Tolani is a successful HR practitioner. She has a special place in our heart at Bi solutions Nigeria and she is a wonderful supporter of the BI Empowerment’s vision of empowering the youths. She is pretty, sweet and fun to be with. The BI Empowerment Team is happy to have her inspire young and aspiring HR Consultants.

“We are in the house with this great inspiration. Thank you Tolani for saying yes to this interview”.

“Can we know you, and can you tell us a little bit about your educational background”?
Response: “My name is Tolani Eniola and I currently work as the Human Resources Associate for Chicken Republic; a brand of Food Concepts Plc. My first degree was a B.sc in Sociology from Bowen University, Iwo. Afterwards I was posted to Osun State for the compulsory one year national service to this great nation. I also attended the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom and graduated with an M.sc in Human Resources Management.

I am always on the quest for more knowledge, and I currently have two professional qualifications – CIPD (UK) & PHRI (USA).

I still have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge; and aspire to acquire more qualifications”.

“When did you realize you wanted to practice HR?”
Response: “I have always been fascinated by all things relating to people. Be it socialising, managing people or dispute resolution, I got my ‘aha!’ moment when I first heard about the course ‘Human Resource Management’ during my final year at Bowen University. I was discussing with my close friend, Debola on the next step to take after graduating from University. She encouraged me to study to Human Resources as it astronomically in demand in the labour market. She also said it will boost my employability.

Subsequently, I did my research and felt the course fitted my profile and passion, so I was determined to pursue a postgraduate degree on the subject. I got my degree in HR management and haven’t looked back since”.

“Can you just share with us a little bit on how you started out and what made you focused?”
Response: “Like I mentioned earlier, I have always had a passion for HR related issues and during my sojourn in the UK to bag my postgraduate degree, I volunteered to offer HR services to my local church in UK which included the processes of recruitment and selection.

Also when I was in the University of Birmingham, most of my friends were also studying HR management. This helped in a lot of ways in terms of having a great support system.

After I got my HR degree, I worked with different Banks such as Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, and The Co-operative Bank. I earned good money but was unfulfilled career wise because my job function was not HR related. I never lost my focus and kept hunting for HR jobs till I finally got an HR job in Sainsbury’s HR Shared Service, Manchester. This tremendously helped me in terms of acquiring knowledge and the much needed ‘work experience’ when I came back home to Nigeria. Although, the salary I earned in Sainsbury was much lower than what I earned in the bank; I must emphasize that this was a big career decision I made along the way. In hindsight, it was a good one because I found it rewarding and fulfilling”.

“Can you share with us some of your challenges in building a career in HR? Did you at any point feel like giving up?”
Response: “When I graduated from University of Birmingham, it was quite difficult to get an HR job in the UK. I went from one Recruitment Agency to another, seeking HR jobs but I always got the same feedback, “You have the HR qualification but unfortunately you don’t have HR experience”. Unlike Nigeria, experience is very crucial in the UK workplace.

Eventually, I had to settle for a banking job but I was not fulfilled. I need to stress that I never gave up but kept pressing on till I got an offer with Sainsbury’s HR Shared Service to work as an HR Advisor”.....

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