From a reader:
Why is it so difficult to change the sectors and profiles one is working in? I have worked in an industry for 3 years, beyond which I would like to try out something new, a different industry. But somehow one doesn't get calls for these kinds of roles or opportunity. For example, someone who has worked as a fresher in the IT industry, as a Business Analyst, does not get calls for sales in FMCG or marketing in a non IT company despite the appropriate educational background. What can one do to pursue such kind of a change?
Thanks.
Good question! Yes, I agree it’s difficult to change careers after spending three years in an industry, but it not impossible. Yes, your competition changes significantly when you want to carve out your career in a different field. Yet, there are ways to get calls from the desired industry. That’s not going to happen if you’re trying to squeeze in time while holding the current job. You’ll have to go the extra mile.
Here are some tips to get you into a career in the industry of your choice:
Understand the industry landscape: While there’s an intention to change your career, you may want to take that step forward with enough information at hand. There’s a ton of information available online, on blogs, networking sites, white papers, webinars, etc. Try and get yourself educated with enough info from the industry. You’ll know whether you have the required info when you are able to answer the question: What does it take to get into the new role?
Map overlapping skills: After you’ve gathered enough info to understand the required skills for the new role, map them to the skills that you possess. It will help you analyze the gaps in certain skills required for the role and work on it.
Start networking: It’s obvious, isn’t it? Your best source for info/jobs in the industry, must and will, come from people working in that field. Get on to those networking sites (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Just a word of caution, networking is a 2-way street. You’ll have to invest time and effort in discussions and interactions. People will show interest only if you show potential and are aware of the know-how of the industry.
Be flexible: Three years work experience needn’t necessarily mean anything to a recruiter or hiring manager from a completely different industry. They’ll be ready to give you an opportunity, only if you show some flexibility. And flexibility could be around: role, work status (full time v/s contract), salary, benefits, perks, etc. Show them you’re willing to put in extra to learn the ropes. Chances of getting hired on potential are very high!
Get yourself a mentor: This could be the single most important thing for anyone looking for a career change. Invest time in locating the key people in the desired industry and identify a mentor for yourself. Go get yourself a mentor who will guide, train, prepare, provide expertise and share contacts with you, from the field. It will help you improve your learning curve. The mentor wouldn’t do your job for you, but will help you get on the right track to achieve your goals.
Informational Interviews: Well, you done your part of understanding the landscape, networked like never before, identified a mentor. What next? Ask for informational interviews from experts in the field. If need be, go out of your way to accommodate yourself to their schedule. Remember, you want this more than them. Informational interviews are an excellent opportunity to get you aligned with the needs of the industry. They also act as an opportunity for you to showcase your potential. For all you know, the person taking the interview might actually end up hiring up! You can never rule out possibilities. No?
Shadow-work with professionals: Another area where networking will pay off big time. Try and locate experts/professionals from the desired industry and check if you can shadow-work with them. It’s a great opportunity to learn on the job. If possible, share your views with them. It helps refine your approach to the task at hand. Yes, you don’t get paid. Maybe, you don’t want to get paid, since you have a contract with the current employer.
Patience: Your career change isn’t going to happen overnight. You’ll have to spend loads of time and do the right things to get to where you want to be. Patience plays a big role in your decision. The more you have it, the better it get for you. It might even include lifestyle adjustments (including financial decisions) that need to be made.
Resume that captures your preparation: This is the crucial point in any career change. Do you have a resume that speaks of your effort that has gone into preparing and learning for the role?
Career changes are possible. Really. I’ve seen people make it happen. But there really isn’t any shortcut to reach your goal. Atleast, not one that I know of.
Good luck!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Candidate Tip - Part 6
Few months back, I started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ on this blog with an intention to answer recruitment related questions from readers. The series was introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies. I tweet these tips on my twitter account too, and #candidatetip for the tips.
If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to people searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to thehrstore@gmail.com
Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? You can read them here.
If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to people searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to thehrstore@gmail.com
Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? You can read them here.
- You don't need to put your photograph on the resume, unless you're asked to put it. Looks very tacky and needless to say a good recruiter/hiring manager isn’t going to hire you for the looks, unless the role demands it.
- It's ok to mail the recruiter/hiring manager, asking for an interview feedback. Moderation is the key. Don’t flood them with calls/mails every waking hour.
- It’s fine that you are the kind who laughs a lot, but please answer the question. Laughing is not an answer. Yes or No, are the only two choices.
- It's a phone interview. Didn't you know you shouldn’t talk when you have food in your mouth? Basic manners. Well, it’s a scheduled interview. You either eat or you talk.
