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Nimble057  
#1 Posted : 04 October 2019 08:29:02(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Nimble057

A bit of a Friday moan I suppose, but I'm seeing more and more of us mid 40s bail out of the industry altogether. I know of 5 really good experienced managers who have gone this year its shocking. I don't ask why I think it's fairly obvious, pay rates are way down, in London and the SE it's crazy how poor the Qhse manager roles are paying, at the same time theres zero respect for the industry, it appears to have gone back to being purely a box ticking exercise. If I sound frustrated its because I am - I've spent nearly 15 years doing this job, have grown to love it and see no future with it any longer, it's not a feasible career path any longer. Nor within the uk anyway. Would really appreciate anyone who can give me an alternate outlook
Ian Bell2  
#2 Posted : 04 October 2019 09:03:13(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Ian Bell2

Over 20yrs doing HSE/Safety engineering in one format or another, Would have got out long ago if I could,

One of the biggest problems is recruiters consultants/HR departments are very narrow minded in terms of putting people forward/giving people a chance to change career direction.

I would put HR people and recruitment people way below 2nd had car salesmen, estate agents and insurance sales.

thanks 6 users thanked Ian Bell2 for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 04/10/2019(UTC), mike52 on 04/10/2019(UTC), Nimble057 on 04/10/2019(UTC), webstar on 04/10/2019(UTC), RayRapp on 04/10/2019(UTC), toe on 05/10/2019(UTC)
mike52  
#3 Posted : 04 October 2019 09:36:34(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
mike52

Ian I would also put some of the blame on IOSH. They are the professional body for H&S yet they do not seem to try to get members the same recognised status of say accountants , who can only practice under legal guidelines. In H&S a yoke can put themselves forward as a professional. Mike
thanks 2 users thanked mike52 for this useful post.
Nimble057 on 04/10/2019(UTC), RayRapp on 04/10/2019(UTC)
Nimble057  
#4 Posted : 04 October 2019 09:36:42(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Nimble057

The recruitment issue is massive - I honestly don't think that most organisations actually have a grasp of what the job entails if being done properly. As an industry there is zero respect- Its now on par with CSR as a promotional tool not a management tool to ensure greater productivity and competitiveness I used to point people into the industry as an area where you could get ahead and make a change. Not now.
Nimble057  
#5 Posted : 04 October 2019 09:42:18(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Nimble057

Standards have fallen massively - I regularly get PCI packs where plane crashing into the site is on the risk register but not a car coming through the site hoarding, big big firms just issuing generic rubbish unrelated to the actual site hazards, and then you see them winning baubles and awards. The "professional" safety bodies are there to raise money and profiles not help the industry or those of us working within
thanks 1 user thanked Nimble057 for this useful post.
RayRapp on 04/10/2019(UTC)
Alfasev  
#6 Posted : 04 October 2019 09:48:02(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Alfasev

I am planning to bail out as soon as I can. Pay is poor, responsibilities and legal duty high, general ineptitude, client’s employing any old muppet as principal contractors, being ignored until the s**t hits the fan.

Thinking of becoming president of the USA or a post Brexit smuggler!

CptBeaky  
#7 Posted : 04 October 2019 10:07:24(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
CptBeaky

Originally Posted by: Alfasev Go to Quoted Post

Thinking of becoming president of the USA or a post Brexit smuggler!

You appear to have a firm grasp of facts and science, instantly ruling you out of any presidential race.

thunderchild  
#8 Posted : 04 October 2019 10:15:25(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
thunderchild

It is quite depressing. Lack of support is my biggest issue. I'm not an asset I'm a pain in the backside.......well, that's how it feels anyway.

achrn  
#9 Posted : 04 October 2019 10:45:31(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
achrn

Originally Posted by: Ian Bell2 Go to Quoted Post

I would put HR people and recruitment people way below 2nd had car salesmen, estate agents and insurance sales.

