Discussion: HR Career Trajectory

Alot of us are still very uncertain about what we want to become in the HR field. 

Yes, you want to be a professional that is chartered or certified. 

But the thing is HR is a big picture with my sub-systems and career paths you can follow through. 

Remember, you cannot always be the Jack of all trade if you are to become a go to person in the HR field.

HR is beyond hire and fire. 

HR is beyond Generalist and Specialist. 

The question is: 

Specialist in what ❓

 Kindly note

🔅 *HR careers are not linear. They are diverse.* 

🔅 *There is no one-size fits-all solution to determining the right career path as it varies with your ambition, interests, and skills* . 

HR Career roles could fall under 4 major quadrants. 

1️⃣. Service Provider

2️⃣. Solution Provider

3️⃣. Advisory 

4️⃣. Strategic

Before the end of the session,  we would be asking questions on which HR role is a right fit into any of the above quadrant. 

First right response gets a reward 

 Are we game for this❓ 

🔆 *HR ASSISTANT*

This role combines different HR profiles. The HR Assistant oversees the daily administration and HR activities of an organization. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES* 

🔅Supporting the day-to-day operations of the HR department. 

🔅Updating and maintaining accurate HR files, records, and documentation

🔅Providing clerical and administrative support to HR executives, employees, and applicants related to standard HR policies, benefits, hiring processes, and so on.

 *HR ADMINISTRATOR/ OFFICER*

The HR Officer/ Admin  is either an entry to mid-level HR generalist responsible for a broad range of duties or focusing on one area of HR. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES* 

🔅Actively participating in the recruitment and retention of employees to ensure the organization has the talent it needs to thrive. 

🔅Maintaining workplace standards such as health, safety, work flow and so on  of employees at work. 

🔅Taking end-to-end accountability of HR administrative processes.

 *HR CONSULTANT* 

Most HR consultants are educated and experienced HR generalists or specialists, as this type of HR career involves possessing a deep understanding of everything from organizational management to labor laws to equal opportunity employment and beyond. They perform mostly advisory and support functions. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES* 

🔅Advising management on the administration of human resources policies and procedures. 

🔅Serving as internal consultants by analyzing a company’s current HR programs and recommending solutions.

🔅Developing, revising, and implementing HR policies and procedures. 

🔅Presenting training sessions related to specific HR programs or development needs. 

*PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR* 

Payroll Administrators are responsible for the upkeep and management of a company's payroll. They calculate wages and ensure that employees' salaries get paid correctly and on schedule.

They utilise softwares such as 

a. Oracle Peoplesoft HCM

b. SAP Successfactors

c. QuickBooks etc. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES* . 

🔅Calculating payable hours, commissions, bonuses, tax withholdings and deductions. 

🔅Managing electronic timekeeping systems or manually collecting and reviewing timesheets. 

🔅Providing information and answering employee questions about payroll-related matters

🔆 *HR DATA ANALYST*

The HR analyst plays a crucial role in colcting, structuring, analyzing, and reporting on HR data to enable decision making process. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES* 

🔅Collects and compiles HR metrics and data from a variety of sources including the human resource information system (HRIS), payroll outputs, management and employee surveys, exit interviews, employment records, government labor statistics, competitors practices, and other sources.

🔅Collect and analyze HR data, metrics, and statistics, and apply this data to make recommendations related to recruitment, retention, performance etc. 

🔅Ensures compliance with data privacy regulations and best practices

*HUMAN RESOURCE BUSINESS PARTNER (HRBP)* 

This person acts as the strategic liaison between HR and the business. They council the executive team and use their business knowledge to ensure that HR helps the organization achieve its goals. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES* 

🔅Acting as a strategic business partner to align HR focus with business strategy and priorities. 

🔅Enabling line managers to deal with organizational, people, and change-related issues. 

🔅Optimizing organisational effectiveness through the application of HR processes such as organisation design and strategic planning. 

HR leaders will be viewed as strategic business partners who can help solve real problems if they:

▪️Use the business or entity strategy to drive HR activities.

▪️Understand the business model and financial metrics (such as profit, margin, ROI, free cash flow productivity) and what drives them.

▪️Determine the skills and capabilities that are needed to deliver the business strategies.

▪️Identify the top talent and match them to business-critical roles. 

Etc. 

