WHAT THE HELL EXACTLY DOES HR DO?
Let's start at the beginning: I take the same train to work as a person from my hometown that works in HR. The other day, I was asking them about the finer points of what HR is looking for at their company (much larger than my current employer). They asked why I was so interested in how HR works.
I probably could have worded it better but I spoke without thinking and said, "I've networked into all of my jobs, and even went so far as to buy drinks for recruiters. My stats going into the workforce were horrible, so HR has always been a thorn in my side. I actually prefer they don't do their jobs because I just have never had any luck dealing with them....even now, and I have experience. I understand that I made mistakes, and I fixed them, but they can't seem to get over that...so I've just been forced to work around them. A few years ago, I was told I'd never find a job, and the HR person that said that was dead wrong. But I'm tired of it. I need to understand the system so that I can continue to progress, and that's why I'm asking you how they work."
This apparently pissed them off, but in my case it's the truth. They then launched into a tirade about how THEY make the hiring decisions, networking is bad, and how they expect job seekers to show them 'respect'. I didn't say anything and let them bitch largely because I'll take them out one of these days, get them drunk, and have them lobby for me at their company. So I let it slide. Besides, I should have been more diplomatic, I'm usually smarter than that. But it got me thinking.
It's no secret on this site that I have an open, raging hatred of HR, and prefer to treat them like they don't exist, but I realize that in the long term, they're a factor. I also realize that if I want to work at a bigger company or go to grad school, I'll probably have to go through the recruting process again. No one likes hearing "no" but I'm inclined to think that HR thinks they're more important than they are. I'd like to do things right and avoid a second time going through the "Ninja Networking Olympics", there really has to be a better way.
So what am I getting at?
This is an open letter to every and anyone with HR contacts, understanding, and/or experience to post their thoughts on HR. What do you think?
* What's the best way to be taken seriously by HR?
* How does someone with a less than ideal resume effective interface with HR?
* And how does HR feel about people that just go around, behind, and over their heads?
Here is the rub. I have a bunch of friends in HR and understand their plight. HR is like Compliance or like any other rule making body. No one wants to follow the rules until someone gets screwed by someone not following the rules and they says "why weren't they enforced".
If some MD says to HR, put up a posting, I need 2 analysts, HR is going to do so and look for a select set of skills. To at least cover their butt. If you are working in HR and lob up people with low GPA's and horrible experience you will get canned. Now yes, this site is largely made up of people with lower GPA's, but the hunger to do the job, but that is the minority. The majority of people with really low GPA's, no relevant work experience, etc are people who would completely bomb an interview.
So what should people do? Network. You can go right to the source and prove that you are competent. It isn't HR's place to be making those kinds of executive decisions. They are gate keepers.
Just my .02.
ANT, just curious, why'd you change your username?
I don't understand how you could quantify that. If people are logging on WSO constantly, they are coming to get insight and better as candidates. Yes, they may be at a disadvantage but I don't think it's just a 'minority' whose hungry to do the job.
This is my assumption. I mean if you have a 4.0 from Harvard do you really need help breaking in. From my time on the site, experience meeting people and seeing the questions put forth I would say, once again, in my experience, that a large amount of people on the site are those trying to break in from non traditional paths (ie not targets or with lower GPA's).
Regardless of the actual break down of the site, I am just saying that if you are in HR you are going to be looking for certain things. HR is not there to take shots in the dark and frankly, they do not know enough about the job to talk with you and gauge your true competency. All they see is a GPA below a cut off and move on. If your GPA is low do not waste time with HR, network with the decision maker directly. This isn't an insult to HR, just an admission that you need to approach things differently.
@UFO - I wanted a Dyslexic friendly spelling of my name lol
Great points UFO. Compliance and HR just killed a FO job offer for me a week ago. So yeah I am not their biggest fan right now. I networked my ass off to get this job but they screwed it up.
Can you elaborate on this?
Here is a thread a wrote about it
"As I write this I can’t help but wonder “what is next?” I have promised a few people on the forums here I’d let them know if I finally broke in. I had an amazing set of interviews a week or two ago and I was very qualified for this position. So I know a few of my buds on here have been waiting for good news. It seemed like it was just a matter of time as they finished the transfer paper work.
I am still in a shock right now and just feel like venting as I have never been so close before. Last Friday I received a call from the MD himself saying how much he can’t wait to have me on the team. Well there was a problem with the Compliance department. The issue is so small that FINRA and my ex-employer said that they have never seen this type of reaction before.
I can’t go into detail to much but here are the basics. My first licensed job wanted a 3 year commitment THEY LAID ME OFF IN 18 MONTHS!!! That’s it in a nut shell. I just received an E-mail 5 minutes ago from the recruiter cutting me loose.
It is tough but I guess I can’t stop and bathe in pity. I just have to wonder what is next even looking outside my firm. I have shot 2 e-mails already one to my current boss telling him not to give away my office now and the other to an ER analyst in NYC asking can I shadow him. Still, I need to rant a little bit so I don't punch my screen.
I respect so many people on here. It is so hard to get a job in banking. I have been trying for 3 years and thought I finally made it. I finally got to feel the same feeling y'all got when you got your offer. It just sucks it got taken away from me because of a misunderstanding. I will keep trying and I will eventually sneak in."
Agreed, I hate HR. Then again, I'm a non-target with lower GPA. I made it, though, no thanks to them.
They should still give me a chance!
The real problem is that HR was never intended to make the hiring decisions, at least when they started. The HR department has many different jobs to do so why would they waste their time screening every person individually when its much easier to just put min criteria and then let those do most of the work. It comes down to laziness in the end.
I can't stand HR. Everytime I've needed something from my current company HR has lost my paperwork, told me the wrong answer, or did not follow up my request. This has cost me a chance at several jobs outright and makes my general inquiries a pain in the ass. Seriously, fuck HR.
You gotta play the game. They are big on keywords and matching job description to resumes. Be creative.
I had a bad HR experience at a BB.
After being rejected after 3 telephone interviews, I emailed the contact I had (the interviewer) and asked for feedback. They told me to email HR and gave an email ID.
I emailed them. They email back saying 'due to an overwhelming number of applications you have not been selected for an interview'. I reply saying i was selected for an interview, completed them, but was wondering if feedback could be given. They email back saying due to confidentiality they can't give feedback. Because they were in a different country - and I don't know the law there - I didn't other arguing and said no worries thanks for the opportunity. I know in the UK we are legal entitled to feedback.
Weird experience. Not too bummed because that office seemed really disorganised from day 1 (was supposed to be interviewed last November, kept getting delayed on their part, they also messed up the interviewers, scheduling, didn't even stick to their schedule, I ended up calling them for the interview and so on). Funny experience all in all.
Are we talking about CITI here?
No it wasn't Citi... I have never interviewed there unfortunately. (and not a European office)
Be sure to use keywords from the job description to get past the screeners. A good tactic a head hunter told me about once was to put a ton of keywords in white font on teh top of your resume and they'll never know. It will get you past the screeners to the actual people. From there it's luck.
SB'd, that's hilarious!
Thank you. If I had a SB, I would GLADLY give it to you!
That is too good +1. What are the best buzz words to put in an app?
One's I've put in so far: Investment banking equity research portfolio investment investments Lloyd Blankfein Hooaaa stocks bonds
Use specific words out of the job description.
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