I provide coaching and mentoring services for established and aspiring
HR Leaders. From practical operational HR matters through to strategic
and transformational HR, I’m here to support, coach or mentor you, in whatever blend you need.
As a former HR Director, I know from personal experience how many plates you are spinning at once. The business wants to see an immediate impact, and there just aren’t enough days in the week. I can help you to navigate the full range of HR areas, with specialisms in HR Strategy, Reward & Leadership Development.
I’m passionate that HR is perceived as a vital, strategic resource that understands the organisation’s heartbeat. You can be confident that I will always help you deliver long-lasting positive and measurable results.
You know your business best – I’ll work with you to determine what you need – HR coaching, mentoring, tactical HR consultancy, or a unique blend of these to get the results you need.
OPTION 1 Executive HR Coaching – for experienced HR Directors and CPOs
Executive HR coaching for established HR leaders to help you own that seat at the top table
Senior HR can be a very lonely role – maybe everyone confides in you, but who can you confide in? HR Executive Coaching provides a safe space to discuss challenges and devise solutions, enabling you to develop the necessary approach and confidence to excel in your role.
Executive coaching with a fellow HR professional gives you a sounding board to share thoughts, tackle challenges, validate your thinking, and sometimes just vent!
The coaching is bespoke to your needs and may include leadership style and personal impact, senior stakeholder management and influence, your target operating model or team structure, or a whole range of areas you may have very few people to talk to about
You will gain insights into your own strengths and weaknesses to operate more effectively, lead with impact and empathy, and make informed decisions
Plus I may have technical HR expertise you might value. Reward is a strong specialism of mine, and often a gap in generalist teams.
If you have organised Executive Coaching for other leaders in the business, and never for yourself, maybe it’s time that changes?
OPTION 2 HR Coaching and Mentoring – for mid-level HR professionals
Professional HR coaching and mentoring to fast-track your HR expertise to a more strategic level.
Whether you are in an HR leadership role for the first time, or want to progress to that level soon, this unique blend of coaching and strategic HR mentoring is designed for you.
As an experienced HR leader I can provide a professional sounding board for ad-hoc operational or technically complex HR challenges where you feel less experienced or confident.
I can guide you through a step-by-step process to create a clear strategic roadmap of HR activity, enabling you to identify and prioritise HR priorities for your organisation for the next 1-3 years.
I help aspiring HRDs/CPOs build the necessary confidence and capabilities to take on more responsibility or to excel in your first HR leadership role.
Perhaps you report to a non-HR leader, and would value time with an experienced HRD for those monthly 121s you just don’t get access to?
Or maybe you want to focus on a particular challenge – establishing an HR strategy, getting your reward systems in place, or addressing key HR challenges with external professional support by your side.
By establishing a clear, relevant people strategy, you can achieve growth, boost performance and morale, and attract and retain the best and brightest people for sustainable future success. I love helping businesses achieve their goals and what sets me apart is my dedication to really getting to know your business first.
I help YOU to create HR strategies that are bespoke to your needs encouraging you to take an integrated business strategy approach, starting with an honest assessment. I ask questions like ‘What kind of company is this?’ and ‘How would we describe the kind of people who work here?’ and ‘What makes us different from others?’ before tackling the more usual strategy question of ‘Where do we want to get to?’. This approach helps to set high performing organisations apart from others.
I believe the organisation’s leadership profile, company culture, and people’s talents should all drive and impact business strategy.
‘The HR Strategy you developed is so good I could cry!’
DR, Company Director
HR Reward
The complex area of reward is considered a dark art by many. And for good reason. It can be highly technical, analytical and structured, and yet also needs to be innovative, relevant and flexible.
Reward and recognition is integral to the wider HR strategy, in particular employee engagement and performance management, and often it’s hard to know where to start. And with Gender Pay Gap Reporting now front and centre on the agenda for every company over 250 employees, the link to diversity and inclusion has become ever more prominent. Frankly, there has never been a more critical time to get this important area right.
‘Gemma has the ability to think strategically and influence senior leaders.’
Rosie Ranganathan, HR Director, England & Wales Cricket Board
Employee Engagement
How would your employees describe your workplace culture? Having engaged, positive, happy employees makes sound commercial sense.
