Charlotte
Eakin

WHO I HELP

SMEs. High-growth businesses. AAB People team. Business owners & directors. Medium-sized Companies. Large organisations. Large international organisations.

HOW I HELP (EXTERNAL CLIENTS)

Salary benchmarking and reports. Investigations, panel and appeals in disciplinary and grievances. HR meeting support. Absence management. Occupational Health referrals. Time and attendance issues. Review of HR documentation and policies/procedures. Day-to-day HR queries.

HOW I HELP (INTERNALLY)

Improving Process Efficiency. Supporting HR Advisors. HR Administration. Business Operations

SECTORS/SUPPORT

Business Services. Not for Profit. Construction & Property. Family Business. Public Sector.

“ONE OF MY GREATEST STRENGTHS IS THE ABILITY TO REMAIN LEVEL-HEADED IN STRESSFUL SITUATIONS WHICH ENSURES I AM THINKING CLEARLY & LOGICALLY.”

Charlotte Eakin joined the team in May 2023 as an Associate HR Consultant on the Graduate Training Programme. She assists in a wide variety of client work, meaning that every day is different in Charlotte’s role! So far in her role, Charlotte is involved in providing background support to the lead consultant with clients so typical activities could include benchmarking research, drafting letters and policies, note-taking during meetings and answering telephone queries that come into the office.

Charlotte is part of the HR Consultancy team providing support to clients, both on retained and project packages, where the aim is to act as an extension of the company’s team to provide specialist HR support. Already, Charlotte appreciates the strong relationship that the consultants here have with their clients and how committed they are to providing the best services for them.k

Working on such a huge range of client work also helps her to expand her body of knowledge. She benefits from the opportunity to work alongside different consultants within the team and observe the approach each takes with their client work to develop my skills for the future.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

“In my opinion, the ideal relationship with a client is one in which you are able to build a strong partnership with them and work closely together for the benefit of the organisation and its people. It is essential that the client can trust their HR Consultant and have faith in the work that is carried out. One of the best methods to achieve this is through effective communication via phone, email and face-to-face. I believe for the relationship to strengthen and develop in the long-term, it is important to ask for client feedback and invite them to offer suggestions for improvements to ensure that we are continually striving to provide the best bespoke service for them.”

EFFICIENCT & HIGH QUALITY

“HR Consultancy is a fast-paced environment and there are times when clients require work to be completed on an urgent timescale whilst ensuring not to sacrifice on excellence. Therefore, I would say that clients expect high quality work within a quick turnaround time.”

A REWARDING JOB

“One of my favourite aspects of consultancy is the variety of clients you are able to meet and work with and the opportunities this brings in terms of growing your network and being able to experience snippets of what each organisation and industry is like. Already, by speaking to clients on the phone, I can see how much they appreciate the expertise and guidance that they receive which makes the job very rewarding.

With regards to being a part of the AAB team, so far one of my favourite aspects is how willing every colleague is to help each other out, no matter their level of seniority. As a graduate starting out on my journey in HR and hoping to develop my knowledge and skillset, this is a huge support mechanism for me that is really appreciated.”

BEING DISRUPTIVE & ASSERTIVE

“AAB Group has a reputation for being disruptive and assertive, and I think any HR professional has to portray these values to an extent in order to be able to make a difference in the workplace. HR can sometimes disrupt the ways of working for some clients, but it is for the better! There are times when clients struggle to embrace change which requires a hint of assertiveness from the HR Consultant.”

THE HYBRID APPROACH

“Having worked both fully remote and fully in-office in previous roles, I am thoroughly enjoying the hybrid approach adopted by AAB. I definitely believe initial introductions to clients should be done face-to-face, if at all possible, to lay a good foundation for the relationship. However, when dealing with client queries and pieces of work, it saves both parties time and can be more convenient if they are done virtually.”

ONGOING CHALLENGES

“One challenge facing HR professionals is the ‘Great Resignation’ and concerns about retaining talent and managing employee expectations. As well as this, organisations are also dealing with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, so they are forced to find the balance between attracting candidates and setting realistic objectives. Diversity & Inclusion remains a continuous area of focus as well, particularly around expressions of gender identity, for example, so it is important to stay up to date with employment law updates.”

EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES

“I am extremely excited about my future in HR as I feel that I am starting my career in the best place possible in order to learn from top professionals in the industry. There are so many opportunities to develop my career here at AAB.

The future is exciting here at AAB as the journey is also just beginning with the company joining the wider AAB Group and enjoying continuous expansion. The opportunities this provides for business development across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the rest of the UK is very exciting to see how the company can grow.”

APPROACHING PROBLEMS AS A TEAM

“As I mentioned above, the willingness of the team to share their knowledge and work together is brilliant, and really lives up to the AAB Group value that ‘Collaboration is our superpower.’ The saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ rings true and by simply asking on a query you are not sure about, it is likely that someone else within the team will have some experience of it and they are always more than happy to share their expertise.”

THE ABILITY TO REMAIN CALM

“One of my greatest strengths is the ability to remain level-headed in stressful situations which ensures I am thinking clearly and logically. I believe this is an important attribute to have for working in HR as always staying focused is imperative. I’m also always keen to help in any way that I can.”

NOT A CASE OF ‘HIRING & FIRING’

“My personal pet peeve about HR is the negative portrayal it has by those who do not work in it. It’s disappointing that the concept of ‘hiring and firing’ is associated with as HR, especially as HR continues to have a growing strategic influence on the performance of organisations. This is particularly relevant as we continue to adapt to the workplace changes implemented by the pandemic which has resulted in organisations recognising the importance of focusing on the people within your company.”