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Nicholas Roberts is a management consultant and human resources practitioner from Barbados. He is also the current, and one of the youngest presidents of the Human Resource Management Association of Barbados (HRMAB Inc.). You may be surprised to learn that his journey to HR wasn’t a linear one, but now that he’s here, Nicholas believes he’s here to stay, even in an uncertain future. He shares with MENtions, his professional journey, his views on HR and why peace of mind is very important to him in any job.

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I grew up in a “working class” family in beautiful Barbados. After my parents’ divorce, I was raised in a single-parent household by my mother. Later on, we lived with my grandmother, who also had a huge influence on my upbringing. While there was some measure of support from other relatives, my mother and grand-mother definitely provided the solid foundation for who I am now, as a young Afro-Caribbean man. 

The old school teachings of my grandmother seemed very absurd to me in my youth, but as I have gotten older, I’ve clung to so much of what my grandmother instilled in me.

Simple things like being respectful to people, being alert of the things people do, more than what they say, not overstaying your welcome, taking Sunday naps, LOL. These are just some of the things I appreciate now. 

“Not a good fit for me”

Being an HR practitioner was not in my view when I was thinking about careers. In fact, my professional journey was not a linear one. When I left secondary school, I wanted to become a chef. I had studied mainly business subjects along with Food & Nutrition (Food Science) at the St. Michael School (SMS). So, I applied to PomMarine (now called The Jean and Norma Holder Hospitality Institute) in 2007, which is the Barbados Community College’s Hospitality Institute. I wasn’t accepted that year so I started 6th Form at The Lodge School. During my first year, I applied to PomMarine again and was successful. I completed my Associate degree in Culinary Arts in 2010. I later worked in the hospitality industry for about a year. But, a very long story short, that wasn’t a good fit for me.

“…neither was Political Science”

While working in the hospitality sector, I was trying to decide where I wanted to go professionally. Based on some conversations with friends and family members, I applied to The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. This also wasn’t a good choice for me. In fact, it was a horrible fit. One of my lecturers actually told me, “Nicholas, Political Science isn’t for you. I think you should look into another area of study!” 

Shout out to Dr. Pearson Broome for that much needed piece of advice. At that time, you were required to complete one full year of the programme before you can switch.

During that period, I looked at the various options that were available and based on my research into various programmes and job fields, I decided to pursue HR. I would admit, I had some reservations at the start but I soon realised that it was a great fit. It was like kismet. I was sure that I had made the best decision for me and my future.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to toggle between roles in operational/core-HR and management consulting with a specialisation in HR. Consulting, however, has been the most enriching for me because it gives me the opportunity to look at how HR impacts both local and regional businesses. It also gives me a more holistic perspective than if I only worked in an operational HR role for one or two organisations throughout my career.  On this professional journey, I’ve been able to work for international professional services firms on HR projects that focused on organisational transformation, workforce optimisation, talent management, learning & development, business process re-engineering, financial advisory, project management, and the list goes on. Therefore, when I’ve stepped into operational-HR roles, I was able to bring all of that knowledge to the forefront.

“Align yourself with work that will enrich you holistically”

Completing my Master’s degree in Business Management and HRM, and of course, becoming one of the youngest presidents of the Human Resource Management Association of Barbados (HRMAB) are some of my personal and professional highlights thus far. However, there have been some low moments and a few bumps along the way.

In 2021, I left a company that I loved working for, staff I enjoyed servicing, having a boss and teammates that supported me, to go to another company where I thought I was going to gain added seniority and more professional experience. That experience turned out to be the opposite of what I anticipated or what was sold to me. This obviously set my professional goals and plans off kilter when I had to leave that organisation earlier than I planned for.

However, the upside is that I’m now at another company, working with and for people that hold the same professional values (integrity, honesty, respect, kind-heartedness, passion) that are important to me. I have peace of mind, and this is very important to me, wherever I work.

So, my overarching advice to anyone reading this would be to have a plan but know that plans may not always go as expected. Along the way, also ensure that you align yourself with a business and work that will enrich you holistically, not only professionally but personally as well. I’ve found that sometimes when you strip back the layers of corporate culture and the job titles of people, there isn’t a whole lot of “niceness” behind it. If you know this doesn’t align with your values, take your talents somewhere where they’d be better suited and appreciated.

