New HR Role with No Experience: How Can I Succeed and Manage Everything Alone?

Dear all,

I am joining as an HR in a new company (I am a BA graduate). I have only 2 months of experience in the front office where I don't have any experience in the HR field. What should I do now? Unfortunately, there is no one in the HR department in that office (only 7 to 8 employees are working in that organization). What all the things do I need to do now? (right from PF, payroll, everything) Please help me. I don't want to lose this opportunity, and I want to prove myself. I want to take up this challenging job.

Please give me your suggestions.

Regards, Manmitha

Manmitha,

Very nice to know that you are joining as an HR. I would say HR practices depend upon the industry you are going to work in. Please be clear about which type of company you are going to join.

Other general activities of an HR include:

1) Recruitment, Selection, Induction.
2) Employee Performance Appraisal
3) Competency Mapping
4) Employee satisfaction Survey
5) Employee Separation (Exit Formalities)
6) Training & Development.

I hope the above information may be of some help to you.

Regards,
Srilatha

Dear Manmitha,

You are lucky that you got the chance to work as an HR. You should accept this job. Do not worry; even when I joined as an HR, I was new in this field, and now I am handling 600 employees in the north region, and everyone in our company knows about me. Just follow the HR processes. Recruitment and payroll are the major responsibilities of HR. You can search on Google regarding this. Everything is available on google.com.

Best of luck for your new responsibility.

Dear Manmitha,

First of all, congratulations! :) I too joined as an HR in a small IT company a few months back, just like you, and I was previously in sales. It's very true that you will feel tense for the first few days, but believe me, it's a very interesting profile to work in. Although recruitment and payroll are the key roles you will have to perform, being in a small company, you will have to keep in mind many other things as well. They are as follows:

1) Try to interact with the employees and make them feel free so that they share with you what problems they are facing in the company.

2) Assure them that whatever they tell you against management will not be passed on to others.

3) Whatever you come to know, inform your boss, director, or the concerned person so that steps can be taken to stop attrition. Don't think you are being dishonest by doing this because HRs are there in the company just as a middleman between higher authority and employees.

4) Keep in mind that a single wrong statement in front of any of the groups can create a problem in the company as well as in your personal life and the employees' lives.

After these, if you face any other problem that you can't handle alone, you can ask your boss for help or suggestions. I am sure he/she will help you, but keep in mind you will have to be very tactful in handling any issue.

So, all the best, and if you need any other help, all the members of citeHR are with you. So don't worry, keep smiling! :) :D :) :D

Regards,

Sohini

Thanks Sohini. The problem is that only 8 people are working there, and all are directors or vice presidents in its new branch office. I am the only one who has to handle HR, that's why I am a bit nervous.

Hi,

Good to know you got a good opportunity. I would suggest, first of all, don't be nervous, or you will make more mistakes. Secondly, during the interview, I am sure you must have mentioned that you are not well-versed with HR responsibilities. Still, they offered you the post, which means you have chances to make mistakes and learn from them. Next, you can't learn in one day. So, what you can do is start working on understanding the company you are working for, what their requirements are, study your organization, and automatically you will learn. Start from the basics, set them in place first, and then take a step ahead. Don't try to do everything at one time.

Lastly, but not the least, if you come across any problems or are stuck in any situation, we do have gurus here on cite HR. Ask them and learn from them. You can make things work; you just need to start.

Hi Manmitha,

To start with, first gather data on employees and understand their profiles. This will give you insight into the workings of people. It will also help you in sourcing people in case there is a future requirement. Study personal files; they will tell you what the existing system is and how you can improve upon it.

Regards,
Yogita

Hello dear,

We heartily welcome you to the world of HR, and as you know, it's a place from which you can help people. Now, the HR department has various tasks to do, not only PF. So, what do you want to know?

One more thing, start your reading hobby, which you have forgotten. I am not asking you to read a novel, dear. Read anything relating to HR and keep exploring other parts of this site. It is really good and will surely help you a lot.

Bye. If you need anything, I will be pleased to share it with you.

Regards,
Viral Shah

Dear Manmitha,

Congrats!

Well, don't be scared, don't be tense... forget about the post of those 8 people in your office. I would suggest you have a face-to-face individual interaction with all 8 members. Jot down points like their experience, work profile, and qualifications. Build a relationship with them in a manner that they will understand what is needed to know about their professional career. Recruitment will really help once you understand the kind of profile of all these 8 members. Understand more about the company profile for your own information and to keep yourself strong.

Do an exercise which will help you, that is, write down points about the company profile, strength of the organization, the 8 members' profiles, the various clients they have, and map out the competencies of the 8 members (in a chart). Later on, get into PF and ESI. This will start helping you to be strong, and slowly you can widen to other HR activities.

