Navigating Career Paths: Should I Stay in Recruitment or Move to an HR Generalist Role?

Hi,

I am an MBA graduate in Marketing and HR. I am currently working as a Senior Consultant in a private consultancy; it's been 7 months with the company. I am currently handling recruitments of middle and senior-level managerial cadre positions.

I am looking at a future in SAP HR, but what most professionals in functional SAP suggest is that I should get more HR domain knowledge before entering into SAP. What I would like to know is how long should I be in recruitments in a consultancy and should I switch as of now into an HR Generalist role in a corporate. Will I be considered for an HR Generalist role if I stay too long in recruitments and that too in a consultancy? Also, what should be my stability in this company?

Please suggest...

Thanks,
Angela

Hi,

If you are at the start of your career, make sure to develop competence in recruitment. If you feel that you are ready for a greater role, speak with your management about your willingness to grow within the same organization. This can provide a strong career foundation for you.

:D

Hi,

Even I have started my career with a recruitment consultancy, and I have worked there for 1.5 years. I have also worked with Ma Foi. Recently, I shifted to a new company where I am still involved in recruitment but gradually taking on more responsibilities. It will take time to progress, and you may not immediately transition to a generalist role with only recruitment experience. Keep working hard, and I am confident you will achieve your goals.

Regards,
Mony

Thanks for your time and advice. There's not sufficient growth in the present company to develop as a generalist. Would you suggest looking for a generalist role after gaining 1 year of recruitment experience?

Thanks for your time and advice. There's not sufficient growth in the current company to develop as a generalist. Would you suggest looking for a generalist role after gaining one year of recruitment experience?

Hi,

I have started my career with a Recruitment consultancy, Mafoi, and worked for 1.7 years. Though there, I was not involved in recruitment. However, I got the opportunity to work in a small IT company in a generalist role, where initially 90% of the work was recruitment. In the field of HR, one needs to have knowledge of the entire HR spectrum, including accounts (tax), admin, legal, and more. With determination, eagerness to learn, and hard work, nothing is impossible.

Having recruitment experience is not a guarantee to enter the corporate world. It's about how hard you work and the effort and initiative you put into learning new roles. If you are interested in a generalist profile and have the opportunity, without hesitation, you should pursue it. I believe you can manage it.

Good luck!

Priyanka

Thank you, I appreciate your time and advice. It's truly motivating. The thoughts would help me to get the right direction and perspective regarding my career.

Hi,

I too had joined Ma Foi in recruitments, and it was a great learning experience, on the basis of which I entered a corporate, in staffing (a broader aspect than recruitments). I am a part of non-IT and HR hiring in my company.

Though initially I had been interested in a generalist role like you, I am doing well here, and I have started to like it a lot. But I am also open to looking into other functional areas of HR, which I can pursue a break in my current company, for I have proved myself in my work here (I have been here for more than a year now), and people recognize that here. But with only 7 months of experience, that too only in recruitments, it might be difficult, if not impossible, to transition into a Generalist role. If you get that opportunity, it is great.

But, what I would tell you is to learn as much as you can from your current role, such as salary structures, offer fitments across levels and industries, understanding various job descriptions, hierarchy in organizations. This will provide you with a good foundation to project your learning and knowledge to move into a generalist role in the future. Because that's the first thing a generalist needs to know: organization structures, roles & responsibilities, and salary structures across various levels.

All the best for a fulfilling future!

Ritu

Hi,

You'd better jump into the generalist bandwagon at the soonest and then think about specialization at a later stage. Recruitment will anyway form part of your job. As an MBA graduate, what you need to put into practice is your global approach to HR management.

Sunita

Hi, apart from my above query, I also have another question. Currently, my package is 1.44 lakhs, which amounts to around 12,000 per month. However, working in a private limited consultancy, the director deducts 1,200 per month under the SLA for 1.5 years to manage attrition in the company. The deducted amount is reimbursed to the employee after 1.5 years. Therefore, my net salary is approximately 10,600, not including incentives. Unfortunately, there are instances where we do not receive the incentives if a candidate leaves before 3 months from the client, and our next selection is considered a replacement.

Consequently, I am responsible for selecting candidates every month as part of my Key Result Area (KRA), yet I do not receive any monetary benefits. During the interview, my package was set at this level based on the assurance from the Director that there would be substantial incentives in this industry. However, due to certain client situations, candidates often do not stay for long periods.

Currently, with an MBA in Marketing/HR and experience contributing to major auto companies in Pune during my MBA projects, my salary stands at 1.44 lakhs, with only 10,600 in hand. I have 1 year of total work experience, including 7 months of relevant recruitment experience.

My question is, what should my package be when I seek a job in the future, specifically in an HR Generalist role in a corporate setting? Your suggestions and guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I have also worked for ABC Consultancy High Circle but just after 6 months, I left only because I felt it's more of tele-calling HR than anything else. I did headhunting, mapping, screening, working on job posters, but I did not get much to learn. Presently, I am working in a service industry as HR Executive, and I am learning much more than in a consultancy.