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Hey folks, Anyone here who joined data science consultancy from academics research background. Without prior knowledge of extensive coding and service industry experience. Is the transition is problematic? Is it wise decision to join Big4 on senior consultant role? How is team response about such candidates?Please share experiences. Asking for friend.EY Deloitte KPMG PwC
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Have a blessed Sunday!
I’m typically in a resort with 1500 employees. I focus on developing the executives and creating a team of trust. Also, I focus on employee engagement and getting all managers into the corporate culture. My assistant VP or HRD runs the day to day operations of the HR office. In the office, I set the goal and lead tue team, being their strategy partner and not their boss. Then with my team I spend one on one time listening to their concerns, struggles and issues and lead them to resolution by having them come to the conclusion to fix issues.
Based on the tasks you've described, I would say that you are focusing more on tactical work (generalist) level. If you have 1 person under you, you can start delegating those tasks to your HR assistant. This can be a part of your career pathing initiatives for your HR.
To get started with thinking more strategic, think bigger. Have conversations with the Executive leadership about what objectives they are focusing on for the upcoming year and what expectations they have for each department achieving those goals? You can then think about how you can develop your own HR OKRs that align with the direction of the company. For example, if the company wants to improve productivity to increase revenue, then your objective may be to Improve employee engagement. Your Key Results (what to achieve) may be to survey employees with at least 50% response, increase ramp up by 5% during onboarding, structure an immediate action plan in 30 days for survey results you would like implemented.
This is a start to get an idea of what programs to implement and not just choosing to start HR programs just because. However different programs you could create are for performance, engagement, recognition, retention, professional development, and wellness. Learn how to create HR data to tell a story and gain executive leadership buy-in. Read books and articles, watch podcast, and join HR organizations such as SHRM, XpertHR, and sometimes local orgs. It doesn't matter how small or big an organization is. In fact, I find it much easier to implement HR programs when companies are small vs trying to convince and implement for large corporations. You have so much leverage and a blank canvas to test, tweak, and initiate things you may have never done before. You are in a good position, you got this. If this is helpful, please support by liking the comment
Great advice. Thank you. Everyone here gave me lots to think about and inspired me to do better.
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I’m a VP with 5 directs and an employee base of about 1,000 and I am constantly getting pulled into the stuff you’re talking about. I wish I could get out of the operational weeds but it seems impossible. I do a lot of strategic initiatives but you have to carve out time to focus/prioritize it. Given the size of your team and company, you’re doing exactly what you should be doing.
Chief
It’s a small organization therefore your tasks are still not Director level where it’s more project base, manage several teams, strategic planning for the organization big picture overview of things to implement changes improving all departments, reports based on metrics. Being more proactive than reactive.
I think you have to switch to an org that gives you that room unfortunately
I'm in a similar situation. Small company (just under 200) with 2 direct reports. The goal for me is to have one recruiter (junior position) managing campus recruiting and admin for the dept; a senior recruiter (who's on track for promotion to manager soon) who handles the day-to-day of our lateral/experienced hiring efforts for most open roles; leaving me with capacity to leverage my experience to manage specialized/the most senior level reqs while training hiring managers, devising recruiting strategy (changes to process, tools, branding/marketing), and other project management. This includes staying up on trends and advising re: regulations, etc.
The above is not what my daily life is like yet. I get way too sucked into the day-to-day stuff. It's necessary given the hiring landscape and experience on my team, but prevents me from working at that strategic level. Mind you, like you, I have been responsible for strategy all along the way. I just don't get to live in that space. I used to be a 1-person department so I've done all the tasks, which is why I get sucked back into them when the team is spread thin.
I report to a shareholder/Director who is helpful, but is also not FT focused on recruiting/HR. So I look outside the org for mentoring, strategy guidance, etc. Twitter and LinkedIn are great for info. I also attend conferences and the company pays for a coach (online via Marlow). I'm working on PM skills and "executive presence".
IDK if any of this helps. I mostly wanted you to know you're not alone. As for the fears of going elsewhere, that's legitimate to some degree, but is also imposter syndrome. I try to take a look at job postings at larger companies, see what experience they want that I like, and do what I can on my own to educate myself. I think that'll help if I ever decide to change jobs (at least be able to speak knowledgeably).
Continuing. Ran out of space..
A few things of what I’m doing right now I’m updating the handbook - working with the attorney. Open enrollment ie negotiate rates, crunch numbers in terms of cost to company (I did this as a generalist), coordinate meetings. Recruiting, ie suggest and confirm salary range for role, confirm JD (give mgr pointers at times), post job, screen candidates, schedule interview. Put together some wellness initiatives like virtual yoga classes. I’m here for ER issues like suggesting to a manager to put an employee on a pip. Am looking for trainings for managers. Maintain and update a comp guide. Work with CEO on bonus and merit increases. Keep the higher ups informed of upcoming laws like pay transparency laws, though I’m not doing anything since we do have a full time recruiter who is supposed to be handling that. I am the one who alerted everyone of the laws for NY & CA.
Is this normal Director level stuff?
You are doing Director level tasks.
Really depends on size of org and size of team. With only one generalist under you, I’m not surprised you’re doing all these things, because… who else should do them?
If your team would be five people, it would probably look very differently and the bigger the team the more it’ll look like what you’re imagining.
Thanks but what would it look like for me if I had a team of 5? Just wondering if I’m hindering my growth being where I am. Not really sure what I imagined. I just remembered it seeming “cool”. Now when I get sucked into meetings I think to myself ‘this is t so cool nor is it so hard’.
160
This is likely why
Smaller company directors typically have very different roles than bigger companies, a director at Google can have hundreds of indirect reports under them.
In a smaller company and a small team, you’ll have to spend more time focused on putting out fires and more tactical things
Chief
How big is your organization?
I’m afraid that if I leave to go somewhere else I’ll fall flat on my face. I also feel that at this pace I won’t get to that VP level.
This is super helpful. Thank you so much. We have literally doubled our employee count in 1.5 years from 80 ish to 160. My predecessors left the department a mess, ie handbook hasn’t been updated since 2016. No lie. it was just me and the generalist. Had to clean so many things up, i.e., get the file feeds to work as they should between carriers and HRIS. Trying to get the department to be more efficient so we can work smarter not harder. I was recently approved for another headcount and brought on an admin to help with the more administrative tasks. I finally feel like I can work on the more strategic things I’ve been wanting to sink my teeth into and that’s when it really occurred to me that I have spent the last year+ putting out fires with only sprinkles of strategy. So, now I need to go teach myself on how to take myself, the dept, and the company to that next level because I don’t have anyone above me I can learn from. I report into finance. Responses here are super helpful and inspiring.