Dear Manmita,

Congratulations. Don't be too frightened. One month ago, I was in your position when I joined an IT company as an HR manager (25 employees). I was too scared and nervous, but today, I can confidently say that I can succeed in this field.

First, utilize HR discussions and downloads (it supported me in the initial days). Discuss with your boss what work he/she expects from you. Maintain employee profiles and attendance leave records. Slowly concentrate on other aspects of HR. If you have learning ability, I can assure you that you will find success.

Go ahead.

Shanthi

The problem is that there is no one in my grade; everyone is in the GM level. Simply, I cannot go and talk to them or ask any queries regarding HR.

What can I do as soon as I join the company? I know I cannot ask anyone for help there. What should I do?

It's not about asking your seniors or your 8 members for help, Manmitha. It's about understanding them, about the organization so that you can gain more knowledge from them. Be open to speaking to your GM about what your first stage of learning is and how you want to go about learning in a professional manner, or create an employee record which might also help you. Ask the other members for their contributions. Don't be anxious, just gain as much as you can from Cite HR members. It will truly help you build a stronger baseline!

Hi Manmitha,

All the best for your new role. Also, about your nervousness to execute your new role, everyone will be in the beginning of their career. You have a lot of help available in this forum in the form of people who are experienced and also tools required to perform your duties on this very site. You may need to start with creating some employee policies by sitting with your directors and doing some groundwork on recruitment activities, deciding on salary structures to be followed, an employee rule book or handbook, etc. If they are already in place and if you need to implement them, think of implementation procedures by taking help from seniors. Do some research on similar companies in your line of business and see what activities are going on and how you can customize them to suit your organization's needs. Once again, all the best.

Vijay

But I have communication problems. I am not saying I don't understand, but I get nervous while talking to them.

I am the Manager of Human Resources in a company with 5 divisions: IT/BT/MT/Pharma/Engineering. I hold a Post Graduate degree in Microbiology. So, don't worry, take responsibilities, do well, and keep in touch for any guidance.

M. Peer Mohamed Sardhar
91 93831 93832

Hi Manmitha,

You are the only one who can break the shackles of your communication. Be bold and do your best when you have to talk to them. Ultimately, no one will kill you. So don't worry. Gather all your strength and speak to them on a professional note, and try to maintain your composure as calmly as possible. They will appreciate it if you ask them precisely what you want to know.

Do your groundwork and send out some emails before you meet them personally to discuss what you want to know from them.

Regarding PF, you just need to type your keyword in the site "Type Search Query" at the top of every page of this site. There is loads of information on how you can implement PF in your company.

With regards,
Vijay

Hi Manmitha,

This is Leena. I just went through your mail and the responses. Actually, I am also in the same situation. I have been in the HR field for 9 months, and my first job was as an Assistant Manager HR directly reporting to the Managing Director as there was nobody in HR senior to me. Just imagine, my first job as an HR person and that too at a senior post. But I was not nervous. I just thought that I had not given any false statement about having experience in HR. They chose me, so I can do it. I behaved very confidently and asked everything that I felt like asking to people around me. Today, I am working as Head HR.

So, just be confident. Do not be afraid of asking, but don't ask foolish questions. Try to dig out information and guidance from the internet, books. Join some institute for an HR course (short term) if you do not have any qualification in HR, and things will be alright.

Just remember, they selected you after knowing your qualification and experience. That means they have seen that potential in you. Everybody has something special in them. So, be confident, work hard, be alert, look around for information and guidance, and you will see the result.

COME ON, START NOW. DON'T WASTE A SINGLE MINUTE. EVERY SECOND IS PRECIOUS. 😊

ALL THE BEST.

I will say congratulations.

You don't have to be nervous. First and foremost, you need to equip yourself for this new challenge. You need to gather all necessary information on HR. You need to rub minds with like minds just as you have done. You need to attend seminars and workshops on HR. You need to know all about HR.

In all organizations, HR has some main functions. These functions are general, though the way they are applied may differ from one company to another. The functions are:

1. Recruitment, selection, and placement
2. Training and development
3. Wages and payment administration
4. Industrial relations
5. Health, safety, and environment
6. Administration

All these are the functions of HR. You can read more about them and the various ways by which they can be applied so you will know what will suit your company.

One other thing you must consider is that HR has gone strategic, so the need to also formulate policies and procedures in line with these functions to suit your company.

I hope this will go a long way to help you.

Cheers

Hi,

Please don't feel afraid of what you are doing. It's always great to work in a small company as you can set the HR processes and grow with the company. My small advice to you is "BE BOLD."

