What you need to succeed… As well as being personable and approachable, you will need to be at least studying towards the final section of the CIPD qualification. A sound understanding of employment law is always advantageous, with absenteeism, disciplinary issues and grievances among the most common issues.
How to get into it… An HR adviser will normally have started their career as an HR assistant, and will have built up their skills and experience while studying for the CIPD qualification.
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What is involved… You will provide day-to-day support to staff, advising them on company policies, such as ensuring the correct procedures and guidelines are adhered to in the cases of discipline, health and safety and personal development. There is also much involvement in the recruitment process, as well as the identification and delivery of training for both managers and the workers.
Prospects… Good. As the role is of a generalist nature, there will always be scope to move across industries, although the more knowledge gained of a specific sector, the better. Once you have gained enough experience, a natural progression would be to move into a more managerial role.
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