Why do I need years of experience in HR? - Working in HR - Careers Clinic

9 Why do I need years of experience in HR?

25 Jan, 2017 12:40

Hi all

I'd like a bit of advice. I'm currently a Group HR Manager for a company of 250. I have been doing my current job since August but before that I was an HR Advisor here for just under 3 years. Before that I was an HR Assistant elsewhere for 10 months. I am the Head of HR here - I manage our Inhouse Recruiter but strictly speaking I work in a standalone capacity.

While I was HR Assistant and HR Advisor, I was doing my CIPD Level 7 as a Masters qualification part time which I passed with distinction.

From looking around at LinkedIn etc., I feel at 26 I'd progressed fairly quickly into a senior role.

I'm not necessarily looking to leave but I'm ambitious and keep an eye on jobs ... my issue is that most of the roles I've looked at want '5 years experience' or '3 years experience' in an HR Manager capacity which translates into MCIPD sometimes (I'm ACIPD and have been told I need more time before I can go for chartered membership).

What is worrying me is that these job descriptions makes it sound like I'll struggle to leave without staying in my current role for a number of years, a greater amount than I'd potentially want to stay here. I suppose my question is how would you all feel about my career history, to take on another HR Manager / HR Business Partner role at my experience level? Are you looking for years of experience or someone who can take new things on quickly?

Thanks in advance

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Keith | 0 Posts

25 Jan, 2017 14:39

It would depend entirely on the role, I think years of experience is shorthand for having been there and done that, The less experience you have in a role then its less likely you can demonstrate you have done the full breath of the responsibilities in that role. So you would have to demonstrate in your Cv and in an interview that in your relatively short career that you have a wide range of experience.

I wouldn't necessarily see it holding you back but just means you might have to work harder. I think you may also have a few issues with stepping "up" in an internal HR department of 1...some may think that's an odd step (unless someone left of course) Again its all in the communications.
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Ray | 0 Posts

25 Jan, 2017 16:21

Laura
I agree with Keith that the specific role will determine the necessary experience.

Adding to his remarks, I would also suggest that to take on a visible similar role in a larger organisation it will help to have done similar things in different sectors or environments. This will help recruiting managers to understand that you not only know "how" to do the operational HR things but also that you can identify "why" and "how" they need to be done differently or even "adjusted" to take into account different contexts (startup, steady state, downturn, sell-offs....). It will also help to convince the recruiter that you can hit the ground running with a shorter learning curve.....
Hope this helps and good luck!
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Laura Hood | 0 Posts

25 Jan, 2017 16:48

Yes I probably should have mentioned that I was asked to step up with the former Group HRM left, I wasn't just given a new job title. I had done generalist HR and recruitment while I was the HR advisor, reporting to him. I kept the generalist stuff when I changed roles and essentially took all of his role and some of my old role, and I just palmed off recruitment!

To be fair, I'd worry about my chances at most roles because everyone seems to want 'TUPE experience' which I haven't got and probably won't get as we always acquire through a share sale so it doesn't apply..!

Thanks for the advice both of you! It's good to know I wouldn't be immediately written off!
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Catherine | 0 Posts

31 Jan, 2017 16:27

Hi Laura,

I don't have much to add to Keith and Ray's fab advice, but... I am in a very similar boat in terms of quick progression and being deemed 'young' (a real pet hate!). I've always worked on the basis you need to 'earn your stripes' in HR (no textbook or qualification is ever going to teach you how to handle difficult conversations/resolve conflict/support managers etc). As long as you're always pushing yourself to gain experience and adding feathers to your cap, you shouldn't have any problems.

In line with Ray's point - against the advice of many, I changed industry every time I changed role (Power, to Materials Handling, Plant and Agri, to IT, to a Group role with a Retail, Production and Warehousing focus). It really worked for me and gave me a more 'global' view of not only what to do, but why, when, and how. I deliberately moved from a very corporate environment to a very non-corporate environment, and the organisation I'm with now is somewhere in the middle.

Try not to worry about it too much if you're happy where you are, just keep building on your experience.

Best regards,
Catherine
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admin | 0 Posts

31 Jan, 2017 16:44

In reply to Catherine:
Catherine
Changing industry is usually easier for "support" activities like HR, IT, finance than it is for the techies involved in the day to day operational and production activities.
Sure, learning a new business model is an uphill struggle in the early days and it's something that will take you ouside of your comfort zone - but that's how you learn to extend your HR reference frames rather than just relying on what you've done before.
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Keith | 0 Posts

31 Jan, 2017 16:47

In reply to Catherine:
Just to comment - I have deliberately and very clearly changed industry every time I move jobs. It would be very boring to me to do the same thing in the same sort of place as I have done it before.
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Steve Bridger | 0 Posts

Community Manager

1 Feb, 2017 08:14

In reply to Keith:
Thanks, Keith. I like the 'take' this thread has taken on a topic that comes up quite often.
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Laura Hood | 0 Posts

1 Feb, 2017 09:05

Thanks for all of your comments - I'll definitely take these on board!

Nice to hear I'm not the only one Catherine - my last performance review said words to the effect of "you have a maturity that belies your youth" which I suppose was meant as a compliment but it does make me feel I have to work a bit harder to be taken seriously at times!
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Catherine | 0 Posts

1 Feb, 2017 09:17

In reply to Laura Hood:
Hi Laura,

Goodness - I would be almost as displeased about that as I was when a previous (female, not that it really makes a difference) boss told me I *HAD* to wear heels at work so I looked more professional! Needless to say, I wore flat shoes every single day from then on whether I wanted to wear heels or not... I'm not sure how I feel about any reference to youth (or a lack of it indeed) on a performance review.

Look at the silver lining, 'working harder to be taken seriously' just means you'll tick more boxes over the years!
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