Aspiring HR Professional Seeks Insights on Career Path, Gender Bias, and Industry Realities

I am an HR aspirant pursuing my MBA from Goa Institute of Management (GIM). I have the following queries that seniors or experts in the HR circle could help me with.

Interest in HR Due to Psychological and Emotional Intelligence

My main inclination towards HR is because of the psychological and emotional intelligence aspect involved in this stream. I feel I can listen to people's problems and help in finding solutions. I personally feel empathetic towards the poor work-life balance (from my own experience in an MNC for 2 years) and feel that by pursuing HR, I would get the first-hand chance to influence the work-life-related policies of future organizations I work for. However, from many industry sources, I come to know that HR is powerless when it comes to formulating policies for employee welfare. HR professionals are under constant pressure from top management or leaders of the organization to meet targets, have become puppets, and have no say of their own. All HR professionals do is serve the interests of the company and powerful top management, and employee welfare has taken a back seat. Is this practice or notion true?

Choosing a Minor Specialization with HR Major

In my MBA curriculum, I have the opportunity to select from a bouquet of electives and form a major and minor specialization. I intend to take HR as the major, but I am confused about the minor. From an industry point of view and for my career growth, what minor should I accompany with HR as the major—should it be finance, marketing, or operations? I am inclined towards finance as a minor. Is HR + finance a good option?

Gender Bias in HR Recruitment and Promotions

Being a male in an "apparently" female-dominated HR stream, will I suffer from any bias during recruitment or promotions in MNCs?

Reputation of GIM in the HR Industry

In the industry circuit and among the recruiters, what image or standing does GIM (Goa Institute of Management) have, especially for HR?

Thanks in advance!

My Views on Your Queries

1) It is the owner of the business who has every right to organize his business, and therefore, he will try to rein in matters that have financial implications. This may not only occur with HR but also with other disciplines like marketing, finance, or production. For example, he may not agree immediately to any proposal from production to modernize machinery since it involves costs to the company. Similarly, he may ask Finance to rationalize spending. Again, he may direct marketing to cover more areas with existing manpower. In the same way, he may turn down a proposal for a medical camp for medical check-up of employees proposed by HR. In many cases, the owner offers convincing reasons to reject the proposals. For instance, in the case of the proposal for a medical camp, he may say that the employees are already covered by ESI, and hence there is no need for additional check-ups. It all depends on the individual HR's leadership style, knowledge, credibility, skills, and the consequent stature, trust, and equation which he enjoys with the top management that decide whether HR has his way or not. If you ask professionals from other disciplines like Marketing and Finance, probably, they too have many stories to tell. Therefore, do some more thinking on this aspect.

2) It is better to follow your natural inclinations and aptitude, which means things you like and enjoy doing without looking at your watch. Therefore, check and be assured of this before taking a final call.

3) This is only a misconceived notion. There is hardly any field now which women have not entered. Take medicine, law, teaching, banking, insurance, IT, ITES, biotech, and even engineering; you will find a lot of women working in them. Did men stop opting for these streams? On the other hand, men and women can complement each other in their work as a team with their respective strengths to make HR functioning more responsive as a whole. I remember a statement which I read somewhere that if you want to walk fast, walk alone, and if you want to walk far, walk together. Be in tune with the times where workplace diversity is a reality, and teamwork is the norm. As far as an individual's career progress is concerned, I again recall a piece of advice given by a learned man whose name I do not vividly remember, which is that nothing ever happens until you create the space for it to happen. It depends on your performance, knowledge levels, and skill sets that create the chances for your promotion.

4) I have no comments as I have no idea.

I find you to be an enthusiastic budding professional having your views on how to make HR influence the work life of the employees in a positive way. That is admirable. But at the same time, you seem to entertain doubts about the world around you. For example, do not look at an eraser as a tool to erase a mistake but look at it as a tool to correct a mistake. Be in tune with the times and make a thorough analysis of your strengths, aptitudes, and inclinations before you take a call on your career.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
In-House HR & IR Advisor

A few views on your listed queries:

Understanding the Role of HR

First and foremost, HR is not just a simple job to be taken based solely on emotional intelligence and people stories. It's a long journey, and the more you work, the more you realize. You need to be passionate about what you do to truly understand its essence. Don't sit there wondering why things are the way they are; otherwise, you will lose your way. Strive to give your full potential and utilize your skills so that all these obstacles seem minor, and surely you will overcome them.

Regards