Debbie Wallis Senior HR Advisor
Tell us about you
I live in Bognor Regis with my wife and our soon to be teenage daughter, originating from the Isle of Wight I love living and working by the seaside. Really enjoy travel, theatre trips and spending time with family and my two miniature sausage dogs. I’ve been in various leadership roles for nearly twenty years and in HR specifically for the last six.
Tell us about your role and how you can help / support
As many of my colleagues have said its extremely varied, no two days are alike! From supporting clients with queries around process and protocol relating to people relations to supporting the HRBPs with putting together a bespoke people plan or new induction plan. There isn’t much we don’t get involved with.
A day in the life of a Senior HR Advisor
This can vary massively, I typically start my day catching up on any developments that might have happened overnight as I work with clients who are Global. Then I might support a client with a disciplinary or absence meeting, ensuring great practice happens. I also work on some bespoke Aspiring Gold Standard projects, such as induction programmes, wellbeing calendars and initiatives, so you can usually find me stuck into updates or writing new materials to support our clients.
What do you love most about your role?
The pace, the changing of hats when supporting multiple clients and very much the team that surround me, both from a colleague level to the clients we work with.
What’s your greatest achievement?
Personally, I think this changes based on the time of your life, currently I’m working on completing further education around work and for me having not been at school for 20 years is a massive achievement and one I’m extremely proud to work towards. Each week and assignment submission notches this further on.
I am also extremely proud of my daughter, I could not be prouder of the young person she’s becoming and the reflection of the investment I have put into her development as a parent will always mark this as my greatest achievement in life.
Who is your role model / idol / greatest inspiration?
It usually surprises people, but I have always been inspired by Dolly Parton. Supporting in the world without desire to ‘showboat’ she genuinely cares about others and wants to make a difference, utilising the success she’s had in her career to positively impact those around her and a lot of people who she’s never met.
How do you switch off and take some time out?
I like to read; I find getting lost in a story or if it’s non-fiction a theory very beneficial. I also have those moments where I put Spotify on and get the cheesiest tunes playing to sing along to at the top of my lungs, usually whilst introducing my daughter to songs that she ‘absolutely should know’.