Feeling Stuck in HR? Seeking Advice on Skills to Boost Career Growth and Excitement

I have 6 years of experience as an HR professional in Payroll and Recruitment. I have completed my master's in HR. However, I am no longer excited about the work I am doing and feel like I am stuck as I am not getting the opportunity to learn and grow.

I need some suggestions to enhance the skills that can help me to grow professionally.

Dear member,

It appears that the monotony of your work has diminished your interest.

After acquiring a qualification in a certain field, when a person gets a chance to implement the knowledge, he/she learns because of the success or failure in the implementation. However, if the scope of implementation remains narrow, then the feeling of dissatisfaction creeps in for not having realized the expectations.

In your 6-year career, you have had exposure to two streams of HR, i.e., Payroll and Recruitment. Now you may try to get exposure in other streams as well. When you widen the scope of your work, a new type of work will challenge your abilities. This will help you in maintaining your interest in your work.

To improve your exposure, your first step would be to do a SWOT Analysis of your career. Based on the analysis, you may prepare a career plan. If you wish, then you may upload it on this forum so that the senior members can review it.

All the best!

Dinesh Divekar

Exploring New HR Opportunities

As you are involved in payroll and recruitment, it can become monotonous, and growth opportunities may be limited in that area. Since your master's degree and experience are in HR, you can learn and focus on other aspects like Employee Engagement, Exit Process, Performance Management, Policy Designing, etc.

This will help you grow, learn about many other HR aspects, and start enjoying your work.

This is a very common outcome when you don't experiment with your roles and responsibilities. You really need to reassess your routine work and see how you can upskill your competencies. Try exploring the standards and procedures that are being followed across the globe in companies/offices in your domain and try to implement them.

Please have a plan for the entire year and try adopting automation, work on cost efficiency, new initiatives, and so on. Every day you will learn something new out of it, which will keep your spirit ignited and focused.

Dear Colleague,

The moment you feel you want to move ahead, the thought process has started, and you will definitely work towards advancing in your career. You have 6 years of experience with a Master's in HR and have worked in Payroll and Talent Acquisition, which are very critical roles in HR. You may consider pursuing certification programs such as Digital HR, Data Analytics, L&D, Performance Management, HR Automation, Industrial Relations, Labour Law, and more, depending on your interests. Reading and gaining more knowledge in these domains will further enhance your skills.

You can easily identify your passion area and work towards becoming an expert in that field, or you may choose to specialize in areas like Industrial Relations. First, decide what you want to achieve, and then proceed with the principles of knowledge, practice, and performance. It is entirely possible to achieve your goals.

I hope these suggestions are helpful for your career growth.

Best regards

Hello, everyone. I have around 1.7 years of experience in Human Resources, out of which 1 year is in Talent Acquisition. I have recently joined a startup company that's in the EV and Warehouse Automation industry. We are a small team of 26 employees looking to expand to 30 by the end of this year.

I started with the company in July and have assisted the company with numerous policies and procedures with the help of a Legal Consultant. Now that my probation is about to end and I have completed almost all of the tasks I was assigned, I have no clue what to do next. I'm spending most of the days sitting idle. I would spend around 2-3 hours sourcing and coordinating interviews with our hiring partners; that's it, after that, I'm free. I have informed my boss, who is the COO, about my lack of work, and he told me to identify and improve any gaps I find in the company related to HR. He also suggested that I research and learn about topics that interest me and would benefit the company.

In my company, there is only one HR person, and that's me. There's no mentor. I have to handle everything (well, not anymore ). So, can someone please guide me on:

What should I focus on next?

I'm lost on what to do next.

How can I identify gaps in current processes?

I only have 8 months of experience in HR Operations.

Are there any courses I should take to enhance my skillset?

I'm seeking a mentor or guide who can steer me in the right direction. I aim to learn something new every day. Your guidance and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading!

Hi, "Sourcing and coordinating interviews with our hiring partners" - You have restricted yourself in a circle and claimed that you have no work to do after 2-3 hours of work every day! Please come out of the circle and explore more!

You do a lot more in HR:

1) Focus on training and development, and succession planning
2) Employee engagement activities
3) Compensation and employee benefits
4) Performance management

Being a key player in HR, you have a broader scope to emerge as an HR leader and take it further. Identify the entire process of the company, suggest improvements wherever required. Be proactive and move ahead!

Hi! It's understandable to feel stuck in your career growth, but there are practical steps you can take to enhance your skills and professional development as an HR professional:

- Focus on Training and Development: Enhance your skills by focusing on training programs for employees and succession planning within the organization. This will not only benefit the employees but also showcase your leadership capabilities.

- Engage in Employee Activities: Get involved in employee engagement initiatives to create a positive work culture and strengthen relationships within the team. This will help you develop interpersonal skills and broaden your experience.

- Dive into Compensation and Benefits: Gain expertise in compensation and benefits management to understand how to align rewards with performance and attract top talent. This knowledge will be valuable in your HR career.

- Master Performance Management: Delve deeper into performance management practices to enhance employee productivity and growth. Implementing effective performance management strategies can drive organizational success.

Remember, as an HR professional, you have the opportunity to shape the company's culture and processes. Take the initiative to suggest improvements, be proactive in your approach, and explore new areas within HR to expand your skill set and advance your career. Good luck on your professional growth journey!