In this blog, we speak to Lesa Ford, Business Support Administrator who joined the Gravitate HR team in October 2023. We ask Lesa about her journey prior to joining the team, her role here and views of the current HR climate.
Tell us about yourself, how did you get into HR and what brought you to Gravitate?
With decades of experience in administrative roles across various industries, I have a varied background, from Operations Administrator and Personal Assistant to Directors to HR Co-ordinator. I’ve always had an interest in business and achieved a BA in Business (with Marketing). My passion for HR ignited whilst working at an engineering consultancy in Aberdeen. Subsequently, I focused on Recruitment and general HR administrative support, earning a Postgraduate degree in Human Resources during my time there. After taking time off to raise my family and work as a self-employed childminder, I returned to administration in a nursery, before eventually returning to the HR environment – my preferred field. I am fortunate to be part of the wonderful team here at Gravitate HR where I’m able to utilise my skills and knowledge in Administration within the areas of Business, Human Resources and Marketing.
What is your role?
As the Business Support Administrator here at Gravitate, no two days are the same. Often the first point of contact on the phone, I enjoy speaking to diverse businesses and clients on a day-to-day basis. I support all staff with administrative and operational tasks and I am involved in a wide variety of activities such as various Marketing initiatives, as well as supporting our consultants with recruitment, documentation and any business support and administrative needs.
What projects are you and your team working on at the moment?
I’ve recently been helping organise various webinars, in-person events, HR Training and Marketing materials in order to keep our business community informed of the recent changes to HR Legislation (of which there are many)! Some of these changes have already come into force and others will soon be here – for example the upcoming Sexual Harassment Legislation which will impact every business. It’s important to spread the news to ensure our clients and those in the business community are kept informed and can be pro-active in their practices. I also recently helped highlight the positive impact a Proactive ESG & People Audit had on our retained client’s business and employees, and assisted the team in creating a useful HR Toolkit – a Free ESG Audit for any business to use.
What is the best thing about your job?
Working with such a professional and nurturing team, who each have their own specialist niche and are always happy to share ideas and advice. Although it sounds clichéd, it does feel like we are a family who all look out for and support each other.
With HR support, what are the main opportunities for businesses right now?
I’m watching with interest the New Scottish Hate Crime Law and how this ties in with the important issue of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). The Equality Act has been in force since 2010 and was created to ensure all businesses provide an environment where every worker feels included and treated equally and without prejudice, whilst ensuring the business encourages a diverse workforce. 2010 was the time when all businesses should have been ensuring they and their workers were compliant with the Equality Act, 2024 will be an opportunity to finetune those policies and procedures and review work practices and culture by engaging workers and re-evaluating the systems and processes in place.
What do you do outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my teenage son and my family. I love swimming and walking, and I’m also a regular gym goer – although I enjoy the gym most when the session is over! To relax, I love writing poetry and reading.
Want to find out more about how our HR services can help your business? Get in touch at: info@gravitatehr.co.uk
