Peris reflects on his experience of studying in the School of Business and Management and shares how he's using the skills gained through his master's in his role as a Senior Human Resources Specialist at Google.
Why did you choose to study for an MSc in International Human Resources Management at Queen Mary?
Choosing a master’s degree and the right university was definitely not an easy decision. My first degree was in Economics with a significant interaction with Business Administration modules where I had my first contact with the Human Resources field. Amazed by what this specialty offers to the business world, I decided to work in the field before pursuing a master’s opportunity.
After my first experience, which was enough to reassure me that I was on the right track, I started searching for universities that could offer me a deeper understanding and practical knowledge that I could apply. I made a list of 5 universities which I ranked based on 5 parameters; the curriculum, the reputation, the teaching language, the tuition fees, and possible working opportunities and recognition of its graduates. Queen Mary University ranked in my top 2 options. The determining factor between Queen Mary and my other choice was the way the University’s support system was; kind, friendly and supporting staff that made you feel empowered to want to belong to this institution and verify in practice that they want to help individuals become the best version of themselves.
Why are you passionate about Human Resources – why is it important to you and to businesses?
The way I think of Human Resources is how I think of salt to food. Everyone may not think it is necessary, but it always makes food taste better and creates an engagement to the eater by raising their satisfaction. And this is my passion, to improve employee experience, help create more inclusive and dynamic environments where values such as teamwork, innovation, efficiency and employee satisfaction are prevalent. Accomplishing this by using evidence-based strategies to contribute to the greater bibliography and adding to the best practices that can be used by other companies in the world is something that amazes me and retains my interest in HR. Basically a chance to influence the culture of the business world.
What aspects of your master's degree and experience at Queen Mary’s School of Business and Management did you enjoy most?
Can I say everything?! That one master’s year was one of the most enjoyable years of my study life. The professors’ background and knowledge kept me so engaged and keen to learn while their humility and the fact that you could approach them and have a simple conversation with them was something admirable. The teaching methods and techniques were nothing but interesting and really helped with the assignments we had to complete. I don’t remember being so excited before about doing coursework or writing an essay! Despite that, a significant part was the great cohort of my fellow students. We had bonded and were all operating as one big team who supported and encouraged each other to do their best. I finished my master’s, not with just knowledge and new applicable skills, but with new friends and colleagues that I could count on.
Can you describe your career path to date and your current role?
I have worked as an Accountant, Sign Language Interpreter and Human Resources Specialist. After my master’s degree I carried on my path in Human Resources and had my first role in London as a Human Resources Assistant in the fashion industry. After around 2 years, I moved to Dublin, Ireland to work for Google as a Junior Human Resources Specialist before being promoted to Senior Human Resources Specialist which is my current role.
How have you applied your learning from your degree in your career so far?
I would say that almost everything we were taught was a real-life related lesson. The methodologies, research, and employment law theories are part of my portfolio until today which I try to use and even pass on to others. The assignments we had were related to realistic examples that are happening in business environments. Therefore, we were being shown the way to approach them and find the solution that fits the specific scenario. Finally, during my master’s period I had the chance to strengthen my teamwork skills as well as how to work independently and present my opinions in a convincing and engaging way.
Can you tell us what it’s like to work at Google?
Working at a big tech company like Google is most certainly exciting but at the same time, it is a big responsibility. It’s exciting as I am lucky enough to be able to work on so many different cases and flirt with different aspects of my HR capacity. I feel a great responsibility as I deal with thousands of personal data as well as confidential information that the employees trust in me to be able to help them get to the best possible place with.
No day is the same at work and there is never a point where I feel that I have learnt everything I can working in this specific position. That’s another thing that keeps me going, the ongoing learning – an important motivating factor for me. Aside from that, Google provides its employees with generous benefits and promotes wellbeing habits. This saves me a lot of time during the workday as things can get hectic and stressful. Finally, some of the best talents work in my company and it is very inspirational to be able to interact with such people and have a sense that you are contributing to the changes that could become best practices and help other organisations.
What is the most exciting thing about what you do?
Out of everything that I am working on, creating efficiencies would be something I am passionate about. Daily, I interact with many people, and I receive their feedback directly which I can utilize to make suggestions for improvements and automation that lead to greater employee satisfaction and higher performance. One small change leads to me interacting with various specialist teams that share the same passion into driving the company towards a better future.
Why do you think others should study International Human Resources Management?
Human Resources Management has various branches. It is basically a science where you can be a lawyer, a psychologist, a data analyst, an accountant etc. You get to wear a different hat or a few at the same time. Working in the sector is something that will make every day different and exciting. This might not be something that everyone likes, however, if someone is getting satisfaction from helping others solve their problems by finding the most optimal solution while giving them a sense of trust and reliability, then this is the right option for them.