Feeling Stuck as a Solo HR Executive: How Can I Learn and Grow Without a Mentor?

Hello Seniors,

Regards to all!!

I am working as the HR executive of a company, as an individual member of the HR department. I am reporting directly to my director. Working individually is a good experience, but at the initial level, I feel that it doesn't provide a significant learning experience. There are still many things of which I am not aware, and I really need to learn them. Can someone please help me in either finding an opportunity where I can work under a senior member or guide me so that I can learn as much as possible while working individually?

Please help, as I feel that this is the time when I really want to learn as much as possible.

Regards!!

Dear Rupali,

Having seniors to guide is not necessary to learn the practice. You want to improve your skills, so better try at your level to achieve your dream. See, first look at your current system and compare it with other good organizational systems. Then find out the gap between these two. Likewise, you may compare it with some others too. After studying whether this system would be feasible in your organization or not, because not every good system can ensure 100% success in every company. Make different policies to improve the existing system. See, Human resources are important. The deeper you go into the system, the more solutions you will find. Definitely, preparing different systems and successfully implementing them in your organization leads to your success.

In my view, this site is one of the best places to learn.

Best of luck.

Regards, Amit Seth.

Hi!

Views of Amit are very true. I also experienced the same when I started my career. Having a senior person above you has both pros and cons. In my personal opinion, it is better to work independently. Remember you can't select your boss! The most important thing a good superior can do for you is enhance your knowledge by sharing his/her experiences. Otherwise, initiative, commitment are to be developed by you only. And remember, you have this site for sharing experiences and learning about new things.

One should leave an organization only when all the learning opportunities and learning resources have been either exhausted or tried. Know as many things from the organization and you will love your job. And make sure what you want to be - a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond. Yes, the best option is a big fish in a big pond :) but it will take some time to reach that stage. - Hiten

Thanks for the suggestions.

Till yesterday, even I felt that it is better to work independently, as it gives a lot of scope to learn and explore. But I went for an interview yesterday, which made me realize that there is a long way for me to go yet. There are many things; when working independently, it feels like we know everything in our field. However, it's only when we work in a team that we understand and learn many new things.

But yes, I am sure this site is an amazing site. I really need the guidance of gurus of citehr, seniors in this field, who I feel can teach me the most.

Thanks, everyone in advance. :)

Hi Rupali,

Though I feel I'm the only person suffering from this, many others in citehr work individually in their HR Dept.

Both are facing the same problem. First, let's clarify what tasks you have taken/completed/initialized/implemented in your company. How many staff members are working in your company, and what are your plans for implementing HR strategies in the future?

Depending on management support, manpower, and various departments, only the HR department can work accordingly. For instance, if a company has fewer than 10 employees, we can't implement any HR policies or software.

As for me, I've been working as an HR Executive for almost a year. In my company, 25 staff members are employed. When I joined this company, I did not know what to do as I am not from an HR background. I have a BSc in Computer Science. With the full support and help from my citehr friends, I have delved into HR topics and feel confident.

Currently, I am involved in MIS report generation, monthly payroll management in Excel, attendance tracking, recreation, company registration, setting up salary accounts for all staff at Axis Bank, recruitment and selection, housekeeping, vendor management, bank-related tasks, issuing offer letters, relieving letters, work certificates, performance appraisal forms, and more. I am gradually expanding my HR job profile step by step.

Regards,

Saravana

Executive - HR

In the company where I work, we have only 10 employees. My responsibilities include recruitment and induction of employees, grievance handling, providing offer letters, increment and confirmation letters, relieving letters, exit interviews, performance management, MIS report generation, etc. These tasks are carried out as and when the need arises. If someone were to ask about my daily routine as an HR professional in the company, I would explain that these activities are not performed on a daily basis.

Your first change should be to a very good organization. Even if you decide to change the organization at this stage, make sure you go to a very good organization. Don't settle for 'better than your current organization'. We all opt for anything that comes our way to start our career. But when it comes to the first change, go to a far better organization. Again, opting for whatever comes your way will slow down your future growth.

Based on my personal experience. (To learn from others' mistakes is called professional learning)

- Hiten

Hi Hiten,

I myself want to get into a much better organization, but I feel big organizations usually hire people with around 2-3 years of experience. So, I will have to wait for a long time for that. :(

Regards!!

Dear Ms. Rupali,

I understood your situation. Let me give you an example. "Once, in a college inauguration, a renowned gentleman compared his experience to a drop in an ocean." No one is born intelligent. Every day is an experience that teaches us a lesson.

