People and Talent Manager
18 days ago
Sidcup
People & Talent Manager Type: Full-time Full time On site - Sidcup, London Overview House of Willow Alexander is scaling – fast. We’re seeking a commercially minded, emotionally intelligent People & Talent Manager to take the reins on hiring and retaining top-tier trade professionals across our service categories: gardening, electrics, handyman, window cleaning, and domestic cleaning. This person won’t just “do HR”. They’ll build a people system that attracts reliable, conscientious tradespeople who can embody the brand, keep clients happy, and operate like a well-oiled team. They’ll set standards, spot red flags before they burn cash, and create an internal structure where excellence is the baseline. Core Responsibilities 1. Talent Acquisition & Onboarding • Design and run hiring campaigns across trade roles – think job boards, local networks, and trade schools., • Create trade-specific interview scorecards to identify skill, attitude, and cultural fit (no drama, no flakes)., • Own and streamline the onboarding journey: compliance, brand alignment, customer service polish. 2. People Success & Culture • Create an Employee Success Framework that includes:, • Performance metrics (punctuality, job quality, client feedback), • Progression tracks (e.g., Operative → Team Lead), • Behavioural standards and de-escalation protocols, • Build regular pulse-checks for morale, retention, and early warning signs. 3. Training & SOP Development • Develop modular training flows for each trade vertical (gardening, electrics, handyman, cleaning, etc.)., • Be in charge of our entire Trainual system ensuring cohesion across departments, • Ensure every team member is brand-trained on customer interaction, appearance, and service standard., • Collaborate with Ops to embed training into real workflows, not just theoretical manuals. 4. Workforce Planning & Scaling • Partner with the Ops Lead to forecast hiring needs by season, vertical, and geography., • Identify contractor vs employee blend strategies to optimise flexibility and cost. What You’ll Need Experience • 3–5 years in a People Ops, Talent, or HRBP role within a high-volume, service-led environment, • Proven success hiring for trade, field, or shift-based roles, • Experience designing training or onboarding programmes (doesn’t need to be L&D pro level), • Ideally has worked in businesses scaling from ~30 to ~50+ employees Skills & Traits • Sharp talent instincts: can read between the lines of a CV and spot flakiness from a mile away, • System thinker: builds repeatable frameworks that save time and reduce chaos, • Conflict diffuser: has a playbook for managing drama and redirecting energy positively, • High empathy, low ego: understands the working realities of tradespeople without romanticising them, • Gets your brand: understands that service quality is as much about people behaviour as skills
