Transitioning from HR Software to Strategic HR: Can My Experience Lead to an HR Generalist Role?

Dear Seniors,

I have seven years of experience in implementing and providing custom and packaged HR software solutions in various industries such as pharma, FMCG, chemical, and IT. Through interactions with HR personnel, I have gained valuable domain knowledge despite my background as an IT professional. I am passionate about HR solutions and management.

During my tenure, I actively contributed to providing software solutions for a range of HR functions, including recruitment management systems, organizational structure management, manpower planning, enterprise payroll management, time management, training and development, performance appraisal, HR budgeting and planning, employee relationship management, and employee change management such as promotions and transfers.

I have made the decision to pursue an MBA in HR to transition into the core/strategic HR field. This will allow me to further enhance and validate my HR domain knowledge and enable me to secure a position in the HR department of a reputable organization.

I am aware that HRMS and core/strategic HR represent distinct areas, but they are closely interconnected. Operational HR serves as a fundamental component of the entire HR function, providing essential inputs to strategic HR.

I would greatly appreciate your insights and opinions regarding my aspirations.

Best regards,

Firstly, I think you should be patient enough to allow the members to read your queries and reply. I am sure most members are also working individuals and would have their own responsibilities to abide by, in addition to answering the queries.

Secondly, your question is incomplete. You mentioned your current role—integrating HR software. You mentioned you plan to take up an MBA in HR to get an HR-related job. You mentioned your desire to work in a generalist role. You gave a scenario, but what is your question?

If you wish to ask if you should change jobs, if you are passionate about HR, why not. But do not leave your current job when you do not have any offer in your hand. I would, however, like to mention that installing HR software, Theoretical HR, and Practical HR are all different. If you are confident that you would be able to survive the change (the gap between your expectation and reality), you can think of switching.

Understanding the Transition from Software to HR

Hi Ankita, I understand that software is somewhat different, but at the same time, it also reflects the business processes done manually before in the organization, whether it is related to HR or any business function.

When I said that HR software, HR Theory, and HR Practical are all different, I meant to say that the theories we study in the books and in the class are not something that we use in our day-to-day life. I would agree that we use parts and parcels because the whole theories can be applied only in ideal conditions.

To be honest, HR is very simple on paper and in books. While studying, many feel there's nothing much to do, and we would have an extravagant life... But when one actually steps into the HR role, one realizes that the goody-goody feeling one got while studying was only a rosy picture. The reality is different because we, as HRs, deal with HUMANS who cannot be predicted to be doing this in that situation. Every individual would act differently in the same or similar situations as we are all made different.

One just needs to understand this while switching from software to HR. I do understand that you are working with software in the HR domain, but at the end of the day, you are dealing with machines, codes, and software. You know that the same code would run on all machines, and if on one machine it gives an error of type X, it would 99% give the same error on the next machine. Machines and codes are predictable; Humans are not.

This is the only thing I would want you to be the most careful of, else in the end, it would completely frustrate you. However, if you are confident of dealing with this change, move on.

Question on Career Transition

To be very specific, I have the following question: If a person who has such experience and is going for an executive MBA, can he be placed as an HR generalist/in the HR department?

This depends on the recruiter. If you ask me, I will recruit you as a fresher if at all I have to consider you because your past experiences are not HR-related experience. (I am sure you won't doubt this if you understood what I was trying to explain in the above note.)

Another thing, for a recruiter to hire someone, it is not just the qualification and experience on your CV but also what you would bring on board and how effectively you convince us that you're the right fit, also matters.

Hope this helped you.

Regards,

It is really informative feedback from your side. Moreover, you have rightly said that it is not just qualification and experience that matter all the time. One should also think beyond it. Thanks again... It helped me a lot.