your story? HR future leader
of themonth
I started out in a series
of HR generalist/
administrative roles after
graduation while trying to
figure out what I wanted to
do next. I’d been exploring
a graduate development
loan but was deterred by
the thought of accruing
further debt. I realised I
loved working in HR and
moved on to become an
assistant HR business
partner before securing
my current role.
I was
Name:
Opemipo
Koshemani
Job title:
HR business
partner
Organisation:
attracted to HR
HR future leader Personal development
UCL
because of the capacity
to connect with every facet of
an organisation. HR has the potential
to shape and define the experience of
every person coming into contact with an
organisation – from a prospective
candidate right through to those leaving
– all of whom will share their experience
with others long after their association
with the organisation has ended.
The biggest issues on the horizon
for HR are Brexit, wellbeing, AI,
automation and D&I, which will all
shape the future of the workplace. I
believe wide-ranging automation will see
the redeployment of skills rather than
mass unemployment. People will be
required to deploy the qualities that
make us inherently human
such as conscience and
compassion. That is
where real value can be
delivered and HR is at
the heart of that. As
strategic partners our
role is to predict the
impact of external
events and work
collaboratively to ensure
the organisation achieves
its aims.
Organisations need to
invest in developing a
safe and inclusive
culture and devote as
much resource to
inclusion as they do to diversity. Too
much focus on diversity and not enough
on inclusion is creating a revolving door.
Organisations may be able to recruit
diverse talent, but if the culture is hostile
they will leave.
My proudest achievement so far is
completing my Masters in HR
management. More recently it’s
been receiving recognition for some
collaborative work I did with the
Archaeology Training Forum raising
awareness around sexual misconduct,
bullying and harassment in
the workplace.
My advice to others would be to
network, have a mentor and be
fi ercely curious. There is much value in
scoping out what other organisations are
doing. I have learned so much about
trends in HR and been able to connect
with others outside of my sector through
networking. And having a mentor or
sponsor will take you places. HR
Next think about the
following questions for each scenario:
Who are you?
Who do you want to be?
What are you passionate about?
What’s most important to you?
What do you want to achieve?
How are you going to achieve it?
You don’t have to share this with anyone so write
honestly about how you are portraying yourself and
telling your story in each scenario.
Next repeat the exercise but imagine going back 10
years. Think about who you were then and the different
ways you shared your story. Finally imagine going 10
years into the future and doing the same thing.
What you’re looking for here are themes that remain
consistent. You’ll fi nd that some elements of your story
resonate with you and feel good. You might also
discover some things that don’t feel so great, probably
because you were trying to be something you’re not
or to fi t someone else’s expectation of who you should
be. Sometimes we even put ourselves in this position
by trying to mirror someone we perceive to be more
successful. But your own way will always be best for you.
When you have the different versions of your story
laid out you can then bring together the consistent
threads that make up your real narrative. You can start
to decide which elements you share across different
scenarios and platforms and remain true to yourself.
Drop anything that no longer resonates with you.
You don’t have to share all of your story, but by
working through it in this way you’ll feel more confi dent
because you know what’s important to you. Now you
need to make sure that what you do moves you closer
to this.
Never be afraid to rewrite your story either. We can
learn more from our mistakes than our successes, so
if you feel like you’ve taken the wrong path you can
always start afresh. Just come back to the questions
and think about how you’re going to craft your new
story around them.
Don’t be afraid to dream big. And remember: you’re
the author not the reader of your story. Why not make it
a page-turner?
Karen Beaven is founder of the HR Entrepreneurs
Network and an IVF and fertility coach. Visit
www.karenbeaven.com and www.ivfcoach.co.uk
hrmagazine.co.uk October 2019 HR 57
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