- If you reject a job offer, then I assume you've given it enough thought before deciding. Asking to reconsider might not always work.
- You don’t need to put on a 'fake' accent in an interview! Why would you want to? Beats me. Talk slow. Listen well. Be precise.
- Telling an interviewer that you got delayed because you went shopping before an interview, doesn’t really going down well. Retail therapy before an interview? Seriously!
- I know music is soothing, but please switch off that radio in the b/ground. It's an interview! Not a music-fest.
- On Skype video-discussion, make sure you keep your pet away from the screen. Yes, I understand he’s excited too, but this is an interview!
- If you've given a secondary contact number, then please keep the owner of that number informed. An interview isn’t a spam call!
- Attending an HR interview doesn’t mean you'll get an offer! Its part of the interview process and your callous attitude could cost you the job. It’s never over, until it’s over. Remember?
- If you want to take the interview in a different language, then let the recruiter know your preference while scheduling the call. They either come prepared or send someone who understands the language or use an interpreter.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Perspectives
From a reader:
I am a litigating lawyer and have been with my current firm for almost 4 years (I joined them straight after college). About 3 years back I got married and took a transfer to a different location. I have really learnt a lot with the current firm and have been given a lot of opportunities. But I'm really bored here now. I feel like I'm being taken for granted and am not getting the full recognition from my bosses (my immediate boss and the one above him) though my clients now specifically ask for me to handle their matters (which is a big big deal when I'm barely 4 years into the profession and get to handle matters involving a ton of money). I can handle work pressure but the stress created by my boss is tough to handle. For instance, I have a junior who is supposed to be exclusively working with me but my boss gives him independent work and keeps him busy, which means I’m effectively on my own.
Anyway, I want to make a move to a company where the work & ambience will be very different from a litigation firm. I don't want to move to another firm because there is just too much stress and I really need a break. But I am scared to take the plunge - what if I can't adjust in a company since I am so used to a firm? As in I do a lot of my work independently and my bosses don't really interfere with the calls I make on my matters. I will have a strict hierarchy & reporting structure in a company.
I'm confused. Please help.
Well, I’m going to take your question in parts and answer them to the point.
First, at the current firm, you’re getting to do your own thing which means that the boss trusts your decisions completely. Now, that could also translate to the fact that he doesn’t have to spend time reviewing your work. It then brings us to the fact that your boredom isn’t really due to the lack of opportunities. It’s stemming from the fact that while you need to be given space to do your own thing, you are also asking for recognition for it. That may not be the way that your manager sees the situation. He might feel that the best recognition has been given in the form of letting you do your own thing! No? It’s going to be a matter of perspectives, until you sit down with your manager and share your views.
Getting opportunities of the kind that you’ve described are rare to come by at an early stage in one’s career. It looks very likely that the hidden reason for a job change is the working relationship with your manager. You may want to address that quickly. It could also be that your manager’s seeing the appreciation from clients and doesn’t really want to make changes in working styles that could backfire.
Stress which you feel is created by the manager (like giving work to your direct report) could be sorted out too. Talk it out to your manager. He needs to know that you aren’t comfortable with his approach and that you are responsible for the performance of your direct report. For all practical purposes, he might feel that your direct report is under utilized or the job allotted doesn’t fall under your activities. It’ll stay that way if you ignore the issue and wish it to go away! Start with having a discussion. Try and be candid.
Here’s a tip though, most often there’s a tendency to bring up an issue when it happens. For example, you may want to bring it up the next time you see your boss assigning work to your direct report. That could be plain bad timing! Since there could be urgency around getting that specific work done and you could look like delaying it. On the contrary, have the discussion once your direct report finishes the work and hands it over to your boss. You can then explain your stand when things are calm. Start with explaining that when works gets allotted without your knowledge, it becomes hard for you to plan your deliverables. It could also put the direct report under dilemma to prioritize his work, leading to delay in completion of projects. Your boss needs to know that his approach is hampering your work. The way I see it now is that you are delaying having that discussion with him sand you’re taking on the work that your direct report would have otherwise completed for you. Obviously, leading to a lot of frustration! Speak up.
If you like what you are doing and see a lot of opportunities, why would you choose to change jobs? Beats me. Often, the very idea for a job change crops up when the reason for the change could have been addressed in the first place. Makes sense? To be honest, you might get the same opportunities in a Company, but the number of people in there is going to be tough competition to beat. Not due to lack of competency. Not due to lack of knowledge. It’s a number game in a bigger Company and that’s going to take a while to beat. Also, there will be processes and procedures to follow. That might prove to be a challenge for someone who is used to working independently. It will work, provided you have the patience to ace the system.
