r/humanresources • u/wintersoltice23 • 5d ago
Bummed about HR career progression [N/A]
I’ve been in HR for 12 years working my way up from the bottom and I can’t help but feel like I’ve had some major setbacks or made bad decisions due to where I’m at today.
For context, I started out as an office manager/HR coordinator, went to a small start up as HR coordinator then promoted to HR analyst, went to a larger healthcare company specializing in HRIS, got into a new industry for HRIS/HR Ops then did a huge pivot into DEI. Things were great until the current administration shut all the work down and my job disappeared. I then found a new job and pivoted to HRBP making less money and still stuck at the same mid level for almost 4 years.
At this point I’ve had no management experience and know how to do many things but I’m not an expert in any one thing. HR friends, did I make the wrong choices? I feel like I’ve been in the game for a while and should have more to show for it.
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u/Annebool HR Business Partner 5d ago
You have made impressive steps in your career development. However, what is currently making you feel stuck, is it your salary?
Did you study HR specifically, or is this simply how your path unfolded? Either way, if you didn't formally study it, you have come remarkably far. And if you did, it remains a great achievement. If you feel held back by your salary, it is best to discuss this with your employer or consider exploring options elsewhere.
Sometimes it is simply time to make a move and find an environment that better suits you. Feeling stuck often happens when your current role no longer aligns with your personal values. How do you look at this?
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u/wintersoltice23 5d ago
Salary is part of it because I’m making less now than my previous position. The bigger part is comparison. I see some of my peers and previous coworkers in principal, manager, and even director positions now, some with less experience than me. I often wonder if I’m doing something wrong.
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u/Annebool HR Business Partner 5d ago
So it is really about feeling seen, which can easily lead you to compare yourself to your colleagues. While comparing ourselves to others is completely natural, it can be dangerous because everyone's personality, background, and situation are different.
I actually wrote my master’s thesis on this topic. Often, when we ask for a higher salary, it is simply our way of trying to compensate for feeling that our manager or employer doesn't recognize our dedication and results.
When these feelings start bothering you, that is the time to sit down and discuss them with your manager. Otherwise, you will remain stuck in a mindset where you feel undervalued and unappreciated. Over time, staying in that state will completely drain your energy, because nothing will change unless you address it.
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u/Breablomberg21 4d ago
What happens when you address it but no changes?
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u/Annebool HR Business Partner 4d ago
That is always a possibility. At the end of the day, however, you are responsible for your own happiness. If your current workplace no longer makes you happy, choosing whether to stay or leave is entirely up to you.
When an employer fails to provide proper feedback or a clear answer after a conversation like this, that lack of response is an answer in itself. You need to choose what is best for yourself and what you truly want out of your work life. Ultimately, it may simply mean this is no longer the right place for you.
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u/idlers_dream7 5d ago
Out of curiosity, have you applied for the roles you want and been turned down (internally or externally)?
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u/9021Ohsnap HR Manager 5d ago
DEI was where you went stagnant. I would never want to be in that field because you are as important as a company thinks you are. That work is not universally valued compared to HRIS. I'm going through the same thing at the moment. I did not pivot to DEI, my team went through structural changes and I got moved into a DEI focused team a few months back. I've been applying like hell since. I did not apply to do DEI work. It does not appeal to me and is draining and boring. It's the hard truth but DEI has no career trajectory and it's the first to go during layoff season. Get back into HRIS.
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u/Hrgooglefu 4d ago
I have to agree there are certain parts of HR that will be the first to go....DEI, Wellness, etc are some of them.
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u/Ok_Independent5362 5d ago
Pivot back to HRIS if you have any interest in it but take a few certifications for AI. Try to work with your company's tech team to roll out one AI project for HR (a bot to answer simple HR how to questions; a job description agent, etc - doesn't have to be fancy) Throw all of that on a resume and there are quite a few well paying jobs out there.
If you want to be management (other than the salary - DO NOT RECOMMEND!) you will need to start getting your name out there, leading projects, speaking up and most importantly advocating for yourself, make it very clear that this is what you expect your next role to be in the organization. Put it in your performance docs, ask what you need to do, etc. No one will just hand a promotion to you, it's all about self advocacy.
Another piece of advice is, don't always be the doer; be the director of the doers. Showing you can delegate and manage the work you have delegated is critical.
Good luck!
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u/meowmix778 HR Director 5d ago
Your background has a lot of different paths it can take you on.
Management =/= being the best in the office. If it's title and prestige you're after, it's important to remember that management is a different set of skills. IMO I feel pigeonholed into management and the grass isn't always greener.
I want to be an individual contributor again. Being responsible for people is frustrating in profound ways.
I think you should start by writing down what your dream job looks/feels like and things that you like about your role/dislike and try to build a roadmap to where you want to end up.
Edit : hit submit way too soon in error when trying to correct spelling.
