Struggling to Break into HR Generalist Roles? Seeking Advice for Freshers and Executives

Hello all seniors in HR!

I've seen many of my friends who've opted for HR specialization in MBA or have pursued MPM course face a great amount of difficulty in getting a "right job" early in their career.

1) As a fresher, the immediate opening available is in consultancies.
2) Even when I see the job portals, it's really tough to find a vacancy for a "Generalist" profile.
3) Hardly 2 to 5% of students are placed in companies (all types of firms - small, medium, large, MNCs, etc. - except consultancies).
4) So after spending a few years in "recruitment," they are stamped/labeled as recruitment executives and not entertained for "Generalist profiles."

My queries:

1) For such students/freshers/executives - what is the way to enter the Generalist profile?
2) How do companies fill HR generalist profiles/positions?
3) Can the HR community help these candidates?
4) How should they plan their career to be successful in HR?

I wish all the best to my friends, students/freshers in HR and hope the resulting discussion will help them in building a solid career.

Expecting inputs,

Amit

I had the same queries too. I can answer the second question that companies fill their generalist vacancies through IJP, i.e., internal job postings. There is one more reason that such vacancies are very few, like 2-3 in number, so the senior management refers to someone they know.

Hi Amit,

Good post....

1) For students/freshers/executives - what is the way to enter the Generalist profile? As you said, it is difficult to get into the generalist profile. I would say, a fresher can join a consultancy and start with recruitment. Over time, you can take up additional responsibilities like Payroll, Benefits, and training within the consultancy itself. This way, one can gain knowledge in a generalist role, which will help in entering the Generalist profile.

2) How do companies fill HR generalist profiles/positions? Companies typically look for a minimum of 2 years of experience in a generalist profile, but this may vary depending on the company.

3) Can the HR community help these candidates? That's a good question. I am eager to see the response.

4) How should they plan their career to be successful in HR? Refer to the answer to question no. 1.

Hey chum, can you tell me about some good consultancies to start a career with? I have seen that good consultancies work to place others.

Hi Preet,

Following are a few reputed consultancies:

1. Ma Foi
2. Alp Management Consultancy
3. Adecco
4. Cerebrus - All HR Services
5. People one

"Hey chum, can you tell me about some good consultancies to start a career with? I have seen that good consultancies work to place others."

Hi Manohar,

The HR Department's old name is Personnel Department, and the name Personnel Department is obsolete. However, people still use it, especially in the manufacturing sector.

Hi friends, I am also pursuing an MBA from Sikkim Manipal University, and I am confused about selecting the specialization subject in the third semester. Please, all of you, suggest what I can do because I am working in the taxation department, but my background is not in commerce.

1) For such students/freshers/executives - what is the way to enter into a Generalist profile?

To get a core HR Generalist profile, you will have to make your searches right. Don't limit yourself to the location. Be willing to move out and explore new cities. Broaden your horizon in making searches. Be open to accepting work in a small organization. You can't right away work in Airtel. Also, don't confine yourself to working in one particular industry; try your chances in new companies (for that, make Google searches). The choice of industries is numerous - BPOs, LPOs, Telecom, manufacturing, etc.

2) How do companies fill HR generalist profiles/positions?

The bigger organizations fill the HR vacancies through references or word of mouth. You need to develop your networking skills.

However, sometimes the vacancies may be displayed in papers. Keep your eyes open and make it a habit to check Times Ascent or any other employment newspaper.

3) Can HR community help these candidates?

Yes. The HR communities also serve as a pool of candidates posting their CVs. But they will call you only if your CV speaks for itself.

4) How should they plan a career to be successful in HR?

Career planning is not only for HR professionals. It's for everybody in the workforce. But to make a career in HR, one needs much more diligence in eyeing the opportunities coming their way.

To get your career on the right track in HR, don't begin work after the completion of your studies. If you are pursuing an M.B.A. or any course in HR, take all the assignments seriously. Your internship can make a difference. Work so well that you leave an impression on the employer (whom you work for during the internship) and the teachers (to whom you submit the project). Don't copy-paste the project work. Do the work yourself. Select HR topics that are rare or in vogue. Your teachers will guide you if you go wrong. Stay up-to-date with the latest in HR through HR communities or by reading HR magazines like Human Capital.

Now, coming to the real world after the completion of your studies, post your CV on the job portals (Naukri, Monster, etc.), contact the people you know. Keep your networking strong, check the employment papers.