The bottom line is that you have chance to sort out differences with your manager at the current firm. It might lead you to give up things that you would have liked if it was done your way. You’ll get things that you didn’t expect would come your way. That’s the way these discussions go. Once you are done having that discussion, you can then decide if it’s worth sticking with the firm. Your decision will then have more objective reasoning.
Good luck!
I am a litigating lawyer and have been with my current firm for almost 4 years (I joined them straight after college). About 3 years back I got married and took a transfer to a different location. I have really learnt a lot with the current firm and have been given a lot of opportunities. But I'm really bored here now. I feel like I'm being taken for granted and am not getting the full recognition from my bosses (my immediate boss and the one above him) though my clients now specifically ask for me to handle their matters (which is a big big deal when I'm barely 4 years into the profession and get to handle matters involving a ton of money). I can handle work pressure but the stress created by my boss is tough to handle. For instance, I have a junior who is supposed to be exclusively working with me but my boss gives him independent work and keeps him busy, which means I’m effectively on my own.
Anyway, I want to make a move to a company where the work & ambience will be very different from a litigation firm. I don't want to move to another firm because there is just too much stress and I really need a break. But I am scared to take the plunge - what if I can't adjust in a company since I am so used to a firm? As in I do a lot of my work independently and my bosses don't really interfere with the calls I make on my matters. I will have a strict hierarchy & reporting structure in a company.
I'm confused. Please help.
Well, I’m going to take your question in parts and answer them to the point.
First, at the current firm, you’re getting to do your own thing which means that the boss trusts your decisions completely. Now, that could also translate to the fact that he doesn’t have to spend time reviewing your work. It then brings us to the fact that your boredom isn’t really due to the lack of opportunities. It’s stemming from the fact that while you need to be given space to do your own thing, you are also asking for recognition for it. That may not be the way that your manager sees the situation. He might feel that the best recognition has been given in the form of letting you do your own thing! No? It’s going to be a matter of perspectives, until you sit down with your manager and share your views.
Getting opportunities of the kind that you’ve described are rare to come by at an early stage in one’s career. It looks very likely that the hidden reason for a job change is the working relationship with your manager. You may want to address that quickly. It could also be that your manager’s seeing the appreciation from clients and doesn’t really want to make changes in working styles that could backfire.
Stress which you feel is created by the manager (like giving work to your direct report) could be sorted out too. Talk it out to your manager. He needs to know that you aren’t comfortable with his approach and that you are responsible for the performance of your direct report. For all practical purposes, he might feel that your direct report is under utilized or the job allotted doesn’t fall under your activities. It’ll stay that way if you ignore the issue and wish it to go away! Start with having a discussion. Try and be candid.
Here’s a tip though, most often there’s a tendency to bring up an issue when it happens. For example, you may want to bring it up the next time you see your boss assigning work to your direct report. That could be plain bad timing! Since there could be urgency around getting that specific work done and you could look like delaying it. On the contrary, have the discussion once your direct report finishes the work and hands it over to your boss. You can then explain your stand when things are calm. Start with explaining that when works gets allotted without your knowledge, it becomes hard for you to plan your deliverables. It could also put the direct report under dilemma to prioritize his work, leading to delay in completion of projects. Your boss needs to know that his approach is hampering your work. The way I see it now is that you are delaying having that discussion with him sand you’re taking on the work that your direct report would have otherwise completed for you. Obviously, leading to a lot of frustration! Speak up.
If you like what you are doing and see a lot of opportunities, why would you choose to change jobs? Beats me. Often, the very idea for a job change crops up when the reason for the change could have been addressed in the first place. Makes sense? To be honest, you might get the same opportunities in a Company, but the number of people in there is going to be tough competition to beat. Not due to lack of competency. Not due to lack of knowledge. It’s a number game in a bigger Company and that’s going to take a while to beat. Also, there will be processes and procedures to follow. That might prove to be a challenge for someone who is used to working independently. It will work, provided you have the patience to ace the system.
The bottom line is that you have chance to sort out differences with your manager at the current firm. It might lead you to give up things that you would have liked if it was done your way. You’ll get things that you didn’t expect would come your way. That’s the way these discussions go. Once you are done having that discussion, you can then decide if it’s worth sticking with the firm. Your decision will then have more objective reasoning.
Good luck!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Can I record my job interview?
