My Role Is HR & IT- How Does This Designation Work ? Please Help

Hello Dear Vaishalee,

I need suggestions from you and other senior members as well. I joined a Software Company in June 2010 as a fresher. Since there was no HR department, I had to create everything from scratch, and I was given the designation of HR Generalist.

Now, our Director wants to change my designation as I have completed one year. During my appraisal, he informed me that I will be designated as Assistant Manager HR & IT Infrastructure (as I am also involved in infrastructure matters).

Please guide me on whether it is a good decision to accept the new designation or suggest to me an appropriate designation. What will be the effects of both designations considering the standards?

Thank you.

Dear Manohar,

Congratulations on completing a year of employment and being offered a new designation. Which sector does your company belong to? Ideally, HR and Infrastructure are two functions radically different from each other. In an IT Firm, Infrastructure is often treated as a part of the profit center, though it largely remains a cost center to the rest. This is the only point where the two functions, HR & IT, would intersect.

As a cost center, the broader strategies remain the same. Allocation of any resources remains minimal and depends directly on the budget of the profit center it serves. This entails that the head of the profit center will remain the decision-maker, whereas the heads of the cost centers will work as enablers to the decision-making process, pertaining to their verticals.

Privacy policies and processes will remain at a tangent to each other, given the fact that one function deals with the human beings and the other deals with the machines that these human beings will manage.

In terms of employability, if you are looking forward to being hired by an IT Firm, I guess you will stand a better chance, provided you have sound HR knowledge required at your level.

A combined designation will further open up opportunities for you in both the verticals, allowing you to have a greater degree of choice. You may consider becoming a compensation expert or even switching to SAP-HR.

I hereby suggest you learn as much as it comes your way. The exposure that you have been offered will build on your working knowledge and operational excellence. Observe how the leaders in both these verticals manage their escalations. You have access; hence, build on the nuances known to few.

In a while, you will find your inner calling towards a particular area to build your expertise. Till then, remain a human sponge and keep learning as much as you can.

Wish you all the best!

Dear Tahir,

Great to hear from you! How are you? How about your work? I am glad to know you found my advice useful. Thank you :)

Regards, (Cite Contribution)

Thank you, (Cite Contribution).

I am really fortunate to receive guidance from seniors like you. Ours is a pure Software Development Company. I am responsible for the infrastructure part, such as assets in our company. My boss has offered me a designation, and he also wants me to add the same to my portfolio. I would like to pursue SAP-HR after 2 years of experience, so I am very excited about the remaining 1 year of experience. I am looking forward to more guidance from you.

Dear Manohar,

Are you managing the AMC at your office? Try to learn the HR functions. You will need to use logic while working as an SAP-HR consultant. Use the search button to find SAP-related material in this community. Keep building on your knowledge. The job market for SAP-HR is vibrant, although the hiring is mainly for those with 2 years or more experience.

Since you have decided to spend some time in your current role, please utilize this time to research job openings for SAP-HR freshers. Network with those who have recently completed and understand how they found job openings. You are part of the HR community, so connect with recruiters who hire for such roles.

Wishing you all the best!