Lindsay Gallard is responsible for the people in his business. He must support, develop and connect them to a rapidly-changing tech industry. He is the chief people officer of Six Degrees in the UK, which provides secure cloud and IT solutions. His job involves ensuring that the people strategy of the company keeps up with cybersecurity, hybrid working, and an increasingly complicated regulatory landscape.
He was born in Australia, moved to London over 20 years ago and built a career that spanned the public, non-profit and private sectors. In this edition, he discusses how to manage risk without losing the personal touch, why dignity should never be an option at work, and how HR can remain relevant in a tech dominated world.
With Six Degrees focusing on integrated and secure cloud services, what can you do to ensure that your HR strategies are aligned with the rapid advancements in cloud technologies and cybersecurity?
Our HR strategy is closely tied to our business plan, and we work to make sure it’s in line with the latest developments in cyber security and cloud computing. HR priorities will then be in line with the growth and evolution of the company, and we’ll be able to link our workforce development directly to skills needed for both supporting clients and running operations.
I work with other teams in our business, including tech, product and legal, to identify the skills that we will need today and tomorrow. Gamification and self managed platforms help us keep L&D at the forefront. While tools such as AI-driven skill analysis are relatively new, we already look at how they can be used to build a workforce ready for the future.
The Employment Rights Bill is a bill that aims to improve worker protections. This includes amendments relating to redundancy and unfair dismissal procedures. What are your plans to prepare for these changes and what impacts do you expect on your HR policies as a result?
We are reviewing our policies and keeping the company informed of changes and proactive management training. The launch of our new fiscal year plan is also an opportunity to reinforce our culture and to help managers keep up with the latest developments in employment law.
We don’t expect major changes in our policies. Instead, we will focus more on clear documentation and open communication, and ensure that managers are well-equipped to maintain high standards of compliance and fairness through fair and consistent processes.
Recent discussions have highlighted the importance of dignity in the workplace as a driver of productivity and societal well-being. What initiatives have been implemented to create an inclusive and respectful workplace culture?
We have worked hard to create a culture which encourages our employees to bring the whole of themselves to work. This has been achieved by celebrating diversity and encouraging inclusive leadership. We have a programme of cultural events that we run on a regular basis. We also support strong advocacy for women working in technology and provide a space for honest discussions about important, but under-discussed, topics like menopause and impostor syndrome. Employee-led groups, such as our Culture Club, help to build a feeling of belonging. We also use management training in order to maintain inclusive behaviours.
The focus is also on career development. I believe in internal promotion and making sure that people have clear paths to growth. Our leadership teams are always collecting feedback using different tools. They take the information seriously and act on it. This structure allows us to maintain a culture that is inclusive and supportive, where everyone’s voice matters and all perspectives are valued.
When it comes to hybrid working, clarity, good communication, and engaging people are key.
As the use of digital platforms increases, how do you address employee protection and well-being, especially in remote or hybrid settings?
The Safeguarding policy was designed to protect the wellbeing of employees by being very clear on what is expected. We are constantly thinking about how we use IT and making equality and diversity mandatory. Our security tools are a combination of different types to protect both the people in our business and ourselves from any inappropriate activities. Just as important is our culture of trust, which encourages openness and early communication, especially when someone is dealing with personal issues.
We provide clear guidelines on safe working practices for remote and hybrid teams and conduct workstation assessments to ensure the setup is correct. Employee assistance programs and mental health first aid are also available. We run regular security drills, to make everyone aware of the digital risks. We also keep the conversation moving with helpful updates. We don’t just want to spot risks, but we also want people to feel supported and confident.
What strategies have you used to maintain employee engagement across in-person and virtual teams?
Clarity, good communication, and engaging people are key to getting hybrid right. We have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for everyone, and ensure that regular updates are made and two-way communication is used on all digital channels.
We’ve increased our use of multi-media, such as Teams chats, Microsoft Viva Communities, and recorded updates, to ensure that people are always connected no matter when or where they work.
I value face-to-face time as well, especially when it leads to faster problem-solving or a better team atmosphere. We keep people connected by holding national team meetings, office events, and reinforcing hybrid practices.
Attracting and retaining the best talent in the highly competitive cloud services industry is essential. What are your strategies to make yourself stand out in the cloud services sector as an employer of preference?
I’m all about creating an atmosphere where people can have careers that are meaningful and be recognized for their great work. We promote from within and about 25% to 40% our team members are promoted each quarter.
