Can HR Pros Switch Industries Without Starting Over? Seeking Your Insights!

Hi all,

Please clear my doubt. Does industry matter for HR professionals, except for the recruitment profile? For example, if somebody has been working in the IT industry for a long time and is looking for a job change, can they look for opportunities in any other industry (e.g., hotel, manufacturing, telecom, etc.)? Will his/her past experience be counted, or would they be considered a fresher?

Waiting for your replies.

Regards,
Saloni Sharma

Hi Saloni,

The industry does not matter. A HR professional can work across any industry or vertical. The wholesome growth in the career of an HR professional comes only through this. The acceptance factor of the different industries depends on how you are going to project it.

Regards,
S. Aravind

Hey Saloni,

Definitely it's not that a candidate would be treated as a fresher, but yes, for sure, most companies prefer to hire HR professionals with a similar industry background. I think it's very important to stick to an industry because it gives you comfort and experience, which would not happen if you switch industries often. So, choosing and sticking to one industry is the best option.

Also, if you prefer changing to identical industries...

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Manisha

Hi Saloni,

The industry does not really matter, but as Manisha mentioned, it definitely gives an edge, especially when it comes to industries like ITES, Engineering, IT, etc., as these are huge and hence they do have a few specific industry standards in areas like recruitment and employee relations, etc.

Hope this helps!

Thanks

As a Generalist, as the name implies, HR work is general. I think if a recruiter were not to consider you because you did not have similar industry experience, they'd be doing you and the company a disservice. You could potentially bring a new perspective and insights to a new industry. However, a candidate with the same amount of experience and education in HR would have the edge because I would assume they have dealt with similar industry-specific issues. I personally commend those who branch out and try to gain HR experience dealing with different companies, cultures, jobs, performance standards, etc., but it also depends on the needs of the company.

Hi Saloni,

Recruitment is a vast area, and we keep learning new things each day. "The art of Recruitment" has nothing to do with a specific industry. A recruiter does not confine themselves to one area when it comes to networking, right?

During an interview, what the person has to sell is how quickly they can get in touch with contacts in a particular field, or how effectively they can manage multiple positions at the same time, and the game plan in mind when a new challenging opportunity arises. It has a lot to do with being initiative. No one would wait to tell you, but you will have to act and let others watch you (at least when it comes to recruitments :-D)

Dear all,

I feel the industry does not matter to an HR professional because our job is such that it does not make any difference if we change industries. We are responsible for training, recruitment, wage and salary administration, performance appraisal, disciplinary proceedings, etc. These processes are the same in all industries.

I myself have worked in the pharma, engineering, garment and textiles, and finance sectors, but could not find any significant differences.

Thanks,
J.S. Malik

I agree with the fact that organizations prefer candidates from a similar experience background because it reduces the training cost and time to understand the systems, culture, and business. Although the work is almost the same, terminology and practices make a difference.

You must have heard... if an HR professional wants to switch from manufacturing to the IT sector, it's very tough because employers do not want to invest in training.

Dear J S Malik,

I agree that it doesn't make a huge difference. However, in HR in the BPO/IT/ITES - I would say that in the service sector - HR activities are different compared to the Manufacturing sector. Please correct me if I am wrong. I believe that the Recruitment function alone may not exhibit significant differences in any specific industry.

Hi,

Although the HR practices are almost the same in all industries, whether it's the service industry or manufacturing, all companies prefer to hire candidates from the same background. Like mentioned earlier, for senior positions, they don't want to incur training costs. However, at the same time, a few companies give preference to work experience and performance rather than the candidate's previous company background. Hence, I feel that past experience cannot be ignored even if the industry has changed.

Ruchi

Dear All,

I think industry matters for more than 2 years of experience for professionals because every industry has some common and specific practices. Once HR becomes more experienced, they gain command and an edge in that particular industry.

Thanks,
Elyas

Hi Saloni!

Consider any vertical within HR - Recruitment, Learning & Development, Competency, etc. For each of these, some understanding of the industry and its processes is required. An example could be, I am with the HR Department of an IT Consulting Firm. I would need to know the current technologies, what firms are competing with my organization, and typically how business units are categorized in the industry.

I would strongly believe that prior experience in that industry would definitely prove to make the move smoother for you as well as the organization. However, it is important to note that there are individuals who consciously want to move industries out of choice, and hence the consequences of a probable slow transition may have to be accepted.

Feel free to write to me in case of any further queries.

Regards,
Rohan

Hi Saloni,

Consider any vertical within HR - Recruitment, Learning & Development, Competency, etc. For each of these, some understanding of the industry and its processes is required.

An example could be: I am with the HR Department of an IT Consulting Firm. I would need to know the current technologies, what the firms competing with my organization are, and how business units are typically categorized in the industry.

I strongly believe that prior experience in that industry would definitely make the move smoother for you as well as the organization. However, note that there are individuals who consciously want to move industries out of choice, and the consequences of a possible slow transition may have to be accepted.

Feel free to write to me in case of any further queries.

Regards,
Rohaqn

Being an HR professional cuts across all industries. It's your experience that counts and the knowledge you possess, not necessarily the industry itself. So, keep your zeal and enthusiasm up and give it your best!

Hi,

Even I think the same as Mr. Malik. Being a person from the same industry, you may find the jobs easy to understand, and the learning curve may shorten. However, working in a different industry will give you an advantage in learning the implementation of "the same procedures differently."

Chances of you being considered a fresher are very low as you clearly have acumen in HR practices and their implementations.

Thanks,
Sakshi Tandon

Hi,

The most important part of a career in HR is the transferable skills, which can be obtained from any industry. Industry-specific knowledge can also be acquired quickly. It is very difficult to reach senior levels in HR without exposure to different industries since a successful HR professional needs to understand not only the internal environment but also the external environment.

Regards,
S. Aravind.