 

I wonder if there's a HR forum somewhere where right now someone is posting about how HR and recruitment (which are the lifeblood of most businesses - the company can't function without suitable staff) don't have the respect any more...

I think most careers (most professionals, anyway) spend lots of time bemoaning how the job doesn't get the respect or the pay it deserves. Civil engineering (I'm a chartered Civil Engineer, and not chartered with any safety body) certainly does, though slightly less so now than it used to, for some reason.

I'm not sure moaning about it achieves anything. I recall being deeply, deeply depressed when it was proclaimed as a victory for respect for engineers when the Yellow Pages changed their 'Boring' category. It used to be that when you looked up 'Boring' in the Yellow Pages, it had a note under the section heading "See Civil Engineers". Some fusspots, after much effort, persuaded Yellow Pages to remove the note. Really? Does that really enhance respect of the profession? Was that really what mattered? Surely it's better to get out there and make the profession (whichever one matters to you) worthy of respect, in whatever small way you can.

But I'm a boring Civil Engineer, so what do I know...

thanks 1 user thanked achrn for this useful post.
jwk on 08/10/2019(UTC)
Ian Bell2  
#10 Posted : 04 October 2019 11:40:46(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Ian Bell2

My point about recruitment consultants and HR types was that they are simply narrow minded in that they want an 'easy' placement - someone with qualifications, bags of experience, experience in their particular industry - not that greatly matters on many occasions, not that HR/recruitment people understand that.

When was the last time a recruitment person contacted you about a job outside of H&S or a HR invited you for an interview about a different job..............

RayRapp  
#11 Posted : 04 October 2019 20:32:25(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
RayRapp

Agree with many of the sentiments here, especially about being pigeon holed by HR and recruiters. I have been retired now for 18 months - hooray! However, I still take an interest in the forums - boo! When I got into h&s in the late 90s there were lots of real issues. Now it is all generic BS, even H&S managers don't make decisions anymore. Little wonder we get no respect.

That said, my big gripe is with IOSH, who do very little to enhance the standing of H&S professionals. A dysfunctional self-serving organisation is there ever was one. A few years ago there was a spat with the then CEO and comments were made on these forums. I received a PM from an IOSH big hitter who asked me not to add fuel, promising things would get better. So I agreed. A change of CEO has followed and it seems to me things have gone from bad to worse.

Where are the big hitters now?!      

thanks 1 user thanked RayRapp for this useful post.
webstar on 07/10/2019(UTC)
mihai_qa  
#12 Posted : 05 October 2019 07:41:56(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
mihai_qa

I feel it's only natural and hopefully it will (re)shape the business sector. It's not like those who leave will all of a sudden forget everything they've done previously. I always hoped that at some point H&S will merge with HR, it might sound silly but being able to influence things at recruitment level might just make this profession obsolete. I'm planning to start my CIPD dip and hopefully be part of a new wave of actual integration of business functions (idealistic, I know).

It's still astounding how most recruitment/HR functions have no clear perception of what OHS entails. 

Being asked to handle a bunch of things alongside HSE I'm sure plays a part (quality, security, hell, I've been asked if I could take over logistics).

I would love to see more OHS pros join corporate offices in operational roles. That might actually influence the way we do things rather than this body-counting and statistical tick-mark compliance that's going on at the moment.

Roundtuit  
#13 Posted : 06 October 2019 21:10:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Went the opposite way from HR development to H&S - grass may look, but is not necessarily, greener. Unfortunately we are now in a society where algorithms run by third parties control company recruitment. There is a major web site whose raison d'etre is "it is who you know" in the professional community would the ASA support such a strap line?
Roundtuit  
#14 Posted : 06 October 2019 21:10:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Went the opposite way from HR development to H&S - grass may look, but is not necessarily, greener. Unfortunately we are now in a society where algorithms run by third parties control company recruitment. There is a major web site whose raison d'etre is "it is who you know" in the professional community would the ASA support such a strap line?
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