Feeling Stuck in HR Admin Work? Seeking Advice on Transitioning to Strategic HR Roles

Dear Seniors, Your crucial advice is needed. I am working with a manufacturing firm as an executive in HR. However, there is not much scope for HR in manufacturing firms. In the name of HR, what we do is admin work, and more focus is on Industrial Relations.

I have always wanted to work in a company where HR plays a more strategic role as a partner. That's why I am not satisfied with my current work.

When I think of transitioning from manufacturing to top companies in other sectors, such as Infosys, where I believe I will find the job satisfaction I am seeking, I realize that these companies rely on employee referrals and do not advertise their job openings.

Now, I am starting to feel that I will end up as a so-called HR professional who mainly handles employee files, prepares MIS reports, and does other tasks that provide zero job satisfaction.

Please guide me on how to make this shift from a manufacturing firm to organizations where HR is a significant department.

I am looking forward to your valuable response.

Thanks,

Perseverance

My opinion is that there is a lot of scope for HR in the manufacturing sector compared to software companies. Have your seniors not provided you with such opportunities? Starting from manpower planning, induction, skill matrix, career planning, PMS, up to exit interview data analysis, and corrective steps, you have a lot of opportunities to acquire knowledge.

Of course, it depends on the size of the organization and the level of delegation. I agree that in manufacturing units, there are many administration, welfare, and IR issues, but with the urge, we can learn a lot. Examples include manpower productivity, manpower deployment, skill gap analysis, TNA, training, PIP (performance improvement plan), etc.

Why I am writing all these things is that there won't be any compartmentalization when you are in the units. You will have access to all facets of HRM, and you will be a very effective and efficient generalist.

Regards,
Kamesh

I'd suggest you try job roles through consultancies, as these big companies outsource their recruitment. I found some companies like Oracle and Infosys recruiting people in the same way. However, I'd better suggest you check with your circle who work for these kinds of companies and try taking references from them.

Regards,
Srivani

I agree with you, Kamesh.

First Steps in Performance Evaluation

First, you calculate the VAPE of your organization, as it indicates the performance of your department. I hope you have been groomed by HR experts. Calculate VAPE and think about how to improve it.

Strategies for Improvement

- Think about a Performance-Driven Work Culture.
- Consider Group Decisions.
- Your meditation on the problem will show you the way. Otherwise, email me at [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons].

Tools for Efficiency

Tools may vary from MPP, 5S, QCC, PY to LEAN. Never get bogged down in routine work.

Regards,

The Scope of HR in Manufacturing Firms

How can you say that there is no scope and career growth for HR people in manufacturing firms? You are not just talking about your current company/employer but the whole manufacturing industry, and you must think about it. I understand that you are not satisfied or somehow feel that your present work and situation are lacking, but you can't claim that there is no scope for you or for all with a manufacturing firm. It seems you are not aware that administrative work also comes under HR, and Industrial Relations, which you have mentioned above, is a really important part of Human Resource Management (HRM). Don't mind, but you need to improve your knowledge about HRM.

Understanding the Role of HR in Manufacturing

These administrative tasks and personnel management work are the base of modern "Human Resource Management," and it comes from Personnel Management. Perhaps you are not aware that the first and initial name of today's HRD/HRM was "Personnel and Administration" (P&A). Also, the things and work style of HR/HRM that you are looking for have emerged from manufacturing companies, i.e., Worker/Personnel Management. These MNC industries and corporate cultures never existed in the past, but manufacturing companies did.

I appreciate that you are keen to learn more about HR and want to work with the whole HR department, but it is not true that there is no career growth or that you can't learn about HR with a manufacturing firm. Do you really feel that you will learn more about HR if you work with another industry or company? Do you think that the hardcore HR you are talking about can be learned at Infosys and other MNC or IT industries better than at a manufacturing company? I guess you think so, and you need to learn a lot about it.

HR Functions Across Industries

HR remains the same; the functions and work are also the same everywhere, but the difference is the working style and atmosphere, which varies from company to company.

Perhaps you are not assigned much work there, or not according to your expectation, which made you feel like there is no scope for you, but it doesn't mean that you should mention "there is not much scope for HR in manufacturing firms."

I personally have worked with four different industries and never found a difference in the working style and atmosphere.

Improving Your HR Skills and Knowledge

I beg your pardon if my above message made you feel bad, but I wanted to let you know the truth.

Well, coming back to the solution to your problem, I would suggest you look for a new job. Also, you need to improve your basic skills, knowledge, and understanding of HR and its functions, which will help you learn more and more about it, as you are also expecting the same. Additionally, you need to understand the work profile of an HR Executive and HR Generalist (Hardcore HR). The HR Generalist profile covers all the related and possible work of HR.

