What makes a great HR professional?
Getting to know the company you work for. In my new role, I want to work in every department to really understand how it functions because that’s how to make sure HR adds value. When I tell colleagues I’ve covered every area of the business, they feel they can trust my judgement. I’m not an HR professional who has only studied things in textbooks – I’ve lived a lot of it too. I’ve walked the line and worked it. You really don’t know things until you’ve lived them. I love HR and can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. However, I don’t feel like I do enough for my own development and I think that’s not uncommon in HR – we’re so busy looking after others that we neglect ourselves.
What benefits does volunteering offer your career?
Giving back to the community is important because it adds to businesses’ culture. Volunteering, for example, reinvigorates why employees do what they do, and gives them a sense of pride in their employer. Its effect on employees is something you can’t quantify, but we all feel proud of what each other achieves. When staff feel engaged like that, you have a happy workforce, even if there aren’t very many of them.
What are the benefits of working in an SME?
It’s a great way to fast-track your professional development because it’s harder to shine when you work for a company that has complex systems and processes in place.
Should HR professionals require previous experience of working in an industry to be considered for another role in it?
I find it quite sad when companies are looking for new HR talent and focus on whether candidates have worked in the same industry as their organisation sits in previously. I think that’s really wrong because it really limits your talent pool and closes the door to so many.
Has it become more important to be an HR generalist than to specialise in one area?
I think it’s better to be an HR generalist or a business partner than specialise in something because if you want to make changes you have to see the business as a whole. It’s the best way forward.
