Putting the ‘Human’ Back into ‘Human Resources’ A Bourne senior HR and business adviser has realised her ambition of launching her own HR consultancy after being made redundant due to the coronavirus crisis.
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irsten Sunter saw the redundancy as a key opportunity to strike out on her own, and so she has created Odin HR Ltd, aimed primarily at advising small businesses without in-house HR resources on their employee matters. Odin HR offers advice and support by phone, e-mail, virtually or at your business premises.
With over twenty years’ multi-sector experience, including manufacturing and logistics, in global companies and a Masters-level qualification in Employment Law, Kirsten is a ‘safe pair of hands’. Kirsten says, “What makes me a little different as a person and a business is that, against a very workingclass background, through a series of circumstances, I had quite a privileged secondary education that would not normally have been available to a child of my parents’ means. Being away at boarding school from the age of ten was tough at first, but it opened up educational opportunities to me.” “During my university holidays, I worked full-time as a factory operative at what was George Adams, in Spalding. This was also a very important part of my development, experiencing first-hand how hard people work behind the scenes to produce the food we eat, and I built many new relationships. The combination of my home, school and early work experiences have shaped me as a down-to-earth, warm and ‘real’ person, who can relate well to all different types of people. I bring that approachability and interest in people into my business.”
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Odin HR offers guidance on employment law and people questions; disciplinary and grievance issues; sensitive ill-health and performance meetings; and ‘restructure or redundancy’ processes. The business puts together HR policies and employment documentation and delivers training on people management and basic employment law for line managers. For employers wanting to get the basics right to protect their businesses, Odin HR also provides an ‘HR Check-up’ service. Within just a short space of time, Odin HR is growing its portfolio of satisfied customers. Simply SIPs, Bourne’s specialist manufacturer of structural insulated panels for garden studios, says, “We needed employee contracts creating and we didn’t know where to start. We were on a very tight deadline. Kirsten worked her magic and responded professionally all the way through; she has a very friendly and approachable manner, guiding us every step of the way. She worked with speed and accuracy, keeping us informed at every stage. We are delighted to say Kirsten produced everything we required by our deadline. We highly recommend her services if you are a small or medium business looking for HR support.” Kirsten is proud to support “Don’t Lose Hope”, the Bourne counselling services charity, as their voluntary HR consultant. She is passionate about raising awareness of mental health issues and giving local people affordable access to the help they need. Last October, she raised over £600 for the charity when she carried out a tandem skydive at Sibson Airfield. OCT OBE R 2 0 2 0
