HR
PEOPLE POWER
WORDS : SARAH WALKER PICTURE : DAZ MACK
Mission – Jo Davies wants to help employers become ‘ brands of choice ’ for job seekers .
People guru offers key services to entrepreneurs old and new
Having a “ people strategy ” is the key to success for the growing number of entrepreneurs on Teesside .
That ’ s the view of Jo Davies , owner of HR Alchemy , who , inspired by the proliferation of new businesses in the digital and creative sectors , has seen an opportunity to support Teesside companies when it comes to fostering a positive workplace culture .
At the same time , older “ staid ” businesses can benefit from her fresh approach to what modern-day workplaces need to succeed and continue to prosper .
Jo , whose mission is to help create “ employer brands of choice ” that attract the best people on Teesside , explains new business owners lack the people management skills and an embedded company culture to make it clear to staff what ’ s expected in terms of behaviour and processes .
Often , because of their inexperience as employers , new business owners who are suddenly responsible for a large number of staff , feel under pressure to retain control of everything .
As a result , they fail to empower the staff they have hired to do their jobs without being stifled or frustrated .
In the case of older businesses , HR policies and approaches to recruitment that were written in the 1980s are unlikely to attract the best talent in today ’ s competitive recruitment marketplace , Jo says .
Thankfully , Jo is an ally to businesses of all ages and sizes and aims to use her people knowledge to guide Tees business operators on how to become standout employers of choice .
“ At HR Alchemy , we want to support the business community in the Tees Valley to understand the way modern workplaces have to move ,” says Jo .
“ It ’ s not just about providing fancy offices or a pool table and it ’ s not just about hybrid working or good pay and conditions – it ’ s not that simple .
“ We are now aiming to provide a service that ’ s much more relevant to today ’ s employers than being simply governance or compliance-led and instead , empowers Tees Valley businesses to future proof their organisation .”
Jo has decades of experience as an HR professional to draw on , having spent a large part of her career navigating employer-employee relations in the steel industry .
She is incredibly astute when it comes to the needs of today ’ s businesses to put their environmental , social and governance ( ESG ) responsibilities into sharp focus .
The rise of the “ employer of choice ” means employers of today need to offer a fantastic work culture and environment that attracts and retains superior employees .
These are “ mindful job seekers ” looking for forward-thinking employers with purpose , whose environmental , social and cultural values chime with their own .
“ The unique services we will be offering later this year include consultancy , audits , workshops and discovery sessions that get under the skin of businesses and help them address any issues ,” Jo says .
“ We make companies take a good look at themselves and then expose and improve their culture , to attract and retain the best staff in a competitive marketplace .
“ We are people strategists and the HR and governance services we are known for are a by-product .
“ We are saying to employers who come looking for help with HR governance policies , ‘ Actually , let ’ s look at your business and see how you ’ re doing with your culture and how your people feel ’ – HR policies and governance can be built from there .”
When it comes to her own team , Jo is growing HR Alchemy and is currently in the process of recruiting an HR graduate from Teesside University .
She has already taken on a senior HR people adviser , is moving to new offices in Yarm and is hoping to further grow her team in 2022 .
“ With our new team , we are putting the ‘ people ’ back into HR ,” says Jo .
“ We believe there is so much more businesses can achieve if they have a people strategy in place .”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 87