I am sure you will succeed. One last thing: Don't keep your expectations too high. If you are offered a good HR profile in a small organization or a larger one, you may have to compromise on your salary expectations initially. If the work is good, be willing to compromise. The future will yield good results.

All the Best!

Hey chum! Thank you for telling me about some consultancies. But I have seen most of the time that the career sections on these websites have no openings for HR. In that case, how shall I go about it? Shall I search for their address and go to submit my resume in hand?

Hi Preeti,

You are very right, step in directly to the venue and keep following up. I was doing it, and it worked for me. Sure, you will get a hold soon. Go hunt and keep rocking.

Good question. The same thing has happened to me. Although I was interested in a generalist HR profile, I started working as a recruiter in a consulting firm. I am looking for a good generalist profile anywhere across India.

Hello friends,

As an HR professional (whether referred to as Personnel, Admin, or by any other title – but not low or high grade) in the manufacturing industry, this is my perspective: HR students are not too keen on manufacturing because:

a) They are more attracted to the glamour of IT/Software.
b) They have the misconception that "Personnel" work is low grade.
c) Pay scales in manufacturing may not be as attractive.
d) The working environment may seem basic in a manufacturing industry compared to industries like hotels or hospitals.

Most HR candidates I encounter from IT or non-manufacturing sectors, however, lack the overall experience and depth in the HR field. That is why, regardless of their experience, they may be offered entry-level positions in a manufacturing industry. And the story continues...

Thank you.

Hi all, I've been a member of this site for the last 2 years, and this is my 2nd reply in the thread. This thread particularly induces me to reply because I'm working as a Generalist HR. Truly speaking, in today's scenario, the HR functions are transferred to line managers; hence, most of the HR functions are not in the hands of the HR department itself. Moreover, since HR is the support function of the organization and most of the functions are automated, the Generalist role slowly moves to the end, and most Generalists are doing only post office jobs inside the organization. The aspirants should set their minds to go as a Generalist with minimum pay and slow growth in the industry or continue as a recruiter and earn good money (the ultimate factor for any job). But with good guidance and a network, HR cannot be compared with any function in the organization.

Regards, Karthikeyan.

Hi Umang, I agree with you.

The best approach to pursue an HR generalist role is to start working in a small firm where the single HR person is responsible for all HR functions. This way, your HR Generalist profile will undoubtedly experience good growth.

If any of you remember the theory, then you must have read about personnel management (IR), which evolved into corporate HR and is now more commonly seen as Strategic HR (HR ego is hurt to be seen as a support function :-D). As professionals, it is advisable not to get too caught up in the usage and appropriateness of words.

All my friends have rightly pointed out – in addition, in my personal opinion, IR and HR both require a certain mindset. Both hold their significance in their respective industries; IR is particularly crucial in manufacturing, and witnessing a negotiation between management and a union is a sight to behold, revealing the true beauty of IR!!!

Strategic HR is more refined, suitable for knowledge workers who need to be handled with tact, where you may need to demonstrate that you have gone out of your way, bending company policies just for 'YOU - (nerd)'.

It has its own allure... as rightly stated.

In this world, all types of people exist: those who work for glamour, excel in hardcore union negotiations, work for money, or purely for the satisfaction of a job well done!!!!

Nothing is superior or inferior...

Cheers (to HR for making it all the way...)

Geeta:icon1:

Hi Amit,

Excellent post. I think 80% of the people entering HR will have the same doubts. Kudos to you for putting everything very clearly. Even I have exactly the same doubts because I started as a Recruitment Executive only and am not able to move to an HR Generalist role easily. The problem with being a Recruitment Executive is that they get typecast in that role, and companies do not offer Generalist profiles to them. That's actually sad. I hope companies understand that we want to and are ready to learn other domains of HR given a chance. All the best to everyone.

Hi Preeti,

I am sorry the message was for CHUM and it has been erroneously sent to you. But if you can help, I will be delighted.

Regards,
Maj H S Sandhu

Hi Friends,

Do you all feel optimistic about the salary offered by consultancies for the fresher MBA?

To All Seniors in HR,

Thanks for your pragmatic posts, especially to Mr. Umang and Chum. The objective behind this post is a sincere desire to help these candidates. The question still remains unanswered: Can the HR community help such candidates, and more importantly, how?

