by
Ryan Clement
TODAY, 20 May 2024, is International HR Day. I have the pleasure of working with a wide range of people who have a wide range of skills. As I am instructed by both claimants and respondents, I inevitably work closely with and alongside many Human Resources Managers.
Something that has struck me over the years whilst working with numerous HR Managers is the width and breadth of their discipline. Where does it begin and where does it end? The answer may not be as simple as you may think or believe. For example, it does not begin with an employee’s first and last day of employment with a few things in between. From my experience it is much much much wider than that. And, without doubt, HR can be very influential on many, if not all, aspects of and the discussions taken within the company.
There is also the issue of some who undertake the HR function because either they work for a small company that is unable, or it is not financially viable, to employ a full-time HR manager or, out of everyone else at the company/organisation/firm, they are the closest or nearest fit to undertake the task or HR function. Occasionally, the function of HR is not even being undertaken by the person carrying the title, ‘HR Manager,’ which, as you can well imagine, can be somewhat disturbing, especially when it comes to handling and advising on grievance and disciplinary matters.
Rather than be the interviewee, as has always been the case for me, I turned interviewer to have my questions answered for a change. I chose a friend of mine, Ruby, is the HR manager for a multinational company. There was no discussion beforehand, as we were both passing by, so to speak. We did the one take with warts and all. Personally, I was grateful to have an insight into this wide-ranging profession where, I am told, there is, ‘no typical’ day. But, despite its challenges, “HR is a Great career!” I have taken away many things from my chat with Ruby, but one stands out above others, “It feels like sometimes HR is the last resort. It should be the first!“
Copyright © Ryan Clement 2024
Ryan Clement 