A Day in the life of a HR Professional
Amanda Arrowsmith, Director of People and Transformation at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in Wimbledon (London), is a woman. She lives in Stroud with her husband and is a CIPD employee who works on transformation, organisational development and people. She joined the association of HR professionals in 2022 and brought 25 years’ experience in HR into the role. Amanda is also a volunteer and sits on the People, Culture and Inclusion Panel at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations umbrella.
I have a hybrid schedule. On days when I am in the office, I get up at 5am. I leave by 5.30am so I can be in Wimbledon by 8am. The days at home are much more relaxed. I wake up at 6.45am to let the dog out, make coffee and get ready for work.
The girls are spoiled. I give them cornflakes when it becomes light. I am in the habit of solving a Sudoku on our employee benefit and wellbeing app each morning. We have an internal league, and I am trying to, but failing to, get back to where I was.
I bring a large glass of water and a cup or coffee to my desk. I always try to remember to take a sip. I don’t eat breakfast very often, but try to have something. It’s winter, so I put on the heated electric throw and sit down.
While I’m away, I send a message to my family to let them know I’m still alive and to listen to Today. I am so lucky to live in Cotswolds, but spend 12 days a month at the office in Wimbledon. I will either drive or take the train to work and stay for one or two nights near my office.
While driving, I listen on Radio 4 to catch up with world news, Farming Today, and the Today program. When I am in line to exit the M25, I will have a hot cup of tea or coffee with a bottle water and a yoghurt packet or some fruit.
Amanda Arrowsmith found her balance between work and life.
While I wait for the train to arrive, I will have breakfast and drinks but I will also read a little fiction. This is a luxury that helps me to reduce my ever-growing “to be read/TBR”.
As soon as I arrive at work, my first task is to check (Microsoft Teams) and email and then review my diary. The plan I created the night before will be reviewed and any changes made.
The morning starts with administrative tasks — clearing up the desk, answering emails and messages, and doing any quick tasks that I have agreed to do. Next, I will move on to meetings either face-to-face, or hybrid, with Teams. The meetings could be 121s or mentoring meetings with my mentees or operations or performance reviews meetings, project or programme boards, or even a hybrid of both.
A second coffee will be served before 11am.
Every day, I take at least 30 minutes off my desk for lunch. I will go downstairs to check on my husband and the dog if I am at home. If it is dry, I will go into the garden to get some fresh air. When I am in the office, I will go out with a co-worker to pick up something to bring back. This is a great opportunity to catch up with them and to check in.
We can better assist our businesses in achieving their strategic and productivity objectives by using technology. In the future, HR will be able to better understand the role of people in their business and the importance of providing an environment that supports these goals. I believe we will see an increased focus on personalisation. HR needs to be flexible and agile in order to work with each individual.
In the future, I believe we will see an increased focus on personalisation. We’ll be able to recognise that everyone has their own unique needs and HR must work with them in a flexible and agile manner.
Curiosity is the best advice I can give someone who wants to move up in HR. You should ask questions, read reports, and go to places that you may not think you belong. Understanding policies, procedures, and employment laws is important but it is also crucial to understand this in context — ensure you know exactly what your company does and how they do it.
I keep my afternoons free for focused work – fewer meetings, more time to move projects forward or to cowork in smaller groups. I have “green” time every day, which is protected time for action. It’s usually the afternoon.
To stay productive, I keep a list of tasks and stick to it. I try to celebrate good work as it happens. A thank you, a well done and a recognition go a long way.
In my home, I have both a standing desk as well as a walking mat. I try to spend some time every day standing or walking. After each day, I review what’s coming up. I’ll look back at the previous day’s plan and see what I achieved and what I didn’t. I’ll then plan the next day. Be sure to read all papers, prepare for meetings, and decide what you want to accomplish the following day or week. I am flexible and enjoy the freedom that comes with working for the CIPD.
You may be doing all of this alone, keeping confidential information and giving support without having your own HR person. It can be difficult.
It’s impossible to imagine a typical workday. That’s why I love working in HR. People are unique, and that’s the best thing about them. While we all follow policies, rules and procedures, HR professionals can make a real difference by treating people fairly and as individuals, not just in black and white.
You’re in HR for the good times, such as new jobs, promotions and pay increases, or celebrations like weddings, births and life events, like reaching an academic goal. You’re there to help in the difficult times, too — sickness, bereavement, departures, and discipline. You are a part of both the happiness and the sadness that people experience, and these two things can sometimes be out of balance.
After some time, I can now say that I am able to balance my work and personal life.
You may be doing all of this alone, without the support of your HR person. Finding the right support is important, as is finding a way to separate work and home. My home life has sometimes suffered because I’ve not always managed to balance my work and my personal life. After some time, I can now say that I have found the right balance.
My husband and I enjoy cooking together. While I’m cooking, he usually joins me and we talk about our day, the news, or our families. We eat every night together, sometimes around the table, but most often in front of the television.
We love sports, so we will watch anything that involves football, rugby, or cricket. Only Connect is the only TV show that we watch and we are happy when we get right answers.
Summer is the time when we take the dog for a walk. There are many beautiful places to do this in the Cotswolds countryside. This is a wonderful way to end the day. This is not something I can do in the winter. When the weather is cold, I always light the fire before heading downstairs from my office.
I prefer to go to bed before 10.30pm. We will let the dog outside, lock the door and then head to bed. I will drink a magnesium-rich beverage and listen to podcasts or read a book. When I’m ready to go to bed, I use a sleep-meditation app. But rarely do I get to the very end.
I’m not always successful in my attempts to avoid using my phone. I’m guilty of scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, even though it’s bad for my health and sleep.
It’s a real blessing that I can fall asleep quickly. It’s a whole other story if you want to sleep for longer than five hours. I try to relax before going to bed, so that all I am thinking about is whether or not I feel comfortable.