Disengaged employees will create an atmosphere of negativity, talent will leave and customers won’t get the service they deserve. Simply put, creating a great place to work has a direct impact on business performance and profitability. And yet very few organisations have a stated employee engagement strategy.
‘I am quite sure that Gemma’s strategy was integral to our achieving a place on the Sunday Times Top 100 list twice in a row’
Director, Technology Company
Leadership Development
Leadership is no longer about sitting in an oak-panelled room controlling the finances and making decisions behind closed doors. Modern leaders have to collaborate, and be transparent, engaging and receptive. They need to lead with impact and presence and yet retain humility and authenticity; make clear decisions and yet consult and listen; be bold, and yet build trust and be aware of their impact on others.
Building leadership capability is a challenge that is critical to overcome for business to succeed. I can help you to equip your leaders with the skills, tools, and confidence required to lead by example and inspire those around them, through a blend of coaching and training. Together we can build and deliver leadership development programmes across all levels, or bespoke training to suit the needs of the leadership population.
‘I’m really pleased with what we managed to achieve with the Leadership Team. I found Gemma’s perspective on our issues hugely valuable and I’m convinced what we covered together will help us in future.’
Ian Hillary, Director, Pfizer
Talent Development
Competition for talent is hot. Developing and retaining talent is critical to the success of any organisation. It’s important to know where your talent is, what development they need to truly excel, and how to keep them motivated and interested while delivering the day to day requirements of the business.
A bespoke training & development framework will ensure that talent at all levels will build on the core skills needed, and accelerate progress and performance to support the future plans of your organisation. An important feature of the development I can help you with is continuity of learning and practical opportunities to apply and embed the newly acquired skills.
One such development framework I have previously evolved and implemented was shortlisted for the CIPD Annual Award for Best Learning & Development Initiative.
‘The programme produced a step change in the way our employees position themselves to clients, and was directly aligned to our business strategy to change how we position ourselves in the market.’
Director, Technology Consultancy
Change Management
Long before we had the natty acronym VUCA to describe our world (Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex, Ambiguous), Darwin had already pointed out that the species most adaptable to change is most likely to survive. For me, the corporate world is no different.
Whatever the cause of the change – restructure, acquisition, culture change, or other change initiative – it can often feel difficult, unsettling and risky. If handled incorrectly, emotions can run high, resulting in an unnecessarily disruptive and costly exercise.
I help you to ensure any change management initiative in your organisation is conducted fairly, meets all legal requirements and allows your business to emerge positively and with its reputation intact. I can guide the process from start to finish with practical hands-on help to navigate through a potentially difficult and emotional time for your organisation allowing you to achieve the best results for both your business and your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is coaching and mentoring?
Coaching and mentoring are both valuable approaches for personal and professional development to overcome challenges in a structured and supportive manner.
A coach helps you to set specific goals, overcome obstacles, and deepen self-awareness. It is outcome-oriented and empowers you to find your own solutions in a non-directive way. The benefits of coaching include enhanced self-awareness, improved performance, and increased confidence.
A mentor is often more experienced in your specific profession and provides more directive guidance, advice, and support. It focuses on sharing knowledge, wisdom, and experience. The benefits of mentoring include gaining valuable insights, expanding networks, and benefiting from the mentor’s expertise.
What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
Coaching emphasises self-awareness, particularly in relation to our personal impact, relationships and behaviours. Mentoring emphasises knowledge transfer, building skills and expertise. While professional training exists for both approaches, it is more typical that a coach is professionally trained and certified. In contrast, a mentor can be a more experienced co-worker sharing their knowledge and expertise with a less experienced colleague.
What does an HR coach do?
An HR coach provides a blend of coaching and mentoring for HR Directors, HR Business Partners and HR managers. It blends executive coaching with experienced HR mentoring support helping you to navigate all operational and strategic HR matters alongside improving your self-awareness, confidence and personal impact.
Who is HR Coaching and Mentoring for?
I provide coaching and mentoring services for both established HR Directors and CPOs who are looking to make more impact in their role, and mid-level HR professionals who are looking to upskill and progress to a more senior role.
What will I achieve from HR mentoring and coaching?
From our sessions, you will gain valuable skills and knowledge in order to take your HR impact, and your organisation to the next level. During the sessions, which are tailored to your specific needs, we might cover topics such as
