HR Professional Caroline Kelly | HR Leader Spotlight

The HR Leader Spotlight with Caroline Kelly

Navigating a HR professional career can feel both exciting and overwhelming, whether you’re just starting out, aiming for your next big role, or looking to broaden your impact as a leader. To help shine a light on the path forward, we're sharing our HR Leader Spotlight interview series with seasoned HR professionals who share their stories, lessons learned and practical career advice. From breaking into the field to building long-term success, these conversations are designed to give you real-world insights and inspiration for every stage of your HR journey.

Q1.Was this the career path you had always planned? What avenues did you take to bring you to where you are today?

Funnily enough, whenever I start a new job, I tend to introduce myself as a retired rock star with a love of people and their development journeys. Growing up, my dream was to become a rock star and travel the world playing big venues. I was always involved in theatre and music from an early age, and even performed my first paid gig at the age of 13 in a local café with my mother, knowing the sum total of three chords on the guitar. I was paid £10 for the gig and believed I had “arrived” – it was a lot of money back then for a 13-year-old.

I have always loved meeting new people, networking and interacting with different personalities. Building up my own confidence through performance was a critical process which has helped me set a strong foundation in my career in HR. I pursued music studies post leaving cert, and after a few years abroad as a professional musician, I quickly realised that music shifted from becoming something I loved, to becoming something that I did on repeat, night after night, into the early hours of the morning. It was not a lifestyle that I felt was sustainable, and my career options were to teach music or to consider a career change. After a lot of thought, I returned to Ireland and worked a full-time customer services call centre job, whilst studying for my degree in HR by night in MTU.

Getting to my current role with GMIB was very much influenced by relocation and a strong company brand, as I married a wonderful Kerry man and relocated from Cork to Tralee. I have had great opportunities over the last number of years working for top employers in the telecommunications, fintech and medtech sectors, which have all helped me to shape the HR professional I am today. I am grateful for what each experience has taught me and the lessons I have learned to lead me to this wonderful role in beautiful Killarney.

Q2.What was the best piece of career advice you ever received?

Believe in yourself and argue out those negative interferences in your head. We can be our own biggest self-critics, and at times, those inner voices can be a deciding factor in taking a risk or remaining in our comfort zone. Being able to rationalise those inner interferences that hold you back and make a level-headed decision, without those interferences being allowed to take over, is a technique that has helped me throughout my career when faced with self-limiting beliefs.

I never mind sharing that I am neuro-divergent. It does not hold me back in any way, as I have found techniques and tools that combat some of the more challenging areas of ADHD which work for me. If anything, it gives me a little more grit in terms of the way I operate at work.

Q3.For those considering a career in Human Resources, what is one piece of advice you would give them?

First and foremost, when working in a people management role, you must be able to talk to people. The foundation of HR is relationships, and having the ability to build trust through credibility, reliability, providing a safe and confidential space to those you serve is important in being able to influence others. I approach my work with the goal of trying to impact rather than impress, as impact focuses on supporting others whilst impress is more about what one can get out of a situation for oneself, which is a major blocker to the establishment of trusting relationships.

Secondly, you must be prepared for the ups and downs of the role. HR is not just about supporting employees and their leaders throughout the whole employee lifecycle, but it is also about being able to manage yourself when faced with sensitive matters, difficult conversations, performance problems and job loss. Having a strong support network in place as a HR professional is key to managing yourself well.

On a final note, you must always approach situations with fairness and empathy for others. I take huge pride in my personal brand at work and always try to conduct my work with integrity and respect for others front and centre. It is vital to treat others as you would want to be treated yourself, even during challenging times. My very wise father once told me that “regardless of what others do, keep your side of the street clean”. I apply this in my role each and every day and leave work feeling a sense of pride, accomplishment and with my integrity intact.

In my career, I have faced times where my integrity was challenged, sometimes by people in very influential positions, and it can be difficult to hold your ground. It is worth it in the end, but you do need to have the courage in your own convictions to know the difference between what is right and wrong to remain true to the discipline of HR whilst also working with leaders to develop the best solutions for the business challenges you are faced with.

Q4.In your view, what are the top 3 strengths that define a successful HR professional today?

Emotional Intelligence – Reading a room, and/or a situation correctly – at a senior level, it is all about relationships. Being able to recognise the non-verbal cues and inter-personal dynamics at a senior level is vital in my role.

Authenticity – being comfortable being yourself, and bringing your strengths to those you work with to complement what they do. Saying “I don’t know” when you don’t know, and not letting a lack of having an immediate answer phase you or worry you in terms of impacting your credibility. There is always an opportunity to learn and grow at all levels. I never mind sharing that I am neuro-divergent. It does not hold me back in any way, as I have found techniques and tools that combat some of the more challenging areas of ADHD, which work for me. If anything, it gives me a little more grit in terms of the way I operate at work.

Future sight – Do not get siloed into the here and now. HR is a very busy function, and there are always curveballs each and every day pulling at the resources. Ensuring you set aside time for future sight thinking and strategic planning is a critical skill – and following through on your own development and milestone achievements so you continue to grow and learn, shifting the HR function from being transactional to being transformational. Old school HR is paper pushing and box ticking. We are now in a time where coaching, development and strategic thinking are more valued and rewarding when applied correctly throughout the organisation but some business leaders continue to utilise their HR teams in ways that undervalue the function, such as seeing the role as administrative or less valued than other function leaders. Working with business leaders to support the change of mindset is vital so HR professionals can continue to add value on a strategic front, whilst also supporting the business to deal with the heavy lifting of the transactional tasks through continuous improvement, leveraging scalable efficient solutions, identifying technological advancements i.e. AI to enhance outdated processes to free your HR partners up to focus on supporting and developing business strategy, organisational development and design to ensure success.