Regards,
Amit

I think most of the generalist profiles are filled up through campus recruitments in large companies or MNCs, and the rest are replacement positions that require 3+ years of experience. Even small organizations provide great opportunities and would definitely prefer hiring freshers. In fact, small organizations would give you a good opportunity to learn and implement. As there are no systems in place, you will be the sole person responsible for developing and implementing them, as compared to an MNC where you just become the custodian of the processes in place.

You should not constrain yourself to a specific location or industry. Sometimes you might find good opportunities in small cities as well. In fact, most of the big manufacturing setups are in small towns and cities. You cannot expect to be in one of the top MNCs at the beginning of your career unless you have graduated from India's top B-Schools. Once you gain experience and expertise, no one is going to ask you which institute you've come from. You will be hired based on your expertise.

All The Best!

Regards,
Pragya

Hi,

A very good and comprehensive reply by uwadhwa. I really appreciate your help towards freshers/people in doubt. Indeed, I truly support your advice. In my own career, I followed a similar path. Though, I would like to add that word of mouth is a possibility when you work in the same organization or have friends/people you know working in that org.

If you are an outsider, and that too a complete outsider, i.e. no links in the organization, a CONSULTANT can help you. You may talk/call/mail consultants and get to know about job openings as well as the kind of salary structure being offered. Also, as mentioned already, job portals are a good means of knowing a lot about the same. Newspapers also help, however, if you have links or can make links, you may get to know about the best of jobs in the top-notch organizations.

ALL THE BEST!

Regards,
Avani Bhatnagar, Training Manager.

Dear All,

I have answered all the queries in such detail because I am similar to Amit. I graduated in August 2008 and started working in July 2009. Believe me, this is my first job, and I hold the position of HR Manager. The extended gap in my employment was due to my marriage occurring during that period; however, my actual job search lasted no more than 1.5 months.

I am part of a new organization, an LPO. Before this role, I was unfamiliar with the term. Nevertheless, my HR degree and accomplishments during my studies have brought me to this point. I have developed HR policies, procedures, and all the necessary HR forms for the company. I am solely responsible for recruitment, training, performance appraisals, and more. It is incredibly fulfilling!

I did not achieve all this by attributing my success to the recession or connections. I have worked diligently to reach this point. I even declined job offers for a 'Relationship Manager' position in a limited company that offered higher pay, opting instead to work in core HR. Although my salary is modest (though not too low for a newcomer), my job satisfaction is significant. I have invested time in finding the right job for myself.

Finding a job is not a one-day process; employment newspapers or job portals do not guarantee immediate success. Persistence and patience are key. Choosing to work for a consultancy may be better than remaining idle, but transitioning to the corporate world can be challenging.

I would also like to discuss the distinction between Personnel and HR work. While the Personnel Department handles administrative tasks traditionally, HR functions are carried out in a more modern manner, such as integrating HRIS into the system.

I trust this information is helpful.

Please note that my name is Mrs. Umang Wadhwa Osahan.

Thank you!

I agree with what Mr. Wadhawa said.

I started my career in HR with a consultancy, worked there for 3 months only, and got an opportunity for an HR generalist job. I accepted that job even though they were offering a very low salary as it was the initial stage of my career. I hope the future will show me good results.

Thank you for this good advice, Mrs. Umang Osahan. I really needed that. Could you please tell me what topic I should choose for a project in HR, and also provide guidance on the format of synopses.

Regards,
Richa

Hey!

This thread has been really useful to me. I am in a similar situation like most people here. I just finished my MBA in 2009. Since there were no opportunities available, I took up a job in a consultancy, but after a couple of months, I started feeling restless with the profile and the work culture of that place, so I quit.

And now I've joined a startup company where I'm the only HR. We are into medical tourism and are looking at expanding in the next few months. So right now, my role is limited to recruitment, induction, preparation of HR policies, and preparation of all the documents required like offer letters, confirmation letters, reimbursement vouchers, salary slips, etc. Since I don't really have prior experience, I don't know what else I can do out here to improve the systems. I am working on preparing a flow chart of the entire process that goes on in the company with the CEO. I want to do more but don't know how!

Please help!

Jamila Patel

Hi Ms. Umang and Avani,

I have a small problem out here. I passed out with my MBA in 2009 with a dual specialization in HR and Marketing. Due to a lack of any good opportunities in HR, I accepted a job offer in a startup as a Marketing & Business Development Officer. I am good at marketing, but my heart lies with HR. Although life in Marketing is challenging with a lot of authority and creativity, I still want to shift to HR. What impression will an HR recruiter get from my background? What are my possibilities of getting into an HR generalist position?

