Elizabeth Hardwick Smith, 47, divides her time between Staffordshire and Leicester, as well as other locations in the UK. She leads the people strategy for multidisciplinary consultancy Pick Everard. She is the group people and culture manager, and leads a team of 16 employees. She works closely with the executive to develop the company’s culture, talent and employee experience in all 13 offices.
Elizabeth, who is married to Craig, chief design engineer for Rolls-Royce and mother to two children in school, balances her senior leadership role with family life. She also enjoys frequent travels and village walks, with Winnie, their energetic border collie. She has more than 20 years of experience in HR across industries and continents. Her roles have included engineering, finance, and construction.
Elizabeth joined Pick Everard after its acquisition by French company Artelia. She now leads UK convergence efforts and drives national people priorities, including retention, agile work, and leadership development. This edition of A Day in the Life of an Human Resources Professional features Elizabeth, who shares how Neuro-Linguistic Programming helps her with coaching, why structured flexibilty is essential to thrive in a senior role in HR, and how helping business align strategy with purpose and well-being has helped her.
As part of my hybrid work pattern, I travel quite a bit for my job. My routine changes depending on my family and work commitments, but I usually wake up between 6.30am to 7.00am.
In my head, I will go through the plan I have for any important meetings or discussions as well as any final actions that I need to do. Because my job and personal life are both very busy, I often need to work according to the “just-in-time” principle. My team often receives a Teams message in the morning with a reminder for an upcoming event.
Every once or twice a month, I will also post a social media update on LinkedIn in the early morning. I love sharing my best practices and writing about HR, culture, and leadership. I can write about Pick Everard’s activities, awareness days, or other topics that inspire me.
Mornings are my favorite time of day. When I travel to work, I try to be up and ready to go within an hour. To help me with this, I always have my breakfast on hand. It’s easier to start the day at home. I usually go for a walk with Winnie in the morning and then have breakfast before logging on to work.
We make a great couple. We are both senior managers in our companies, but we balance many demands together. He is usually the one who prepares the children for school, ironing uniforms and making PE kits. I am the family organizer and entertainment officer.
She is independent and gets herself ready for school on time. This relieves us of a lot the pressure we used to feel when our children were younger. She often pops in to check on me while I’m getting ready to ask me for things to do, or to buy, or to remind me about dates for school events.
My son suffers from developmental language disorder which affects his ability to organise and remember things. While I am getting ready for the day and listening to my child, I also ask my son and my husband about what my son has planned, such as if he is going to Minecraft club or if he’s got any final readings to do.
My mind is clearly whirring from the moment I wake up, with all the things that need to be done, mine and others.
As part of my job, I travel to different places. So, I mix trains, planes, and my own car. When I commute on the train, I can use that time to complete emails or other top priorities. When I drive, I listen to audiobooks, podcasts, or music to help me imagine, plan, and think creatively.
It’s an hour and a quarter drive from my home to my base office, so I make the most of that time. This gives me the opportunity to think about things at the end the day before rushing back home.
Pick Everard is responsible for developing and delivering a national people strategy. I am a senior advisor to the executive team and provide direction on what the culture and people team will do to support the delivery of the business strategies.
It’s never been easy for me to come up with innovative HR solutions. I continue to assign myself key projects. Although it is challenging to find the time to do both planning and delivering, I enjoy coming up with innovative ways to move the team forward.
A typical day or week on the strategy side involves attending meetings at the highest level, such as our Executive Board Meeting and our quarterly Business Meeting. I will provide an update of our priorities, such as talent acquisition and retention, business structural changes, leadership capabilities, and our equity and diversity strategy. I will discuss any changes in approach or priorities and any time or budget investment that may be needed.
It is important for me to listen to my employees. In a multidisciplinary company with many different personalities who work in different areas of expertise, it may be difficult to meet every need. Just as they bring to the table their expertise, I also draw upon my own knowledge and experience in order to enhance our reputation as an excellent place to work. When I meet with national directors, i balance their feedback against the direction that comes from the executive committee.
It’s important for me to have a break and refuel during the day. The lunches are usually quick and simple – a sandwich, a salad or a baked potato. I love quick meals. It’s best to do this during lunchtime.
Once a month, we go out to lunch in Leicester at a pub or cafe of our choice. We spend time socializing together and catching up with each other. I walk Winnie during my lunch break at home to get enough exercise.
In the HR field, there are many innovations underway that go beyond AI. These include flexible workforces, people analytics, and skills-based planning. However, the next major breakthrough will be the role that HR plays in creating purpose-driven workplace cultures and ensuring sustainability.
Young professionals have different expectations from us. They expect to see a greater diversity of business, and initiatives that are tangible and demonstrate a commitment. They are looking for ethical leadership that is demonstrated and proactive efforts to create social value. In the end, ESG goals must be embedded in people strategies.
To ensure that this cultural shift is successful, it will be crucial to work closely with sustainability experts as well as social value leaders. Although we’ve begun integrating these values in our strategies, it’s early days. Young professionals want their work to be positive and connected to a greater purpose. It is no longer enough to reward employees with high salaries. HR needs to help organisations think differently about how they can give back.