Dear Manmitha,

Nice to hear a confident message from you that you are eager to learn new things. Here are the tasks you need to undertake:

1. Prepare attendance and check whether they are signing daily or marking absent.
2. Process PF & ESI returns.
3. Process monthly salaries based on attendance.
4. Monitor performance.
5. Ensure employee satisfaction in their job.
6. Participate in decision-making.
7. Closely monitor all operations.
8. Maintain good relationships.
9. You will learn other things as you progress in your job (situation handling is a crucial skill that HR professionals possess and create).

Happy working.

With regards,
Srirangan.v

Dear Manmitha,

IT SIMPLE KINDLY NOTE THE KEY RESULT AREAS OF YOUR JOB CONSIDERING THE SIZE OF YOUR ORG. MOST OF THEM WILL NOT BE YOUR OBLIGATION.

Salary and wage administration

„_ Establish attendance systems

„_ Time office management

„_ Payroll management

„_ Joining and separation formalities

„_ Induction formalities

Statutory compliance NOTHING FOR SEVEN STAFF

„_ Compliance of various statutory/ return/register etc.

„_ Liasoning with statutory bodies Compensation and

remuneration administration

„_ Periodic compensation review(annual increments)

„_ Benchmarking and recommendation

„_ Confirmations of employees

„_ Appraisal administration

„_ Rewards

Employee relations

„_ Grievance handling

„_ Policy development implementation and communication

„_ Employee communication

„_ Analysis and recommendations on various issues

Administration

„_ Establishment management

„_ Office services

„_ Canteen management

Employee Welfare

„_ Festival and event management

„_ Uniforms and other company held equipment.

„_ Hierarchy management

All the best !

Balu

Hi dear,

You have completed your graduation with a BA degree and have experience in front office roles. Currently, you have an opportunity in HR; however, your qualifications and experience are not directly related to HR. In such a situation, I suggest researching online, gathering information, and consulting with your senior colleagues for guidance.

Thanks and regards.

Dear,

You have got a great job that many of us, i.e., HR professionals, look for. Designing HR practices and policies for an organization is excellent work. If you are not from HR, don't worry; you will learn them soon. Just keep learning about the organization as much as possible before you can contribute effectively. For the initial steps, learn about Training and Development, payrolls, and other administrative work to start with. After you are done with it, move on to specific HR duties.

There's a lot to do, but start first and then think about more.

Hi,

First of all, you have to focus on statutory returns and time office. By doing this, you will be involved in all the relevant matters concerning HR/personnel.

With kind regards,
Hemant Kumar

Hi,

In any organization, before deciding anything for people, you should understand the culture of the organization, which includes the values and beliefs of the management as well as employees.

As many of our friends have already suggested about the various roles and processes of HR, I would suggest you start with policy framing. Before starting any work/processes of HR in the organization, you have to have policies within which you have to work in the organization.

The simple meaning of policy is to frame the clear-cut rules for each process and activity in the organization.

For example, if we talk about the Confirmation Policy of the organization:

1. An employee should be a graduate before their confirmation.
2. An employee should spend 6 continuous months in the organization.
3. Confirmation of the employee is subject to their performance in due course.
4. Confirmation can be extended by 3 or 6 months if the performance of the employee is not satisfactory.
5. An employee has to serve a 1-month notice after the confirmation in the organization.

As I have explained the Confirmation policy above, you have to frame similar kinds of policies for other processes like joining policy, induction, hiring, transfer, allocation, salary restructure, separation, etc.

I hope this will help you solve your problem in the new organization.

You can get back to me if you have any problem.

Regards,

Saurabh Dalvi.

Hi Manmitha,

Communication should not be the problem. If you think that speaking English is communication, let me correct you - it is just the medium of communication. To communicate well, you should have logic for whatever you say, and it should be well supported by facts. So simple. So, dear, do not hesitate, just trust yourself and make sure that whatever you say is logical or you can prove it to be logical with facts. All the best.

Regards

Since your organization must also be aware that you are new in this field, they will give you time to learn everything and would not expect immediate results. The major part of HR is recruitment and then policies and procedures. You will gradually learn everything and just wait and watch; in another 6 months, you will find yourself equipped with all sorts of knowledge and processes. Depending on the type of assignment, you can search in the citehr and get answers or else you can write to me at deepaharish@gmail.com. :)

[b]Dear Manmita,
Please find below some of my suggestions :-
„« Administration of all day to day office activities.
„« Maintaining Attendance & Leave records of all the staff in Office.
„« To help the management in regulating the grant of leave with or without pay to the Employees.
„« Creating and typing letters as directed, as and when required.
„« Monitoring & Supervising the Salary & Wages Administration, Pay Roll.
„« Liaising with government bodies (BSES, MTNL, and DJB) and Public relations.
„« Liaising with Travel Company to co-ordinate travel arrangements as and when required.
„« Handling Personnel matters, Office equipment (Computer and Inverter etc.) maintenance.
„« Exceptional judgment in prioritising responsibilities. Use highest discretion in responding to requests and handling sensitive information and confidentiality.
SHIVA
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Dear Manmitha,

As you said, all the eight people are more or less experienced. You can ask for their guidance. Ask your boss what exactly he wants you to start with. If his immediate plans are of expansion, he will want you to concentrate on recruitment. Next, ask him, before the HR joined, who took care of payroll and leaves, etc. Was it outsourced or someone from the company itself handled it? Accordingly, learn the details from the same person. Start step by step. Don't panic... I am sure you will sail through. Even I was in the same situation in a startup company at the beginning of my career, and you know, I did my MBA in HR. Even then, I was in a mess. So your qualification and background experience will not be a problem. Develop an attitude of accepting challenges and be open-minded to learn.