HR generalists are characterized by their involvement in -- and knowledge of -- a wide variety of functions and divisions within HR. The generalist is a jack-of-all-trades who can administer any aspect of HR.

Hope this will help you in many ways...

I assume someone has misguided you, and you need to understand what HR is. If you are not doing homework and going to school, you may get punished. Similarly, without learning the basics of HR, how could you build a strategy for the organization? You need to be a mature and strong professional for a better future.

If you have an interest in learning, there are plenty of opportunities in the manufacturing sector to learn HR functions such as recruitment, selection, compensation, training & development, welfare, grievance handling, employee relations, leave record maintenance, and data management in HR, among many others.

Take this in a positive way; I hope this helps solve your query, and always maintain an attitude of learning.

Thank you very much, everyone, for your advice; it will help me.

@ Mr. Anilkr.arora - I want to clarify a few points to you:

1. 75% of your answer is focused on making depreciative comments about my "knowledge of HR." I wonder if that was your intention or if you just lost focus.

2. You seem to be very fond of manufacturing, but please get your facts right. Manufacturing doesn't only involve the firm you have worked with (I am not sure you have).

3. While I am saying "there is not much scope for HR in the manufacturing industry," I am signifying the role of a strategic partner (which I have mentioned in my query). Even if we talk about IR & Admin, do you think they are able to contribute to the strategic intent of the organization? IR people are busy with compliances or labor issues most of the time, so there is no question of being a strategic partner. Admin people can contribute to the company by cost reduction at the max.

4. Please be wider in your approach as I am not talking about the top few organizations. There is a vast majority of manufacturing firms where HRM is divided into three parts, i.e., HR/IR/Admin. While Admin & IR I have already discussed, HR performs their activities in a very limited manner. Just to quote an example - after training is imparted, an important step is to check training effectiveness. This could be done with various good techniques, but here what is done is, we hand over an employee feedback form to the employees. I mean, if we are not evaluating the training well, then the whole purpose of the exercise is lost. This is just an example; HR activities are performed in a very shallow manner.

5. In the end, a question to you - Don't you think that HR has been a support function for long in the role of IR & Admin? Now it's time we, as HR professionals, pull up our socks to make HR a profit center?

With Best Regards,

Perseverance

Thanks for your response, but the first thing I would say is that you need to improve your knowledge and have to read your comments once again. I would appreciate that you have raised your question, and I like it too, but certainly would say that you need to know the facts about HRM/HRD.

Well, it's not your problem because you need more understanding and experience about HR and work. It seems you didn't get the motive of my post, and it is also showing in your answer. But it's okay; I won't mind it. For people who have never worked with two or more industries and haven't experienced the differences, it is hard for them to understand this.

Well, for your information, I'm working with an engineering company and have worked with manufacturing, garment export, and the retail industry in my career. I do understand the difference in HR and work style and many things better. I won't say that there is no one else who has much experience and better understanding than me and is not senior because this place is not just a ship of HR professionals but a sea of HR knowledge and experience as well. Numerous people here are more senior and have much more experience than me. But what I have found and experienced in my career and working with different industries (not companies but industries) has been shared with others, and I would like to continue doing this.

I don't know whether you have worked other than in the Auto/Manufacturing Industry in your past or not, but people who are attracted to the modern HR style of MNCs and have not much experience need to know this fact: real and large experience, work style, management style, and knowledge of HR in the manufacturing industry. Until then, one can never understand this.

Second, your column number 4 has itself a contradiction. Could you please let me know why HRM has been divided into three parts (HR/IR/Admin) by the Manufacturing Industries? Do you know the motive behind this, and have you seen these things with any other MNC/other industries, or can anyone say that after this, these three are not part of HR, and one can never experience and understand the working under these three? Find out, and you will get the answers.

I would suggest you conduct research on this, and I'm sure you will get all the answers to your questions.

Hope this time you will try to understand my motive, and I beg your pardon if my comments made you feel bad... nothing personal.

Regards,
[Username]

I have worked in both sectors—services as well as manufacturing. The services industry has proper policies and processes, but manufacturing units are not as modern, as 50% of employees are not highly qualified. However, I personally feel that manufacturing units have numerous things to learn. In the service industry, HR has to be fast to deliver results on time.

Regards

I think, Mr. Arora, you have taken the discussion on a totally different tangent by getting personal. In this whole process, the question that Perseverance asked has really not been answered, which is how he can make a shift from manufacturing to another industry where HR plays a stronger role.

