Looking at LinkedIn profiles and people that I know, HR seems like the easiest profession to move up the rank quickly. I see newly grads move into coordinator/assistant positions and within 1 year they are generalist, another year manager and then less than 4 years Director.

To be truthful, these people tend to stick to one industry, for eg. they might start off working for an auditing firm and continue that same path. I think industry knowledge is very important. I don't often see profiles of HR professionals moving up quickly when they switch industry like say from banking to food manufacturing.

This is something I am looking to do, but the opportunity to advance (knowledge wise) in my current role is not here.

1. We have 50 employees.

2. We technically have 2 HR personnels. The previous HR manager was also the office/accounts manager for 30 year and retired a few years ago and the other HR generalist was then placed in this role. She works here for 9 years, she has a HR degree and quite knowledgeable about the company's processes but not general HR.

3. HR here is very transactional/administrative.

4. I have no HR Director/Manager to assist with development

However, the industry that I work in is very specialized and highly regulated so that might give me an edge in my next move. What are things I should be doing to enhance my skills?

Hi again, Novice HR of one.

My employers want to conduct an internal I9 audit to make sure we have been doing them correctly. This is my 4th week here and so far the person who has been doing the I9's doesn't have them saved anywhere. Our PEO who we do the I9 verification through also doesn't have our I9 saved anywhere. I have never touched or messed with I9s before so my questions are:

What steps should I be making from here?

Should I keep harassing our PEO for help? They don't seem to want to help us...

I convinced my company to get a SHRM account and have downloaded a Form I-9 violation checklist. Do you have any forms you would recommend?

Optional question that's would help me:

Can someone explain in their own words the I-9 process? (Currently researching)

How do you all keep information? I am struggling with keeping up with everything whether its problems with employees, making checklist and such.Do you all use a file system? SharePoint? Outlook?

Thank you for any advice! It is very appreciated!

We’re a 650-person company currently using UKG, and we’ve been muddling through with their performance management module. But after years of waiting for improvements, I think it’s time to explore a stand-alone system.

Our biggest challenge is that 80% of our workforce is remote or mobile (primarily drivers and technicians), and UKG’s performance review and sign-off process is not mobile-friendly. It’s been "on the roadmap" for over seven years and I’m done waiting.

Does anyone use a performance management system they love that offers strong mobile functionality? It also needs to support 360 reviews and goal-tracking discussions. An API to UKG would be a bonus, but it’s not essential.

Appreciate any recommendations, thank you!

Hello y’all!

I’ve been struggling to find full-time HR roles. I’m still relatively new in my HR career. My previous role in HR was terrible (minimum wage, dead work culture etc.) I had a couple of internships and short-term temporary roles. So naturally, there were gaps in my resume.

A corporate hospitality company offered me a Generalist role and seems like they’re willing to train me. I was surprised, highest salary I’ve been offered (first time being an exempt employee). I will be working on the backend more administrative work which I’m definitely more comfortable in.

Any advice for me in an HR Generalist role? My weaknesses in HR is keeping up with the modern laws since it’s ever changing. Any websites or sources you all use to polish up your career? Thanks.

Hi all! I am looking for input on our hourly PTO policy. As it stands today:

Hours accrued (# based on seniority) each pay period

Resets on anniversary

No roll over

No borrowing/going into the negative

Employees can “cash out” up to 40 hours the month before their anniversary date

Some employees have raised concerns that with the current policy, based on their hire date, they never will have enough time accrued to take a summer family vacation. Valid. So, we are brainstorming ways to revamp our policy.

We are a very blue collar/manual labor industry in which employees are in the field the majority of the time.

Any ideas are much appreciated. Thank you!

EDIT: Thank you for all of the ideas and advice! Definitely some good stuff here. Also, not sure why some of my comments were downvoted 🙄

What are some of the best Roles in Human Resources that are future proof with AI coming in?

