HR Manager - Widnes

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 Widnes

At the north-eastern edge of Cheshire lies Widnes, a town of around 60,000 population built on heavy industry, particularly chemicals, where ICI had a huge presence for decades before fragmenting in the 1990s. The chemical industry chose Widnes partly for the plentiful supply of water, just like Runcorn, to which it is joined by a railway and road bridge over the Mersey.

The centre of Liverpool is 11 miles (17 km) to the west, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport just 4 miles (7km) form the centre of Widnes. Although not actually in Widnes, the Jaguar Land rover car production plant is just outside the town in Halewood, and it has been a large employer of people from Widnes. For decades the plant was owned by Ford, and the locals still cal the main boulevard that passes it “The Ford Road”. Under the new management, the factory is doing extremely well, helped by a local enthusiastic workforce.

Widnes has two musical claims to fame, one certain, one apocryphal. First was the Stone Roses’ Spike Island gig, the pinnacle of the Madchester scene in 1990. The second claim is that Paul Simon wrote “Homeward Bound” at Widnes Station, although Simon isn’t 100% sure himself!

Widnes has retained many of its industrial plants, although they are no longer owned by the giant ICI, and have been taken over by a multitude of companies. The well-connected town is handy for Liverpool, Warrington, St Helens and Runcorn, and has the M62 at its northern point. All this makes it a good place to locate any logistics operations, and indeed, HR Manager jobs or similar positions have been through our system in Widnes.

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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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