Jenni
Barkley

Who I help

SMEs. Large organisations.

How I help

Operational HR Support. Strategic Projects.

“I’m always looking at different ways things can be better.”

Jenni Barkley is a Principal Consultant in our retained HR team. Based in our Belfast office she is responsible for ensuring our retained HR clients receive a high-quality level of service and support. As part of the retained service, she partners with clients and provides support on everything from day-to-day operational aspects of HR to their more strategic bespoke projects.

Jenni helps organisations to align their HR actions with their business objectives to help them try to achieve their goals. The support of Jenni and the team provides guidance for more difficult projects her clients are trying to achieve.

Working in partnership

“When I’m working with clients it’s my main aim for this to be a partnership. Every good partnership has a foundation of mutual respect, trust and effective communication. For me, working in partnership has so many benefits. It enables us to generate ideas, plan and deliver impactful projects and share knowledge and experience with clients we’re supporting.

I’m very passionate about my job and believe this drives everything that I do and everything I observe my colleagues doing. We strive to be the best and are consistently looking for the best way of doing things for each client, ensuring a bespoke approach each time. ”

More than one answer for everything

“I really enjoy problem solving I’m always looking at different ways things can be better or ways they can be more effective. Being able to constantly review the way in which things are done helps us to deliver a better quality of service because we won’t just settle for the first answer. Just because something has always been done in one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way that it can be done.

I’m a firm believer that unexpected blockers and challenges are actually great opportunities. There is always going to be an answer for everything, sometimes getting to that answer will take us time. Sometimes it will involve recruiting support from other teams across the group or individuals in AAB People. Something our clients can always guarantee however, is that we’ll do whatever we can to help them and get an answer.”

Navigating a changing landscape

“HR is a constantly changing discipline that’s always evolving. In our line of work it’s really important that we get on the front foot and are able to successfully deal with these changes. For this, I take an organised approach. Ensuring that we keep up to date with potential legislation changes so we can brief our clients ahead of time, letting them know what the changes are and how they’ll affect them.”

Valued by clients

“I’ve had clients tell me before that they couldn’t manage without me- that was so lovely to hear. HR can sometimes be a specialism that’s often under-valued so it’s great to hear that my support isn’t just appreciated but also needed.

At AAB People we work with a variety of clients- delivering services that aim to help them achieve their goals. We’re able to play a really important and exciting part in this because we’re able to work alongside them to enhance their organisational performance by creating amazing workplaces that their people are proud to work for.”

Working together

“One of the best parts of being part of AAB Group is that you’re never alone. At AAB People we work across the UK and Ireland to deliver high quality services. With over 30  people in the team there’s no shortage of people to ask for support and help when we need it. This ultimately helps us all to deliver a better service and progress our careers as we’re constantly learning from the people in our team and around us.”