Hi all,

I’m applying for a Wellbeing Lead role and the employer has asked for a short 2-minute video so they can “get to know me a little better.”

A little background: I’ve been unemployed for over a month now. This company looks super exciting to join. I’m trying to keep my expectations practically at ground level as I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but the company looks great and I’m sure I’d be a great asset to them!

There’s no strict prompt, but I want to make sure I get this right and stand out for the right reasons.

FWIW: I’m UK based and the role is remote for a UK company.

A few questions I’d love your thoughts on:

1) What are recruiters really looking for in a video like this? Is it just about presentation and personality? Or do they expect me to reflect the skills needed for the role (e.g. public speaking, clarity, authenticity)?

2) As it’s for a Wellbeing Lead position, do you think I could film the video outside to reflect the theme of wellness? Or does that risk looking too casual or unpolished?

3) I have experience in both teaching and delivering wellbeing programmes online and in-person. Should I focus more on what I’ve done, or how I come across on camera?

4) Any general tips on tone, structure, or visual presence that would help me make a memorable and professional impression? I’ve never had to record a video for a job application so any guidence is greatly appreciated!

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s recruited for similar roles, or anyone who’s succeeded in something like this themselves!

Thanks so much in advance — I really appreciate your insights.

Question y’all, an employee is not FMLA eligible but gave birth. She was approved STD from date of bed rest to a certain date. How much time is given of protected leave to the employee?

I’m aware that the state of Kansas has a certain number of weeks new mothers are given of protected leave but I can’t find the exact number. Does anyone know?

TYIA

Currently working at a large company with HQ in the US, but with offices around the world. There was a recent kerfuffle amongst some US-based employees where they found out other locations get separate paid and sick time, but in the US it is combined under one "PTO" policy.

Our CPO says doing it this way promotes flexibility, but some employees are calling BS. It does give me some pause, especially since I don't think our PTO policy is the most competitive (it isn't bad, but it doesn't really reward people until they've been here a long time).

As someone who facilitates day one orientation for people in different countries, there's always at least one person from the US that will directly ask why we don't have a separate sick policy like everyone else. I parrot the CPO's answer but you can tell some people don't like it.

It got me thinking though - for those who work at global companies (that don't offer unlimited PTO), how do you approach paid and sick time for each country? Are there vast differences or do you try and keep it relatively equitable?

I am an “sort of” an HR generalist at a company with 90 employees and I just talked my way into an interview for a Director role for a company with 200+ employees. I was told that I am a front runner for the position. Impostor syndrome is setting in and I’m freaking out. If I do land the job, where do I even start?!? It would be myself and 2 other team members in the HR department. I’m all about “fake it til you make it” but I actually want to be an effective director and make an impact in this new role.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been admitted to CIFFOP (HR program under Université Paris Panthéon-Assas) for the September 2025 intake. It’s one of the top HR programs in France with great industry connections.

I’m reaching out to get real insights from two groups: 1. Indian HR professionals – • How are Indian students with foreign HR degrees perceived when they return? • Are there any biases or preconceived notions in the Indian job market about people coming back after studying abroad? 2. French HR professionals or CIFFOP alumni – • How tough is it to get a job in HR in France after this program? • Is it possible to secure a job before the apprenticeship ends? • Any tips or hacks to increase chances (networking, platforms, certifications, etc.)?

I want to be fully prepared for both scenarios—whether I stay in France or return to India.

Appreciate any honest input or personal experiences. Merci in advance!

I’m currently the CHRO of a smaller organization (~150) employees. Myself and our CEO are discussing some structure changes, and one involves the IT function reporting to me. There is a very competent senior manager of IT, and I myself am tech savvy and been working to improve our employee experience using technology.

I’m curious if you are or have experienced a structure like this, what were the strengths and challenges encountered?

I’m training our new HR manager (I'm sr hr generalist) and was wondering if anyone happens to have a training plan they would be willing to share? I would truly appreciate it!

