ALT-1 Overview Working in Personnel Roles
Roles in personnel works have been given their well-deserved serious attention nowadays. Management experts have been saying that “personnel” is among those jobs that you may have for the rest of your career life. It’s a job for keeps, as long as you have the enthusiasm and interest in dealing with people. The skills you’ll learn (that hopefully you may harness to “abilities”) can actually be used to put up businesses if you’re the “entrepreneur-type,” eventually.The breath and width involving the complexity of personnel roles vary according to the size and industry of the organization. This writer gained much of his “personnel experience” from the Philippines, mostly in a multinational general trading company. “Personnel” is actually considered dated, as it’s commonly called “Human Resource Management (HR)” nowadays, to reflect the immense changes the area has evolved into these past decades. And it’s no longer “Administrative” tasks that Personnel are doing now, though they can be part and parcel of the job in any organization. This writer actually “grew into the job” during the 15-year stint he did with the same company.Usually, entry levels for “personnel roles” are those involving recruitment and selection, benefits and compensation, or training and development. Depending on the requirements of the organization, and its “corporate culture (which is a critical component in doing personnel roles most effectively),” the incumbent will be given many opportunities to perform all assignments. Before [s]he realizes it, the roles will grow bigger and wider – with more responsibilities. It’s never known to be a “boring” job, as you’ll meet a lot of people who work in the organization, and those who deal business with it from the outside.Recruitment and selection will allow you to conduct all kinds of interviews, and make recommendations on who to hire. Training will allow you to design events and programs, and also to implement them to help people deal with the over-all goals of the organization. Compensation and benefits will allow you opportunities to actually prepare the payroll (together with accounting), and implement rules on benefits that employees would like to claim and avail. A lot of the work is actually “coordination” where you will play the “go-between” role among people who have higher ranks, with inflated egos, plus those who simply need help. And you’re usually “implementing’ policies almost on a day-to-day basis – as people conveniently “forget” them unless when they need them or you “confront” them on these issues.It takes a certain level of leadership to perform personnel roles most effectively, even if your rank is that of the entry level. On a day-to-day situation, it’s either you’re managing your Boss (or several), or you’re “pushing” people to tow the line. It’s a sensitive position as you have access to confidential matters usually kept from the prying eyes of people who have no business about knowing them. The main idea of the role is to serve the interests of the organization (it’s considered a “person” with legal rights, and duties to perform), so that it will “live” very long, and grow more prosperous so that more maybe divided and shared to its stakeholders. You’ve to be “very service oriented” or else you’ll not last long in doing the job.Most managers actually do “personnel roles” but they’re not aware of it, or simply refuse to do so (as they’re already loaded with many jobs). Being at the forefront of the role, you’re tasked to get them to actively perform their respective roles in their “small kingdoms” – as you can’t be doing nanny roles for them, too. For example, you can’t be effective if you’re pushing people from the sales group, as they have their own bosses, too – you have to do it through their bosses (who may actually take offense if you remind them of their “personnel roles”).You’re usually with a college degree when you start doing this kind of role. You'll have more credentials. You'll have them accredited as you accumulate valuable experience and study formally for more complicated “personnel roles.” The process follows local rules depending on the country where you’re based.You’re also an “influential” force to reckon with when you do “personnel roles.” You’re in a “power” position, as you’ll be able to influence results, although this is not seen as such by most. As you “go up the ladder,” you’ll see it will become more exciting and competitive. The other “chiefs” will see you now as “frenemies” as it’s natural in any organization. It’s now your call if you’ll continue “playing politics” to carry out your roles, or consider other options.
