Head of HR, Inspirational Female Leader

Laureen McHaffie, Head of Human Resources at Phyllis Court has been chosen as one of "Perkbox's 20 Female Forces of 2020".  

She joined Phyllis Court in 2017 and was tasked with providing a new strategic direction for Human Resources (HR) to ensure that the workforce was competent, confident and highly motivated. In the last three years Laureen has made great strides in HR at Phyllis Court so it is no surprise that she has been recognised. 

The announcement was made to mark International Women’s Day on 8th March 2020. Megan Owen, Account Manager at Perkbox explained that Laureen was “selected as a female force for the great work that [she does] at Phyllis Court empowering women in the workplace, and being an inspirational female leader.”

Perkbox, is a platform that ‘brings employee benefits, wellbeing, feedback and recognition together’ and it is used at Phyllis Court as part of our staff retention strategy. Perkbox interviewed Laureen about being a successful female leader in 2020, her role models and the initiatives she has introduced at Phyllis Court.

Megan asked Laureen what has motivated her to achieve “I’ve had many fabulous, strong and kind female role models in my life which I know makes me fortunate. I aspire to be a role model to not just other women in the workplace but to all those I interact with through my job and life in general.”

When asked about the initiatives she has implemented at Phyllis Court, Laureen explained “I initially looked at staff pay and benefits, and last summer we changed all staff onto new contracts to harmonise pay and conditions. This means all of our staff are paid for the role they perform and the level of responsibility they have. It’s not based on gender, which has helped shrink the pay gap – but it's still a work in progress and something I like to keep an eye on.
All staff love to share their opinions, so I worked with a group of young leaders in the Club to help them form a Staff Consultative Committee (SCC), giving all staff a voice. The committee works on initiatives that impact the entire workforce and not just their areas. We’ve just appointed our first female chairperson to the SCC and also have a female deputy chair.”

Perkbox asked Laureen about the most significant barriers in her career as a female leader “I think imposter syndrome is quite common, especially for women, and can feel isolating at times. I’ve been lucky enough to meet several ‘coaches’ during my career journey who’ve helped me put my qualifications, experience and knowledge into perspective – helping to make me a better leader and HR professional.”

Laureen also shared her advice for the next generation of female leaders “Be yourself, look for strong female role models in your life and take inspiration from them.”

Read the full interview here.