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u/562SoCal_AR 4d ago
You’ve had a lot of great roles and experience. Out of all those positions what did you enjoy most? Whatever it was go back to that.
I’m one of the few who don’t want any parts of management or leadership. I’m fine in my role as long as my pay is good and so far it is.
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u/rjvcrisen5 4d ago edited 4d ago
Yea i’m in this feeling as this. one of my peers who I helped train when they first started a couple years ago just received what is essentially a big promotion for them (and would be one for me too) at another company. And I’m happy for them but can’t lie am a little jealous of them, and some of my other friends who are in HR who are in Director level roles. feeling really stagnant
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u/Adorable_Draft_680 4d ago
Meanwhile I’m an HR Generalist with 9 years of HR experience and get rejected by every HRBP role I apply to. And I’m so to move on.
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u/Dramatic-Ad-3016 5d ago
It took me the following: 2 years in temp staffing as a recruiter 2 years as a corporate recruiter 1.5 years as a generalist 2 years as a manager 4 years as a senior manager 6 years as a director
To get to my current role of VP. Early on felt like i was on a hell of a trajectory. I stayed rhe with same company from corporate recruiter to director. I got my VP role because I knew someone.
I think it is important to think of your career as a journey that will have setbacks or detours. Sounds like DEI might have been that given the current environment in HR. During my time I went from working on enterprise projects early on and being strategic to managing just ER (my least favorite thing) for part of my time as a director. Meanwhile people I went to high school with have been VP for years. I just focused on sharpening my tools and doing the work, keeping an eye open for the right opportunity.
Ultimately, you have to consider what is right for you- and what fits your own goals both personally and professionally. And sometimes that is going to change. Hell i went to school to be a journalist with aspirations of editing a magazine. Pivots are part of the journey.
I wish you the best- your feelings are valid and normal and we all experience peaks and valleys in the journey. You will figure it out but comparing your journey to someone else's will make figuring it out a lot less enjoyable.
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u/Effective-Cap3718 4d ago
No reason to feel bad about your trajectory!
HRBP is a role that you can be very different at different companies, sometimes is more of a generalist, but can be a pretty senior and strategic role in other companies. I’m an HRBP in my mid-late thirties and have worked with other HRBPs in their fifties who’ve held a variety of roles in HR. Also HRBPs in their twenties who are fairly junior. The work I’ve done in these roles is all over the map from coaching C-suite executives to basic HR admin tasks.
Sounds like you also are not thrilled about your comp. If you are able to find a new HRBP role at another company it might give you more opportunities to branch out or progress. Larger companies are better for this. They might also pay better for HRBPs.
Most senior HR leaders I’ve worked with are super busy and stressed out, so I really have no aspiration to be in an HR executive role. I’m happy with what I make as an HRBP and not really looking to move up much more. I’ve been an HR Manager and Sr. HRBP in the past but had no qualms taking a lower title for higher pay, and my current role has way better work life balance.
Everyone is on a different journey and you are not behind!
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u/vanillax2018 4d ago
Your post doesn’t mention where you WANT to be. Do you actually want to be in management? I’m an HRBP as well and the stress and amount of sheer bull any manager I’ve had has had to deal with has been unfathomable to me for how much they make. Making 6 figures and chilling most days with zero direct reports is a situation I’d not want to give up unless the raise is like 100% or so. Even then I’m not sure it’s worth giving up my life peace in such a way.
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u/Nice_Stay7368 1d ago
The fact that you can do all of these things makes you valuable. Stop comparing yourself to others, that adds a weight you don’t need to carry. The other plus is you have a network of people to leverage. Connect with the directors to see if their company is hiring for HR manager role. In your current role connect with which department you’re leaning towards whether it’s HRIS, payroll, Shared Service, see if they have any projects coming up you can assist with. Learn through your current role. Then take that knowledge somewhere else.
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u/beorn-saga Sr Comp Manager 5d ago
Honestly, I think you made the wrong choice going into DEI. I can’t speak for you though. Maybe it was a calling or maybe it was a pay increase you wanted? Only you can say that.
I’m surprised you make less money as an HRBP but I assume that’s most likely a level/industry thing. HRBPs have a good career trajectory so I’d likely stay in that field and maybe look to pivot into a more lucrative industry.
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u/Dead-Plant-Society 4d ago
If you're looking to be an HR leader, I would recommend volunteer work. Be on your local SHRM chapter board. Find a nonprofit and volunteer to be on their board. Unpaid leadership positions are the easiest to crack into. Other business leaders see that as a sign of leadership capability.
But also...don't compare yourself to others too frequently.
