HR Manager - Wakefield

HR Manager Jobs

Human resources is probably the most important part of any business. Without employees, there’s no productivity, and without satisfied, skilled and experienced employees, work-rate will never be optimal as high staff turnover scuppers progress. That’s why it’s vital that good HR managers are in place, monitoring and planning the staffing of a whole site.

The HR manager will often be part of a network of HR managers over various locations. Working beneath a regional HR manager and the board (perhaps with dedicated HR representation at board level), this role is the eyes and ears on the ground, informing the upper management layers of needs and projections, but also ensuring the strategic instructions from above are implemented. This often requires a degree of autonomy as the board deals with more strategic issues, rather than micro-managing local employees.

The skills required

The HR manager first and foremost needs to be a great communicator. In this intermediary role, information, advice and instructions needs to flow through you as they pass from the shop floor to key decision-makers. It will be your responsibility to ensure staffing is always at its optimal level and that employees are trained up and in compliance with any regulations that apply to the sector. Clearly, HR experience in the relevant sector will be of huge advantage.

A methodical mindset is also a key requirement for this role. You may be asked to review and constantly improve processes and procedures. People skills along with a fair and balanced approach is also important, as it is usually the HR manager to whom employees come with grievances, and you will be the person charged with implementing disciplinary procedures at site level. An understanding of employment law in your sector will help to keep you on a firm legal footing throughout such matters.

HR Manager Jobs in Wakefield

Wakefield is a city just south of Leeds that comprises the five towns of Pontefract, Castleford, Normanton, Featherstone and Knottingley, as well as other minor towns. With a population of around 325,000, it’s a moderately sized city that is overshadowed by its northern neighbour and Sheffield, which is 20 miles (31 km) to the south. Wakefield is well connected by rail and road, with the M62 and the M1 passing by its north and west respectively.

The city and its constituent towns boomed during the Industrial Revolution when vast seams of coal were discovered beneath them. The area dug hundreds of mines and this remained the key industry in the area until the 1980s when they were closed down one by one. The last remaining one is Kellingley Colliery, located at Knottingley, just east of Pontefract.

The city remains industrial, however, although the days of heavy industry are largely gone. The city’s excellent communications and central location have made it an ideal place to site warehouses, factories and distribution centres, so HR Manager jobs regularly appear in the Wakefield area. There are also regeneration projects going on in the city designed to diversify and stimulate the economy, and this looks set to bring further growth to an area that has had to reinvent itself completely in thirty years.

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Find HR Manager Jobs with Cast UK

Cast UK is one of the most agile recruitment consultancies in the UK. We have offices in London, Birmingham and Manchester (where we were founded) but deal with recruitment for companies the length and breadth of the UK, and beyond. We achieve this by forging close relationships with companies in our specialist sectors. Our clients trust Cast UK to find skilled potential employees for the roles they need filling. That’s great news for them, as they spend less time interviewing and fielding applications; but it’s also great news for the talent too, as we can match candidates with potentially rewarding opportunities thanks to our knowledge of the role.

Looking to take the next step in your HR management career? Call us today on 0333 121 3345.

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