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HR Manager looking for a new job. Priceless experience.

While it’s already couple of years since we all spread around words like „candidate experience”, it seems we are still pretty far from making it actually happen, even if the candidate is prospective HR colleague or HR manager.

One of the reasons why we should invest in „candidate experience” is that the candidate may become a customer some day or sooner. Being an HR Manager looking for a new challenge, you get into contact with several possible employers and usually recruitment agencies as well. Within some days or weeks, once you start your new role, probably again as an HR Manager or HR Director or People Ops or whatever, you will be either involved or primarily responsible for choosing the recruitment agency to work with. Surprisingly enough, recruitment agencies or – more specifically – recruiters, seem to not realize it yet. Sooner or later they will find out that candidate experience in this particular area may cost them quite a lot in terms of their business revenues.

So, some time back I was looking for a new job. Being an HR, you generally know the drill. So yeah, I was a bit surprised with lack of feedback from recruiters, even if I emailed them, with lack of information who to contact or even when I’m supposed to expect any feedback at all. However, it’s not purely about my experience. These days I simply realized how powerful „candidate experience” may be and may turn into one’s results.

I am and most likely will continue to work in HR, possibly in HR head shoes. Will I work with recruitment agencies that treated me like… well… not well? Let’s imagine I will become the HR head of your biggest customer. Would I work with you if you treated me badly when I reached out to you when looking for a job? Answer is clear, right?

Being overloaded with fancy words, it seems we can lose the real meaning of these words. I just grabbed my own perspective on that. Happily, I have also found out there are recruiters and companies that treat the candidate with respect, sharing feedback, informing about progress, giving direct contact to the recruiter from the very start of the process. Good job, Inwenta, GBS Partners, TalentSet! It’s been a pleasure to job-hunt with you! I guess working with you as an HR Manager would be a pleasure too! Thank you!

Photo by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels.com

HR and its seat at the executive table

This story is about my understanding of the HR role in Business Services sector. It might be interesting for all those HR pros who have not worked in the sector before. It can be interesting also for HR pros from BSS willing to see another perspective. Hope you’ll enjoy reading.

Couple of years back one of the topics among HR professionals was: „how to ensure HR gets it’s seat at the executive table”. Surprisingly, not much is needed – just change your job and start working in the BSS (Business Services Sector) 😉

What is so specific about this sector?

When I started working in the B2B IT sector, it struck me how many discussions at the executive table were focused on „people issues”. Either we had a challenge with recruitment in general (not enough candidates). Sometime the issue was hiring on time (within the expectations of the customers/project needs) or within the price range (rates…). Then it followed with up-skilling, cross-skilling, upgrading management team, benefits, succession etc.. Nothing special for HR, isn’t it? Well, probably not. Just add to the mix the necessity to actually connect with the customer representatives to discuss people topics, employee transfers (Acquired Rights Directive & art.23′ of Polish labor code). Obviously – add no-poaching clauses & it’s implementation. (BTW: such clauses are illegal as per European law, I’ll write about it someday). Moreover – outdated labor code (if the employees sit in customer location for most of their time and it’s customer’s manager assigning the tasks, who is actually the employer?)… Sounds like fun, isn’t it? Here we go.

HR playing the business role

In the recent years I had plenty of occasions to discuss the business with our customers – either during the RFI/RFP presentations, negotiations, escalations or stanard „service meetings”. Some of the customers are undergoing „agile transformation”, implementing tribes, matrix structures, holocratic teams etc. In such a setup, one of the only teams that is acting as a single umbrella in the organization is actually the HR team (or „people ops”, or whatever this team is called these days). HR then has the impact on the overall organization, both on operational & strategic level.

When I first thought about my career in HR, I felt – hey, HR has an impact on everything that is happening in the organization. Firstly, HR knows about the organizational changes well in advance, knows all the pain-points and strengths of the company. Secondly, HR advises, coaches & sometimes releases people from the business. It seemed so powerful team! Later on, I discovered how „business drives the wheel” and how limited impact of HR may be. Finally, being in the BSS taught me being a true HR Business Partner. It’s true especially in the recent years. Why? I’ve handled both HR head role as well as the proxy role for Polish legal entities of a global corporation. The dream becomes a reality sometimes, apparently. However, from time to time it feels like it might be a nightmare too;-) Playing such role is not an easy task. It requires expanding the HR role & expertise more towards technology, business processes, understanding trends & changes, expectations of the customers (and not only employees & contractors). It teaches you a lot as well!

Speaking at HR Directors Summit

Dream becoming a reality

There is a saying „beware of what you wish for”. Operating the steering wheel of the company is a huge responsibility and a challenge. As an example, every single decision you make might possibly have significant impact on particular individuals. While HR is used to bearing such a responsibility, stepping in to the wider role adds yet another level of complexity to it.

Dear HR colleague, are you really ready for that? Think twice before answering. Seriously.

This post was also published on Linkedin.