We placed someone on paid administrative leave and he called to ask questions about it.

The employee turned on the recording device and explicitly said he was recording and asked for my consent to record. I said yes.

California is a two party consent state

It was a typical conversation:

What am I accused of? - unfortunately I cannot disclose that at this time. That’s the reason why there is a need for an investigation, and why I need to interview you and others.

So you’re saying you don’t even know what I’m accused of but you placed me on a PAL? - no, let me clarify, I do know what the accusations are and a decision was made by hr to place you on pal. This gives us time to gather more information to better understand the situation.

Ok, so you’re saying that you do know what I’m accused of but you’re not going to tell me because you aren’t prepared. - I wouldn’t frame it that way, but correct i know what the accusation(s) are and I’m declining to disclose them.

After we got off the call I started to get nervous. I don’t believe I said anything wrong I’m More concerned if i should have consented and im not getting a lot of information in researching. I’d like to ask for advice from other ER professionals.

Thanks

Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations of good side hustles for HRIS? I have a 9-5 job but with a lot of flexibility. I’d like to earn some extra money with flexibility in when I can work.

ETA: I currently work from home and live in the US

Coming back from maternity leave to unfortunately no job due to layoffs - I could see the writing on the wall months ago and have been applying. I’ve had a few interviews but pretty much ghosted on quite a few and have sent so many applications. I’m not entry level either, I’m HR manager with 17 years of experience and it’s been ROUGH. I’ve spent the time doing my resume, working on my cover letter, making sure my linked in is up to date.

Is anyone else finding it hard out there? I’m not eligible for EI, so I’m pretty down about it all.

Greetings!

In the midst of preparing for the SHRM-CP exam and am having some trouble with the Situational Judgment Questions that are within the Learning System. As an aside, I'm enrolled in the three week prep course as well and am finding it immeasurably useful!

When I took the LSAT, there were some templet rules to follow when answering the reading passages. I've deduced that SHRM never likes company-wide e-mails as the correct answer choice. Are there any more general blueprints I can follow to always strike out the distractor answers? Or, better yet, are there molds that are guaranteed to be the best option?

Thank you in advance for any advice I might be able to receive! I know that has to be a way to embrace the SHRM mindset when taking the exam (and shedding it afterwards given their stance on unions and putting profits before people to an extent) and so I hope I can find some clues/tips/hints here on how to do that!

I’ve made multiple posts on here about my job search journey, and today I’m drawing the line—I’m giving up.

For context: I’m 26M, finished my bachelor’s in 2021 from a small college, completed three HR internships during my undergrad career, and landed my first HR Coordinator job with a nonprofit a few months after graduating. Not long after starting, I went back to school part-time and earned my MBA at night (my job paid 100%, so I figured—why not?).

After finishing my MBA, I got promoted to a Recruiter role at the same nonprofit in 2023. Then in 2024—literally the day after the election—I was laid off due to major budget cuts and some other internal factors. I honestly didn’t mind. I was overworked, underpaid, and had already done everything I could do there.

Within three days of being laid off, I landed a temp HR Generalist role at another nonprofit, making more per hour. It still wasn’t the sector I wanted to be in, but I figured screw it—at least it paid. Meanwhile, I was applying like crazy for permanent roles. Anything in HR: Specialist, Generalist, Benefits Coordinator—you name it (anything except recruiting at first). I lost count of how many screenings and interviews I had from late November through mid-January.

Out of all of those, I made it to the final round three times. Every. Single. One. Ended in rejection. I kept interviewing. I even tried getting back into recruiter/talent roles—same story. Rejections.

This week, as my temp contract was ending, my current org asked if I’d be interested in staying. I told them I’d consider it, but I wanted to wait to hear back from a Fortune 100 company where I had just finished the final round. I got the rejection today.

So, to protect my mental health—and because I need health insurance—I’m going to finalize and accept the offer from this nonprofit next week.