I’m looking for a job change and have been interviewing with select employers. I’ve noticed that most interview processes start with a phone-interview. The interviewer is either the hiring manager or a person from the technical panel. I want to know if I can record phone interviews. I’m interested in working on the questions asked in the interviews, since it will help me prepare for future interviews.
Thanks.
Well, must say, this is an interesting question. While you’ve got a valid reason to record phone interviews, to start with, you will need the consent of the interviewer.
Getting consent is very tricky since there are dependencies attached to it. First, the Company/interviewer will need to address the legalities involved in giving consent. Read: Potential lawsuits. Second, far too many interviewers aren’t trained at taking interviews and might end up saying or committing to things that aren’t in their control. They might fear you’ll hold them responsible for it at a later stage.
Let’s assume you do get consent, I suspect there’s a high possibility that the interviewer might show restraint in sharing information around confidential data, career growth, details around compensation, etc. On the other hand, nothing stops you from pressing the record button on the phone, as long as you are using it ONLY for your own purpose and you don’t hold the Company/interviewer responsible for anything committed in the discussion. I would suggest you don’t do that and instead take notes.
That prompts me to ask: What is stopping you from taking notes during an interview?
If you do take notes, you can write back to the interviewer, sharing your understanding of the role and responsibilities required for the job. If there really is a technical question that you need help with getting answers, here’s an approach that might work in your favor. Write down the question during the interview. Once you’re done with the interview, search for answers (online, books, peers, friends, etc.). Mail the interviewer with answers to the question that you weren’t to answer in the interview. In my experience, good interviewers for mighty impressed with candidates that follow this approach. It tells them three things. One, you are keen about the role. Two, you've demostrated your keenness by getting back to them with solutions. Three, you are receptive to feedback. It's a combination that interviewers look for and will help you stand out among many applicants.
Good luck!
Thanks.
Well, must say, this is an interesting question. While you’ve got a valid reason to record phone interviews, to start with, you will need the consent of the interviewer.
Getting consent is very tricky since there are dependencies attached to it. First, the Company/interviewer will need to address the legalities involved in giving consent. Read: Potential lawsuits. Second, far too many interviewers aren’t trained at taking interviews and might end up saying or committing to things that aren’t in their control. They might fear you’ll hold them responsible for it at a later stage.
Let’s assume you do get consent, I suspect there’s a high possibility that the interviewer might show restraint in sharing information around confidential data, career growth, details around compensation, etc. On the other hand, nothing stops you from pressing the record button on the phone, as long as you are using it ONLY for your own purpose and you don’t hold the Company/interviewer responsible for anything committed in the discussion. I would suggest you don’t do that and instead take notes.
That prompts me to ask: What is stopping you from taking notes during an interview?
If you do take notes, you can write back to the interviewer, sharing your understanding of the role and responsibilities required for the job. If there really is a technical question that you need help with getting answers, here’s an approach that might work in your favor. Write down the question during the interview. Once you’re done with the interview, search for answers (online, books, peers, friends, etc.). Mail the interviewer with answers to the question that you weren’t to answer in the interview. In my experience, good interviewers for mighty impressed with candidates that follow this approach. It tells them three things. One, you are keen about the role. Two, you've demostrated your keenness by getting back to them with solutions. Three, you are receptive to feedback. It's a combination that interviewers look for and will help you stand out among many applicants.
Good luck!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Guest Post: Perceptions of HR
Author: Monika Manchanda
Thanks for the honor of asking me to write a guest post. It’s a great feeling and whatever else I wanted to say here…Prateek stole it from me! I am telling you guys it’s like he read my thoughts and then put them in the introduction to this post. Just kidding…
Let me get down to the business of writing the post.
When I started to write a guest post for an HR blog my first thought of was does the term HR mean to a person in any organization. If you run a poll in an organization, 80% of them consider staffing or recruitment as the HR’s primary function. This isn’t what I think. I personally think staffing or recruitment should only be a part of HR.
Off course, every working person’s bible - Wiki has to say about HR:
“Human resources is a term used to refer to how employees are managed by organizations”
What role does HR play during an employee’s tenure with his/ her organization? I think the real HR work begins after a person is hired. Day to day activities like helping them settle down on the first day, legal formalities taken care of and introductions to the team made are things that a newly inducted employee looks forward too. They say first impressions count! The HR team must be able to handle the non technical trainings and most importantly handle the all important ‘Career Development’ aspect of an employee’s future in the company. According to me, the HR person must be able to gauge and understand a new employee’s goals’ and aspirations. They must be able to seamless integrate the candidate’s plans and the company’s plans. Over time a manager will have a clearer view of a person’s capability and determine their future goals within the organization but, the hope must be kick-started by a staffing expert.
