In reply to Anka:

Hi Anka
Is your handbook a word / PDF or is it part of your HRIS "company corner"?
I hear the challenge of keeping staff.

In reply to Matthew:

Hi Matthew I've been standalone HR too. It can be a lot!!
Happy to chat about it. I'm most active on LI. www.linkedin.com/.../

In reply to Rose:

Rose, I also became somewhat disillusioned with HR, I left it once as I got what I'd probably now considered burned out. If you want to connect with me on LinkedIn, drop me a message and I'll see how I can help. I no longer have years that I did my degree or masters on my CV! www.linkedin.com/.../

In reply to Robey:

Hello Robey,

I was really interested to read your perspective about managers. The same thing is happening where I work (higher education), I do an amount of coaching/managing-up of non-HR staff, which I partly expect if the issues are technical, but I've come across so many incidents of...ineptitude is the only word I can describe it, where fairly high-level managers seem clueless about how to perform basic tasks. Is this a symptom of people moving very early after graduating with a degree straight into middle-management without really understanding the work environment, i.e., not having the opportunity to start at the bottom and learn the ropes properly? I hasten to say though that this is not meant as a sweeping generalisation, it's not always the case, but very much depends on the person. It seems crazy when there are is so much training and support available these days. What I also notice though is that some managers are almost not allowed to manage - there's a lot of micro-managing by very high-level staff, so effectively dumbing down lower-levels of management, or over-inflating what will actually be expected of them.

There does also seem a terrible culture now for constantly talking about things (this is endemic), constantly strategizing, but not always doing anything. The word 'strategy' should be banned (!) - I hear it so often in my work place, but I don't think people really understand what it is, other than it sounds important so we must to do it. A lot of us just roll our eyes when we hear it and head for the hills before getting drawn in.

Interestingly, the curriculum for law degrees in the UK has radically changed in the past few years after an in depth review of feedback from universities by the Bar Standards Board and Solicitors Regulatory Authority. I understand the review was done because the legal profession was finding new graduates were often simply not able to adjust well to the working environment, which hadn't necessarily been an issue in years gone by. Some of our modules are now workshop based so that students have to work with each other much more. We've also noticed a significant drop in attendance, some inability to concentrate with the traditional hour-long lectures, so changes have been made in how we teach - more 'bite-size'. The BSB/SRA review led to other changes as well, such as the EU Law module becoming optional rather than mandatory after Brexit, so there were market/legal factors as well.

But I sometimes wonder when, why, how this inability to manage happened? Is it to do with how children are brought up, how they're taught in schools, society...?

Interesting questions, I never stop to ask myself or reflect on my work.

What key activities are you currently completing in your role?
Policy and benefit changes and redundancies sadly.

What key challenges are you currently facing in your role?
Redundancies and not having my input heard, it's completely demotivating. i'm expected to only be a 'yes' person.

What challenges can you see coming around the corner in the next few months?
Day one rights, I find new employees tend to show their true colours after probation periods, and you would normally have up to two years of employment to iron out bad habits or dismiss, but now they're taking that away so it will be a long process to dismiss any one who is mediocre to poor performing.

What is keeping you up at night?
Whether it's risky to change companies now after having built up trust and confidence here which allows me the flexibility I need for working full time and having a child. I have also built up a good salary package after being with the company for so long, but I feel held back with them not wanting to embrace anything new.

Pros and Cons in every position I guess, and better the devil you know perhaps.