It is also important to have professional mentors and people whom you look up to. Lisa Moore and Joanna Robinson played that role earlier in my career and now, my current bosses, Philip and Marsha Lewis, fill that role. When it comes to HR and people management, they just get it! They understand the beauty of not only being technically strong and stressing the importance of strategic human resource management, but also about bringing the heart and the art of caring to leading people and people management. They aren’t afraid to give me tough love when needed. Those are the types of leaders you need in your corner.

“Find inspiration”

Similar to mentorship, it is also important to find focal points of inspiration. Three women immediately come to mind. Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley, is a political juggernaut! The strides that she has made on an international platform, on behalf of not only Barbados but CARICOM, are immense. Our very own The Rt. Excellent Robyn Rihanna Fenty, NH, is another Bajan woman who has accomplished so much for herself and on behalf of Barbados. She’s honestly amazing. Last and by no means least, Beyoncé. People always laugh when I say this because my eyes light up whenever I talk about her, but seriously, if you study her dedication to her craft and her work ethic, it’s unparalleled. I aim to approach anything that I do with the same level of drive and commitment. 

“People are still our greatest assets”

Yes, the more recent advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through ChatGPT and robotics, can and will disrupt global workforces but people are still the greatest asset of any organisation. In the field of medicine, there are talks about how AI/robots will replace human surgeons eventually, due to the claim that robots will be more effective and precise. Whilst this may be true from a technical standpoint, I don’t think we’ll be able to program robots to show the love and care that are critical to a surgeon/doctor’s job. This is a huge part of patient care. 

Without a doubt, there are things that we will be able to use AI and robotics to do in order to drive up productivity and finances. However, robots will never be able to take care of your business and will never have a personal investment in your company to ensure that it succeeds, in the way that living and breathing people who connect to your business, will. What I’m saying is that AI/robots will be very transactional, and for better or worse, humans are not. 

The reason human capital is often seen as a major competitive advantage for a business, is for the sole reason that companies who take care of their employees will see their employees taking care of the company in turn. You cannot program that. People will always be the greatest assets but it is undeniable that people and AI/robots will need to work together to successfully impact this paradigm shift within the workforce.

“…Standing on the shoulders of giants”

Being President of the Human Resource Management Association of Barbados is a proud achievement for me. Kudos to every single HRMAB President who has come before me. I stand on the shoulders of giants. The HR profession currently stands at a crossroad. Not just in Barbados, but the world over.

HR professionals once again have to show the value of the profession. This was done during the COVID-19 pandemic, as businesses leaned heavily on the expertise of their HR teams. 

My aim is to work with my team to continue to raise the profile of the Association. I also want to engage the mature and more experienced HR professionals to serve as guides, to mentor and usher the younger persons into the profession. It is also important for me to welcome more males within the profession, as it is a heavily female-oriented profession.

“Bridging the past with the future: heritage and foresight”

In 10 years, I hope to be happy, healthy, and thriving and living a life of purpose. It’s always great to have a job that pays well enough that takes care of your personal and financial obligations but this job needs to be balanced with meaningful work that positively impacts lives. With that said, I’d love to be in a C-suite HR or HR-adjacent role that’s tasked with changing the lives of the people I serve, and the organisation I represent, for the better. A Chief People Experience Officer and a Chief Operations Officer are two job roles that come to mind.

Personally, I want all my relationships to be flourishing: professionally, romantically, familial or my core-friendships. I really want healthy relationships in all aspects of my life: the types that enrich my soul. These are the types of bonds and people that encourage you to get up every day and keep going, even on the days you don’t have the energy to.

“Life is a rollercoaster….Breathe!”

If I could speak to my teenage self, I would tell him that sometimes things don’t work out in your favour.

Sometimes you understand why, other times you just don’t get it but life is a rollercoaster, and you have to take the bitter with the sweet.

There’ll be ups and there’ll be downs, so you need to arm yourself with the tools to appreciate life when it’s going well, and to power through when things aren’t necessarily going the best. 

To the teenager who may be confused about his professional journey, I am here to tell you to “Breathe! There’s someone greater than you that’s guiding your life. Have a plan for yourself but know that the plan may change. Have a general understanding of where you want to go, and have positive people around you to guide you. You’ll be fine! Prepare to pivot as the only thing in life that’s constant is change.