Unfortunately, in reality a person sees the HR twice – the day we join a company and during the appraisal period. It always helps having a friend in the HR department! Or so it seems.
In most of the organizations I have worked in a career spanning over 9 years, I have noticed that all of them have only taken the hiring aspect of HR seriously. This creates a negative attitude towards HR in most of the employee’s minds; which is not necessarily true. However, one of my previous employers did a brilliant job in segregating and defining the various functions of HR. To say that it was helpful would be an understatement.
So, I will conclude this post with a simple expectation. I believe HR is the only section in an organization which has the capability of being transparent and communicable to an employee even before joining, to the day we leave a company. They are the face of a company.
About the Author:
Monika is a technology professional with over 9 years of work experience in the software industry. She has currently taken a break from corporate life and is enjoying time with her son, gardening, traveling and writing.
Thanks for the honor of asking me to write a guest post. It’s a great feeling and whatever else I wanted to say here…Prateek stole it from me! I am telling you guys it’s like he read my thoughts and then put them in the introduction to this post. Just kidding…
Let me get down to the business of writing the post.
When I started to write a guest post for an HR blog my first thought of was does the term HR mean to a person in any organization. If you run a poll in an organization, 80% of them consider staffing or recruitment as the HR’s primary function. This isn’t what I think. I personally think staffing or recruitment should only be a part of HR.
Off course, every working person’s bible - Wiki has to say about HR:
“Human resources is a term used to refer to how employees are managed by organizations”
What role does HR play during an employee’s tenure with his/ her organization? I think the real HR work begins after a person is hired. Day to day activities like helping them settle down on the first day, legal formalities taken care of and introductions to the team made are things that a newly inducted employee looks forward too. They say first impressions count! The HR team must be able to handle the non technical trainings and most importantly handle the all important ‘Career Development’ aspect of an employee’s future in the company. According to me, the HR person must be able to gauge and understand a new employee’s goals’ and aspirations. They must be able to seamless integrate the candidate’s plans and the company’s plans. Over time a manager will have a clearer view of a person’s capability and determine their future goals within the organization but, the hope must be kick-started by a staffing expert.
Unfortunately, in reality a person sees the HR twice – the day we join a company and during the appraisal period. It always helps having a friend in the HR department! Or so it seems.
In most of the organizations I have worked in a career spanning over 9 years, I have noticed that all of them have only taken the hiring aspect of HR seriously. This creates a negative attitude towards HR in most of the employee’s minds; which is not necessarily true. However, one of my previous employers did a brilliant job in segregating and defining the various functions of HR. To say that it was helpful would be an understatement.
So, I will conclude this post with a simple expectation. I believe HR is the only section in an organization which has the capability of being transparent and communicable to an employee even before joining, to the day we leave a company. They are the face of a company.
About the Author:
Monika is a technology professional with over 9 years of work experience in the software industry. She has currently taken a break from corporate life and is enjoying time with her son, gardening, traveling and writing.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Avant Garde Bloggies Award
Thanks to @prateekgupta for nominating my blog for the ‘Avant Garde Bloggies Award’.‘The HR Store’ has managed to find a place among the finalists for the ‘Best Professional Blogger Award’.
You can go here and vote for me. Thanks!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
What to do with a second job offer?
What should a person do if he gets an offer or an interview within a short time like 1-2 month of joining in a new job?
Would it look inappropriate on the CV to have worked for a month in an organization?
Thanks.
Did you go in search of another offer after you joined the current firm? Or did ‘Firm B’ call you with an offer after you joined ‘Firm A’. The answer lies in these questions.
If it’s the former case, that’s you went looking for an offer then the answer is, “Yes, take up the offer from Firm B”. I would say yes, because there must be something about your current offer that’s not working out for you. It could be any of the following reasons or more: compensation, role & responsibility, travel, benefits, perks, bad manager, work culture, etc. The lack of NOT having a component that you wanted most in an offer must have triggered your search for a better one. You should still bring it up with the current manager and see if you can work things out. I’m pretty sure they’ll value the time and effort gone into selecting you for the role.
Well, there’s not guarantee that the second offer will be any better. You can only hope that it’s better.
Now, let’s take the latter situation. That’ Firm B came with an offer after you joined your current firm, my answer would be, “No, let it go”. Even if it’s a tad better than the current one. Here’s why. You’ve already spent a month on the job and that would mean your team/manager has spent enough time & effort to get you to speed. You don’t want to screw them over by leaving them now. You’re sure going to burn bridges and might have long term implication. If you are in a niche market, it gets tougher; either the manager/team member will know someone in the other firm. Or at a later time period, you could interview with a Company that they might have joined. Rest assured; they aren’t going to pick you after your past act.
