People profile : Head of HR

Name: Hannah Whatling

Education: Post Graduate CIPD

Position at Red Gate: Head of HR

Start date: November 2006

First job ever: Working as a 'Saturday Girl' in the local florists

Before you arrived at Red Gate what did you do?

I started my career in 1999 working for the Sainsbury Group as a Regional Trainer / HR Support Officer. Since then I have worked as a Personnel Officer / HR Advisor within the Manufacturing, Retail & Sports industries. Most recently I was working as an HR Advisor for a flavour and fragrance company.

What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?

Currently a lot of the focus is on improving our recruitment process and investing in our management team. Due to our significant growth over the past year we have organically grown managers who now need the support and encouragement to excel. Our most important asset is our employees and we believe that the more time we invest in them from day one the happier they will be. Employee engagement is key to our success and we are continually researching what staff want at Red Gate and what motivates them to do the best work of their lives.

What do you need to be Head of HR?

In general the CIPD qualification always helps when looking to progress within HR and solid knowledge of employment law. At Red Gate the focus is on doing the right thing by the employees not whether you have a policy or procedure in place. My role is more focused around understanding employee needs and enabling them to do great work. I provide support and guidance to everyone at Red Gate and strive to make Red Gate the best place to work. I want people to want to come to work.

Why did you choose Red Gate?

I chose Red Gate because it offered an exciting opportunity. It is fast moving, no red tape and is growing fast. The culture is very different to what I have been used to and I love it. The environment allows everyone here to really make a difference. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else!

What are your favourite Red Gate perks?

Flexible working, massages (for those stressful days) and the Feel Good Fridge.

What's your most memorable Red Gate experience so far?

There has been many but the most memorable would have to be when Neil and Simon called a 5.30pm meeting one evening. We had two coaches arrive to collect us all and we started on a journey into town. When we arrived in town we were finally told that Neil and Simon had arranged for the Apple store to be open for an hour and we all had £300 to spend! It was an amazing feeling and everyone was on a high for days! They even managed to keep it a secret from me!