This is another installment in our “Day in the Life” series, this time focusing on the HR directors out there. In case you missed one of the previous pieces, here is the full list:
Read on below to learn about what those HRD’s do all day, including some funny comments, in-depth descriptions, and other helpful details.
The Life of an HR Director
Taheti
- Company/industry: Non profit mental health and autism service provider
- Years with current company: 4
- Years in HR: 10
- Degree/Certification: Masters in Workforce Development and SPHR
- Average day: Assisting mangers with coaching their employees with disciplinary issues developing leadership training for front line supervisor currently working on employment engagement survey
- HR wit/wisdom: They call me HR ninja :-)
Happy cows make better milk meaning happy employees perform better!
Tici
- Company/industry: Non-Profit Residential Treatment Center for at-risk children and youth
- Years with current company: 6 months
- Years in HR: 6.5 years plus pastor of 6 churches
- Degree/Certification: BS in PSY, Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry
- Average day: I spend half my day trying to attract and retain great employees at non-profit pay. I do the full range of HR from orientation to termination, compensation and benefits, and everything between. Bench-marking, crisis response planning, organizational development, training, statistical reports, disciplinary procedures, workers comp., evaluation, labor legislation, agency licensing and accreditation, developing and updating policies and procedures, day-to-day HR stuff like paying insurance bills, and educating myself, I do a bit of everything HR. My assistant is also the receptionist which is a challenge!
Crystal
- Company/industry: RLB LLP
- Years with current company: 8
- Years in HR: 12
- Degree/Certification: CHRP, CHRL
- Average day: “I am laughing at “”average”” :) I meet with staff, work on implementing new and innovative people programs, meet with the executive, recruit, consult for clients, train and motivate my team, learn, and any thing else that needs to be done in a day. plunge a toilet? sure!”
- HR wit/wisdom: Take risks, be authentic and have fun!
David
- Company/industry: Higher Education
- Years with current company: Four
- Years in HR: Over 18
- Degree/Certification: SPHR
- Average day: I will spend my day interviewing exempt level employees, attending budget meetings, working out tow or three employee relations opportunities (these include an employee about to be terminated because they don’t show up to work, employee who believes they are under paid, and another who is having a difficult time adjusting to out culture and doesn’t know it). If I have any non-transactional time, I will work out the latest policy on “Pets in the workplace” and send it to our attorney, then complete the four performance reviews I have to complete before next week. But, I don’t have an average day…
- HR wit/wisdom: As Steve Forbes used to say “in life, to get ahead, it’s not who you know, it’s whom you know that matters.”
Sherry
- Company/industry: Solid Waste Management and Recycling
- Years with current company: 2
- Years in HR: 15
- Degree/Certification: Bachelor’s Degree in HR Administration
- Average day: I spend 2 hours a day recruiting (placing ads, calls, interviews). Every other HR function except payroll falls to me (benefits, culture and recognition, workers comp, DOT compliance, OSHA, time sheets, research, W2s, data entry, reports, newsletter, Chamber of Commerce, etc.). I spend 3-5 hours a day with random visits of former employees, current employees and managers and issues that come up. There are 150 employees and turnover is high so I’m working with about 400 people in a year if you include the applicants/candidates, new hires and terms.Culture and recognition is my forte.
Jen
- Company/industry: K-12 private school plus Day Care
- Years with current company: 10
- Years in HR: 14
- Degree/Certification: BS
- Average day: There is no average day! I’m an HR/Payroll department of one with about 140 employees, so my daily agenda is to stay flexible, keep smiling, and stay organized. Some days I’m at my desk for 8 hours, other days, I’m running to “put out fires”.
- HR wit/wisdom: Be kind to everyone, even when they aren’t being kind to you (but don’t be a push over either.) Make friends with the maintenance and kitchen crews. There’s nothing like a great spreadsheet! You never know what a day is going to bring!
Coming up soon we'll have other HR roles and responsibilities, but I appreciate the participants for sharing! Let me know in the comments below what you think about the series.
