Explore: Legal

Global HR Director
Freshfields Bruckhaus

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Kevin H

Global HR Director

So I’m the Global HR Director for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer which is a bit of mouthful. We are an international legal firm and my job really involves a wide variety of things associated with how as a business we go about attracting the people that we want to come and join us and work for us in the first instance. Through the sort of training that people get, the career experience, how much we pay them, how we pay them and also when we run into some difficulties about how we are going to say goodbye to them. So my job because of its global nature involves me having to travel around our office network is one of the, I have to say, the aspects of my job that I most enjoy.

 

My experience of school was pretty good I have to say. I went to the local comprehensive school; I was usually pretty near the top of the class, which I guess helps a bit enjoying that. I did some sciences I did some art, I did one language, that’s probably the one I wasn’t so good at. I really wish I’d spent more time on my French lessons because certainly being able to speak a second language has, on occasions I think held me back.

 

So when I left school I went straight to University. My parents both worked. My dad was a civil engineer and my mum was a librarian and they were very supportive of me through all my school years, they certainly didn’t give me a lot of help with my homework.

 

The first job that I got was straight from University. It’s quite interesting because I didn’t really want to get a job straight out of University; I really wanted to go travelling. My parents had paid for me to go to University and my dad was pretty keen on me getting a job so that they didn’t have to financially support me any longer. So I did a deal with him I said look I’ll apply for jobs while I’m at University but if I don’t get one by the time I finish then I’m going to go travelling and I’ll start again when I get back.

 

The very last job that I applied for I was offered that job so the deal is done with my dad I had to accept that and that was working for Boots the Chemist and it was fantastic. It was a great company to work for. They gave me great training, they were very patient with me because of course I knew absolutely nothing about what it was that I was doing and I joined the HR team and it really provided me with a very firm foundation for what was to come in the rest of my career.  So each one of my moves in the early part of my career I was trying to look for something different so moving from Boots into Financial Services that was different. Then moving from financial services into professional services, again that was different, into a partnership, a very different type of organisation again with a different culture. Then the Freshfields job came along at just the right time, just when I was looking for something that gave me more of that international experience. I’ve certainly learnt a lot from some of the bosses that I’ve worked for. I think all the way back to my very first boss, I have to say she was a fantastic influence over me and really helped me learn about what it took to be successful in the world of work and some really basic disciplines about what it takes to be successful. I’m a northerner, I like it in the north and for quite a long time I was quite resistant from having to make my way down to London. But largely what’s motivated me through most of my career and what’s been important to me is am I doing something that I think is meaningful for the organisation that I’m working in, is it making a difference.

 

Certainly there are always challenges in trying to combine two careers and a family, certainly when my kids were younger, my wife was also working and juggling two careers, both committed to our work with looking after the kids, and I think that that’s one of the important things about work life balance. It’s a very personal thing. What would be right for me isn’t right for somebody else, each of us have to make our own choices.

 

Kevin’s first role was in the HR department at Boots. He loved this role and it’s where he feels he gained many important skills. He went on to work in financial services before moving into law at Freshfields. He enjoys doing a job that makes a difference to people and the company in which he is working.

More information about Human resource managers and directors

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£57,200
average salary

The UK average salary is £29,813

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37
average weekly hours

There are 37.5 hours in the average working week

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34%  male 
66%  female 

The UK workforce is 47% female and 53% male

Future employment

Future employment?

Description
? Human resource managers and directors plan, organise and direct the personnel, training and industrial relations policies of organisations, advise on resource allocation and utilisation problems, measure the effectiveness of an organisation’s systems, methods and procedures and advise on, plan and implement procedures to improve utilisation of labour, equipment and materials.
Qualifications
There are no pre-set entry standards, although entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification. Off- and on-the-job training is provided and professional qualifications are available. NVQs/SVQs in relevant subjects are available at levels 3, 4 and 5.
Tasks
  • Determines staffing needs;
  • Oversees the preparation of job descriptions, drafts advertisements and interviews candidates;
  • Oversees the monitoring of employee performance and career development needs;
  • Provides or arranges for provision of training courses;
  • Undertakes industrial relations negotiations with employees’ representatives or trades unions;
  • Develops and administers salary, health and safety and promotion policies;
  • Examines and reports on company and departmental structures, chains of command, information flows, etc. and evaluates efficiency of existing operations;
  • Considers alternative work procedures to improve productivity;
  • Stays abreast of relevant legislation, considers its impact on the organisation’s HR strategy and recommends appropriate action.
Employment by region
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Top 10 industries for this job
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Employment activities 45824
Legal & accounting 15765
Head offices, etc 7847
Health 6948
Education 6374
Real estate 6219
Computer programming, etc 6016
Financial services 4949
Specialised construction 4268
Retail trade 4191
Employment status
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