That is why you see HR professionals having worked before in marketing, sales, product management etc.  

The purpose is to extend such knowledge and become more relevant while improving business results.

Overtime, HR Business Partner can advance to become Senior HRBP, Global HRBP or HR Manager.

*TALENT ACQUISITION SPECIALIST* 

These are HR specialists responsible for sourcing, attracting and interviewing prospective employees to find the perfect match for a company's long-term goals. They believe people play an important role and are key players of success in an organization. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES*

🔅 Coo-ordinating with hiring managers to identify staffing needs

🔅Sourcing potential candidates through online channels. 

🔅Determining selection criteria.

 *REWARD SPECIALIST* 

He/she designs quality compensation, benefits, or reward plans for the organisation. 

Also maintains, improve, supervise and monitor reward administration and management. 

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES*

🔅 Executing the day-to-day operations of group benefits programs to maintain the excellence of benefits service delivery. 

🔅Providing support to employees on benefits-related queries and giving guidance in terms of how employees can optimize the benefits received from the organization. 

🔅Ensures that benefits programs address the needs of the employees, comply with legal requirements, and are cost-effective.

 *EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SPECIALIST* 

These are HR practitioners who are tasked with managing labor relations within an office environment.

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES*

🔅 Offering counselling services to employees, participating in the recruitment process, and conducting exit interviews.

🔅Organizing and updating employee files and overseeing employee orientation and training. 

🔅Handling grievance and dispute settlement in the workplace 

*LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST* 

Learning and development specialists are responsible for creating, designing and delivering  employee training plans for organizations. 

They assess employee needs and develop individualy tailored programs for employee training and development.

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES*

🔅 Assessing and identifying employees competency requirements at periodic intervals. 

🔅 Designing courses and training programs to meet these needs. 

🔅Developing learning materials to facilitate training effectiveness.

 *HR OPERATIONS MANAGER* 

An HR Operations Manager is responsible for the smooth running of the HR department within an organization.

It is an executive position that often involves the leadership of a team of HR Practitioners and Specialists

The HR Operations Manager job is a stepping-stone to senior HR management and is crucial to the uninterrupted and efficient running of HR in an organization.

*KEY RESPONSIBILITIES* 

🔅The role maintains and improves systems, develops HR policies, and manages the HR departmental budgets. .

🔅Setting objectives for the HR team and tracking progress, monitoring internal HR systems and databases, reviewing and approving or modifying budgets. 

Etc. 

*HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM (HRIS)* *ADMINISTRATOR* 

These are officers stationed to maintain human resource management systems, software, and databases. Their duties include They may also perform HRIS training.

 *KEY RESPONSIBILITIES*

🔅 Collaborating with HR managers and other stakeholders to determine HRIS needs. 

🔅Analyzing HRIS performance metrics and resolving application issues. 

🔅Creating user accounts, managing access, and updating employee information. 

🔅Performing system upgrades, as well as providing training and technical support.

 So, the list of careers that abound in HR are endless. 

More novel roles are being created amidst the changing world of work. 

Here are some tips to help position you for your dream job in HR.

1. *Network with other professionals* . 

You could do this though LinkedIn and other social networking sites.

2 *Maintain current industry knowledge* :

Gather insights on four important areas. 

a. _Business acumen_ :

Understand external trends and apply such insights to business strategy in a customer focused way. 

Remember, if you business cannot provide value to customers, them you are not in business. 

b. Data literacy :

Use data to influence business decision making process. 

c. Digital dexterity : 

Adopt digital HR solutions. Leverage technology to deliver value and streamline HR processes  

d. People advocacy :

Championing organisational culture and navigating change in an ethical and sustainable way. 

*Update your resume/CV.*

Your CV is a marketing tool. It is a pre-requisite that lands you an opportunity to be interviewed to secure your dream job

*Get professionally certified*

CIPM -  This is a " *must have* " professional certification if you intend practicing HR in Nigeria. 

 *IHRCI* - International Human Resource Certification Institute. 

They offer globally recognized certifications such as Associate, Senior, and Global Professional in Human Resource. 

*SHRM*- This is relevant if you seek to practice in the U.S.A or as an added  certification. 

*CIPD*- The recognized UK certification program. 

*NB* : _Nothing is stopping you from having more than certificate as it boasts your professional standing_ .