It's welcoming to hear that you are interested in exploring new things in HR. Whether it is 10 people in a firm or more, HR activities will be the same but with slight variations. First, learn the basics, then based on the situation, you can widen your knowledge.

I wish you all the best.

Regards,
Sai Prasad

Hi Rupali!

Look at the bright side! Many times, our time is spent doing administrative work for hundreds of employees we have to manage. In your case, you will not be spending time on payroll processing, leave management, PF record updating, etc., for hours and days. You will be able to concentrate on the development part of HR with all your time and energy.

Regards,
Hiten

Hi Rupali,

Just take a list of your roles and responsibilities, match them with someone in a big corporate, find out the differences, and start working on it. It's as simple as that.

Regards,
Mukesh.

Rupail,

I faced a similar problem when I joined the present organization five years ago. I was the only person in HR handling everything, and I had to start from scratch. As time passed, I learned and implemented many HR practices, and it has been a valuable learning experience for me. Learning and implementing do not necessarily require having seniors to teach you. You need to update yourself with the best practices in the industry. Learn and compare HR practices in similar organizations and adopt them based on your organization's business needs. This is how you learn.

Regards,
Maria

Dear Rupali,

I had also gone through the same phase in my career, but still, I can say that if you have the thrill to learn and achieve the same, you can do it. With that thrill only, I have achieved the position.

Definitely, you will encounter problems in your work, but at that time, Cite HR is there to solve your queries. If you think that you are not getting enough exposure, look for better opportunities and prove yourself.

Thanks,
Amit

Dear Amit Sir,

I agree with your suggestion. Currently, I am working in the construction industry in a rural area, and my company is not following any systematic approach. Could you please guide me on how to learn about the current HR strategies and policies? I am also interested in understanding the latest HR standards to keep myself updated.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Contact No: 09415224175
Email: rah_pt@rediffmail.com, rah_pt@sify.com

With Regards,
Rahul Tiwari :)

Dear Rupali,

There are certain things you can look at such as health check-ups for employees, insurance policies for them and their families. Check if the office lighting is adequate and the seating facilities are comfortable. Try to identify the difficulties faced by current staff members and find solutions. Keep track of birthdays and gather everyone while giving the card. See if the current vendors are providing good enough service or if you can renegotiate with them to get better facilities for the company. These are a few thoughts that come to mind.

Regards,
Sydney

Hi, all of you.

I think many of us are traveling in the same boat.

I am the person who started a career while doing my master's only with one of the trainers. After the completion of MPM, I took an opportunity that came to me, got a chance to work in an IT company, and now, for the last 3.4 years (total), I have been working in an HR generalist profile. In this tenure, I have changed organizations three times. The reason was that each company was small but better than the first one. Currently, I am working as an HR Manager in a mid-level IT company with a staff strength of 30 employees. Prior to this, I was working in an organization where the staff strength was 70+, but the salary and policies were not good. Now, in this organization, I am reporting directly to the VP of Operations. However, while working in this company, I feel more like an Assistant to the VP rather than in the previous company, where I had more responsibilities and a good package. Despite the good package, I am not satisfied with the work I am doing. I cannot make a single decision individually related to the HR Department. Due to all this, I am really frustrated and not able to figure out what to do now.

Job change is the only solution, or do I need to make a change? I am really confused. We HR people usually talk about job hoppers, but what can one do when faced with this kind of situation?

If possible, please guide me on this.

Thanks.

Hi Rupali,

As you are working as an HR Executive, let me suggest that you concentrate, observe, and learn. In a corporate setting, no one will teach you what to do or not to do. It's simple - you know how to eat food because you have seen everyone around you doing it. Most of the time, your seniors may tell you or show you something once, but it is you who has to improvise on your tasks. Always watch your back because, knowingly or unknowingly, there may be people ready to cause trouble for you in various ways. Try to stay out of trouble. Learning will be possible if you stick with an organization; every single moment, you are learning something new. So, stop worrying and do your best to gain valuable learning experiences.

Thanks,
Phoenix

Hi,

When in doubt, it generally pertains to everyone initially. I do not know about your education background or your organization. However, if you have a professional degree in HR, there should not be much difficulty in learning. Also, the type of industry you are working in is not clear. If the union is in a strong position and there are significant industrial relations issues, you may need someone's help to make decisions for problem-solving. On the other hand, if it is the IT industry or a similar field, you need not worry as much. Nevertheless, you can reach out to HR managers in neighboring industries for advice, even though your management may prefer to keep internal matters confidential.

In any case, it is advisable to think carefully before making decisions, ensuring that your boss accepts them. You can also review related HR practices to enhance your knowledge. Wishing you all the best and success in your HR endeavors.

With Regards,
Raman Rajamanickam