Have a rant… professional development

I find it completely frustrating that there is such a lack of professional development opportunities in HR, at all levels of the profession.

I have worked at adviser/officer level for six years, but am unable to move on to the next level.

Catch 22

The reason given is always that I lack higher level (strategic) HR experience.

I am interested in HR strategy and read up on it avidly in Personnel Today. But how am I expected to gain strategy experience when all the HR managers jealously keep all the meaty stuff for themselves?

I have worked for major organisations where, when things got a bit more complicated outside the day-to-day mundane stuff that HR departments do, it was always managers at the higher levels who took charge.

This has resulted in a total lack of empowerment in my job for me.

It is ironic, really, as HR is always preaching to line managers about avoiding doing this with their staff.

In my department, there is a very strong “I come first” competitive attitude, which most HR professionals seem to hold.

Give us a chance

As lots of the HR stuff is, let’s face it, mundane, everybody is desperately trying to fight for the ‘juicy’ work.

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But the more senior ones are always going to get it as they have the authority to call the shots.

More junior people should be given the chance to have a go too, otherwise we’re never going to be able to develop.