HR Director - South West

HR Director Jobs

In large companies, human resources is now too important a role to leave to line managers and general directors. Legal issues from employment rights to anti-discrimination policy can cause unprepared companies problems, and compliance within certain sectors requires a high degree of specialist knowledge. That is why there needs to be HR representation at board level in large companies, hence the requirement for HR directors.

And of course, HR is not just about compliance – it’s about ensuring the best possible people are located, assessed and given appropriate packages to attract them away from other roles and to remain contented in their current role. This has to be done at a strategic level, in concert with the rest of the board. Dedicated HR board members ensure that staffing is seen to be an important aspect of the company.

Growing companies too find the need for HR directors can arise at a certain point in their development. Becoming a company’s first HR director can be challenging but hugely rewarding.

The skills required

A thorough understanding of human resources is clearly a must at HR director level, but they will also need to be an exceptional people manager, as they might not be involved in the day-to-day business of HR, but will instead be overseeing an HR team, supervising training of new recruits and personal development of staff. Ultimately, they will be tasked with ensuring maximum employee engagement.

The HR director needs to see the bigger picture, and will have access to the internal workings of the business at executive level, including financial aspects, and to be able to make decisions based on financial, as well as operational factors.

HR Director Jobs in the South West

A region that encompasses Bristol, Gloucester, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire, as well as the Isles of Scilly, the South West is a diverse area that offers a broad range of opportunities for those seeking HR Director positions.

As demonstrated by the ancient monuments like Stonehenge and the Roman ruins in Bath, the South West has been settled for thousands of years. In fact, the oldest complete human skeleton ever found in the UK was discovered in Cheddar Gorge and dates back to around 7150 BC.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, much of the South West relied on fishing and shipping, particularly in Bristol, a city which harboured vessels that traded with Ireland, Iceland and the Americas. Later, it became known for coal mining, as well as heavy industry.

Today, aeronautics is an important part of the South West economy, and a number of companies have facilities in the region - such as Airbus UK, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce. There's also Defence Equipment and Support - the MoD's procurement and logistics agency.

Cheese, clotted cream and other dairy products are made in the region, with companies including Dairy Crest, which makes Cathedral City and Davidstow. Other food and beverage manufacturers include Ginsters, Ryvita, Kraft Foods UK and Beverage Brands, makers of WKD vodka. Meanwhile GSK manufactures Lucozade and Ribena in Coleford.

In addition, Princess Yachts, Siemens Traffic Controls, Merlin Entertainments, Endsleigh Insurance, Westland Helicopters and Wincanton plc are all based in the region.

Popular locations

Find HR Director Jobs with Cast UK

Cast UK is one of the UK’s most forward-thinking specialist recruiters, and we take great pride in the way we develop and nurture our advisors. Businesses and employees come back to us as they meet their own staffing and career needs, respectively, and we have great long-standing relationships with some of the UK’s most exciting employers.

As our portfolio of specialisms grows, so do the opportunities to help match up people with positions, and we have placed some impressive HR directors in equally impressive roles.

Call us today on 0333 121 3345 to find your perfect executive level position.

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