Feeling Stuck in Recruitment? How Can I Transition to a Generalist HR Role and Stay Competitive?

Dear All,

I have 6 years of experience as an HR professional. I started my career with a consultancy focusing on recruitment, then moved to an IT firm where I gained exposure in induction and recruitment processes. Currently, I have been working for a US IT MNC for the past 2 years. My current responsibilities include recruitment, induction, payroll, and various HR operations. I have not had a mentor in either of my previous companies, as they all departed soon after I joined.

I have not yet had the opportunity to experience a true Generalist HR role. Up to now, my focus has been primarily on recruitment, which is not my primary interest. Regarding other HR activities such as appraisals and employee relations, I have been handling only the operational aspects.

My aspiration is to transition into a more specialized HR Generalist role. Unfortunately, there is no immediate scope for this advancement within my current office for at least the next year, given my lack of necessary skills, knowledge, and experience. Therefore, I must take the initiative to self-educate, as it is essential for my survival in the competitive job market.

Despite my 6 years of experience, feedback from both internal and external seniors suggests that my practical experience equates to only 2 years. If I were to seek opportunities elsewhere in the future, my prospects may be limited. This realization motivates me to take action and improve my professional standing.

Please advise me on what areas I should focus on learning to remain competitive and how best to acquire this knowledge, considering the demanding market environment. What are the expectations of the market from an HR professional with 6 years of experience?

Sonia

You are correct Sonia, the market is competitive. It happens with most of the HR professionals that they don't get a good mentor or guide to at least tell them the basics of HR fundamentals or to show them the path to reach their goals (not talking about spoon-feeding). We have to learn and implement things in the organization ourselves. So, try to find out what new things you can implement on your own.

Invest in attending HR-related training, which will be useful for you in the future. Keep learning as an ongoing process by reading new books on HR or building a good HR network, which will motivate you and help you learn new things.

You should have a competitive advantage with you, which will make you look different from the rest of the crowd.

All the best!!

I think instead of planning for an HR Generalist role, 'Talent Management' would be the suitable stream for you. From the post, it is understood that you have gained wonderful experience in recruitment and related operations. If you acquire more knowledge and expertise in pre-hire, hire, and post-hire activities, that would add more value to your profile, and a recruiter can find you more focused.

Pre-hire: You may need to gain expertise in job profiling, KPA/KPI, manpower planning, budgeting, attrition analysis, etc.

Post-Hire: Apart from induction, you can delve deeper into employee socialization, conduct independent experiments in the areas of talent management, employee utilization, etc.

Hire: This is your own area, and definitely, you can further add value by acquiring more knowledge and trying/experimenting with new techniques.

I can understand your dilemma.

To start -

- Keep yourself updated on the happenings in HR.
- Increase your contacts by enrolling in SHRM/NIPM/NHRD or any other HR forum. Attend their seminars/workshops and try to analyze it from your org perspective.
- Pick up a case study and start discussing it with your HR friends/contacts, ask for their opinions.
- Hunt down process descriptions and analyze them from a cost, time, and effectiveness perspective. In fact, I would suggest starting to analyze everything from a cost, time, and effectiveness point of view (I mean everything - your eating, clothing, spending, investing, sleeping, waking, etc.).
- Every HR should know where he/she is headed and understanding how to analyze and develop reports is the first step.
- Set your own benchmark against the reports' data (e.g., staffing cost was $100,000 in 2008. Aim to reduce it to $50,000 for 2009).
- You should be able to relate everything you do in numbers, and trust me, you will gain a hang of it in no time and would love to do it.
- The case study method is the best way. If you are facing an issue in your organization, try to come up with a cost-effective plan to address it.
- The more analysis you do, the easier it will be for you to grasp the idea of an HR generalist.

Practice will make you perfect. I would be more than happy to help you out if needed. I believe that having more views/solutions to a problem will lead to a harmonious conclusion. You can reach me at rishikeshshinde@in.com.

Dear All,

I have 6 years of experience in HR. I started my career with a consultancy (recruitment), joined an IT firm, gained exposure in induction and recruitment, and now I have been with a US IT MNC for the past 2 years. Currently, I am involved in recruitment, induction, payroll, and HR operations work. I have never had a boss in either company to guide or teach me, as they all left soon after I joined.

I have never had real exposure to a true Generalist HR role.

Until now, I have been primarily involved in recruitment (which is not my interest), and for other activities like appraisals, employee relations, etc., I am only handling the operational aspect.

I aspire to be a hardcore HR Generalist. There is no opportunity for me to transition to that role in my current office for at least the next year, as I lack the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience. Therefore, I must learn on my own to survive in the market.

