A Seat at the Table: Optimising HR in Food with Jennie Beasley

When you have a question about your job, you go to HR. When you want to make a complaint about a colleague, you go to HR. When you need support in your workplace, you go to HR. But… who does your HR person go to? On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we invite special guest and HR expert Jennie Beasley to shine a light on another underappreciated role in the UK food industry: the HR specialist. Jennie gives us a walk through her HR career journey, covering her time in a job share partnership and how she transitioned from being an HR employee to the position of Head of HR. She weighs up the merits of working part-time against being in a job share scheme and unpacks some of the unique challenges of working in HR in the food industry. You’ll learn what HR is actually responsible for and why you shouldn’t try to load extra duties onto your HR representative’s plate! At the end of the episode, Jennis gives advice to other HR staff about how and why they should take care of themselves and she runs us through some of the services that she offers in her new HR coaching business. Jennie, thanks so much for coming onto the podcast and sharing your wisdom with us! If you work in a role in the food industry that we should know more about, please get in touch with the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast via our Facebook or LinkedIn page. We always love hearing from you! Timestamps[1:40] Welcome to Oh For Food’s Sake, Jennie![2:43] Jennie tells us her mission in the food industry[5:53] Jennie’s potted career story[8:37] The early days of job sharing[10:47] Job share vs part time: Which is better?[15:29] “A totally different feeling”: Changing jobs and moving to a smaller company [17:23] Clashing priorities: What HR looks like behind the scenes[20:08] Unpacking the challenges of HR workers in the food industry [21:31] What is HR actually responsible for?[24:50] “Can you just…?” Actually, no! [26:07] The fine line of working in HR[28:44] Why HR workers need to look after themselves too [30:12] The unique position of HR during the pandemic[32:18] What advice would you give to HR leaders, Jennie? [34:26] How will the food industry adapt to flexible working?[36:48] “It’s a choice”: Dedicating time to your personal development [39:05] HR needs to be able to ask for help too![41:45] Making a safe place for HR: Jennie’s career coaching services [45:30] How to get in touch with JennieLinks and ResourcesJennie Beasley on LinkedInEmail: freedomhrandcoaching@btinternet.comIf you’d like to know more about today’s sponsor, find them online at: DaymerDaymer on LinkedInDaymer on TwitterEmail: web@daymer.comYou can follow us here on instagramIf you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedInFor food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedInSee you next time!