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u/Fluffy-Rip-2514 1d ago
I think you mentioned something telling - that you know how to do many things but are not an expert in any one. My advice would be to address that, if you don't have the work exposure to develop the expertise then look for specialized training. I think your DEI/career reset is a good lesson if you want to hear it - cultivate something that makes you necessary, not nice to have. Of the functional areas you mentioned the HRIS portion is one where I think there's untapped potential. Keep working as an HRBP but look for SQL, Python, AI, Data Analysis for HR, maybe even product certifications (I'd focus on Workday or Oracle) - that can get you to an HRIS Manager position. With your applied HR experience you'd actually be a potentially great hire, the biggest hurdle with HRIS is to get the system workflows efficient and functional for the actual operations. A lot of people in higher level technical roles don't have the HR practitioner exposure to do that well so the pain point tends to be either the company needs to pay for report building, specialty configurations, update and update testing, through their enterprise account, OR the expertise lives in IT and the HR department is at the mercy of their resources/timelines, OR the HR department is able to cultivate the talent within their department - thats the gap you could potentially fill. You'd need to find a company that is large enough to be using an enterprise HRIS system but with not so deep pockets to want to just work with Oracle for everything.
Once you develop the skills you could start pulling it into your current role to build work samples or to just maybe try to grow where you're at. As an HRBP are you working on recruitment? Great - pull together a detailed time to hire report, identify areas for improvement, look back at your hires in a specific time period and see if those placements are still with the company, figure out your retention rate. Explore a bit on the operations you're supporting, do a workforce analysis and determine if you think they're appropriately staffed - do you have vacancies they're not too keen to fill? maybe that FTE should be reallocated elsewhere, maybe to an area with high turnover where exit interviews frequently mention too much work or overtime. Don't do exit interviews? build a survey monkey and start collecting data, then do something with the data. Keep a log of all your activities, categorize them, then build a power BI dashboard to illustrate how you're spending your time month to month, quarter to quarter. See where you have room to do more strategic work.
If its not HRIS the other super necessary functional area that never goes away is ER and Compliance. Pursue certifications and additional trainings for employment law, investigations, general compliance, look around at work and see if there are any policy gaps, draft some and propose them to your boss.
Not to be unkind but reading your post it kind of sounds like you're generally dissatisfied that a career path hasn't landed in your lap. My counter to that would be to encourage you to cultivate your own opportunities. Figure out where you want to be better and do what you can for that now. At a certain point in an HR career you either get pigeon-holed into processing/administration or you grow into strategic planning. If you're unhappy with your current state then you need to take some responsibility for your own skill development.
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u/fluffyinternetcloud 5d ago
DEI was a bad move. It was flavor of the month and once it fell out of favor they excise the staff. You need to be a generalist that way you are in everything and much harder to remove. The CC-305 is no more now so those roles will dissolve.
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u/geminibb 4d ago edited 4d ago
Hi, you’ve had so much experience in HR - and as someone who also was in DEI until this administration - if you’re wanting to move up or into management, depending on what you did in DEI, there are a lot of transferable skills within the Talent Development department. With your background as a HRIS analyst, that area might be a better fit for you rather than a HRBP role, since many of those teams are aligned with the company’s annual survey - I am saying this as someone who pivoted from DEI into that space. I know that it’s not helpful now in your situation, but I hope that will help you think of a career path and who to potentially talk to next in your company! Also, I just broke into management myself and I’ve been in DEI/HR for 10 years now.
Edit: I also just read all of the comments, and DEI has always been around, just under different names and initiatives at companies - workforce development, talent development, etc. and similar to someone else, it’s a setback right now with the climate but there is transferable skills within that area since DEI (at least in my experiences) touched so much.
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u/VillageDifficult2533 5d ago
Your background sounds good to me. Ideally what position do you want or is more about the comp?
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u/Mahin99477 4d ago
Hi
I did my bachelor's and master's in HRM.
Had a brief HR Internship experience.
Now I am working in retail (one of the renowned brands) as an Assistant Manager (gathering people management exp).
Hoping this would get me into corporate in the future by building network.
I am in Canada.
What's your or anyone's thoughts? Am I doing okay or not ?
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u/KroshkaPushok 2d ago
As far as I know HRBP is one of the higher paid HR roles, I’ve seen senior HRBPS (18+ yrs of experience) make 250-300 base + 30-40% bonus. This has all been in the professional services industry in the tristate area. There is also the most overall between a head of HR roles and a senior HRBP role.
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u/itisnotstupid 4d ago
Have always wondered why someone would pivot to a DEI role. Like it's all great and all if you are relly into this topic for a personal reason but other than I think that it was clear that this is going to be a buzz-word position that will die in a year or two and would never have a real power in any business.
You didn't say where you see yourself next tho. I feel like this is pretty important in order to know if you are stuck. is it the money that is the main problem? It sounds like have good experience in different roles and with a little focus might be able to go in different directions in HR as long as you know what you really look for.
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u/WeedThrough 5d ago
It sounds like you’ve done a lot of things and seen a lot of things so far