HR Professionals Should Avoid Inflated Job Titles
- admin21225
- Jan 23, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 3
The Black In HR (TM) community consistently maintains an environment of clear, strategic guidance and support. We don't just allow misinformation and half-truths to float in the ecosystem. Our members trust us because we know what we are talking about and we provide receipts. Here is a topic that we discussed in our Facebook group. If you haven't joined us, check us out at theblackinhr.com
Avoid Inflated Job Titles
Some of you work for small businesses or non-profits, and these are fantastic places to get early experience. However, these types of organizations are notorious for creating bullshit titles for HR.
Here a few examples:
HR Manager (when the job is entry level)
VP of HR (when the job should be HR manager)
CHRO (when the job should be HR manager or director)
Why is this bad for you? Because the open market will call bullshit when you begin to apply.
Case in point.
You are transitioning to HR from being a social worker. You apply for an HR manager and get the job at Holding Hands non-profit. They pay you 40k/yr in Atlanta, Georgia. You are ecstatic because you were making 35k as a Licensed Social Worker for the last 10 years.
You've been in this role for 2 years, and you apply for multiple HR directors jobs because (it's time to boss up right?). You never hear back after 6 months of applying.
Finally, you work with a Black In HR coach trying to understand why you aren't getting any traction. Your coach tells you, "Well, it's because you are NOT director level." You say, "But my current job title is HR Manager" Your coach says, "Yeah but your title is inflated and I can tell because your role isn't strategic and you are not managing complex issues like: Title VII Investigations, re-structures and re-organizations, compensation analysis and performance management."
Your job duties are: Screen candidates, I9 filing, post jobs and organizing medical records.
If you find yourself in a role like this or you have received an offer for a role like this, then you need stop in your tracks. Your Black In HR coach would tell you to negotiate the offer to be more reflective of your career level and would tell you what the job title should be...i.e administrator or coordinator.
If it is your current role, then you need to work with your coach to make a business case for why the title should be changed.
This will only help you in the long run. I know some of you will disagree or get upset with this post, but nobody is going to believe you are a legitimate HR director, manager, VP...etc without you having years of experience climbing the ladder the slow way. Avoid these types of titles and if you don't know what you are doing, then become a member and work with a Black In HR coach at theblackinhr.com
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