ABOUT US
Welcome inside The HR House; here’s a little bit about what makes us, us.
An organisation is defined by its people, and people are our thing.
Before establishing The HR House, Tanya and Gemma had spent their careers climbing the corporate HR ladder. Both starting out as HR administrators, they quickly fell in love with the profession.
Between them, they have over 30 years of experience working in HR at a senior level. Having always worked for large organisations (and the notorious red tape that comes with it) they decided it was time for change.
As people who care about people, they wanted to create a service that provides SME’s with HR expertise in the way they believe it should be done – uncomplicated, friendly and effective.
Thus, the HR House was born.
Our Team
CO-FOUNDER
Tanya Smith
I have been an HR Manager for the last 19 years. I love working with people everyday from team members to senior leaders and directors. My greatest passion as an HR Manager has always been having the opportunity to inspire others whether this is through training, creating a realistic development plan, or simply listening and coaching. My experience has taught me that having the fundamentals in place is non-negotiable. Once everyone knows what is expected, how they will be measured and what's in it for them to be there businesses will start to see employee fulfilment increase and as a consequence performance will increase too. Simple but not always Easy.
My first HRM role was with Sainsbury's after working my way up from Personnel Clerk and completing their Personnel Manager in Training Scheme. I was given my first store at 23 and thought I had won the lottery! I adore the retail sector because of Sainsbury's - and remain an advocate of them and their brand to this day.
Next I worked for a global business Eaton Power Solutions as their HR Manager and travelled the world and worked alongside Senior leaders and engineers doing so. a tough but very rewarding gig
I then went into the Leisure industry and spent the next 12 years as Butlin's HR Manager. A 24 hour business that involved high volume recruitment, 12 different departments on one resort, often likened to a small village all with very different needs and responsibilities.
Today I provide HR Management support to a Training company that specialises in telecoms - a rapidly growing business
Outside of work, I am a busy Mum to 2 beautiful girls and 1 energetic dog.
CO-FOUNDER
Gemma Guiney
Whilst studying for a degree in Business Administration at Portsmouth University, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in HR. After I graduated, I enrolled onto my CIPD Level 5 and started working as a HR Administrator. It’s safe to say that’s when I fell in love with the profession. I spent the next 10 years experiencing all the different facets that HR has to offer, learning lots along the way. In that time, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to cover a variety of different roles.
My first leadership role was that of HR Assistant Manager – a great generalist role which allowed me to work with leaders all across the business. I then specialised in recruitment for a short time, heading up the resorts in house recruitment function; a role that allowed me to work with other local organisations within the community which I loved. I was then promoted to HR Operations Manager, supporting a fantastic HR team as well as leaders across the resort.
After having my two gorgeous girls, I wanted a role that offered me more flexibility around my family life. I now get to work with some amazing small businesses, helping them with all things HR.