A South West based human resources consultancy, which has more than 100 branches across three countries, is set to open its first office in Cornwall.
Mike Talbot, a former head of human resources at Swedish furniture company Ikea, will launch the first franchise of The HR Dept in the Duchy.
The branch, based at the Penstraze Business Centre in Truro, will provide outsourced services to SMEs in an area covering Padstow to St Agnes on the north coast, and St Mawes to Fowey in the south.
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After relocating from Ikea’s Bristol store to the company’s flagship UK base in Wembley, Mr Talbot worked for Hillingdon Council in West London for 13 years, initially as head of HR, before becoming corporate director, overseeing additional departments including legal services, communication, transformation and business performance.
Mr Talbot said: “Working with the council was when I became hyper curious about businesses. I dealt with a diverse range of services and people who all had different needs – from refuse collectors, to the army and solicitors. And from working in the culture-rich, relaxed environment of IKEA to the more corporate culture of the local authority, I’ve discovered that I no longer wanted to be tied to a single company and way of working but rather work for myself alongside a diverse range of people.
“I’ve realised that SMEs aren’t homogenous. They all have different needs, so you need a really personal relationship with them, and this is what really suits my personality. It’s an interesting time to be in HR and I am looking forward to immersing myself in the local business community and helping the passionate, entrepreneurial, spirted people of Truro and St Austell continue to run their own businesses.”
Felicity Kenny, managing director of The HR Dept, said: “It’s great to see someone of Mike’s calibre and experience offering HR services to SMEs in Truro, St Austell and the surrounding area. We wish him all the best operating the licence and are sure he will make it a great success.”
With its headquarters based in Emersons Green near Bristol, The HR Dept has grown to serve more than 6,500 small businesses in the UK, Ireland and Australia. In 2021 the company became employee-owned.
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