My brilliant career – Rebekah Silver

Why did you get into HR?

I was ambitious but mainly I wanted to be interested in the field I was working in. I wanted to apply my education in business and psychology but didn’t really know how or where to start. I knew I had the ability to do something quite challenging in my career and I need to be intellectually stimulated and active. I researched options and tried a few HR admin roles for a couple of years before deciding on what was then Personnel.

How did you get into HR?

Originally I worked in a recruitment agency, then on contract with ACI, and then as a temp HR Officer for Ernst & Young. I ended up at Ernst & Young for seven years, my last role was a combined Business Partner and HR Projects Manager for various national projects. Then I moved to Capital Finance where I was National HR Manager for five years, before HBOS integration took place and I left to find a role more suited to me – which ended up being with Knight Frank as National HR Director.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I enjoy heading HR functions be it for a medium size business or a division of a large business. So, in five years time I may still be at Knight Frank or in a similar role in another business.

What has been your biggest career high so far?

Building an exceptional HR function at Capital Finance together with my talented and dedicated team was easily the best high to date. We started from scratch and became an employer of choice with various best practice approaches which we conceived, designed and delivered together. The teamwork was of a strength seldom seen in any workplace and I value those relationships enormously.

What do you think it takes to succeed in HR?

Apart from the obvious knowledge and intellectual curiosity about HR, I would say that you must be a business person at heart, rather than a people person at heart. Those two things can be very close, but to be an effective “people person” (ie HR practitioner) you must be able to talk business to business people. Also, you must possess courage, creativity and commitment to see what needs to be done, take it on, and get results.

How do you manage relationships with senior executives?

I always try to be as open and up front as I can be, to engage people in open dialogue and not to be too PC. I really think that many HR people bring themselves unstuck by trying to uphold an idealised standard of behaviour that either denies completely, or does not correspond with real life. To engage with senior executives they must trust you, and to do that they must respect and be able to relax with you, so that you can talk about what’s really on their minds. That is the necessary balance to strike.

What advice would you give to graduates considering a career in HR?

Experiment and test ideas – don’t be afraid to try things because even though it might seem obvious what you should do, doesn’t mean anyone’s tried it or made a deliberate decision not to do it. Understand your limitations and know what you don’t know – then seek knowledge to fill the gap. Always do what you say you will do, and manage all of your stakeholders’ expectations throughout. Do your best work every single day.

Describe yourself in three words

Passionate, results-driven, fair-minded.

Are you a canddidate for my brilliant career? If so, send an email to [email protected]