Emma Brookes Email & Phone Number

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

As Chair of the CIPD Manchester Branch, I lead a collaborative team of dedicated peers united by a passion for championing better work and working lives. Together, we engage current and prospective members, enhance member satisfaction, and advocate for HR, L&D, and OD as dynamic and inspiring career paths.I prioritise transparent, honest, and values-driven leadership while fostering connections with the local community and building networks with practitioners and organizations. Through these efforts, I aim to create a thriving and inclusive professional community that supports development and promotes the value of the People profession.I have been involved in the CIPD Branch in Manchester for over ten years, firstly as a member of the Public Policy Panel, before becoming a Branch Ambassador and eventually stepping up as a committee member in the Policy Lead role in 2018 and becoming Vice-Chair in 2020.

Manchester Area, United Kingdom

In my current role I scope and undertake research and strategic projects for UHR, the professional association for Higher Education HR professionals in the UK and Ireland. I support members in over 160 Higher Education providers across the UK, empowering people practitioners with data-driven insights, resources, and professional development. Our Annual Review for 2023-24 demonstrates the valuable work we deliver and the impact it has for our members: www.uhr.ac.uk/about/annual-review/. Given the opportunities for collegiality and collaboration in our sector, I am delighted to co-ordinate six Member Networks which connect over 1100 individuals with their peers in specialist areas of practice such as HR Operations, Policy Development and Employee Engagement. My work also includes research projects like the UHR Remit Survey, which analysed data we gathered on the size, structure, and challenges of People teams in the sector. I contribute to the profession by delivering impactful conference sessions and participating in panels at prestigious events, such as the CUPA-HR Conference in San Diego, USA (October 2022). Additionally, I design and deliver workshops, webinars and development programmes on key topics in contemporary people practice, including Reward, Engagement, and Agile Working. I have a particular focus on improving workplace approaches to Menstrual Health and Menopause, combining professional expertise with a personal passion for creating inclusive and supportive work environments.

Manchester Area, United Kingdom

My role as Reward Specialist held responsibility for the development and delivery of the University's strategic direction for the development of pay, reward, recognition and benefits strategies. Key projects included:- Developing a total rewards offering for the University, covering pay and non-pay related benefits, to support recruitment and career pathways and enable the University to attract and retain key talent.- Providing key support in developing the University's approach to EVP with a view to enhancing the employer brand by sourcing new benefits, rewards and offers which acknowledge, reward and celebrate high performance.

Salford, Manchester

In the role of Team Leader, I held responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Employee Relations and HR Advice Team, ensuring the provision of outcome-driven professional advice on all ER matters. Key achievements include:- Leading a large-scale Process Improvement Project reviewing all systems, processes and procedures to ensure these are lean, customer oriented and with a focus on the use of technology as a key enabler.- Development of a casework dashboard to deliver metrics on case volumes and outcomes.

Salford, Manchester

This role involved the provision of comprehensive and pragmatic HR advice and support to managers in line with organisational policies. Key achievements in this role include:- Lead role in the delivery of a project to contract out Occupational Health services with successful implementation and positive feedback from service users. - Working with managers across the business at various levels on complex casework, including high profile cases. - Working on the MCI project (Leaving the University by Mutual Consent), assuming the role of the key contact in the HR Central Services Team for both 2014 and 2015 initiatives.

Stockport, United Kingdom

As the designated HR Business Partner for several curriculum and support areas, I coached, advised and supported managers to competently handle people management issues. I provided professional HR advice and guidance on the interpretation and implementation of HR policies and employment law and was heavily involved in complex casework including discipline, grievance, performance management and attendance management.

Stockport, United Kingdom

Stockport

Stockport, United Kingdom

Manchester

This position incurred sole responsibility for the management of people, product and equipment in the restaurant for 4 shifts per week.

Level 7 Advanced Award In Reward Management, Merit

Postgraduate Diploma, Human Resources Management, Merit

Ba Hons, Business Enterprise, 2:1

Awarded the Mike Hynes Memorial Prize for exceptional academic achievement and endeavour.