Top 6 reasons to never work in HR.

Last week I was in a cab going to a restaurant in Paris along with some of our brilliant Talent Acquisition Directors. After a long training day, we were pondering about our super job– recruiting. We were trying to figure out why we decided to join Human Resources in the first place. Over the years, I have attended many campus fairs, and when speaking to graduates many reject HR as a career path. That is not surprising.

I am not sure, when you were younger and the teacher asked you what kind of job you would love to do, you would have answered: HR Manager. Maybe you would have answered Policeman, Doctor, Soccer player, or even Teacher (for the brown-nosers). Clearly, these are jobs that are accessible and visible – jobs which excite and make the eyes of a child shine.

Which is, of course, not really the case for HR before you join a company or start working. Let us try to think about the first time you met an employee in HR… Yes, you remember now, not long ago... Nevertheless, you crossed thousands of bakers, pharmacists or artisans. But only a few HR.

Again, you would not imagine a dad proclaiming to his son: “Hey little boy! I met a wonderful employee in HR today! I would be proud to see you become as cool and courageous as this guy!” Yet, if you replace “HR” with “Fireman” it works. Maybe you would argue HR employees are not courageous or boring. So, let me give you 6-reasons to never work in HR. 

#1. It is really boring to meet new (awesome) people every day.

Trust me, it is really stimulating to discover people’s path, listening to them, sharing their success, and sometimes their failure, and being thoroughly inspired by the end. Plus, there is nothing more enjoyable than telling somebody they got the job they were rooting for!

#2. It totally sucks to see people you recruited grow and flourish. 

You create a special bond when you recruit someone; you are the first point of contact for newcomers in the company and this lets you make great friends! The recruits are ready to begin a long career within your company, and there is nothing more exciting than wondering what they are going to achieve. Come on! I’m sure you all remember your recruiter!

#3. You don’t have an impact on the business and the organisation.

There is nothing more concrete than recruiting. If there is no guy, there is no job. Consequently, no business. The toughest part of recruitment is finding the right person, not just anyone with the qualifications. Considering the speed of the market, placing the right candidate, in the right job to create the right products, has a massive impact. I am not only talking about costs, but also the impact on the welcoming team and partners. 

#4. You don’t have any responsibility and you’re not taking any decisions. 

Wrong! Choosing a job is one of the most important decisions in your life. 70% of your life is work, so it is imperative you love and enjoy your profession! So helping a candidate discover L’Oréal and find the perfect role for them is a huge responsibility and encompasses many aspects. You have to anticipate many business needs. You look for specific skills and competencies, to find the ideal fit between an open position and the candidate. Recruiting is also predicting the development of a person, while they adapt to the challenge of staying ahead of the business. Somehow, people will trust you: your candidate and your hiring manager. 

#5. You’re doing the same freacking tasks all day long…

Contract, interview, payroll, interview, contract, interview… this seems very mundane. However, let me share with you my real adventure: I am a recruiter at L’Oréal and every day is totally different! I do meet always candidates, but these candidates are distinct and unique. I remember a quote “We are all snowflakes, from a distance very similar, but up close each we all have our own unique differences.” The candidates have different personalities, are suited to different roles and have distinct competencies or expertise. What we like to say at L’Oréal is that we are not starting from the job, we are starting from the person. This gives the recruits space to manoeuvre, to adapt their role to themselves. Like people themselves, recruitment is not an exact formula. 

#6. You are spending your day in front of a computer

Dread sitting at your desk and refreshing your email just for something to do? Not happening. Not in HR. Not at L'Oréal. You may be wondering what is a recruiter's life? Actually, you visit companies, universities and networking events to seek out the most talented people to recruit. More and more you have to innovate offline and online strategies to attract the best talents for your company - a digital warrior! It is always hard to celebrate each and every new employee due to the fast-paced nature of HR. However, in L’Oréal we realise it is really important to make employees feel welcome, their work environment is as important as the role itself!

Finally, it is not easy sometimes taking a step back and realising that you are hiring for a bigger purpose. You have to see the bigger picture; you are helping the business move forward, and your hires have to be able to drive change within the business. Companies are not static, you have to move with and ahead of the company, so the candidates you hire can help make the change the business requires.

Once again, who said recruiting is boring?

Follow me on Instagram and you will see that maybe, this is not the case...

@Hrforhr