I started working in Human Resources a bit by accident.
As a member of the IT department, I was teaching software training for employees at our firm. Over time, I took on more of the “soft skills” training classes, and my role in new employee orientation grew. I became close to the HR Director as I shared my impressions of the new hires and made predictions about who would be a superstar, and who wouldn't make it past the first week. When a new HR Manager position opened up, the HR Director recommended I apply for it. I got the job, moved into HR and never looked back.
One of my first tasks was to hire an entry-level HR Assistant for our department. I had a senior recruiter with over 20 years’ experience helping me, and she taught me how to write the job description, told me about the skills and abilities we were looking for, and generally guided me through the entire process. I posted the position and eagerly awaited responses.
Once I had a good stack of resumes and cover letters, I took them to the senior recruiter and asked for her assistance in selecting candidates to interview. She went through the stack in about 2 minutes, ruthlessly culling anyone from the pile who had a typo or misspelling in their resume or cover letter. I didn't understand why she removed some of the people who looked like great candidates to me. I asked her what criteria she was using to separate the Yeses from the Nos.
“Oh,” she said. “I get rid of anyone who says they like people or they’re a people person. Because after working in HR for twenty years, I can tell you, this job will make you hate people. And I don’t want to do that to anyone.”
I was shocked. And confused. After all, I’m one of those who had said I wanted to be in HR because “I’m a people person.” Obviously she hadn't been involved in recruiting for my position!
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t of all, I was disappointed. She was someone I admired and thought would be an excellent mentor for me. But her jaded attitude put a bad taste in my mouth and I vowed not to end up like her.
Fast forward 15 years.
At times, layoffs, a long recession, and new technological challenges have taken their toll on me. Especially in my previous role as a hiring manager, and my current role as a career coach, I struggle when the number of bright, talented people outweigh the available positions. I become jaded when management says “Do we have to do that? After all, they’re lucky to have a job.” And when I hear about people struggling economically with unemployment and see the impact it has on everyone in the family, part of me wishes I was back in a classroom, teaching someone how to format a document and create a spreadsheet.
But I’m not. Because I am a people person. And despite my mentor’s advice, I have remained one because I think HR is the perfect place for people who like people.
People are a never-ending, ongoing puzzle. Figuring out why they do what they do will always fascinate me. And if people behaved rationally, calmly, and logically all of the time, well, I am guessing HR wouldn't be needed very much, and I’d be out of a job.
Why did you get into the HR profession? Why do you stay?
Photo credit: iStockphoto
About the author: For 15+ years, Andrea Ballard, SPHR, has brought a unique, common sense perspective to the business of HR. A former HR Director and Training Manager, she advises companies on how to design/implement flexible work life programs to attract/retain top talent. A certified coach, she helps women create a balance between motherhood & career. She is the owner of Expecting Change, LLC, blogs at Working Mother and is on Twitter as @andreaballard.
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10 Comments
Love this article, Andrea!
Its true sometimes this line of work can be jading and it can be hard to remain positive in tough economic times when we see hard working, talented individuals out of a job. But the only way to truly be of help and make a difference in our clients lives is to do everything in our power to stay a “people person.”
Thank you, Maggie! Glad you liked it.
You got it Shauna! That is sometimes the best help we can give.
Back in the day when I was looking to break into HR, I would also say I wanted to get involved because I liked helping people. A mentor at the time told me that I should go into training, as she was afraid I couldn’t do the hard stuff, like fire anyone. I quickly learned to stop saying that. Years later, I still want to help people, but I’ve learned over time that “help” can mean a lot of different things. After all, sometimes the help someone needs is to be removed from a job they clearly don’t want. 🙂
Jennifer Miller, I love the differentiation between a “people person” and a “people pleaser.” The people pleaser route is definitely one that leads to burnout and exhaustion.
The other Jennifer, I totally agree with you. Finding out why someone says they are a people person is the key. I am fascinated by people and like figuring them out, especially how their skills can best be used to achieve the company’s goals.
While I commend you for being a people person, I think there is some merit in being a bit cynical about people who want to be in HR because they are a people person. Being a good HR person means having to balance the people and business needs. Too often when people tell me they want to work in HR because they like to help people I think they are not focused enough on the business side. If they said they want to help make sure the people aspect of business issues is taken seriously, is part of decision making and feel that by focusing on that they can make the company more effective, that is completely different than “I like people and want to help them”. If someone just wants to help people there are better professions – like therapists.
Andrea,
I’m so glad you decided to stick with HR – we need more people with your mindset!
I believe that when someone says they’re a “people person” – the distinction an interviewer needs to ferret out is, are they also a “people pleaser?” If so, then yes, they will end up exhausted and bitter like the mentor you mention in your post.
If, however, someone truly likes people AND is a problem-solver, (because really, the HR function can be an endless stream of problems to be solved) then they will be well-suited for HR.
[…] I am a People Person: Do You Have a Problem with That? […]
Shana, Quantifying the people data is a challenge. But I think it’s required these days to show HR’s value to the organization. Training, coaching, and developing employees all has stronger impact if you can quantify the results. More power to you!
It’s great to see an HR person saying that they are a people person – as time has gone on, I’ve seen less and less HR people willing to say that. Part of why I like doing the benefits part of HR is that you get to truly help people and that’s a nice feeling.
As for me, I’m more of a “data head” and I like working in HR because it’s fun to try to quantify people data. Since everyone is actually unique – it makes it quite a challenge to draw on data and have it be meaningful in the people arena. I love a good challenge!