I'm in HR, AMA

[Hollyhocksarenotmessy]

AMA in general - if you want advice on a personal employment issue please go to Work or Legal forums.

Great thread - thanks for posting:)

I have a friend who was in a senior role at her company until she fell pregnant. In order to keep her job (although technically she didnt) on her return from maternity leave she had to accept a demotion. This was so she could reduce her hours for childcare purposes.

The reality of this was that she's still broadly doing her old, more senior, role while the man who has her previous job title earns more and has more 'visible' seniority at work.

As an HR member and also privately, what are your opinions on this?

Also out of interest, is it naive of me to ask why secret santa causes issues for HR depts??

@brewbrewbrew

Have namechanged for this as I feel a bit embarrassed I don't know.

I graduated last year with a degree in HR & Buisness Management, with CIPD level 5.

I've done basic admin roles but quit my job in January to spend some time at home with my 3rd child (have spent the last 4 years working full time and studying part time and to be honest I was just beyond exhausted, I have 3 children under 7).

I now need to rejoin the workforce. With experience in admin, and this degree, and then a year out, what can I apply for? At what stage do I go in?
It's essentially my first HR job I'm looking for, so does that mean I just go in at HR admin level or with my qualifications can I apply for a role the next step up? Would that be advisor? Am I not qualified enough for that?

I feel really silly applying like people will laugh at me for not knowing but obviously I want to have the best chance of finding work.

Hi, generally speaking you will need to look for a graduate training scheme, or an entry level HR Admin or HR Assistant role. Every employer is different though.

@TaraR2020

Great thread - thanks for posting:)

I have a friend who was in a senior role at her company until she fell pregnant. In order to keep her job (although technically she didnt) on her return from maternity leave she had to accept a demotion. This was so she could reduce her hours for childcare purposes.

The reality of this was that she's still broadly doing her old, more senior, role while the man who has her previous job title earns more and has more 'visible' seniority at work.

As an HR member and also privately, what are your opinions on this?

Also out of interest, is it naive of me to ask why secret santa causes issues for HR depts??

Your friend's situation sounds shite, but would you mind posting it in Employment issues forum if she wants advice.

Secret Santa, I quite like doing them personally, but there is the potential for stirring up bad feeling, and can be an excuse to bully someone. One person is left out. Another person is given a can of anti-perspirant. Not everyone at work is nice.

I agree. Experience is important - possibly more so - than quals.

@brewbrewbrew I would agree with going in at admin level, with your CIPD Level 5 you should be ahead of the game.

You'll gain valuable experience of how HR admin works, and you should start to pick up on how colleagues deal with queries. This experience is essential IMO for entry to HR Advisor roles. The trick is to get the experience quickly and put yourself forward for things if you want to move up.

@brewbrewbrew

Have namechanged for this as I feel a bit embarrassed I don't know.

I graduated last year with a degree in HR & Buisness Management, with CIPD level 5.

I've done basic admin roles but quit my job in January to spend some time at home with my 3rd child (have spent the last 4 years working full time and studying part time and to be honest I was just beyond exhausted, I have 3 children under 7).

I now need to rejoin the workforce. With experience in admin, and this degree, and then a year out, what can I apply for? At what stage do I go in?
It's essentially my first HR job I'm looking for, so does that mean I just go in at HR admin level or with my qualifications can I apply for a role the next step up? Would that be advisor? Am I not qualified enough for that?

I feel really silly applying like people will laugh at me for not knowing but obviously I want to have the best chance of finding work.

Yep, I agree with admin level, or HR grad scheme if you have them available. Grad scheme might actually be great for you as it seems like you were a mature student? - and more and more grad schemes are interested in/open to mature students as they already have the personal and interpersonal skills for work and really fly. So on a HR grad scheme you could well get promoted fast if you are good, as the doors are open for people to prove themselves. The oldest person I hired when I used to manage a grad scheme was 32, and he got promoted two grades within 2 years.

I was very fortunate to do a HR Grad scheme, many years ago now. I had 3 x HR Advisor placements in 18 months, and part-funding for my CIPD L7. There was also management development for the trainee cohort. It was fantastic and I would recommend to anyone.

@Hollyhocksarenotmessy what attracted you to HR? You mentioned a career change, so I'm curious. And do you find most HR people set out to work in HR, or do they fall into it?

I know a few people (generally under 30) who have gone into it deliberately.

I fell into it, as did almost everyone I work with. I used to be in finance, then policy.

[quote melisande99]@Hollyhocksarenotmessy what attracted you to HR? You mentioned a career change, so I'm curious. And do you find most HR people set out to work in HR, or do they fall into it?[/quote]
I'd worked myself into a career dead end, was suddenly unemployed, and needed a new job pronto. I wasnt successful in getting back to my original type of work - I got interviews but not the jobs. I had to find a new direction, and I'd touched on some HR previously. Got myself an HR admin temp role and went from there.

