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| MEMBER PROFILE - NEIL DONOVANSenior People Manager, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. Board Member, HR Minds HRMinds Board Member since 2022How did you get into HR?An opportunity became available at HSF (Freehills at the time) in the Learning & Development team. After around eight years working in that team with some really experienced and talented leaders, I decided to move into a HRBP role. I was lucky enough to have some very supportive leaders that encouraged me and helped me make the transition to a new career direction. Did you start your HR career in the legal, or move into it from another industry?My first role out of university was with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) which specialised in delivering accredited VET training through formal traineeships. Being a smaller organisation, I wore many hats and had exposure to many parts of the business. Moving from this organisation into a large law firm was a big shift, especially regarding the culture. I was fortunate that the people around me really invested in setting me up for success, which allowed me to grow in a new organisation and industry.A career lesson that you’ll never forget?Always be curious and bring curiosity to everything you do. This will open doors, enable you to build relationships, show credibility with stakeholders and help you add value in your advice. What advice would you give to an HR professional starting their career?Learn how to ask inquiring questions so that you fully understand the issue you’re trying to solve for and all of the nuances around it. The more you understand the context and what your stakeholders are trying to achieve, the better advice and value you can add.What do you see as the biggest emerging issue for HR practitioners in law firms?I think HR teams are adapting to AI, and how this is going to change the way we work both for our teams and our businesses. It’s moving at rapid pace. I’m quite excited about the possibilities and think we as HR practitioners need to invest time to learn how to use these new tools in order to be best placed to utilise them as the technology continually develops.Who do you follow for inspiration?I think David Rock’s work on feedback and fostering feedback culture is well worth reading.How do you balance work and life?I like being outdoors in any way, shape of form. I go camping when I can, and I enjoy a simple walk with my dog during the week. "Being a member of
HRMinds has not only exposed me to some incredible though leaders, but it has
helped me build my network across the legal industry" |
