What is involved in your current role on a day-to-day basis?
Each day can be so different, it can be hard to say. Being the sole People contact within the business, I can be working on recruitment one minute, dealing with policy reviews the next. I will then be speaking with a team member with regards to any feedback they have (positive and negative), listening and allowing them to share their opinions. The people here are what make the job worth doing, they are a great team and I will always make myself available for them if they feel they need me. Other elements of my role include onboarding, people engagement, benefits reviews, ensuring compliance from a legislative perspective, soundboard for those having a difficult day….the list is endless.
With the variety of this role, I can be hard to maintain structure. People are unpredictable and you could plan to spend the morning focusing on assisting with marketing content, to then have an urgent matter crop up, then its drop what you’re doing and focus on the matter in hand. It certainly keeps you on your toes!
What skills are required in your role?
You have to be people centric and remember that behind any job title is a human. Regardless of the mood you are in personally, you have to remain approachable and impartial ensuring that in any situation both the Employee and Company are considered. In some situations you have to play devils advocate to get people to see different perspectives than just their isolated opinion. It can be a tricky role to manage, especially if you are having a challenging day yourself.
You have to be compassionate, possess strong listening skills and be able to communicate clearly – even those awkward conversations!
What do you like about your role?
I enjoy being able to communicate with team members across the business. To be a good People Manager I believe you need to have an understanding of other people’s roles and responsibilities, get to grips with the challenges they face and see if there is any way as a business we can overcome those issues.
The variety of the position also makes sure that I do not become idle, there is always something to do!
Why did you choose Technology as a field to work in?
I wanted to work in a sector which would stand the test of time and evolve, hoping my knowledge and skillset will grow alongside it. Coming from a retail HR background, I knew that technology and the kind of personalities you have within that sector would be completely different to what I was used to. However as I have said before, each job position holds a human and it is just a case of understanding those individuals and their needs, supporting them on their journey within Technimove.
How did you get to where you are?
My career started in recruitment, however I soon discovered I am not a strong salesperson! I was more interested in assisting with any issues, and enjoyed the administration/process side. I worked in various recruitment and admin roles until I landed my first HR role in 2012 and the rest I guess is history. I was very lucky to find a Company who were as invested in me as I was them. They covered my training costs to ensure I became CIPD Level 5 qualified and had the tools to progress in my future career. I was there for nearly 9 years before I moved on, then joining Technimove for the exciting journey it is currently on.
Who would be suited to this role/industry?
Someone who can remain level-headed. You cannot get too caught up in individual’s matters, and you always need to consider the impact of any decision for both the Company and the team member.
If you enjoy meeting people, resolving sometimes complex issues and making sure that you can provide people with the best day to day experience within your control then HR/People Teams are for you!
From your experience, what advice would you give to candidates looking for a career at the top level?
Remain focused, and enjoy what you do. The moment you no longer enjoy your work, then it is time to pursue another avenue. Also, make sure you have a form of release outside of work. HR/People teams can sometimes be mentally taxing as you are often seen as the company counsellor. The majority of those conversations can be sensitive and they are not necessarily something you can repeat. Having an activity or hobby you can concentrate on outside of work really helps empty your brain at the end of a challenging day/week.
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