Human Resources

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Human Resources Consultant

So how would you describe your role?

I couldn’t imagine performing a role of this breadth or complexity anywhere else. As one of a pool of consultants brought in by the central HR Function or the Divisional Human Resources Business Partner to provide support to the business, my primary responsibility is project management.

It’s varied and challenging work. I can be involved in annually-recurring projects like analysing opinion survey results or providing support to managers conducting performance reviews. Other projects could involve 1:1 senior leadership development or supporting managers with organisational restructure and talent management. After meeting with stakeholders to establish business issues and plan projects I use information gained from these meetings to analyse a project's progress and then to review its success afterwards.

Some of my work is more strategic, for example, considering broader reward strategy. At the opposite end, there will be some ad-hoc requests; such as finding historical project data or reacting to a media-sensitive issue that requires urgent attention.

What kind of skills do you need?

I don’t get the chance to build stakeholder relationships over a long period of time, so I need to be able to do it quickly. Strong delivery focus is essential to help me overcome any obstacles and drive my projects through to completion.

I often need to use my influence to gain buy in to my projects, and sometimes have to deliver tough messages in order to be seen as a true partner. Some stakeholders can be particularly demanding and so I need to have strong business acumen to help me demonstrate the value I’m adding. Also, there’s not a lot of time to spend discussing HR theory and models, so I have to be able to quickly find pragmatic ways forward.

Have you been given any training to help you perform your role?

There are strict project management processes to follow, so I had full training in those. We also have ongoing access to a fantastic range of HR support services here to help us in our personal and professional development. 

What kind of career progression can you look forward to?

I have the option to move into a Human Resources Business Partner role or take on increasingly sizeable projects with more senior stakeholders. I’m currently a specialist, so I could also move into a more generalist environment here if I wish.

Is there anything about the role that you think might not suit some people?

This isn’t a role for people who prefer to be focused on ‘doing’ rather than managing and overseeing the work.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

Well for a start it gives me the opportunity to make an impact in a very large organisation. I’m empowered to take full responsibility for project delivery, which enables me to demonstrate the tangible commercial benefits of what I deliver. And, as the business is able to see just what I can do, I’m looking forward to tackling even larger and more interesting projects.

If this sounds like a role that you’ll thrive in, then we’d like to hear from you. Joining us, you’ll also enjoy a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package that you can tailor to suit your individual needs.

Click here for a summary of the Human Resources Consultant  role