Laura Wilcockson FCIPD

Supporting organisations including, SMEs, Colleges, Schools and Multi Academy Trusts. Providing flexible, expert HR support to help build compliant, high-performing, and people-focused workplaces. Support given includes: Development of strategically aligned people strategies. HR functionality transformation – aligning people practices with business goals to drive performance and growth. Employment Law & Compliance – ensuring policies, contracts, and processes meet current and upcoming legislation, including the Employment Rights Bill. Employee Relations & Case Management – expert guidance through complex employee issues with fairness, consistency, and risk management. Reward & Recognition – designing competitive pay structures, job families, and non-financial recognition programmes. Talent, Performance & Culture – supporting engagement, retention, and leadership capability through tailored frameworks and initiatives. Interim & Project Support – flexible HR leadership and delivery for change programmes, mergers, restructures, or periods of transition. Implementation and integration of ATS and HRIS systems.

Strategic HR leadership for a large further and higher education college employing 600 colleagues based over 5 campuses. Leading the human resources and learning function across the organisation. Managing the organisations HR and learning budgets. Coach and guide the executive and senior leadership teams with strategic people management direction. Design, deploy and deliver both the people strategy and learning & development strategy ensuring people are aligned to the organisational strategic plan. Lead in trade union relations and negotiations Deliver master class lecturers to CIPD students and aspiring HR talent.

The strategic management of all people led agendas for the organisation. Leading in a truly generalist role I actively contribute to the strategic growth of the organisation through the ongoing development of the organisations culture, people and learning. Support the team operationally providing pragmatic advice and making critical decisions to enable the business to flourish in a competitive industry. Developed a HR function that actively supports the business through the introduction of HR software systems, development of HR policy, training and support to Line Managers and the effective introduction of reward and recognition strategies. Developed and implemented an annual performance management programme introducing continual coaching conversations. Implemented the organisations strong culture and expectations which leads to continually high engagement levels. Developed and introduced the organisations well being agenda leading to recognition and accreditation from time to change, becoming one of the first hotels in the UK to be recognised as "time to change employer" focusing on supporting the physical and mental well being of the team leading to 98% of employees believing their employer genuinely cared for them. Worked in collaboration with City and Guilds to pilot a new global hospitality certificate becoming the first hotel globally to award its employees with the new certificate.

Working with two diverse City Centre Hotel properties one a 4* World-wide branded hotel Crowne Plaza Liverpool and an exclusive boutique hotel 62 Castle Street. Main focus is to Strategically manage the human capital at both properties to deliver an exceptional guest experience. • Provide pragmatic, statutory advice and support to Line Managers on a daily basis • Active contributor to the Executive/Senior management team • Develop and deliver people management training to Line Management including absence management, discipline, managing probation periods and recruitment. • Harmonisation of terms and conditions • Redundancy and restructure for commercial and financial sustainability • Introduce statutory compliance and auditable processes • Introduction of apprenticeships and youth incentive schemes • Guest lecturer at Liverpool JMU Leisure and Tourism Department The role of Human Resources Manager with Crowne Plaza Liverpool and 62 Castle Street involves a high detail of coaching, mentoring and advising line managers on achieving maximum output from their teams in order to achieve business goals. During the last 6 months I have been involved in leading a change management programme throughout the business; this involved the development of a new culture, core values and employee behaviours. I have also managed a staff council team to develop reward and recognition strategies to improve motivation, morale and retention. To reduce turnover I introduced a process for probation periods including 12 week development plans and online new starter surveys this enabled the organisation to develop feedback opportunities.

To manage and develop the Staffing and strategic Human Resource function. Manage the personnel department with the primary responsibility for the labour planning and organisational design accountable for an annual £1.5 million payroll budget. Additional responsibilities include the management of the recruitment and selection for a variety of positions ranging from casual catering workers to positions in the senior management team. In the absence of a company HR infrastructure I have also developed, introduced and continually monitor essential HR initiatives including absence management programmes, employee induction programmes, annual appraisal reviews, employee handbooks, exit interviews and recruitment and selection procedures all of which I continually measure for their effectiveness with a view to continually improve. Over the last year I have also been involved in the development of the Staffing and Personnel at other sites including Manchester City Football Club. At MCFC I worked with the Personnel Function to provide advice and guidance to enable them to work more effectively. I have also had the great opportunity to assist in the development of new business opportunities including contracts with Chester Zoo and Blackpool Winter Gardens. I feel this displayed my diversity, personal progression and ability to provide sound justifiable decisions and advice to address a cross range of issues. In 2011 I was also accredited as a professional trainer by the world renowned customer service training providers Welcome Host. I have delivered numerous customer service training sessions to employees at Chester Zoo and Blackpool Winter Gardens.

While at Brighter Prospects I was solely responsible for the placement of temporary assignments in the industrial division. This role required immense communication, delegation and sales skills with both workers and clients. I was incentivised on the achievement of set sales targets set against revenue I achieved for the business. During my time with Brighter Prospects I implemented, developed and managed a new hospitality division. To ensure this was effectively achieved I sourced new clients throughout the Wirral and Chester area and ensured these clients received a quality service by developing a good understanding of their company, industry, what they do and their work culture environment. I then sourced and screened candidates to suit the needs of their business. This was a huge success achieving a new stream of revenue for the organisation and developing my skills in the highly competitive recruitment industry.