How to climb to the top of the HR ladder

IT’S the most wonderful time of the year – but if you’re in a HR or payroll job, it’s also the busiest.

From sorting Christmas parties, pay and bonuses to planning January recruitment, personnel departments are working even longer than Santa’s elves in the week up to Christmas.

But if you want to climb the career ladder, all this hard work could end up paying off. Statistics from LinkedIn show the networking site witnessed a 56 per cent growth in senior C-suite level HR hires over pandemic – the highest of any job function. Meanwhile another study from company Sage shows 91 per cent of HR leaders said they are excited about the future of the profession.

So if you’re an HR star who wants to fast-track to the top, here are the Sun Jobs top tips to get you started.

1. Be an HR ambassador

Some companies still believe HR is about processes like payslips or maternity leave. While these are undoubtedly important, use your role to show the extra value HR can add such as strategic planning and company culture change.

2. Help others to help themselves

With HR departments in charge of internal training and development, you can help others in the company to develop their own careers. Champion personal development and show the power of investing in people.

3. Start small but think big

Starting at the bottom as an administrator is no barrier to success. HR departments have one of the best records for internal training and promotion.

4. See the person

HR is the people part of any business, so treat everyone equally and be human in all your interactions. Respect that work is only one part of an employee’s life and you’ll gain the trust and respect of your colleagues.

5. Use HR as a force for good

What needs to change in your firm? More diversity, equity and inclusion? A better work-life balance? Networks for minority groups? Better pay and conditions? Use your role to make the company a place people are proud to work for.

Are you a people person? Here are our Sun Jobs picks of this week’s HR-focused roles.

Payroll Analyst – Europe, ByteDance, London

WORK paying people for one of the coolest companies around – what could be better than that?

The Job: TikTok is seeking a Payroll Analyst to support its EMEA team focusing on Europe.

What You’ll Do: Day-to-day responsibilities include managing and improving payroll operations by effectively managing payroll vendors, and partnering with HR business partners and the HR operations team to upgrade employee experience.

What You’ll Need: For this role, a Bachelor’s degree or above is required, along with strong functional knowledge and a minimum of three years’ of in-house payroll operation experience, and payroll and tax knowledge across multiple countries in Europe. A second language (Italian, French, Polish, Spanish, German, Russian or Swedish) would be a plus.

Apply Now: View the Payroll Analyst – Europe job or see more opportunities at ByteDance.

HR Assistant, Amazon UK Services Ltd., Stoke-on-Trent

COULD you click with this entry level HR role at Amazon?

The Job: The HR Assistant will work closely with human resources and the leadership team to ensure a great experience for associates and managers.

What You’ll Do: You’ll be the first point of contact for associates and will drive a positive associate experience by dealing with day-to-day queries. You’ll also manage the time and attendance system, ensuring people are paid correctly and will support HR and management on a wide variety of people related topics and projects.

What You’ll Need: Good IT competence is essential for this role (Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, HR systems e.g. PeopleSoft) along with the ability to work independently, being enthusiastic and keen to learn and flexible in approach.

Apply Now: Find out more about the HR Assistant opportunity or check out all roles at Amazon UK Services Ltd.

Field Service Engineer, Virgin Media, Ealing

WHILE not a traditional HR role, this fantastic Field Service Engineer job will allow you to become a company ambassador.

The Job: Virgin Media is currently hiring a Field Service Engineer, formally known as a Field Technician.

What You’ll Do: The successful candidate will be given full training to work across installations, fix faults in the field and deliver great customer service including identifying opportunities to improve the customer’s package. You’ll also be tasked with growing the business through customer advocacy by promoting Virgin’s customer, friends and family referral scheme.

What You’ll Need: To be considered for this opportunity you’ll need a UK manual driving license with no more than eight points, be comfortable working at heights, and in all weathers.