HR Managers

Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 16

Hello,

I am a college grad who was just offered to be an HR manager for Lowes. I just wanted to know if anyone had any info I should consider before accepting the offer. I was told that I would have 45-50 hr work weeks and up to 60 in the spring.

They told me I could be an Area HRM in 2 yrs. Thats would I would like. Are HR managers jobs hard, stressful? Simple and laid back? Would anyone say HR is overworked? Is HR taken seriously by store and operations mgmt?

Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Right here

That's probably one of the 2 best positions to have. The other would be store manager.

Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 2801

HR in our store works like 60 hours a week every week

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 546

I doubt that there will be enough area hrm positions available for you to move up in 2 years. There are not very many in the company. Keep in mind also that each store has an hrm and they are all eligible to post for those positions. The minimum is about 2 years of Lowe's experience. They are blowing smoke if they told you two years. Ask for it in writing.

Joined: 27 Dec 2005 Posts: 35 Location: Wisconsin

I think it probably depends on your store and your management as to whether it is a hard or stressful job. As a previous poster has said, I wouldn't count on an area HR position in 2 years because there are quite a few stores that will have HRs that will be ahead of you in seniority that could be interested in the job as well.

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

Hopefully, you have some common sense. Lowes operates like a "nickle/dime operation". HR at the store I am at, is a complete, total, dominating jerk who has no rules but his rules. He is the biggest problem in the store along with LP. As for seniority, that would be a term Lowes hates. They excel more in stupidity. You can certainly do better than Lowes. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for an HR position.

Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 16

It seems like there are some discrepancies in what Lowe's employees consider the HR mangers to be. Does anyone here think HR has a pretty easy job?

If you dislike HR, what is your reasoning? Thanks!

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 546

The HRM's have a pretty easy job. The main reason is that in the past employees would go to the hr to have questions answered. Now Lowe's in it's infinite wisdom has removed most of that from the HR's by putting everything on myloweslife.com. We handle our own benefit options now. The hrm's in my experience don't really do much aside from training the new employees. Wait a second, the training is done on the computer. Really, not much need for the hr's in the stores. I've heard rumors that they will be getting rid of that position in smaller volume stores.

Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 146 Location: Region 1

The basic reason Associates dislike HR is because you cannot trust them. They nit-pick Associates to death. Over the years, the position of HR (which used to be called the "Personnel Office") has become blurred. It is certainly that way at Lowe's. The traditional role of HR was basically two fold: (1) to serve as liaison between the employee and the employer, and (2) to act as an advocate for the employee. Now, HR has simply become a slave to Lowe's corporate. The reason in my opinion: HR is permitted to bonus. HR should NEVER be allowed to bonus. Giving them the bonus capability gives them the opportunity to manipulate the criteria for bonusing and thus benefit from cutting hours, cutting employees, etc. Does HR put in beaucoup hours - you betcha. Is it difficult to deal with 150+ employees, Yep. But what Lowe's should do is pay them a decent salary and remove the bonus capability. Before I worked in retail, my HR managers were awesome and everybody looked to them for advice on employee matters, etc. At Lowe's, you avoid HR at all costs and hope you're never paged to call the HR extension. You know it's got to be bad news. Just my two cents.

Joined: 12 Aug 2008 Posts: 4

I am in agreement with boardwalkties. HR at Lowe's is just like talking to any manager. My manager has had to defend me to HR becaue HR doesn't really even know me. They have tried to force me into other departments, saying that this was the idea of the store manager. The store manager later told me that he never said that I had to move to another department, he only wanted to make me an offer.

Part time is especially treated poorly at Lowe's. I have been working part time at various stores for a number of years in order to be home for my kids. Lowe's is the first company that I have been with that treats part timers as second class citizens. HR won't even return my messages. I have a relative with Lowe's too. Both of us have found it like pulling teeth when we are paid incorrectly. HR says they will follow through but doesn't.

If we call on the phone, they don't pick up the call. Last week I called every hour all day and no one answered. I called the final time from right inside the store on my cell phone. Then I walked in to find the HR manager was there and the phone was ringing but not being picked up. She has a very small office but she keeps the door shut at all times. She has a window that was put there, I am sure, so that we can let her know we need something. But she has blocked this window with various papers she has hung because she wants nothing to do with interacting with employees. When I have caught her, the first words out of her mouth are always the same: "I don't have time for you right now, come back later." But she can't tell me when to come because, as she puts it, she is always too busy for me.

Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 16

Wow, thanks I appreciate all of your comments. I understand your comments are coming from an associate perspective. Does anyone here have management expereince with Lowes and would like to comment on HR manager from a managerial perspectives?

I would like to know what level HR is on. The way I was explained by the HRMs that interviewed me was that HR and LP collaborate with the store manager and thats it. The HRM reports to the AHRM...I just want to know if I will be taken seriously by the upper level management in the store.

Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 464

Quite honestly, although I've never worked in or have been trained in that position, it seems that the HRM in our store is pretty useless and clueless about many important issues.