It’s crucial to keep learning no matter where you are in your career. The HR industry is diverse, and the landscape is constantly changing. It is therefore important to regularly assess your knowledge and skill gaps, and commit to your professional development by engaging in research, online education, podcasts and workshops, as well as formalised training or education opportunities. You will be armed with the most up-to-date knowledge, and you will feel confident and proactive in your approach.
Many HR professionals begin their engagement and relationship with their businesses through HR processes, before they understand the business climate and environment in which they work. I would encourage you to develop a solid business and commercial understanding. Understanding how products and services are created, delivered, and how they make a profit is important. Consider how HR can help you achieve the company’s goals and connect with its business strategy.
Take ownership of specific initiatives. You should choose initiatives you can drive forward and shape. They will not only add value to your company, but they will also give you the opportunity to build relationships and network with key stakeholders. You will not only be able to be admired for your proactive approach and great results but also make yourself visible to key decision makers.
I am responsible for 16 HR professionals that support the implementation of the people strategy. We have a number of big goals, including reducing the time it takes to hire new employees, improving the employer brand, increasing employee retention, and boosting productivity and efficiency.
I am also responsible for managing the national business support group. The teams are autonomous in operational matters, and have clear agendas for driving forward. But we maintain a constant dialogue throughout the day.
I like to develop new ideas and see them through. I am currently reviewing our approach to performance and leadership development. This includes everything from onboarding, probation, leadership assessments, and career paths to executive coaching, peer group learning, and executive coaching. I want to develop a framework that will help those in leadership positions grow their careers. I think there should be more discussions about career aspirations among people in leadership roles, as there is so much potential that can be unlocked with the right support.
It’s not uncommon for me to get completely absorbed in my work. The combination of creativity and accomplishment is what keeps me going. This gives me a lot of energy, if I can find time in my week to think strategically or create something new. I involve my team in the development of that idea and plan for implementation, and even generating their ideas.
There’s a common misconception that HR is the place to go when you need help. We handle complaints, but that’s only a small part of our work. And sometimes, HR can become a place where people vent, whether they’re dealing with a professional or personal issue.
When there’s an issue that requires HR intervention, I find it more effective for people to come to us and discuss the problem openly. They are then more likely to get a quick resolution. We often have to speak up for the common sense, so I keep an eye on my team to ensure they are not bogged down by day-today problems and that the big picture is being balanced. It is important that they have someone to whom they can turn and the correct support in place.
I am usually busy until the moment that I log off. I take a few moments at the end the day to look at what is coming up. I always plan my time carefully and identify the slots for getting actions completed around meetings. But these few minutes at night are really useful in assessing if any priorities have changed or if I should approach something differently based on discussions.
In my head, I have a lot of information. But when I am busy, I will write down a list of tasks to remind me about the most important things the following day. It helps me to refocus on my priorities while navigating current issues.
I am a Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), a technique that I use in many different areas of both my professional and personal life. I believe that the language we choose influences our thinking and results. This can be useful in business to help me present new ideas, understand the thought processes and behaviors of our Executive Team, and turn negatives to positives. My qualifications include elements of timeline and hypnotherapy, which can be helpful for people going through mental health issues or having difficulty deciding which direction to go in. It’s also powerful when supporting the coaching of our leaders.
These techniques help us release negative emotions and empower us to reach our goals. It helps people identify limiting beliefs by examining recurring patterns, past experiences and analyzing recurrent patterns. I’ve found NLP to be a really useful tool for boosting confidence and positivity, both in myself and others. I would definitely recommend that others explore it.
Pick Everard allows me the time to take on the role of trustee for the Pagabo Foundation. This charity raises money to educate and promote mental health awareness in the construction industry. It also works to bring together key partners to break down barriers. I will work with the chair and other trustees in making key decisions about fundraising and investment options that will improve mental health within the construction industry.
I’m often working beyond my hours. This can be due to a few reasons. Sometimes it is due to a high demand for my work or if I have several deadlines that all fall at the same time. Second, I may be more motivated to work later if we are working on exciting projects or initiatives. I try to match my interests and energy levels to the projects I am working on.
Evenings are busy in our family. We take our children to their extracurricular activities, such as Explorers, Scouts and swimming lessons.
I finished my masters dissertation last year to upgrade my postgraduate diploma to a Masters of Strategic HR Management. This year I will take more time to relax, reconnect with running, spend time with my family and friends, as well as re-engage in the sport. I go out to eat at least once per week.
My husband is our family’s chef. We love to eat food from all over the world and have a diverse diet. We enjoy everything from curries, enchiladas, pasta dishes and classic Sunday roasts. We try to eat as a whole family at least five times per week.
Winnie can be walked to help you relax and transition from work. She needs plenty of exercise and fresh air as a border collie. She loves to be fussed over. We live in an idyllic village surrounded by nature and water. There are many great walks.
My husband and I like to spend a few hours in the evening together, either watching TV or planning. We try to watch a gripping TV drama for at least one hour on a busy night. Then we check the pets, put Winnie to sleep, and head up the stairs from 11.15pm to 11.30pm. Winnie usually falls asleep by the time we reach that hour.
It is easy for me to fall asleep, which I find great. As I lay down to sleep, I will think of something that happened during the day and spend 10 minutes processing it. I eventually drift off to sleep.
It’s not uncommon for me to awaken four or five hours after I went to bed. I go through periods of really good sleep, and then spells of disrupted sleep. But I know that eventually these disrupted nights are going to pass.