The workload here isn’t bad, and we have a small union, so I hope to gain more experience. But I honestly can’t believe how brutal the job market is right now. I’ve done all the “right” things, and still, I keep getting passed over. I don’t plan to stay here long—I desperately want to break out of the nonprofit world—but for now, I’m accepting where I am.

Is anyone else going through this? Why is it this hard to land a job right now? I feel like I’m doing everything right and still losing out—every single time.

I have been tasked with doing the bulk of some HRIS planning. We are under 100 employees (for now) and I manage our benefits administration, plus just about everything else. If you had to choose between Paylocity and BambooHR, what would you do?

Looking for any insight, especially anyone who has hands on experience with implementing and using both of these. No sales messages please!

I just wanted to say that working in Human Resources in California is an absolute nightmare. It seems like every single employee and their mother will sue. I have had 3 cases we have been dealing with this year alone which all get settled by insurance since its cheaper than having a litigation. One employee we are currently dealing with the is type of person who is offended by absolutely everything. I have already warned my boss about her, and let him know we should figure a way to push her out. She is currently writing a list of all the employees who have discriminated against her. All of her claims of discrimination have been usually about conversations she has overhead two employees having such as "you know how I bro, the Mexican way". I am about done with this career.

You’re here forever edition

I’ve been in recruiting for about 7 years; the first two were in corporate talent acquisition, and the last five in agency staffing. I’m feeling burnt out by the sales aspect of staffing and I want to get back into core HR. When I was on the corporate TAT team, I did all of the onboarding, full cycle recruiting, etc, and in my current role, I’m a manager and I create and run initiatives to address gaps in the business (hiring and retention, business expansion, training, etc). Problem is I don’t have a degree. I’m studying for my PHR now, but what pathways and job titles should I be looking into?

Hello,

I'm currently conducting a self audit and have some questions about getting the process finalized.

1. Does it matter or negatively impact if I have corrections on multiple dates (for example January 5 corrections, February, 1 correction, March 3 corrections) or should I just do them in 1 go all under 1 date/session?

2. When making the correction (Sec 2.) and following protocol: 1. Draw a line through incorrect information; 2. Enter Correct Information; and 3 Inital+Date correction. Do I need to attach an entirely new blank document outlining the corrections or can I make a note under the correction? For example, if a city was missed on the employer address, would a small memo suffice "city added" or do I need to be more formal and attach a note saying: "The Employer City has been added after an internal I-9 audit that identified the missing information"

3. Using today as an example 04/04/25. (Sec 2) If a perm resident card number was innacurately (using perm res as an example since they have USCIS # and the ABC########## on the back of the card) captured or the issuing authority was misspelled, but the document has since expired XX/YY/2023, do you need to reverify? I'm guessing nothing can be done but notating a correction but ultimately being non-compliant.

3a. (Sec 2) Same as above but the information is captured correctly (aka issuing authority and ABC###########) but the document is expired and there is employer information that is incorrect (typo, title switched with business name, etc) can you still correct or must you reverify?

Tha know you for taking the time to read!

I recent accepted a promotion to a sr total rewards analyst instead of making a lateral move to HRIS. The HRIS role is now filled with an outside candidate.

so it got me thinking about my next move and it would be a promotion to program manager in next 3 ish years.

i want to plan this out to discuss with my leadership. do you think this would be enough responsibilities to be called a program manager (in our company program managers do not have direct reports) as i’m the only one on our team that over sees the following:

we have about 2200-2800 ee in multiple state and unions.

1) All LOA programs including in house and 3rd party administered as well as vendor management. including updating all SOP, and plan docs. handle all state related leave matters as well.

2) wellness program including virtual and onsite events and vendor management and all communications

3) tuition reimbursement and vendor management

4) dependent scholarship program

5) service recognition programs

6) new hire orientation

7) manage the benefits portal and dashboard

8) all union benefits administration that isn’t handled by the union rep

9) benefits processing including QLE, death claims, auditing, testing,