And as far as being "taken seriously by the upper level management in the store", well that may depend on how well you play the "game"...

So did the Kohl's ASMs job fall through...

http://www.retail-worker.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21

... or, are you just receiving multiple job offers? Wink

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 461

Given that hd got rid of their hr's on the store level...and myloweslife has a fair amount of information....and hr doesn't work the floor...I can see them gutting it

Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 16

I actually got job offers from Lowes and Kohls and I am just trying to make a good decision. The way kohls is set up they have have a 4 person management team- 3 ASMs and 1 SM. Each of the ASMs is responsible for either hardlines, softlines, or hr/ops. I'm just trying to make a sound decision especially since a lot of people feel Lowes may be getting rid of the hr positions. thanks for ur comments.

Kohls is offering more money and benefits and it appears their managers make more money...however I heard that kohls works the hell out of their people.

i would greatly appreciate any and all advice.

Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 2801

Lowe's will work the hell out of you too. I'll stick with hourly management. Thumbs Up

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 6309

Not familiar with how Lowes actually works but from what I've heard they pay better than traditional retailers like Sears and others .

I personally would choose Lowes .Not only are they a much bigger operation you get to learn big ticket merchandise,high dollar volume transactions and alot of safety rules and regulations good anywhere since Lowes is basically a wharehouse enviorment as are several others .

Lowes also pays commission in several areas .As HR you'd wind dealing with several different types of jobs and applicants .I would think you could learn more at Lowes .

Where ever you go always study the company before hand as an applicant especially going into management .Follow the news-Lowes stock symbol is LOW and Khols is KSS .

Terminator's right though-hourly management is alot less hassle .

Good Luck

Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 2801

Yep, I work 39 hours a week, hit the clock in and out. and with all the snow today looks like this week will end with 32 hours. Thumbs Up

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Posts: 8380 Location: Central CA

So you're looking for a position that has the maximum compensation with the least amount of work involved? Yeah, those two are pretty hard to weigh against each other. Wink

Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 2801

Nof, He needs a Government job for that! Razz

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Posts: 8380 Location: Central CA

You got that right. Those are the only jobs left with decent pay and benefits.

Joined: 11 Oct 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Pacific Northwest

Collegejobseeker... have you ever worked in retail? Those of us who succeed in retail thrive in having the hell worked out of us. It doesn't sound like you have a clue about what you're getting yourself into. How are you being hired for an HR position without the requisite certificates and credentials? If you'd taken the classes for the certificate, you'd pretty much know what the job is about and the challenges you'd face. Lowe's isn't much different from any Fortune 50 company when it comes to enforcing policy to comply with employment laws, and the employees of Lowe's have the same types of problems that you'd be expected to mitigate as the HRM in any large company. Are you serious? I hope you're never my HRM.

Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 2801

Job Seeker, If your young and have no family or as the Gouverneur of PA said "No Life" Then That's a job to take, If your looking for a picnic forget about it. I'm on the back side of life and 40 hours is enough for me, Soon it will be part time. But as young as you are better make hay while the sun is shining.

Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 16

In response to lowesnorthwest post,

I have two years experience working in retail, 2 years experience in hospitality, and 5 years experience in customer service. This does not include my two years of my current paraprofessional personnel management experience. I have won various awards in various other leadership and employment experience I have. I am not a typical or spoiled college student who has never worked a hard day in my life. I have paid 75% of my college tuition because I have always had a job since I was 14 years old. I am 21 and I am currently a part time manager of a retail store plus I am a full time student with several other leadership commitments on my campus. You don't know who I am and what my credentials are. Please do not criticize me before you know my work history.

Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 146 Location: Region 1

collegejobseeker: With all due respect to your credentials and moral compass, I find it impossible to believe that even Lowe's would offer you a position as HR Manager at your tender age (21). Possibly they told you that you could apply for an entry-level management position and look forward to moving up the ranks to HR Manager (or even Area HR Manager) with experience and job dedication at some point in time. There is NO way that you are going to start out at Lowe's as an HR Manager at age 21. You've got to be realistic. You need both experience and age maturity to achieve that goal. Not a criticism of you, just the facts.

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 461

I know it might not sound nice but what board says is right.

They'd prefer I think a degree so they'd expect naturally someone to be 22...that's not factoring in time yet in experience. at least a few years and I'd say even at the youngest maybe say...25.

I knew a zm before that told me he wants to be a sm in two years...well that didn't happen. Even if someone has the training it doesn't mean they'd get the job.

A zm (now an admin I think) told me the region had 100 qualified zm's with no place to put them. If the lowest budgeted store needs only 2 zm's that means they'd need 50 new stores to fit them all...how many stores as a chain have opened up in the past year? 150? how about the other regions.

Training is nice don't get me wrong I believe in it. But the fact of the matter is if the training expires (which is stupid) then people don't always get what they want.

Maybe you could be the hr helper there's usually a few of those

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