When you accept an offer, it’s a commitment you make. You don’t break that unless you have a very strong or valid reason. Further there’s no stopping Firm B from questioning your commitment. They’ll wonder if you’ll leave them just as easily for a better offer in a few months. Long term implications. Remember?
There’s even a remote possibility that Firm A will be ok with your exit. You can make only one mistake like this. Is the offer Firm B’s offer worth that move now?
If you still choose to go ahead with the second offer, I would suggest you don’t need to show the one month work period in your resume. It might be perceived as indecisive and that you might have taken a hasty or immature decision. Leave it off the resume.
Good luck!
Would it look inappropriate on the CV to have worked for a month in an organization?
Thanks.
Did you go in search of another offer after you joined the current firm? Or did ‘Firm B’ call you with an offer after you joined ‘Firm A’. The answer lies in these questions.
If it’s the former case, that’s you went looking for an offer then the answer is, “Yes, take up the offer from Firm B”. I would say yes, because there must be something about your current offer that’s not working out for you. It could be any of the following reasons or more: compensation, role & responsibility, travel, benefits, perks, bad manager, work culture, etc. The lack of NOT having a component that you wanted most in an offer must have triggered your search for a better one. You should still bring it up with the current manager and see if you can work things out. I’m pretty sure they’ll value the time and effort gone into selecting you for the role.
Well, there’s not guarantee that the second offer will be any better. You can only hope that it’s better.
Now, let’s take the latter situation. That’ Firm B came with an offer after you joined your current firm, my answer would be, “No, let it go”. Even if it’s a tad better than the current one. Here’s why. You’ve already spent a month on the job and that would mean your team/manager has spent enough time & effort to get you to speed. You don’t want to screw them over by leaving them now. You’re sure going to burn bridges and might have long term implication. If you are in a niche market, it gets tougher; either the manager/team member will know someone in the other firm. Or at a later time period, you could interview with a Company that they might have joined. Rest assured; they aren’t going to pick you after your past act.
When you accept an offer, it’s a commitment you make. You don’t break that unless you have a very strong or valid reason. Further there’s no stopping Firm B from questioning your commitment. They’ll wonder if you’ll leave them just as easily for a better offer in a few months. Long term implications. Remember?
There’s even a remote possibility that Firm A will be ok with your exit. You can make only one mistake like this. Is the offer Firm B’s offer worth that move now?
If you still choose to go ahead with the second offer, I would suggest you don’t need to show the one month work period in your resume. It might be perceived as indecisive and that you might have taken a hasty or immature decision. Leave it off the resume.
Good luck!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Remote HR. Possible?
From my discussion with a reader:
Scenario: An employee works for a firm that doesn’t have an in-house HR team. Most of the HR related work (staffing, employee relations, performance reviews, general HR activities etc.,) are managed from a remote location. Email and phone are the best available options for communication. The HR person does visit remote locations once in a while to spend time with the employees.
Now, the employee is planning to quit, citing better career opportunities. Manager has initiated the exit process and asks HR to complete their part in the exit process. HR calls in from headquarters to conduct the exit interview. Asks employee the reason for deciding to quit and even tries their best to retain the employee. The HR has had very limited discussions in the past and have only stepped in when there’s a crisis. The employee isn’t comfortable answering most of the questions, because the HR person conducting the interview hasn’t even met/seen the employee.
I was informed it’s the same with other HR related activities too.
Leads me to ask: Does managing HR remotely work?
Well, if we consider the above scenario, the answer is a ‘No’. Managing HR from a remote location would mean that you still don’t get to feel the pulse of the organization. You really can’t expect employees to open up in a discussion with a HR person they’ve never met before. When it happens in an exit interview, you can be rest assured that it’s not going to be taken well.
Might have worked differently if it was a couple of employees working remotely and HR steps in to cater to their needs. It’s then a given, that HR will communicate only via phone/mail. It wouldn’t be possible to fly out to go meet just the two employees working remotely. Cost is a major deterrent. This is exactly the reason why managers are hesitant to let employees work remotely. In-person communication always has an advantage over remote discussions. Period. Agreed that there’s enough high-end technology that might help HR manage employees working in remote locations, yet, it doesn’t substitute for an in-person discussion.
