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Fight for every heartbeat in a pivotal HR role at the British Heart Foundation

Written by: Jennifer Jackson
Published on: 11 Jun 2015

The British Heart Foundation is looking for an experienced HR advisor and HR business partner to join its People and Organisational Development team to help create a World Class organisation. Jennifer Jackson, careers content editor at People Management Jobs, spoke to Gill Staunton, head of human resources at the British Heart Foundation, to find out more about the roles and why the People and Organisational Development team is so pivotal to the charity’s success.

bhf

Why would someone want to work at the British Heart Foundation?

The great thing about working for BHF is the variety of people and the difference the money raised can make. We employ over 3,400 people and have over 25,000 volunteers. We have trained over 4,000 people in the last year in CPR skills. Recently Mandy, a sales assistant in Wolverhampton, was able to do CPR on her husband until the ambulance arrived which saved his life.

Why is the People and OD team so pivotal to the charity’s success?

People are vital to the work of BHF whether it is the cardiac nurse taking calls from anxious patients, to fundraisers organising events, or shop staff in our 730 shops. The HR team make sure we get the right people to make these activities happen. BHF has an annual turnover of over £277m so it is a large fast paced organisation with all the typical challenges that entails for HR, but with an end result that makes a difference.

What kind of people are you looking for?

Individuals with great people skills and the ability to work on projects that take the organisation towards its 2020 strategic aims.

What responsibilities are associated with the roles?

The HR business partners will work with a group of directorates to develop effective people and OD plans for their teams. This will involve building the skills of the teams and engendering a collaborative and informed approach. It will also involve integrating the BHF values - which are brave, informed, driven and compassionate - into everything we do.

The HR advisors will be involved in providing employee relations support and developing policies and processes to create a world class organisation.

What career challenges are HR professionals currently facing?

The pace of change within organisations requires HR professionals to constantly hone and enhance their skills so they can be an integral part of the organisation. This enables them to get involved right at the start of any projects or initiatives.

What kind of career progression and development opportunities do you offer your People and OD employees?

There are a number of different specialisms within BHF and all roles are advertised internally so we actively encourage people to seek new roles. A target for the 2020 People Plan is to have 50% of roles filled internally.

What exciting projects are you working on?

Driving effective people plans to meet the aims of the BHF strategy. Revising all the performance management processes. Working with directors to establish effective organisational structures.

Sum up what it’s like to work at BHF

No days are ever the same. We fight for every heartbeat and it’s great when you hear the inspirational stories about people who make a difference. I have been with the BHF for 14 years and it has grown hugely in that time. When you go out on one of the lab visits and hear about the ground-breaking work of the researchers that we fund, it makes you realise how unique the organisation is.

Find out more and apply for the HR advisor or HR business partner role.

Visit: www.bhf.org.uk