Feeling Stuck in My HR Role: Should I Stay for Stability or Seek New Opportunities?

Dear All,

For quite a while, I've been thinking of writing this and sharing it with all of you so that at least I can get some decent and clear answers from my colleagues. I am currently working with a leading media house in Delhi. In the HR department, there are three females who handle all HR functions for the entire group. I joined as an HR Executive last October, while the other two females (one is the HR Head and the other started as a Senior Executive but was promoted to AM-HR last October) have been working here since October 2007. They share a strong bond, both professionally and personally, sharing everything from office details to personal matters like their families, husbands, and in-laws.

As a younger and more junior member of the team, I sometimes feel that they are more focused on themselves rather than mentoring or guiding me towards new areas in HR. They handle major HR functions such as training modules, policy-making, etc., on their own, while assigning me tasks like recruitment, induction, payroll, and HR reports. This limits my ability to learn about other aspects of HR like compensation, performance management, training and development, and policy-making/amendments, which I am eager to explore in my career.

I am considering switching to a different company where my Key Result Areas (KRAs) are well-defined and where I can gain more exposure to areas of interest, rather than just being associated with a big brand for a long time. However, I am also unsure about certain things such as whether I should pursue this thought further, whether I should stay in this company for at least two years to demonstrate stability to future employers, and whether reputable companies prioritize stability in a candidate's profile. I am also concerned about whether lack of professionalism is a common issue in other companies.

I am uncertain about whether it is necessary to be close to your boss through smart work and personal conversations about family, spouses, boyfriends, and personal affairs. Please advise and guide me on whether I should consider seeking a new opportunity after completing a year or not.

Thank you.

Hi Harman,

Don't share your personal issues/affairs with anyone unless they consider and respect your words. That's why we have friends; to share with them. Let me put it another way. Can you imagine your head as your friend? If so, then there's nothing to worry about. Go ahead and share your personal issues. But if not, just don't even think about sharing.

Have a professional relationship with your boss; keep an open mind. If you want to learn something, discuss it directly with your boss—no reservations. I would suggest not quitting this job. Remember, you will encounter such people in all areas of your life. Don't avoid problems; try to solve them.

Think of yourself as younger than your boss and your colleagues. You are at the entry level of your career, so it's natural that the elderly or experienced individuals may assign low-risk tasks to you. It's not that they are not providing major functions; you have to involve yourself and learn from them.

My friend, nobody will teach you in this world; you have to confront, fight, and come out stronger. Any more queries? Post them to me. Keep rocking!

Hi,

I personally believe that when you want to have a healthy professional relationship with a blend of trust with your superiors/peers or subordinates, you need to be personal but you should be able to draw a thin line to maintain the relationships in a controlled manner. If you want to learn something, you should always be ready to accept others. They may have their own mental blocks, but it's the role of HR to navigate through such situations and get the work done. So, always be professional with a personal, warm touch to earn the trust of the people surrounding you. This approach will make your learning process quicker and easier.

Escaping from such issues is not the right way for an HR professional.

Regards,
Chetan Bhojani
Business Head-HR
i-Tech Infonet Pvt. Ltd.
+919428202263

Dear,

I feel that one should try to take something positive from every situation you face. It's very obvious that you feel depressed when things don't happen the way they should. Try to divert your mind to something else. As you mentioned that you like to take up challenging tasks, why don't you try to help your seniors? Go and ask them whether you can assist them. If they say yes, then it's good. Otherwise, try to complete the task at hand efficiently so that they gain confidence in you, and they will involve you in other tasks as well.

Regarding sharing personal things with your colleagues, it is evident that when you work together for a long time and feel that the other person understands you and your feelings better, it is a human tendency for those two people to share their joys and sorrows with each other.

The rest you have to learn from your own experience; no one can teach you. Everyone can share experiences and offer some advice. Be positive and happy.

Dear Kaur,

As far as the matter of change is concerned, you can move ahead if you are getting a better opportunity than this one. Otherwise, everywhere these things happen at the junior level, so be habitual and accept the company environment until you find a better place.

Regards,
M. S. Lakhlan
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