Among various HR activities, employee relations top the list of HR activities that requires face-to-face interaction. Though emails/phone calls can answer the queries, it doesn’t allow one get a feel for non-verbal communication. That’s about 70% of every discussion! An exit interview provides a great chance to understand the reason for an employee’s exit. It could maybe even help with getting enough data for rehiring the employee in future. That would only be possible if you showed up in-person at the remote location.
There are a couple of repercussions that I can see stemming from having a remote HR team. First, managing cultural differences across locations can prove to be a challenge for a remote HR team. Second, future hiring can take a hit if either current/exiting employees voice their opinion on not having a local HR team to cater to their needs.
I’m not discounting the fact that there could possibly be a ton of advantages (cost, infrastructure, time, headcount, etc.,) which prompts HR team to work remotely. These costs will become negligible, when compared to the cost of losing great talent. Especially when you’re dealing with people who are helping you grow revenue, talking on behalf of your Company or bringing in good talent through referrals.
Choose wisely.
Scenario: An employee works for a firm that doesn’t have an in-house HR team. Most of the HR related work (staffing, employee relations, performance reviews, general HR activities etc.,) are managed from a remote location. Email and phone are the best available options for communication. The HR person does visit remote locations once in a while to spend time with the employees.
Now, the employee is planning to quit, citing better career opportunities. Manager has initiated the exit process and asks HR to complete their part in the exit process. HR calls in from headquarters to conduct the exit interview. Asks employee the reason for deciding to quit and even tries their best to retain the employee. The HR has had very limited discussions in the past and have only stepped in when there’s a crisis. The employee isn’t comfortable answering most of the questions, because the HR person conducting the interview hasn’t even met/seen the employee.
I was informed it’s the same with other HR related activities too.
Leads me to ask: Does managing HR remotely work?
Well, if we consider the above scenario, the answer is a ‘No’. Managing HR from a remote location would mean that you still don’t get to feel the pulse of the organization. You really can’t expect employees to open up in a discussion with a HR person they’ve never met before. When it happens in an exit interview, you can be rest assured that it’s not going to be taken well.
Might have worked differently if it was a couple of employees working remotely and HR steps in to cater to their needs. It’s then a given, that HR will communicate only via phone/mail. It wouldn’t be possible to fly out to go meet just the two employees working remotely. Cost is a major deterrent. This is exactly the reason why managers are hesitant to let employees work remotely. In-person communication always has an advantage over remote discussions. Period. Agreed that there’s enough high-end technology that might help HR manage employees working in remote locations, yet, it doesn’t substitute for an in-person discussion.
Among various HR activities, employee relations top the list of HR activities that requires face-to-face interaction. Though emails/phone calls can answer the queries, it doesn’t allow one get a feel for non-verbal communication. That’s about 70% of every discussion! An exit interview provides a great chance to understand the reason for an employee’s exit. It could maybe even help with getting enough data for rehiring the employee in future. That would only be possible if you showed up in-person at the remote location.
There are a couple of repercussions that I can see stemming from having a remote HR team. First, managing cultural differences across locations can prove to be a challenge for a remote HR team. Second, future hiring can take a hit if either current/exiting employees voice their opinion on not having a local HR team to cater to their needs.
I’m not discounting the fact that there could possibly be a ton of advantages (cost, infrastructure, time, headcount, etc.,) which prompts HR team to work remotely. These costs will become negligible, when compared to the cost of losing great talent. Especially when you’re dealing with people who are helping you grow revenue, talking on behalf of your Company or bringing in good talent through referrals.
Choose wisely.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Should I quit?
Dear HR Store,
I have a query. Is it time to quit a company when an employee is depressed and stressed out? With end results sometimes leading to an employee in tears.
The problem can be attributed to a horrible manager and repeated escalations aren't helping as well.
Thanks.
Well, with the limited information that you have provided, my answer is ‘yes’. You should look for another job.
I really can’t think of a good reason to ask you to stay back in a job that’s only going to make it worse for you. That’s assuming you’ve done your part of having discussions/ tried sorting out any issues/ taken & given feedback, with your manager. It might not have worked out in your favor, but that effort is required to find out the real cause of the problem. Might just help you deal with similar situations in future.
You mention that you escalated the situation. Whom did you escalate it to? Was it his boss? Or HR? I’m keen to know.
Did you escalate the issues after having a candid discussion with the manager? Or did you escalate it to the next level without having a discussion with the manager? If it’s the former situation, then it’s fair since you went through the reporting hierarchy. If it the latter (by-passing reporting structure) that’s not a comfortable situation for your manager to be in and that could have worsened the situation. The second line manager will have only your version of the issue and he’ll then approach your manager for getting his version. You can bet your last penny, that if this happens, your manager isn’t going to be very happy with it.