Mr. Arora, your thread only seems to attack Perseverance's comment on HR not being a value-added function in manufacturing, but it does not answer his main query, which is how does he shift.

Perseverance, you seem to be in one of the Honda companies. I do not know, but I feel so. Anyhow, please try HR consulting firms like Hewitt, etc., where HR is the core function and not an allied function. While HR is not about administration and record-keeping, as you seem to believe, I agree that it does not play a focal role in that industry unless something like the Maruti fiasco happens and labor itself becomes a problem.

Thanks for your valuable response, but something I want to say is that you forgot to consider the facts about most successful companies/industries like Maruti and Honda, which are also manufacturing companies.

Second, what I said here is all about HR and work, and there is nothing like taking any comment/response of anyone personally. I even request Perseverance not to take anything to a personal level, but I guess that was not considered by you, unfortunately. However, I respect the response and answers provided by everyone. This is a forum for discussion, to share knowledge and experience, not for being social or personal, so we are having professional discussions here.

Perseverance said that he is an Executive HR with a manufacturing firm (who is really big on pointing out spelling mistakes made by others but has done the same at the same time) and believes that he will be satisfied with his work and employment with companies like Infosys and others. However, he doesn't know their work system and has never worked for them either. Also, he feels these companies follow employee referrals and don’t advertise their jobs. So, what do you think about this?

In addition, it would be highly appreciated if you could share your experience and knowledge that enable me to learn more and will help me find the answers to the following:

1. Do you know what role HR in manufacturing industries has played in their success?
Say for Maruti and Honda, the big two names from manufacturing industries.

2. Could you please share your knowledge on the HR work system with any company like Infosys, TCS, WIPRO, and Hewitt?

I believe while getting the answers to these questions, you will be able to understand what I said above or intended to convey to all here.

I am a student of life and learn from everything existing in this world and always consider myself a LEARNER but never forget to share what I have learned and experienced.

Regards

The Role of HR/IR/Admin in Shaping a Perfect HR Professional

The mix of all HR, IR, and Admin roles makes a perfect HR professional. As we work in organizations, they expect us to implement HR policies in letter and spirit and to acquire, maintain, and retain human resources as the most important assets (HR Role). Additionally, we have to prepare and present our manpower budget, as well as the Admin budget, which includes stationery, vehicles, security, canteen, guest house, safety, welfare, etc. We are held responsible for all these expenses, and strict control is required in this regard (Admin role).

Furthermore, as professionals, we are responsible for creating and maintaining harmonious industrial relations. After working in many industries, I personally believe that IR, or Industrial Relations, plays a major role in the HR field. It does not mean that we only handle grievances, issue warning letters, or hold inquiries. Instead, if we approach IR with the right perspective, it means we must be proactive in understanding the pulse of our workforce, their expectations, and how we respond to them. Most of the time, we need to interact with the workforce to understand their views and expectations. What it means is... IR, IR, IR. I firmly believe that if our IR is strong, the other roles become easier for us to play.

In any industry, whether manufacturing or service, HR professionals have to play all the roles. The need of the hour is multi-skilling and tasking.

Inconvenience may please be regretted if somebody is hurt by my comments.

Regards,
Ramesh Bhardwaj

The Role of HR/IR/Admin in Shaping a Professional

Dear A.K. Arora and Perseverance, the mix of all HR/IR/Admin roles makes a perfect HR professional. As we work in organizations, they expect us to implement HR policies in letter and spirit and to acquire, maintain, and retain human resources as the most important assets (HR Role). Additionally, we have to prepare and present our manpower budget, as well as the Admin budget for stationery, vehicles, security, canteen, guest house, safety, welfare, etc. We are held responsible for all these expenses, and strict control is required in this regard (Admin role).

Furthermore, as professionals, we are responsible for creating and maintaining harmonious industrial relations. After working in many industries, I personally believe that IR, or Industrial Relations, plays a major role for HR professionals. It does not mean that we only handle grievances, issue warning letters, or hold inquiries. Instead, if we approach IR from the right perspective, it means being proactive in understanding the pulse of our workforce, their expectations, and how we respond to them. Most of the time, we need to interact with the manpower to know their views and expectations. What it means is... IR IR IR. I firmly believe that if our IR is strong, the other roles become easier for us to play.

Further, in any industry, whether manufacturing or service, HR professionals have to play all these roles. The need of the hour is multi-skilling and tasking.

Inconvenience may please be regretted if somebody is hurt by my comments.

Regards,
Ramesh Bhardwaj