Kim has over 20 years of experience in translating business strategies into actionable, progressive people plans within multinationals and fast paced start-ups. As the Head of People Experience at Hilti Northern Europe, Kim is dedicated to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture, achieving sustained accolades in the UKs Best Companies to Work for and Great Place to Work. Hilti is currently ranked 3rd Best Place to Work in Europe and 5th Best Place to Work globally.
We are delighted that Kim will be speaking in Manchester as part of our UK Summit. We caught up with her to find out how she’s feeling in the runup to the event.
Hi Kim, we are thrilled that you will be speaking at the Wellbeing at Work UK Summit in September. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
I am doing good, thanks for asking. My little one Saoirse is not so little anymore and starting school in September, I feel like I am shifting into a new era at work and home. Good changes but a lot going on!
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing and mental health?
Supporting Manager wellbeing is key. Globally, there is declining trend in Manager engagement which obviously then impacts wider employee wellbeing. Managers are often the squeezed middle – feeling the pressure of delivery whilst balancing the complex needs of their team.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that are moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
I see many organisations, like my own, starting to focus more on the fundamentals. Creating a psychologically safe environment where team members can be themselves, thrive at work and speak up if something is wrong or they need help. Without this safety, the additional layers of apps, training, policies, providers, strategies have little impact in moving the dial on workplace wellbeing.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
I came to realise last year what “my why” is. For me, it is making the workplace better – fair, fun, respectful. When I am at my best, I have a supportive Manager, colleagues around me who I care about and who care about me and in an organisation that looks after its foundation – the people. I know I am not alone in thriving in this formula.
What impact is AI having in your organisation and how are you managing that?
For us, it is key it is weaved into every part of our business – from opportunities for personal productivity through to product and software development. A journey for us all and one we must help our teams embrace rather than fear.
Other than AI, are there any challenges that you are seeing for the first time and how are you addressing them?
Neuroinclusion is not new, however, is coming up increasingly and organisations need to equip themselves and their teams to embrace the opportunities this brings. We are leveraging our Own It! Group and partnership with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to educate, develop practical Guidelines and improve our approach to recruitment/on-boarding, where we can.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
For me 3 things – creating safe spaces for people to be themselves and speak up about what they think/need; Supporting Manager well-being so that they feel cared for and, are in a better position to look after those in their care; becoming more nuanced about the varying needs of the workforce from all different angles of identify and shifting from the one size fits all approach (not easy!)
Kim will be speaking in Manchester at the Wellbeing at Work Summit UK.
Our London Summit takes place on 23rd September. Visit our London webpage for further details and to book your tickets.
Our Manchester Summit takes place on 25th September. To find out more about our Manchester Summit and book your tickets please visit our Mancherster webpage.