Now, I’ll assume you must have spoken to your manager’s boss (second line manager), rather than with the HR. If that hasn’t worked either, I’ll have to assume that the second line manager has backed your manager’s work and stands by your manager. Their working styles could be functioning just fine for each other. In that case, I don’t think you stand a chance to counter argue or escalate. It will go eventually go against you. You could even try and get help from HR (employee relations). It might bring a fresh perspective to the issue.
Your references for future jobs might be dependent on the manager. Therefore, keeping HR informed might work in your favor, should the next employer try and reach them for your reference.
I do have one more question, are you the only person affected by your manager’s behavior? Or are the other members on the team equally affected? The answer should tell you the something about the manager’s way of dealing with things and you could then either align yourself to his way of working or leave. That’s a call you can take with some objectivity and which could also lead to some very truthful answers. It would be futile to try and change the way your manager approached things at work, unless he is the ready to sit down and have that one candid discussion. Better yet, be open to receive feedback. In your case, the situation seems to have gone too far for trying that approach.
Get your resume updated. Start applying for a new job. Get an offer in hand. And then quit.
Good luck!
Previous posts that might be helpful:
Are you hit by 'Hurricane Micro-Manager'?
Abusive Managers: Confront or Walk-out?
PS: I got these wonderful tips on Twitter from @preethe, who read this post. She suggests a couple of things that might work too. Thanks!
I have a query. Is it time to quit a company when an employee is depressed and stressed out? With end results sometimes leading to an employee in tears.
The problem can be attributed to a horrible manager and repeated escalations aren't helping as well.
Thanks.
Well, with the limited information that you have provided, my answer is ‘yes’. You should look for another job.
I really can’t think of a good reason to ask you to stay back in a job that’s only going to make it worse for you. That’s assuming you’ve done your part of having discussions/ tried sorting out any issues/ taken & given feedback, with your manager. It might not have worked out in your favor, but that effort is required to find out the real cause of the problem. Might just help you deal with similar situations in future.
You mention that you escalated the situation. Whom did you escalate it to? Was it his boss? Or HR? I’m keen to know.
Did you escalate the issues after having a candid discussion with the manager? Or did you escalate it to the next level without having a discussion with the manager? If it’s the former situation, then it’s fair since you went through the reporting hierarchy. If it the latter (by-passing reporting structure) that’s not a comfortable situation for your manager to be in and that could have worsened the situation. The second line manager will have only your version of the issue and he’ll then approach your manager for getting his version. You can bet your last penny, that if this happens, your manager isn’t going to be very happy with it.
Now, I’ll assume you must have spoken to your manager’s boss (second line manager), rather than with the HR. If that hasn’t worked either, I’ll have to assume that the second line manager has backed your manager’s work and stands by your manager. Their working styles could be functioning just fine for each other. In that case, I don’t think you stand a chance to counter argue or escalate. It will go eventually go against you. You could even try and get help from HR (employee relations). It might bring a fresh perspective to the issue.
Your references for future jobs might be dependent on the manager. Therefore, keeping HR informed might work in your favor, should the next employer try and reach them for your reference.
I do have one more question, are you the only person affected by your manager’s behavior? Or are the other members on the team equally affected? The answer should tell you the something about the manager’s way of dealing with things and you could then either align yourself to his way of working or leave. That’s a call you can take with some objectivity and which could also lead to some very truthful answers. It would be futile to try and change the way your manager approached things at work, unless he is the ready to sit down and have that one candid discussion. Better yet, be open to receive feedback. In your case, the situation seems to have gone too far for trying that approach.
Get your resume updated. Start applying for a new job. Get an offer in hand. And then quit.
Good luck!
Previous posts that might be helpful:
Are you hit by 'Hurricane Micro-Manager'?
Abusive Managers: Confront or Walk-out?
PS: I got these wonderful tips on Twitter from @preethe, who read this post. She suggests a couple of things that might work too. Thanks!
- Explore the option of changing projects within the same Company. That could lead to working with a different manager.
- Taking the issue to HR and then talking to the resourcing manager for a new project might solve the issue.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Candidate Tip - Part 5
Few months back, I had started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ with the intention to answer hiring related questions from readers. The series was introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies.Further, I tweet these tips on my twitter account too using #candidatetip.
If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to anyone searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to thehrstore@gmail.com
Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? Here’s part – 1, 2, 3 and 4
http://bit.ly/astvvv)
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