Navigating Career Shifts in HR: Can You Move Between Divisions in India?

Dear All,

I finished my BA in International Business, after which I worked in Business Development, HR Development, and Recruitment roles for about 2.5 years. I have recently completed my Master's in Human Resource Management. My future career plans are to start again from a recruitment role (where my strengths lie) and then branch into HR administration in the same company/industry. My career goal is to be an HR generalist or specialize in a particular area.

Career Transition Concerns

My concern is whether companies would be open to such a shift between internal HR divisions. Most companies have specific HR divisions like recruitment, training, and administration. I am curious to know if there is a possibility for an employee to move between these divisions, allowing for horizontal career growth within the functions.

Career Path in the Indian Context

Given my background, interest, and experience in recruitment, I believe it is best to kickstart my career with a recruitment focus, transition into an internal recruiter role, and eventually move into HR administration. However, I am uncertain if this plan is feasible in the Indian context. Could someone shed light on my dilemma?

If anyone can offer their views, comments, and advice based on their experiences, I would be very grateful.

Thank you.

Dear KK,

Theoretically, there is no problem in switching within one division, i.e., the HR Division. I am not in a position to say something about the Indian scenario, but in general, there is a connection between recruiters and training & development. Administration is rather different in comparison to recruitment.

So, if you build your expertise on the recruitment side, then you can switch to other departments within HR (in my opinion). A better suggestion can be provided to you by some experienced Indian HR professional.

Take care.

Hi,

An input to your queries: The current scenario in the industry segregates HR from recruitment. It has branched out the functions as Recruitment and General HR. Recruitment comes more through expertise, whereas to get into General HR, the person should have obtained a formal degree/education in the area (e.g., MBA, PGDBA, etc.), and of course, experience comes thereafter. This works in companies. In the case of some training institutes, things might be different.

But there is no hard and fast rule that you cannot move on from one function of HR to another. It can always happen in the same/different organization but based on eligibility and performance-driven criteria. I would suggest you start your career with Recruitment and meanwhile work on enhancing your skills, knowledge, and education that would later help you switch to different fields in HR.

Best wishes!