Your HR progression

[AftersomeAdvice234]

I have a job opportunity in HR, it’s fairly senior and has the chance to take me to Director level should I want to go there (through hard work of course)

I have dabbled in HR previously but don’t have a ton of experience, this role would build on that. It’s in my current organisation, so I know the people well.

here are my questions to you lovely HR lot.

what was your HR progression like and where are you now / what is your role?

what is your day to day like (positives and negatives) and how is the work life balance / what are your hours like?

especially interested in
if you managed to get to a senior position within HR
if you didn’t necessarily start in HR and came in a little later (at a slightly senior level like I would be)
what type of organisation/ company you currently work at
if comfortable, your salary.

thank you in advance!

ps. Putting this in AIBU as I didn’t get any replies in the work category.

Bump

Bumping for you...

I clicked because I'm interested in the replies (I'm in a similar position to you)!

Ask to join hr ninjas on Facebook I'm sure people there will share their experiences

Sounds like a great opportunity. I started as an HR Assistant, then Adviser, Senior Adviser, Team Leader, HR Business Parter, Associate Director and then Director for the last 3 years. This has been in 5 organisations over 20 years. I am CIPD qualified. The good thing about having literally gone up the ladder is that I have confidence based on having experienced so many situations personally.

Focus is leadership, talent acquisition and management, projects, employee relations, wellbeing cyclical processes, designing policies - either personally or via a team. Positives - great team, meaningful and interesting work, work with numerous different countries, it’s a privilege to support employees and the business in a unique way, and people are endlessly fascinating.
Negatives - aspects can be repetitive, lots of bureaucracy, opportunities to influence can be limited (partly as it’s a huge company).

Can be peaks of long hours but typically 37.5 hours per week and generally flexible. Financial services - salary, bonus and shares in total over £100k.

I worked in HR for twenty years. Consultant, Senior Consultant, Manager, National Manager (in a specialty), Head of HR.

After Head of HR for three years I’ve changed careers completely because I was bored and jaded and couldn’t see myself doing it another 15 years. I might go back to HR one day but for now I’m really enjoying doing something different.

Thank you! These are interesting and varied replies.

I will have a look at that Facebook page, no idea it existed!

@Poppins2016 ha, thank you. I have another thread in work and got two interesting replies on there if you’re interested. Also curious to know your situation if you want to share!

Thanks @AftersomeAdvice234 I've just hopped over to the other thread and read the replies!

I guess 'similar position to you' might have been slightly misleading, as I'm actually no longer in a similar position, having decided to leave my current organisation (for a different sort of role altogether). However, I'm still very much interested in progressing in the HR field at some point down the line.

I started as a hr clerk 17 years ago and worked my way through the ranks including getting my cipd level 7 and masters, my career has been quite flat as I worked part time for many years due to having children, but now my youngest is 7 I have started focusing on my career more. I’m a hr business partner and on about 45k, which tbh I think is a little on the low side however I am contemplating moving industries to get more. My work place is very flexible and suits me while my children still need me a fair bit and allows me to work part time because of that flexibility. Good Luck, I really do enjoy working in hr!

Sorry I meant full time not part time!

7 years, came from teaching. Junior level public sector, 32k. My previous role was HR admin so entry level, 24k.

Really adding for anyone who comes to this thread later but found it really difficult to make the leap from admin to the next level and this seams to be a common issue.

Our daughter did a degree in Marketing, then decided she wanted to work in HR. Got a temp job as an hr clerk at the local college, then at a call centre whilst studying for her CIPD qualifications up to Masters level. She has worked for 2 different companies with call centres, which were very challenging to put it mildly. She then moved to a clothing manufacturer and retailer, and has stayed there for about 10 years, where she is now one of 2 senior managers of HR. She has worked hard for many years to get to this position, but has a good work life balance, is well paid and well respected. She does have a look around every now and again for new jobs at higher levels, but is pretty happy where she is