Sophie Harrison, Personnel Officer
I am a Personnel Officer and work within a team of sixteen as part of the Personnel Office, based at Buckingham Palace.
How did you get your job with the Royal Household?
I saw the post advertised on the Graduate Prospects website, which specialises in entry level positions for new and recent graduates.
What did you do before joining the Royal Household?
After graduating from Cardiff University in July 2003 with a degree in psychology, I worked for my local County Council in an administrative role before joining the Household as a Personnel Assistant in December 2003.
What experience and qualifications do you need to work as a Personnel Officer?
For the role of Personnel Officer you are required to be CIPD qualified and have a wide range of experience in all aspects of Human Resources, including recruitment, employee relations, reward and recognition, HR systems and HR policy. Possessing a good level of business acumen and the ability to train and guide both managers and less experienced team members in HR processes is also required.
How would you advise someone looking for a job in this area?
Human Resources/Personnel can often be a challenging career to break into due to its popularity. Therefore, I would recommend gaining a good grounding in administration and if possible some HR administration prior to applying for HR roles. I would also recommend becoming a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which will provide you with access to a wide range of resources via their website, and free seminars where you can learn about different aspects of Human Resources. Achieving a CIPD or other post-graduate qualification in an HR-related subject will also further enhance your CV and give you a deeper understanding of the HR function.
What training and support is available to you?
I was sponsored by the Royal Household to complete my MA in Personnel and Development at Westminster University. This was a two year part-time course which has greatly enhanced my knowledge of Human Resources, and is also CIPD accredited. In addition, the various in-house training courses provide a great opportunity to develop both soft skills and technical abilities. Most recently I have attended ‘Presenting and Confidence Building’ which I have found really useful in my role, in particular when presenting to new employees at the induction seminar.
What’s it like working for the Royal Household?
The Royal Household is a unique, friendly and exciting organisation to work for. My role involves interacting with people from an extremely wide range of professions, and although traditional is some respects; it also embraces new ideas and is committed to providing a positive and supportive environment for all staff.
Describe a typical day.
No two days are the same within the Personnel team. My role involves recruitment, employee relations, operational work and policy & reward. I also act as Business Partner for the Private Secretary’s Office and the Windsor Farm Shop, which involves being their point of contact for all HR-related queries and working with managers on strategic issues effecting their department.
What is the best thing about your job?
I enjoy the generalist nature of my role. In the part five years I have also gained a huge amount of experience, and have grown in confidence and credibility and now feel that I make a difference to the departments I support. The Personnel team are also incredibly friendly and supportive, which makes coming to work each day a lot easier!
What opportunities do you get that you would not get elsewhere?
The Sports and Social Club provides an excellent opportunity to take part in a range of activities with colleagues and friends outside of working hours, including rounders matches, BBQs and themed entertainment nights.
