HR and recruitment

There are multiple aspects to HR: it includes a mix of functional, everyday tasks and high-level strategic business thinking. It’s a profession in which you could be presenting your future workforce plan in a board meeting one minute and arranging the Christmas party the next. That is, if you are a generalist; it is also possible to specialise in a particular HR function. 

Graduates with the right skills can join HR graduate programmes or apply for entry-level roles, such as a HR administrator. Find out more about the different roles in HR and how you can join the profession.

The one thing HR recruiters don’t want to hear from you is: ‘I’d be good in HR because I like people.’ This is not a ‘warm and cuddly’ career that avoids difficult choices. HR is ultimately about treating people well and fairly while still achieving business goals. As such, HR professionals need the resilience to make tough decisions while being empathetic and approachable. They need to be commercially minded and data driven while also understanding human behaviour. They need to be organised planners while also able to think on their feet. Read more about the skills to be successful in HR and whether HR is right for you.

To advance in your career, it is hugely advantageous (if not an outright requirement) to have a qualification from the HR professional body: the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Those with a degree can start on a graduate scheme or in a graduate-level job and study for the level 5 CIPD qualification while working, with support and funding from their employer. Most graduate jobs and schemes are open to all degree disciplines, although in some cases an undergraduate degree in a HR or business-related subject is preferred. 

It is also possible to complete a masters in HR management (HRM), but most universities’ admission teams require you to have some experience in the workplace first.

Getting a job in HR usually involves following the same graduate recruitment process as in other sectors and during the same sort of timeframe. In HR interviews you are particularly likely to be asked how you would alter your communication style for different people, how you’d cope with stressful or challenging situations and how you’d deal with complaints, in addition to questions about your reasons for applying, your strengths and values.

Large employers frequently offer formal HR internships, which are typically open to students of all degree disciplines in their penultimate year. Some of these employers also offer placement years and these are usually, but not exclusively, aimed at those on business- or HR-related sandwich degrees. However, any people-focused work or voluntary experience will be an asset to your CV. For example, working in customer service or volunteering for Nightline or Citizens Advice will develop your communication skills and your resilience.

There are two main ways to start a career in recruitment. You can join an employer large enough to require a team of HR professionals just specialising in recruitment – in fact, you may join a team focused on apprenticeship and graduate recruitment (and come across job titles such as ‘early careers talent attraction specialist’, as well as just ‘recruiter’) or one focused on experienced hires. Or you can join a recruitment agency or recruitment outsourcing business as a recruitment consultant.

Either way, you will need to be comfortable with meeting targets, as either the company will have set numbers of people they need to recruit or your take-home pay will depend on commission.

Discover what a recruitment consultant does and what you’d be expected to do in your first job.