Please advise.

Hi Richa,

I am sorry for the delayed response.

If you are at the stage where you must choose your HR Project Topic, my advice to you (or anyone) would be to select a topic that is rare and not covered in the previous year in your Institute. Subjects like Performance Appraisal, Recruitment, and Training are very common. Try to think out of the box. The topics in HR are all the same, but what and how you choose to present it in the form of a Project will determine your level of innovation. If the subject is innovative, you score half the marks.

One other thing that shall help you far is that you choose a topic that's taken from the real world, instead of the theoretical topic.

I may help you by listing a few topics. But the list is not exhaustive. You must do your research on the topics. The ones that interest you. A few are listed below:

1. A study on retention practices to control the severe attrition rate in small software companies?
2. Role of HRM Department in ERP (SAP/PeopleSoft)
3. Human Resource Department as a strategic asset in corporate planning and development.

Please try to search for more topics. Read books. You will get ideas.

I hope this helps!

All the Best.

Dear All,

Can we, as an HR community, do something for such candidates? Expecting your inputs.

Amit

Hi Ms. Umang and Avani,

I have a small problem out here. I have passed out with my MBA in 2009 with a dual specialization in HR and Marketing. Due to a lack of any good opportunity in HR, I had accepted a job offer in a startup as a marketing and business development officer. I am good at marketing, but my heart lies with HR. Though life in Marketing is challenging with a lot of authority and one can be very creative, I still want to shift to HR. What impression will an HR recruiter get from my background? And what are my possibilities of getting into an HR generalist position?

Please advise.

I can understand the frustration and the loss of patience you must have had while accepting the offer. We need to accept the hard fact that the market hardly offers HR vacancies. Leave aside the "recession," HR vacancies are always scarce. Then, there is no shortage of people doing HR specialization. Out of which, some grab the posts via their good networking skills or their references. Only a few of us get placed in the potential of HR via past service/academic record. Those left would opt for working with HR consultancies. However big these consultancies are, the salaries offered are too low, or the targets are so high that you end up taking stress. It's similar to doing a marketing job.

The options are not limited. We must broaden our horizons. There are desk jobs to do Relationship Marketing. Then Public Relations. Everybody needs money. I would say it will be a waste of time and (parents') money to sit idle. If there is a dearth of jobs in the market, opt for any job you get. It's a wise decision. Then, direct your career in the right way. Think about all the options now available to you. You always start at a lower grade. Perform so well that you climb the ladder to reach the highest grade. I am sure you will find your way.

As for you, once you have experience in marketing on your resume, it will be very difficult to build your career in HR now. But don't give up hope. Keep trying. You will definitely find one such job that will satisfy you. But that takes time. So the key is to keep patience :)

I would also like to address why we are all stressing on becoming an HR Generalist. In an organization, there are many roles in HR. Within an HR department, there could be specialists focusing on Training and Development, some handling only Recruitment, and others managing various HR activities. To secure a position in a reputable organization, pursuing a specialized role is valuable. When working for a small organization, especially a new setup, there may be opportunities to work as an HR Generalist. We shouldn't overlook the pool of talent and experience available to us. Explore the options accessible to you and select the best one.

Mrs. Umang,

It would be great if you could help me as well because I don't want to end up wasting my time as well as the company's money!

Regards,
Jamila Patel.

Hi Amit,

I have repeatedly seen this one question you have been asking. Well, as an HR community member, what can you realistically expect? Some tips that may help people to some extent are:

1 - Join some HR networks and make your presence felt, either through public relations or organizing events. Be a helping hand. That way, some seniors may notice your multitasking talent, which is important for an HR generalist profile.

2 - When recruiting, try to build a good relationship with the client company's HR department and mention that you are looking forward to joining as an HR Generalist. HR positions are always scarce because for every 100 people, you usually wish to have only 1 HR person. Understanding this situation is crucial.

3 - Join as an admin/operations executive. That profile will help in switching to HR internally more easily.

That's all that comes to my mind as of now. Perhaps start a new thread with just this question.

Thanks,
Geeta

The best way for freshers is to start work as a "Trainee". If you work as a trainee and can show yourself, the company will appoint you. Good luck.