Have you dealt with or been involved in sexual assault at work cases?
And, if so, have you found that the company has a way of quashing the victim’s word on a lack of evidence...?
How does that sit with HR - protecting the company and the employee/service user?

This is a great thread. Haven't worked in HR but have heard some stories - inc one person having to approach someone to tell them to stop doing something antisocial in the loos. It's the kind of role I don't think I could deal with (not in this life, anyway) but I like the thought of the challenge and being good at it. Is it something you have to love? Or at least love being good at?

OP - May I get an answer?? Just curious?

@Krazynights34

Have you dealt with or been involved in sexual assault at work cases? And, if so, have you found that the company has a way of quashing the victim’s word on a lack of evidence...? How does that sit with HR - protecting the company and the employee/service user?

Absolutely, I have. Maybe a dozen times over 15+ years.

And no. As the burden of proof is different for employment situations than criminal I’ve not witnessed (or allowed) any quashing of evidence as such, and, as my username suggests, I haven’t accepted any victim blaming either.

It hasn’t always been possible to hit the 51% balance of probability, but 3 cases were strong enough to warrant instant dismissal (gross misconduct), a few were final warnings and some couldn’t be proven either way.

@Krazynights34

Have you dealt with or been involved in sexual assault at work cases? And, if so, have you found that the company has a way of quashing the victim’s word on a lack of evidence...? How does that sit with HR - protecting the company and the employee/service user?

Yes, I have, we did not quash anything. Action was taken. If you are angry with your HR department, you need to talk to them about it.

@Mashingthecompost

This is a great thread. Haven't worked in HR but have heard some stories - inc one person having to approach someone to tell them to stop doing something antisocial in the loos. It's the kind of role I don't think I could deal with (not in this life, anyway) but I like the thought of the challenge and being good at it. Is it something you have to love? Or at least love being good at?

Oh god yes, every HR person has a phantom poo-er story. Some people are mentally unwell, some people are just disgusting, and other people are annoyed and doing a 'dirty protest'. I've also had someone smear Bogies on the loo wall at 2 separate workplaces. I'm not sure what you are asking with your other question. Yes, there are people on HR who don't enjoy it. There are people who are bad at their job. It's always best to enjoy your work and be good at it. Same as any type of work?

@Krazynights34

OP - May I get an answer?? Just curious?

Sorry I wasn't monitoring the thread 24 hours a day.

I think I was probably thinking it's a tough gig, so would need to be satisfying in some respect. Having said that I've had people say they couldn't do what I did and I wished they could know how awesome it actually is. Just musing aloud about whether it's one of those jobs, I think, where things are bonkers and diffillcult but worth it.

@Mashingthecompost

I think I was probably thinking it's a tough gig, so would need to be satisfying in some respect. Having said that I've had people say they couldn't do what I did and I wished they could know how awesome it actually is. Just musing aloud about whether it's one of those jobs, I think, where things are bonkers and diffillcult but worth it.

I haven't found many HR people who hate it and want to change careers. We all have parts of it that bore, annoy or frustrate us (mine is recruitment), but again, same in any type of work.

You have to be fairly thick-skinned as 1/3rd of people hate you, 1/3rd of people haven't a clue what you do, and only a 1/3rd of people appreciate you. You need emotional maturity as you get involved with situations that are difficult, whether its supporting an employee after their 6th miscarriage, or someone whose performance has plummeted because their brother just committed suicide and their manager isn't handling it well, or you are involved with making people redundant, or you are having to expain how holidays work to the same employee for the 20th time.

It's also often funny, very satisfying, and you can get into some very interesting specialisms and projects.

You need to be happy without black and white answers most of the time. The phrase I say most is probably 'it depends'.

People are never boring.

Perfectly summed up Holly. 👏🏽

@Hollyhocksarenotmessy
No offence intended!
I merely was curious as to whether the thread was still live!
I’d never suggest you should monitor the thread non-stop.
Oh, and for the record, I wish I could speak to an HR department but I’m not employed. I am just a service user of the NHS who was subject to the kind of thing I asked about m.
Thank you for answering my question.

@Hollyhocksarenotmessy that was a good answer. Thank you!

...'If you want someone to always agree with you, join a union..'

As a former union rep, I would say this shows your total lack of respect and appreciation of unions.

The most successful HR managers, ime, worked collaboratively with union reps as we found the company's success and an employee's rights usually ran parallel. It was rare that I disagreed with a Senior HR manger, who mostly were experts in employment/industrial laws, so could take a balanced view, including that of managers.

@ilovemydogandmrobama2

...'If you want someone to always agree with you, join a union..'

As a former union rep, I would say this shows your total lack of respect and appreciation of unions.

The most successful HR managers, ime, worked collaboratively with union reps as we found the company's success and an employee's rights usually ran parallel. It was rare that I disagreed with a Senior HR manger, who mostly were experts in employment/industrial laws, so could take a balanced view, including that of managers.

Hi, I've already apologised for this and explained further. I belong to a union myself .

Im in HR, it is not what i thought it'd be. Employment law my favourite bit of the CIPD.