Regards,
Priya

Dear Manmitha,

As you said, all the eight people are more or less experienced individuals, you can ask for their guidance. Ask your boss what exactly he wants you to start with. If his immediate plans involve expansion, he will want you to concentrate on recruitment. Next, inquire before the HR joined who managed Payroll and leaves, whether it was outsourced or handled by someone within the company. Obtain the details from the same person accordingly.

Start step by step. Don't panic. I am sure you will sail through. I was in the same situation in a startup company at the beginning of my career, and you know, I did my MBA in HR. Even then, I was in a mess. So your qualifications and background experience will not be a problem. Develop an attitude of accepting challenges and be open-minded to learning.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Dear Manmitha,

Do not worry. Take it as a challenge, and you'll shine yourself better. Conduct HR games every week to reduce their stress and make it fun. Be careful that before you conduct a game, finalize that you are good at games and can also conduct the quiz program.

All the best. Go ahead...

Best regards

Dear all,

I am joining as HR in a new company (I am a BA graduate). I have only 2 months of experience in the front office where I don't have any experience in the HR field. What should I do now? Unfortunately, there is no one in the HR department in that office (only 7 to 8 employees are working in that organization). What all the things do I need to do now (right from PF, payroll, everything)? Please help me. I don't want to lose this opportunity and I want to prove myself. I want to take up this challenging job.

Please give me your suggestions.

Regards,
Manmitha

Hi Manmitha,

Well, it's a very good opportunity for you to learn. I suggest you first gain some theoretical knowledge by studying textbooks available in the market like HRM & PM by Ashwathappa, HRM by Gary Desler, etc. Don't lose hope. You can do it. Be passionate about your career and you need to put in some hard work. Be brave, be determined. Good luck for your future.

I am sending some PPT. I hope it may help you. Good luck for your future. Take care. Bye.

It's great that you have the wonderful opportunity to work in HR. Never think about qualifications; you should be a good communicator for this job, and you can still study MHRM or MBA through correspondence to gain more knowledge.

Friend, you will get to know a lot of things when you start in HR with startup companies. You will be in a position to handle all HR activities, which will allow you to climb the corporate ladder quickly. Not everyone will get a chance like you!

For any HR queries, you can send them to my email ID banu_hameetha@yahoo.com. You can begin by reading books related to Recruitment and Statutory, which are readily available in the market. This will help you understand different concepts and address problems.

All the best! Have a great HR career!

With Regards,
Hameetha

Hi,

Congratulations! With my experience, I can say it is very challenging to take up the new assignment. In fact, you should be happy to take up this challenge as the management has asked you to take up the responsibility without experience. Learn... we all are here to support you... good luck.

Dhanasree

Hi,

First of all, congrats! Move ahead... things will get smoother. I, too, was a Front Office executive and now work as an HR/Admin/Accounts Manager in a software firm. At first, everything was blank for me, but gradually I understood things one by one, and I am still studying. Now, I am able to handle things smoothly, even though new challenges come my way. CiteHR has been very helpful to me every time.

Hi, first of all, congrats! Move ahead... things will get smoother. I too was a Front Office executive, and now I am an HR/Admin/Accounts Manager in a software firm. Initially, everything was blank for me, but gradually, I understood things one by one and am still studying. Now, I am able to handle things smoothly, even though new challenges are on my way. CiteHR was very helpful for me every time, starting from drafting a letter to studying each policy. So, keep confident and move on. Everything is available on the internet, so there is no need to worry. Always be tactful with words when dealing with employees and your boss. :P

Chandrima

Dear Manmitha,

First of all, I would like to convey my best wishes for getting a job in HR, though you are inexperienced in this field. Manmitha, I am also working in HR, and I would like to state that no person can gain experience by birth. Everybody has to learn in this world, and I believe an opportunity has knocked at your door. So, accept this offer and take it as a challenge. Anyhow, you have great support from "CITEHR," which you accessed at the initial stage before getting a job, and I hope you received good responses.

Wishing you all the best for future prospects.

Thank you.

With regards,

Praveen Kumar
Email: praveenkumar.hr123@gmail.com