I did not drive at the time so I was commuting via public transport from West Cork from 6.30am to Cork City and taking the last bus home after college getting back to West Cork around 11pm. I worked each weekend in bars performing gigs which helped to supplement my income during my studies. It was a tough slog – but the rewards have been fruitful!

Q5.Over your career, what would you consider to be your best memory or achievement?

I didn't achieve the points I needed in my Leaving Cert to do the courses I wanted. In my early years, I was very distracted and lacked focus. I had undiagnosed ADHD, which resulted in a lot of procrastination, making it difficult for me to apply myself and deal with study. Opening my leaving certificate results and not getting the course I wanted was a horrible feeling. I received average results following a few all-night study relays, but I remember feeling I failed miserably, and my self-worth took a hit. I opted to follow my passion for music and studies through a Level 6 course, and upon completion, entered the workforce at the age of 20, opting to obtain industry experience before returning to education as an adult student a few years later.

Over the following years, once I had completed my music studies and worked in industry in customer service roles, I spent some time travelling, which helped me gain more confidence and further enhanced my love of people and learning about different cultures and understanding the driving forces behind what made them tick. I read countless books on coaching and psychology, including team psychodynamics, whilst lying on many of the beautiful beaches in the Canary Islands.

When I came back to Ireland, I made the decision to return to education and re-train in the discipline of Human Resource Management (HRM). I had received an ADHD diagnosis, and I was determined to tackle my fear of returning to education to re-train, armed with the tools I needed to be focused and on track in managing neurodivergence as an adult continuing education. Despite the nerves, fears and apprehension, I managed to successfully complete my BA in Human Resource Management by night, over three years. It was tough as I attended class three nights a week, whilst also working in an entry-level role in HR Admin. I did not drive at the time, so I was commuting via public transport from West Cork from 6.30am to Cork City and taking the last bus home after college, getting back to West Cork around 11pm. I worked each weekend in bars performing gigs, which helped to supplement my income during my studies. It was a tough slog – but the rewards have been fruitful!

I was shocked and very honoured when I was awarded Top of my Class in MTU in HRM and the recipient of the Clarissa Hegarty Memorial Award, as someone who had always struggled with believing I was smart enough. This followed a few years later in my studies with the Law Society of Ireland in Employment Law, where I graduated with honours.

I remember the feeling of pride I experienced – I didn’t have a straight road to success, it was more like a child’s squiggle drawing across a page, but in those moments, I felt so incredibly proud of myself. I am still learning, still growing, and now, instead of measuring my success by how much money I might earn or the type of car I might drive, I measure it with the happiness and pride I feel when I see people around me learn and grow through their work with me. Now, when I hear my inner dialogue start to question my ability or competencies, I take pen to paper and interview those thoughts to get to the bottom of them and to take action to ensure I can set myself up for success in any task I set my mind to. I say yes to opportunities that scare me, like this one (Thanks, Michael!), and little by little, each step I take outside my comfort zone helps to quieten the self-doubt. Today, in my role as HR Manager with GMIB, I am very confident in my own abilities as I put in the work and have overcome a lot of challenges in my life, which reinforces my ability to do more and learn more.

I now coach leaders at all levels of the business on their own interferences, and my experiences have provided me with insight and empathy into the psychodynamics of organisational relationships, individuals and teams, all of which aid me in supporting leaders to overcome these obstacles. This allows them to get back to focusing on their strategic objectives using their potential to excel time and time again. I use my experience, studies and learnings to help others grow to be the best they can be in their roles, and I am not afraid to use my voice to support business leaders achieve success.

On a personal note, I get to go home to my wonderful husband, Danny and our four dogs after a hard day’s work and feel grateful for all I have overcome and achieved in my life despite the obstacles faced, and I remain excited for all I have yet to discover.

Q6.If you were entering the workforce again, would you do anything differently?

I would take less notice of negative influences or opinions that try to hold you back from achieving what you want to achieve. You will never be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is perfectly ok. I would show up authentically and be comfortable in that space – this is something that I felt developed in me as I matured over the years. I recommend that anyone starting out look for someone they admire in the workplace and talk to them about mentorship opportunities. I would take all opportunities offered to me, as the worst thing that can happen is that you make a mistake and end up learning something new. My niece describes making mistakes as a “beautiful oops”… you can always take something that has gone wrong and turn it into a beautiful learning with the right mindset.

Q7.If you weren’t in your current profession, what possible path would you have chosen?

This is a hard one, because I love what I do. Perhaps in the future I may explore consulting, but for now, I love the industry and my role – I get to do what I love every day, which makes work seem less like work. I am very passionate about systemic psychodynamics in the workplace and how coaching can support teams to achieve their goals, so opportunities to do this are always exciting for me.

On a total tangent, I would love to open my own animal rescue centre. It breaks my heart to see pets discarded so easily – they have little personalities and feelings, and they hurt too. I would love to help these pets find their forever homes.

Thank you Caroline for sharing your personal insights into a career as a HR professional. Caroline's journey proves there is no single path to a successful career in HR. Her story highlights how diverse experiences, from performing on stage to working in customer service, can build the confidence, empathy and resilience needed to excel in people management.

We extend our sincere thanks to Caroline for sharing her unique story and invaluable advice. These insights demonstrate that the skills developed in any role can become a foundation for success in HR.