Helen
Lee

WHO I HELP

Large international organisation. SMEs.

HOW I HELP

Employee Relations Management. Coaching & Supporting Managers. Investigation and Disciplinary procedures. Review of HR Documentation and Policies/Procedures. Day-to-day HR queries.

SECTORS/SUPPORT

Tech. Food & Drink. Leisure, Retail & Hospitality. Education. Business Services.

“I STAY CALM IN THE FACE OF STRESSFUL SITUATIONS.”

As an HR Business Partner, Helen Lee manages and influences human resources strategy and provides guidance to organisations. She collaborates with clients to streamline their HR process and ensure they adhere to UK employment legislation.

Functioning as the HR expert for her clients, Helen provides guidance on employee relations, policy, recruitment, reward and benefits, absence management, wellbeing, training and development.

PROFESSIONAL & CONFIDENTIAL

“For me, relationships with clients are all about open communication and mutual trust. It’s great when you build a rapport with a client and get to a point where they know they can tell me exactly what’s happened, however bad it is, and they know I won’t prematurely form an opinion or be judgemental. Clients can always trust that I’ll provide professionalism and confidentiality.”

RELIABLE, KNOWLEDGABLE & ADAPTABLE

“Clients also expect me to have a good understanding of their business, a be a reliable and consistent support. They also expect me to have excellent HR knowledge, of course, and   be able to adapt to their business, providing a range of solutions and the ability to problem solve.

Ultimately, they want me to take the headache away, in whichever way I can, and they want to feel reassured that I can deal with whatever problems crop up – there are always solutions!”

VARIETY & NEUTRALITY

“I find the variety of my work very interesting. It’s great getting to know clients, really getting under the skin of the business and understanding how it operates. Being ‘neutral’ rather than an official employee of the business allows me to sit outside of a lot of the company politics that may arise, which is often reassuring for the client.”

THERE’S ALWAYS SOMEBODY TO TALK TO

“The great thing about being part of such a fantastic team is that we all work together and support each other With our range of knowledge– we share ideas, suggest improvements, or just do a sense check, and that kind of teamwork is invaluable.

Even when you’re dealing with a tough situation, or having a difficult day, there’s always somebody you can phone for advice.”

A BLENDED APPROACH

“Before 2020, it was thought to be crucial to physically be in front of clients to form a strong relationship, but there have been a lot of changes since then, and now I think people realise a bit more that virtual and remote communication can play a significant role.

I strongly believe that there’s a place for both in person and tech-enabled communication, and it’s about judging what each situation requires.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY

“The biggest challenge in my field is skill shortage within the tech world and the knock-on effects of this, such as salary inflation. I overcome this challenge by being a creative in how to fill skills gaps for clients. Creativity is certainly an attribute that comes in handy when it comes to recruitment.”

STAYING ON THE POSITIVE SIDE

“The AAB Group Value that jumps out at me the most is the ‘ethos of positivity, enthusiasm and fun.’ I’m a hard worker, but it’s also important to me to stay positive and enthusiastic about the work and demonstrate this to clients and colleagues.

As keen to listen and support clients and colleagues as we are, inevitably in HR, there are difficult situations. But I think if you can try to stay on the positive side of things, it really helps. With the tougher decisions, you have to remember that they’re being made for the sake of the business.  in difficult situations, as long as you’re being open, fair, and supportive, you can help to make it easier and mitigate potential negative consequences… As long as you you’ve treated people as you would want to be treated yourself, then there isn’t much more you can do. You know that you’ve done your job.”

CALM IN THE FACE OF PROBLEMS

“I believe that the greatest strength I bring to AAB People is my calmness in the face of potentially stressful situations. I think it’s something I’ve developed with experience over the years of solving problems and having difficult conversations. I don’t panic, the chances are I’ve already seen this problem before, and I know how to handle it and what the ideal solution is.

Another strength is my flexible approach. I understand the legislation, and will always let the client know the risk associated if they don’t follow best practise and all the available options, but I never dictate to my clients what they have to do. I’m also approachable and easy to talk to, and I genuinely care about my clients.”