Why People Place?

Before spending much of my HR career in Retail at Selfridges, I learnt my trade in Hospitality working for global brands including Hilton Hotels and Whitbread/Pepsico. Keen to broaden my horizons, I have spent the last couple of years working with professional services, Landscape Architects, Urban Designers, Accountants, Lawyers, PR and Marketing Consultants.

Untitled design-2.png — So, what can I tell you after more than 20 years’ experience in HR?

I have learned that people tend to have polarised views of the HR business function. There are those who think HR is full of fluffy, ego-stroking luvvies and there are those who think it’s populated by corporate careerists. Both of these, on one level, are true. Which one am I? Well, I have enough experience to know that somewhere in the middle lies the truth and I have learned to adapt my approach depending on the specific business needs of the company I’m working for. I understand that people are the back-bone of any business, but I’ve also been around long enough to know that sometimes striving for a best-fit just isn’t possible and there are times, however problematic, when it is necessary to have those difficult conversations, bite the bullet and ensure that an individual and the company can part company on good terms.

People can be puzzling & Employment Law and policies even more so! Not to mention the time and costs involved in getting it right - sometimes it just seems easier to put off making decisions about people and focus on making a profit. I get it - I’ve run my own business and found managing people can be more time-consuming and energy-zapping than any difficult client, or impossible deadline. But I also love people. I love their potential and I love solving problems - & your problems will become my problems. I am always positive that there is a solution. That doesn’t mean that I am hopelessly naïve or that I am overly soft - far from it! It just means that with over 20 years of experience working with various companies from just one employee to thousands of employees I have learnt one big thing: never back away from dealing with difficult decisions or people - the problems never go away.

You need to manage your relationships. Good work relationships may not lead to direct profits, but relationships that go unmanaged will cost you! Treat people fairly, reasonably and consistently and you can’t go wrong - I promise.

If we work together, there may be occasions when I tell you something that you really don’t want to hear. But that’s ok - you make the decisions, not me, & it’s your business, not mine. But what I can do, is help you regain control and develop your confidence in handling tricky conversations along the way. I’m miles more interested in helping you make commercial people decisions than dealing with compliance, but sometimes ensuring that you deal with compliance is the commercial decision that you need to make. And I can help you to do just that.

Testimonials

“Anna’s support as a HR consultant has been invaluable, she takes the time to fully understand the issues and offers helpful and constructive advice. Anna is always willing to share her vast knowledge and is an absolute pleasure to work with.”

Helen Faulkner, Compliance Manager - BRC Promotions LTD

I have been working alongside Anna for two years now and she is great fun to work with. She is down to earth, approachable and brings her fab sense of humor to the world of HR.

She is a master at striking the balance between what’s right for both the business and it’s employees.

If you are looking for someone that will guide you in making your business an amazing place to work then Anna will be the perfect fit for you.

Jools Aspinall, Founder - TVEA

“Planit-IE availed themselves of Anna Thorman’s considerable expertise in HR Consultancy in mid 2018, and from this time she has been working with the practice through a range of initiatives and capacities. During this period, we gained B Corp accreditation, with valued support from Anna relating to the positive impact we realise for our team members and can further extend - harnessing the power of business as a force for good.

Anna instigated gender pay gap reporting, industry-related salary benchmarking and team surveys. She also developed our ongoing Personal Development Plan system, which informs a structured annual training programme and budget. This gives our team members the technical, practical and management skills they need to progress throughout their careers.

I am particularly appreciative of the support Anna provides in terms of wellbeing, as part of the ongoing investment in our team. From mental health and wellbeing initiatives, through to individual action plans and support, she is approachable and provides reassurance backed by her extensive experience. Our Principals and Associate Directors now have a wider range of skills to identify and address matters within their teams; guiding and mentoring their colleagues.

Easy to talk to, balanced and informed, Anna has a people-centred approach that is appreciated by the whole team, from Directors to Year Out students and apprentices.”

Naomi Burl, Practice Manager - Planit I.E. Limited

“Anna's advice and support over the past couple of years has been invaluable. Dealing with redundancies, grievance matters and performance issues when you are a small business owner can be quite daunting and also extremely time consuming. Anna quickly gets to the central problem and gives us the clarity and confidence to move forward decisively. She has a very relaxed and informal style, which immediately puts you at ease.”

Alasdair Scobbie, Managing Director - MCS

“Anna was introduced to our business at a time of great uncertainty to help us to navigate the plethora of employment guidance being issued by the Government during the Covid pandemic. With her assistance, we were able to support staff through truly unprecedented times in a calm and professional manner.

Anna’s knowledge and experience proved vital to guiding us through those tricky summer months and, as a result of her extremely hard work and hands on approach, Anna is now very much part of our business and is seen as a member of the McHale & Co family.

We already have some exciting new projects in the pipeline and look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.”

Laura Sharrock, Director - McHale & Co Solicitors

“Anna came highly recommended to us and we asked her help us with an HR matter. We immediately felt we were in safe hands as she managed to process to a satisfactory conclusion for all parties involved. Her advice draws on the her considerable experience in the corporate world and is perfectly blended with a common sense, pragmatic approach to deal with the needs of less formal small businesses.”

Mike Braun, Beans Accountants

I worked with Anna for many years as both a HR business partner and a senior recruitment manager. In both these roles Anna was a true business partner she was extremely supportive, commercially focused and driven to deliver results . Anna has confidence and honesty in her approach and really supported me to drive the people agenda forward.

Vicki Cain, GM Selfridges, Trafford

Why People Place?

So, what can I tell you after more than 20 years’ experience in HR?

You need to manage your relationships. Good work relationships may not lead to direct profits, but relationships that go unmanaged will cost you! Treat people fairly, reasonably and consistently and you can’t go wrong - I promise.