a lot of 'this is the way it has always been done', but with the appointment of a new CEO a year ago I have great support and backing and have been able to make the role my own and have a blank canvas to work on.

There is an extent of being a little more tentative as you first start, but the more you deal with, the more your confidence grows and then you are happy to shout a little louder to get yourself heard and make the appropriate changes.

My colleagues already feel like I have been here much longer than I have and I have been rewarded with a pay review before even serving my 3 months probation, or asking for it. It means that your efforts are definitely noticed.

I do hear 'we didn't have these problems until you started', but then people realise that the problems were always there and that it's you that's been able to come in, find them, address them and make a positive change.

I wish you all the best!

Hi Danielle,

I have recently taken on a standalone role as my manager left the company and the powers that be decided not to replace him. At first I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to do it but to be honest I have really enjoyed it so far! My learning curve has been massive and as many others have said, you get to set your own agenda and find your own style of managing HR. I know that I have already made judgements that I would change if I had to do it again but I feel that as long as you are honest (with yourself and your colleagues) and accept that in many cases there is no right answer, it really is a very rewarding position to be in! I have also found HR Inform invaluable (https://www.hr-inform.co.uk/) and cheaper than our lawyers (!) and I have called them a few times just to confirm that I am on the right track - and each time I have done so, it has again given me a bit more confidence and helped me to realise that I know more that I give myself credit for! All in all, I would say that if you have the opportunity, go for it as I am sure you would always be wondering 'what if', if you don't!

Good luck with whatever you decide :)