“Qualifications and degrees are great, but there is nothing better than practical hands-on experience.” – Daniel Fisher, Zenzero’s Group Head of People and Culture emphasises the importance of building actual and firsthand HR knowledge.
As part of our commitment to support candidates in developing fulfilling careers, we’ve invited HR Leaders from a wide variety of organisations to share their insights on building a career, the challenges they face and what advice they would share with those hoping to follow in their footsteps.
This week, we had a great conversation with Daniel Fisher, the Group Head of People and Culture of Zenzero UK, Bulgaria and South Africa. Daniel found HR to be the niche he is most passionate about while working for different industries like construction, non-profit organisations and most recently, a market-leading Technology Services provider. From managing teams to standalone roles, he has proven his capability and expertise, leading his organisations to achieve their business goals.
Can you share with us your journey in pursuing a career in HR?
My first exposure to HR was in a wholesale distribution company, where I worked as a general administrator. Over time, I got more involved in payroll and training. I knew I wanted to do more along the lines of HR but found it difficult to get into a dedicated HR role with limited experience, so I went to university to take up Human Resource Management as an undergraduate degree. I’ve since followed on with my CIPD accreditation through experience assessment.
My career-defining moment was my time at St Basils which works with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills and access training and employment. I started as a HR Officer and they quickly created a new role for me as the HR Learning and Development Manager. That was the first opportunity I had to lead my own team.
I remember somebody commented that I changed the face of HR there because of the relationships I built with line managers. I loved seeing my team of three grow and our workstream excel. That was the moment that I felt comfortable thinking I was good at this. New challenges came and we conquered them every time. It reconfirmed to me that HR was where I wanted to progress.
Eventually, I moved to the Kaleidoscope Plus Group as the Group HR Manager. It was a standalone post with shared administrative support. Moving to a standalone post was a tactical move so that I could showcase, mainly to myself (and my CV), that I could lead strategic and operational HR as Head of the function.
What challenges are you currently facing?
Firstly, salary expectations not being aligned with what companies are paying, is a common concern for HR leaders at the minute. After the pandemic, the job market rocketed with candidates having the pick of opportunities. Then inflation hit us, and recession is around the corner, and businesses are likely going to find it challenging to balance individuals’ expectations for higher salaries with the desire to support colleagues through the cost of living crisis, and the need to sustain their businesses financially in the short-medium term, at least until they have a clearer indication of what the future looks like.
Another challenge for HR leaders is the availability of qualified talent for the positions that need to be filled. Upskilling existing talent and ensuring that managers are accountable for the development of their teams is key. A focus on Employer Brand and Employee Experience is also key.
Further afield, within organisations I support in a voluntary capacity, I hear managers claiming that they don’t have the time to use the tools given to them by HR, or the time to develop their soft skills, which research and years of practice shows to be key to growing the bottom line. A manager that doesn’t prioritise people management is the same as being a chef that doesn’t cook. Rather than getting the best out of people and being able to focus on work that has meaning for them personally, whilst in this checkmate position, managers unintentionally become a bottleneck in the system and find themselves overwhelmed and detached from the work that has value for their organisation. To counter this, there needs to be a continuous drive for management upskilling and an explicit commitment to leadership development.
What advice would you give to those planning to pursue an HR career?
I think qualifications and degrees are great, but there is nothing better than practical hands-on experience. Get exposure in as many different sectors as possible. It’s about building your toolkit and having confidence in what you do, and continually improving your practice throughout your career. Rome wasn’t built in a day…
Take small steps, take all the opportunities that are before you. And learn to be resilient in your work as well. Take things on the chin, and remember your role and what you are there to do. There will be lessons learned and things will get you down, but as you progress through different stages in your career portfolio, you get the opportunity to reinvent yourself through each new opportunity.
It’s also really important to make sure you have a balance of personal goals and career goals. You spend less than a third of your week at work and you can only bring your best-self to work if you’re looking after yourself and are content in your personal life as much as you possibly can be!
Daniel joined Zenzero in January 2022 as its HR Manager and became the Group Head of People and Culture after 8 months. Zenzero is a Technology Services Provider that was awarded as the Next Generation MSP by the Europe MSP Innovation Awards 2022 and has a range of other accolades under their belt. Zenzero brings market-leading insight and services to mid-market companies, enabling them to focus on their growth and mission while Zenzero takes care of the rest. The team are looking forward to their end-of-year party to Sofia, Bulgaria at the end of November.
If you are interested in having a confidential conversation about your career or would like support growing your team, please get in touch today.