You don't have to navigate your HR career alone

HR can be a profoundly lonely profession.

You carry confidential information that creates invisible barriers between you and your colleagues. You spend entire days helping others plan their careers, yet find yourself too exhausted to invest those same five minutes in your own growth.

And if you're a solo HR professional? The isolation intensifies. Your business leaders expect you to have all the answers, leaving no room to admit when you're struggling or have lost your spark.

Sound familiar?

Throughout my 15 years in HR, I was unconsciously searching for something that didn't exist at work: a trusted community that could provide the counsel, comfort, and clarity I was missing internally.

Building HR community

In 2019, I took my first step and launched "HR Salon" with co-host Vishnu Suresh, organizing events on HR tech, employer branding, and innovative workplace solutions. When protests in Hong Kong and Covid disrupted our efforts, I didn't give up.

HR Salon

During 2020-21, I joined a small group of volunteers to relaunch "Hacking HR" in Hong Kong, organizing virtual events and bringing in experts to address the unavoidable topics of the day—hybrid working, mental health, and resilience. We provided insights and connection opportunities to HR leaders during an incredibly challenging period.

And from 2022 until I left in mid-2024, I was honored to take over the reins of hosting HR in the Pub (HRITP) from Amelia Lavery. Founded by Bernice Lee, this casual meet-up of HR leaders had been meeting for more than 15 years over a few drinks in a local Hong Kong pub. The conversations were always wide-ranging, from all things HR (and often, to talk about anything OTHER THAN HR!). Many pubbers found new jobs, made new connections and met new friends, including me!

HR in the Pub

Now, after I’ve worked with hundreds of HR leaders over the past few years, here is what I've discovered: the need for HR community has never disappeared. In fact, it's intensified—especially for women in HR who are balancing caregiving responsibilities both at home and in the office and carrying the emotional load of the work with no outlet to share it with.

The community you've been searching for is here. The only question is: are you ready to stop going it alone?

The power of peer connection: Lessons from JSA

This reality crystallized when I launched the "Job Search Accelerator for Women in HR" in early 2025. Job searching is isolating and emotionally draining for everyone—but for HR leaders, there's an added layer of shame. We feel like we "should" know how to do this perfectly because we "are" HR.

Amazingly, community became the #1 most valued feature of the program.

Participants discovered they didn't have to navigate their HR job search alone. The JSA HR community:

• Shares relevant job postings and insider insights

• Provides encouragement during tough days and celebrates wins

• Offers constructive feedback on search strategies

• Shares valuable resources (and, yes, laughs over ridiculous job requirements)

• Helps spot opportunities and avoid mistakes that others might miss

Going it alone means making avoidable mistakes and missing opportunities that a trusted peer community would catch. 

Introducing the “Women in HR” community

Based on the power of peer connection I've witnessed in the JSA, I'm launching the "Women in HR" community—a confidential peer group designed specifically for solo HR leaders and those feeling isolated even within large organizations.

This isn't just another networking group. It's the trusted sounding board you've been missing, providing:

• Immediate peer support – Real-time advice from peers who've faced identical challenges, no more waiting for weekly manager check-ins to celebrate wins

• Relief from professional isolation – Finally, peers who understand the emotional weight of your role and provide a safe space for topics office politics won't allow

• Practical HR expertise – Trusted vendor recommendations, employment law updates, and tactical solutions from experienced practitioners

• Strategic professional development – Group coaching, mentoring, and precious thinking time away from operational demands

Your next step

If you're tired of sighing every time you see another email from stakeholders, if you're eating dinner at your desk again, if your HR role feels a lot harder than it used to be—it doesn’t have to be this way. Join our pilot group of "Women in HR" and join a community of senior HR leaders who truly get it.

The community you've been searching for is here. The only question is: are you ready to stop going it alone?

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I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. I write about:

👂 Executive & career coaching

📄 Career development and career transition

🎯 Job search strategy

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