Clare Bye, 35, head of HR at property damage restoration
company Munters UK, explains how she is supporting managers with its new
Academy project
What does your role involve?
I provide a complete HR service to support the needs of the business, which
includes responsibility for management development and training, and offering
advice and support to line managers.
What is your current major training project or strategic push?
We recently launched the Munters Academy for managers and high potentials.
We teamed up with a specialist online training provider to develop a web-based
training resource to give our managers the chance to gain certificates in
management disciplines. The Academy is a more flexible approach, allowing
managers to access it when they have time, or when faced with a particular
management challenge that requires support or guidance.
What impact would you like to have on your organisation?
– To improve teamworking
– To maximise the potential of our management team
– To create a paperless HR department!
What did you want to do for a living when you were at school?
I always wanted to work for Marks and Spencer which is where I started my
management/HR career.
What do you think will be the core skills for your job in the future?
– Flexibility
– Ability to handle/manage change
– Commercial awareness
– Exploitation of IT
What do you think is the greatest challenge facing the training
profession?
Commercial managers want to see an immediate positive impact on their
balance sheets. Training managers have to ensure their programmes are flexible
enough to dovetail in with the needs of the business at any particular time,
and that the benefits can be seen quickly and quantifiably. Training material
must remain current at all times and reflect leading-edge practices to ensure
credibility and relevance.
How do you get the best from people?
It’s a bit cliché, but by treating people as you wish to be treated. Listen,
tell them what is going on in the organisation, do what you say you are going
to do, and make sure people are paid what they deserve where possible.
Can you remember the best training session you attended?
One of the first training sessions I ever attended – Train the Trainer, an
internal Marks & Spencer course.
Can you remember the worst?
Yes – Employment law for beginners. The title alone says it all!
What is your essential tool in your job?
My mobile phone and laptop.
Which gurus do you most admire or find most inspiring?
Charles Handy. I’ve heard him speak a couple of times at Chartered Institute
of Personnel and Development conferences and he was truly awesome.
What is your dream job?
To own and run a luxury spa in the Caribbean!
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