Sally Miller CMHRNZ

What led you to a career in HR/ the position that you are in currently?   

In my final year of school, I was discussing my future options with our Careers Advisor.  She rightly pointed me to a degree at Waikato University in IR & HRM, Labour Studies and Psychology.  Over the last 20 years, I have held several different roles outside of the HR profession, but my degree has always given me a foundation on which to draw from.  It has been the last 7 - 10 years that People and Culture have really been a focus for me.  

After 18 years overseas working in FMCG and insurance industries, we decided to move home to New Zealand and I now have the privilege of working in the Sports industry at Cycling New Zealand in Cambridge.  

What do you love about working in HR?   

HR is a role that enables me to have a ‘finger in every pie’ so to speak.  You need to understand how all parts of the business work to be effective and give the right advice, implement new initiatives, and provide support to people and companies alike.  We all work to live… so we need to enjoy work and if I can help people enjoy what they are doing most days, then I am happy.  

Are there any specific highlights of your career that you wish to share?   

My ‘Why’ is to give back to the HR profession and support sole practitioners in their daily work and development which in turns adds to my knowledge and learning.  In 2016, I founded the HR Roundtable for Southeast Melbourne to bring HR professionals together regularly to network, hear from leading experts and discuss new developments in our field.  Within the first month, I had over 30 practitioners sign up to attend!  

Then after gaining CPHR - ‘Certified Practitioner’ accreditation though Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI), I was voted onto the Victorian State Council for AHRI to further my Why and take on the Victorian Metro Networks as a portfolio.  
 

What are your thoughts on Chartered Membership? How do you feel about being a Chartered Member?    

Having achieved the equivalent of a Chartered Member, CPHR through AHRI, it was a natural progression for me to apply when I moved back. My thoughts are that being a Chartered Member shows that I have not only the skills, but the knowledge and experience required to be an affective HR Practitioner. It should be a level that new graduates should strive to achieve over time and I am so glad that I have been able to achieve it.  
 

What motivated you to work towards becoming a Chartered Member?   

The recognition that I had reached a certain level of expertise in a career that I love.  It gives me a sense of pride that the governing body for HR has tested my knowledge and experience and has recognised that I am at this level of expertise.  

What are your next steps in terms of your career now that you are a Chartered Member?   

Changing industries means that I am on a steep learning curve but I have already experienced that the team I am now a part of are so supportive and willing to help me understand the world of High Performance Sports.  That is my sole focus for now but following that I will be looking to become a Chartered Fellow in the years to come!