 

5. *Pursue higher degrees E.g Masters degree*

E.g  in HRM, Business Administration, Organisational development, Industrial  Psychology etc. 

Getting a Masters degree is quite important in the Nigerian workplace because the B.Sc is an entry level requirements most times possessed by *ALL* and *SUNDRY*. 

So, doing a Masters (especially abroad) would make you become a hotcake in the sight of your employer.

6. *Invest in personal development* : 

You own to yourself and loved ones to be on the growth curve. 

Remember, skills are seeds that have future yields. 

Go beyond your HR specialisation and develop additional competencies that are transferable between different roles. 

They can help you innovate, adapt to changing work environment, and future proof your career in the face of fierce talent competition in  the industry.

HR Career roles could fall under 4 major quadrants. 

1️⃣. Service Provider

2️⃣. Solution Provider

3️⃣. Advisory 

4️⃣. Strategic

 *QUESTION* 

Match the following HR roles to the right quadrant. 

🔅HR Administrator

🔅HR Manager/ Executive

🔅Learning and Development Specialist

🔅HR Business Partner

HR Career roles could fall under 4 major quadrants. 

1️⃣. Service Provider (HR Administrator)

2️⃣. Solution Provider (Learning and Development Specialist)

3️⃣. Advisory (HR Business Partner)

4️⃣. Strategic (HR Manager/Executive)

HR Career roles could fall under 4 major quadrants. 

1️⃣. Service Provider HR admin

2️⃣. Solution Provider learning and development

3️⃣. Advisory: HR Manager/Executive

4️⃣. Strategic :HR business partners

Alright, Concerning the quiz,

Here's my take becos I couldn't due to time, though organizational structure and size can influence the designations.

However, I think since it's obj it's likely one would think or look at the question from different angles.

Though, your intention was to plot a twist.

What do you think?

E.g  

a) Executive/ Manager

b) Manager/ Executive

Though we're aware that "Executives" occupy  the highest echelon of Management

However,

 *"Base on these options"* I think they're two different meanings.

Take a deeper look at it sir, they can connote different impressions. 

It's obvious that option *a)* implies that executives can be called Mangers.

While,

Option *b)* connotes Managers can be called executives .

How this weather is good on you?

Alright, ...

Invariably, Sir!

I think the executives and managers are two broad terms

I don't think it's appropriate to have both as an option based on organizational setting.

 *To better understand and identify both...*

*Who are those under Mangers or Executives ?* 

 *To The Manager;* 

- Talent Manager,

- People and culture

 Manager,

- Transformational Manager,

- Others.

The above I think are mostly _"advisory players"_ 

I don't think Even the senior or assistant managers specifically can be slashed (/) or equated or called Executives. _I think there's still few miles or steps away in the career ladder of "contemporary organizations"._ 

 *To The Executives;* (Majorly Highest Level of Management at Large Organizations)

- Owners/ Founder/ Cofounder

- C- Suite

- V- level

- D suite

- Strategic Business Partners or Independent SBP . However, A strategic business partner, while not a member of the C-suite or executive leadership team, has a voice in their HR conversations at strategy matters and strategic matters are discuss at top management.

- and other similar players can fall here playing _"Advisory and Strategic core functions"_ 

P.S; Adapted for this purpose.

In the same vein making reference to your earlier point. Check this👇🏼

e.g

1, 2, 3, 4.

Or

4, 3 2, 1

These are just order of arrangements and in this context can be called organizational structure which has been confirmed to vary from one organization to another. I.e the order or organizational structure is vital in determining the echelon of Management at a glance.

For instance, In some contemporary organizations, employees are called "data entry Manager/executive" operating Manager/ executive, Admin Manger/Executive instead of the usual "officer or specialist".

Does this order really matter?

However, The goal of some employers is just to give more recognitions to their employees so that they can give their Best not necessarily that they occupy top level positions. 

All things being equal, if there were no organizational structure it's quite easy to decide and pick . It won't be fair enough having options of  both SMEs and large organizations as a twist inclusive. If that's truely a twist then I think the structure of the options matters.

Though I totally got the essence of the twist. Ofcourse sir, as the future heart beat of an organization, our task is no longer totally hands-on becos our voices are now heard at strategic quarters and can't totally be disrupted due to contemporary innovations