Flying solo - one-person human resource staff - Cover Story

HR Magazine, August, 1999 by Lin Grensing-Pophal

Life as an HR department of one isn't for everyone, but some say it's a trip definitely worth taking.

Shortly after graduating from college, Lynn King started her career as a sole HR professional in an organization where she would ultimately spend 18 years building her department to a staff of seven. Much to her surprise, however, she realized that she missed the good ol' days of working alone - so much, in fact, that she would ultimately leave the organization to work at a small college in Sweet Briar, Va., that had no formal HR function in place.

Although some might revel in the fact that they had paid their dues and risen through the ranks to a supervisory position, King says she lost the part of the job she loved the most - being hands on and doing, rather than simply supervising.

"I wasn't being as creative as I liked," she recalls. She missed working on the big picture and the feeling of ownership she had when the organization was smaller. "When you're in a larger HR office, no matter how you're structured, you see only a piece of it," she says. "Here [at Sweet Briar College] I'm able to get a picture of the whole organization."

While others in the field cite similar benefits to being an organization's lone HR practitioner, not everyone is enamored with the prospect of being a department of one. Talk to enough HR professionals who've been there and you'll discover that flying solo isn't for everyone. But is it right for you? And how can you tell, without making the leap yourself?

The answer is to ask those who have taken the plunge. Here, then, are observations and tips from those who've sat in the pilot seat, alone.

The Wide Blue Yonder

John Jorgenson taps into a common theme when he explains why he enjoys being the lone HR practitioner at Anchor Bolt & Screw in Melrose Park, Ill. Having worked at both small and large companies, he likes the fact that he can make a difference at smaller firms. "It's easier to be a change agent in a small company," he says. "You can see the results of your efforts more immediately than you can in a large organization."

He adds that small firms are "a great place to use everything you've learned - to be a generalist."

Nina Drake agrees that flying solo offers special opportunities. "Most of the time, being a solo practitioner allows you to really create something exciting," she says. "When it's a sole practitioner situation, companies don't necessarily know what they need - but they know they need some help in the HR arena. That usually means you start with a clean slate. Or, if it already exists, it gives you an opportunity to implement some of your own philosophies."

Drake, an SPHR and former sole practitioner, knows what she's talking about: She not only taught a class on how to set up an HR department, she also authored an SHRM white paper titled "Setting up an HR Department in a Small Company" (which is available at www.shrm.org/whitepapers). She is currently the vice president of marketing and HR at Nevada Federal Credit Union in Las Vegas.

Lynn Unsworth, SPHR, is also a former sole practitioner; like Drake and Jorgenson, her comments suggest that those who like working on a broad, blank palette will appreciate being sole practitioners. "You can create a function and you can be creative," she says. "When there has previously been no department in place there are no expectations. You can basically begin from ground zero and establish programs and policies that make sense for that company. I see that as a real advantage."

The Downdrafts

While Unsworth who now works as the president of HR Connection, a consulting firm in Burlington, N.C. says there are "real advantages" to operating alone, she also admits that "it's a lot of work."

And that may be the biggest challenge facing many sole practitioners. For every HR professional who says, "I love it," there is at least one other who says, "It's too overwhelming!" Many have fallen prey to the taxing demands of operating an HR department alone. Some who tried flying solo ended up crashing.

The pace for solo HR practitioners can be frenetic, and burnout is not uncommon. Just ask Debra Cohen, who recently left a position as a sole HR practitioner at a 220-employee nursing home. The job came with a "to do" list that was overwhelming and included tasks ranging from "destroying 25 years of useless paper" to "reviewing benefits and hiring practices."

After about two-and-a-half years with the company, she came to some discouraging conclusions. "I found that, no matter what I did, it was often overlooked because management did not see a direct dollar savings," she says. "I was a little burned out when I left the company about five months ago." Cohen now serves as a consultant with The Human Resource Group in Atlanta.

Cathy Hampton also knows the pitfalls of being a solo practitioner. She is the director of HR at ALTA Systems Inc., a computer consulting firm in Vienna, Va. - a position vacated by three previous unsuccessful solo practitioners.

Hampton, however, hopes to have better luck. After one-and-a-half years with the firm, she is beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. "It's been tough and it's been slow," she admits, "but we're actually making progress."