We encourage our employees to take on new roles, and we also offer flexible career paths. This culture of recognition and opportunity helps us to attract people who are looking for a supportive, inclusive team.
We also celebrate success. We celebrate our employees’ achievements, either through LinkedIn profiles or internal channels. We also keep our compensation competitive by reviewing salaries and benefits regularly. This helps us to stay competitive in a highly-competitive sector, and it shows that our employees are valued.
What measures do you have in place to ensure that these values are maintained throughout the organization?
Diversity and inclusion is a broad topic, but it comes down to education, fair hiring, and treating each person as an individual. Our managers receive training in inclusive leadership and our CIPD-qualified people team is in a good position to ensure we adhere to best practices.
I pay close attention to a variety of diversity indicators including gender, race, disability, LGBTQ+ status, and religion. These indicators help to inform policies and decisions across all areas, from hiring and promotion to reviewing pay and terminating employees.
We conduct regular reviews in order to identify trends and to catch any problems early. We also work hard to ensure that women and BAMEs are well represented, particularly at the leadership level where tech is often lacking. Six Degrees, at its core, is a place that values different perspectives. We also have leadership support to keep D&I on the agenda.
In light of current economic uncertainty, such as new trade tariffs, business regulations and other factors, how do you adapt your HR policies in order to support employees while maintaining organisational resilience.
We strive to find the balance between our employees’ needs and the resilience of the business. We do this by using a hybrid flexible model. This allows people to manage their cost of living pressures while still maintaining operational needs.
Our family-friendly benefits and employee assistance programs, as well as financial wellness tools will help you stay strong during this tough economic time. We also make sure that everyone has access confidential support and occupational health services when needed.
We’ve increased our international workforce in order to access new labour markets, and increase our scalability. We can be more flexible without compromising our quality or who we are. This includes using more contractors and freelancers where it is appropriate.
Overall, this approach keeps us in a good position to support our employees while adapting to what’s happening outside of the business.
AI is becoming more and more useful in areas like skills mapping, learning pathways development, and skill assessment.
Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving. How can you ensure that your employees are continually trained and informed of best practices for mitigating risks?
We place a lot of emphasis on certain key areas such as mandatory certifications and regular testing, along with a culture of internal learning. Security drills are conducted by the business and regular reviews are performed to identify vulnerabilities in real world situations.
In this approach, we deliver training through interactive, gamified platforms, lunch-and-learns, which are very popular in our organization, as well as a self-managed, dedicated learning environment, called the Lab. Our day-to-day activities are heavily infused with security. This approach helps our team stay informed about the threats that we face and reinforces best practices.
Many organisations place a high priority on employee wellbeing. What wellbeing initiatives are in place for mental health, work/life balance, and employee satisfaction?
We have made sure that the company offers a wide range of benefits to promote wellbeing. We cover the basics, such as private medical insurance, pensions and cycle-to work schemes, and we also offer flexible leave options. But, we also go beyond that, offering dental care, fertility assistance and midwifery.
People can also turn to employee assistance programs, financial wellness tools and mental health first aid, as I’ve mentioned.
We run regular health programs and encourage people to participate in social activities that help to build a sense of community. This is about creating a culture in which wellbeing is a part of what we consider success.
Artificial intelligence and automation are changing the workplace. What impact are these technologies having on your HR processes and workforce management?
We’re using AI and automation in HR processes, just like many other organisations. Our recruitment efforts already use AI to increase reach and streamline communications on social media, and workflow automation helps manage employee lifecycle changes and performance reviews.
We are also using HR dashboards and analytical tools to track trends, provide real-time insight and support better workforce planning.
We are cautious to protect employee data, and we maintain a human-centred strategy. We also see increasing opportunities in the future to use AI for areas like skills mapping and developing learning pathways. However, these initiatives are at a very early stage.
We balance the adoption of technology with the development of broader business skills and data skills in our HR team. This will ensure that it continues to add strategic value.
How do you envision HR evolving in the next five to ten years?
We are definitely in interesting times. I see HR moving towards a strategic, value-driven position, with the smart use of emerging technology playing a major role. We’ll require fewer manual processes as things change, and HR will need to use more business, technical, and financial skills to support the organisation and colleagues in a meaningful manner.
I think that entry-level HR positions will also look very different. There will be less administrative work, more advisory and a faster path to add real value. We’ll also need to rethink how we train and develop HR professionals in their early careers so that they are ready to take on the world.
