HR Director - Sunderland

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 Sunderland

A local district in the county of Tyne and Wear, Sunderland is situated at the mouth of the River Wear and for hundreds of years, the region served as a port, mainly trading products like coal and salt.

Throughout the Industrial Revolution, Sunderland's economy was based on industries like brewing, glassmaking, pottery and rope making.

From the 14th century onwards, Sunderland was also an important place for shipbuilding. In 1814, there were 24 shipyards in the region and by 1840 this number had risen to 65. By the middle of the 20th century, a significant portion of the country's merchant and naval ships were produced here.

The last of the shipyards, however, closed in 1988 and much of the other heavy industry has also disappeared from the region. Today, the economy of Sunderland is now mainly based in the service sector, although a number of factories and production facilities still exist.

Those seeking HR Director roles in Sunderland will have a range of options to consider and a number of companies operate regional offices, warehouses and other facilities in the region - including Littlewoods and LG Electronics.

Berghaus, an outdoor clothing manufacturer has its head office in Sunderland and so does Arriva, the public transport company. The 2 Sisters Food Group, which supplies poultry, fish, chilled and frozen items and bakery goods to supermarkets, also has a site here.

Meanwhile the Nissan car plant in Sunderland is the largest factory of its kind in the UK and produces vehicles like the Micra, Note and Qashqai.

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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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