10 in 5. Helen Arnold, Head of People and Culture

HR is an important part of any company, ensuring that rules and regulations are followed, but most importantly, that the people working there are in good hands. Working with HR can be demanding as it requires great communication and listening skills, being able to mediate and talk to people in different areas and solve problems and conflicts, but it can also be very rewarding seeing as you are helping people grow and thrive in their workplace.

At Humblebee we are thrilled to have Helen as our Head of People and Culture, she is always there when we need her!

1. Hey Helen! How are you doing?
   I am very well thanks, how are you?
2. I'm good! So what do you do at Humblebee?
   I look after the people and the culture by ensuring we have a good work environment, live our values and assist the Leads with building an empowering workplace through feedback, coaching and support. Officially my title is Head of People and Culture.
3. Can you tell us exactly what a Head of People and Culture at Humblebee does?
   I, together with my team, manage the employee life cycle process starting with the recruitment of new talented bees to the team and then look after them on their journey at Humblebee. I handle all work environment related matters to ensure a good work-life balance. Also, I do a lot of culture building activities so that the team enjoy coming to work and work well together. Furthermore, I handle our internal processes such as skills development, and make sure we are in compliance with applicable Employment & Labor laws.
4. How come you ended up working with HR?
   HR has been a part of my work for the last 20 years, although I have mainly been working as a Management Assistant or a Teacher. At Humblebee I got the opportunity to take a lead role in the HR field.
5. Tell us about something you’re particularly proud of in your line of work...
   I am particularly proud of the results that we attained on our team survey! We got especially high scores on trust in the team and if the bees would recommend Humblebee as a good workplace, over 8,5/10, and it’s a great result that certifies our company culture.
6. Do you have one good tip for a tool you love, or perhaps a book or resource you highly recommend?
   Something that I would recommend is the Non-violent communication method that helps one to describe their observation, feeling, needs and wishes. It’s very useful in a conflict or sensitive situation where the NVC steps advocates compassion through communication.
7. What do you do to make sure you continue to grow as an expert within HR?
   I read a lot, trying to stay updated with new surveys, statistics and best practices, but mostly by listening to the team’s experience and knowledge.
8. How do you think HR will evolve in the future?
   Good question! I think that it will continue to evolve from legal compliance and the structural organization of employees to a more human centric approach with a focus on exceptional employee experience. At least I hope so!
9. Do you have any advice for people starting out their career and considering HR?
   There are many different types of roles within HR, but you obviously need to like working with people. I think it’s important to have integrity, good communication skills and the flexibility and willingness to learn. HR can sometimes be stressful, but also very rewarding!
10. If you could give a company one piece of advice (from an HR perspective), what would that be?
    Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, said it well: “Take care of your employees and they'll take care of your business”.

If you’re interested in working at Humblebee then get in touch and we’ll meet up for coffee and a chat.