I have 6 years of experience, but both my internal and external seniors suggest that my experience is equivalent to 2 years. If I were to seek a job outside after some time, I fear I may not be successful.

So, it's time to buckle up and get going!

Please advise me on what I should learn now to thrive in the market and how I should learn it, considering the high competitiveness in the market. What does the market expect from a 6-year experienced HR professional?

Sonia

Thank you so much, all of you. Please also let me know if I can go for any kind of HR certification that would be of relevance. Are there any institutes offering such certifications?

Seek out a SHRM-approved class that will prepare you for the PHR certification exam. Focus your studies on the materials provided. Obtain your PHR certification, then start preparing for the SPHR. You will be amazed at how quickly you get "up to speed". The knowledge you acquire along with that HRCI/PHR certification will give you the clout needed to get to that next level!

Best of luck! Phillip Johnson, PHR

Yes Taz, I agree with you. I would have been a very technically competent HR by now in some good firm. However, not everyone is as fortunate and lucky as you, dude!! But, let me try to improve rather than brooding on it. If you also help me out, I will be obliged. :(

Hello everyone. I am Anureet from Punjab. I am a graduate in Pharmacy and recently completed my MBA in HR. However, now I find myself feeling guilty about potentially harming my pharmacy career by pursuing an MBA, as I have realized this combination may not be practical, a realization that came too late. I would appreciate any guidance or assistance you can provide. Thank you.

Dear Sonia,

Quality of experience is better than quantity (length) of experience. Always try to learn new things, even outside your work area but related to your job. CiteHR is the best option to learn new things and share knowledge. Don't restrict yourself to a particular area - try to go beyond the boundaries of knowledge.

Regards,
Pankaj Chandan

Hello all,

I am a new member of this community. After seeing the discussion, I felt that the same thing can happen to me as well. Five years down the line, I may also end up with knowledge of only one domain. So, being proactive, I want to develop a good network with HR professionals and gather knowledge of various HR areas. Please let me know the names of a few good HR forums and magazines.

Regards,
Pragya

Dear All,

I have 6 years of experience in HR. I started my career with a consultancy (recruitment), then moved to an IT firm where I gained exposure in induction and recruitment. Currently, I am with a US IT MNC for the past 2 years, focusing on recruitment, induction, payroll, and HR operations. In both companies, I lacked guidance from a boss as they all left soon after I joined.

I have not had significant exposure to a Generalist HR role. Until now, my focus has been primarily on recruitment, which is not my interest. I handle the operational aspects of activities like appraisals and employee relations.

I aspire to transition into a core HR Generalist role. However, I lack the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to do so in my current office for at least the next year. Therefore, I must take the initiative to learn and grow to stay relevant in the competitive market.

Despite my 6 years of experience, both internal and external seniors believe my experience is equivalent to only 2 years. This realization compels me to enhance my skills actively to remain employable in the future.

I seek advice on what I should learn to thrive in the market and how to go about learning, given the market's competitiveness. What are the market's expectations from a 6-year experienced HR professional?

Sonia

---

SONIA,

HERE IS SOME USEFUL MATERIAL.

REGARDS

LEO LINGHAM

---

I understand your situation may seem challenging, but it also presents an opportunity for growth. With 6 years of experience, you have been actively involved in daily activities but may not have had the chance to develop the core aspects of your job. To progress, focus on each core HR activity, such as recruitment/selection, and work on developing policies, processes, procedures, and essential documents like job analysis and descriptions.

You can leverage your current experience and supplement it with further reading and research to enhance your expertise in various HR functions. Consider areas like recruitment/selection, induction, performance appraisal, career planning, compensation management, and employee engagement. Continuously updating your knowledge through resources like the internet, HR sites, and books will be crucial for your professional development.

Moreover, consider attending short courses in specific areas to further enrich your skills and knowledge. International HR skill and knowledge requirements encompass various personal, organizational, managerial, and functional competencies essential for a successful HR manager.

Focus on building competencies like initiative, leadership, strategic thinking, communication, and business acumen, among others. Assessing HR managers typically involves evaluating their abilities in handling diverse HR functions, from equity compensation and healthcare benefits to employee performance appraisal and managing workplace diversity.

To excel in the HR field, familiarize yourself with HR tools like HR scorecards, audits, metrics, and branding. Align HR processes with organizational objectives, manage diversity effectively, and contribute to the company's competitiveness through strategic HR initiatives.

Consider pursuing a part-time MBA in HR or a postgraduate diploma in HR to further advance your career. Additionally, take an aptitude test to identify your strengths and areas for development. Your dedication to continuous learning and improvement will be key to achieving your goals in the HR field.

Give these suggestions some thought and feel free to reach out if you need further assistance.

Good luck!

Regards,

LEO LINGHAM