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Bishop's Stortford, Harlow & Halstead

With over 30 years’ HR experience across a wide range of industries, Director Helen Gilfillan is the perfect person to look after your HR needs in Bishops Stortford, Stansted, Great Dunmow, Halstead and the surrounding areas.
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Helen, is a fully qualified HR professional with a Master's in Strategic HR Management, providing expert employment law and human resources support to SMEs across the local area. Based near Great Dunmow, she is passionate about helping businesses thrive through practical, commercially focused advice tailored to their needs.

With experience at Director level across manufacturing, print, retail and the public sector, Helen brings a wealth of expertise to her clients. She has led major restructuring programmes and successfully implemented HR software and performance management processes.

Whether you need a single employment contract or fully outsourced HR support, Helen offers flexible services designed around your business. From ad hoc advice to ongoing support through an HR Advice Line, she can help with every aspect of employment and people management, including:

HR consultancy

Employment law

Auto enrolment

Contracts of employment

Disciplinary and grievance

Performance management

Training and development

Absence management

Appraisals process

Redundancy management

TUPE transfers

Employee satisfaction surveys

Employee counselling

Staff discounts

Health and safety

Helen is passionate about helping local businesses succeed. By working closely with SMEs, she takes the stress out of HR and provides practical, commercially focused advice tailored to each organisation's culture, people and goals. Building strong relationships with her clients allows her to deliver solutions that work for their specific needs.

As part of The HR Dept network, Helen combines a personal service with the backing of a wider team of HR and employment law experts. This gives her clients confidence that they'll always have access to the support and guidance they need to make informed, cost-effective business decisions.

Outside of work, Helen enjoys spending time with her two daughters and her cocker spaniel, George. A keen sports enthusiast, she enjoys running, cycling, skiing and golf, and is even a former racing driver.

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Helen Gilfillan

Director

With over 35 years of HR experience across a range of industries, Helen has the expertise to support your HR needs. She has worked at Director level in manufacturing, print, retail and the public sector, leading major restructures and implementing HR software and performance management processes.

Sara Day

HR Manager & Consultant

Sara Day recently joined The HR Dept, bringing 26 years of HR experience, combining strong commercial judgement with a practical, people-first approach. Sara supports clients across the full employee lifecycle, from recruitment and day-to-day HR advice to complex employee relations matters.

Morgan Le Riche

HR Assistant

Morgan from California, brings over 15 years of experience across hospitality, health and fitness, veterinary hospitals, corporate insurance and non-profit HR. Morgan enjoys helping others grow, learning new skills and solving problems, bringing dedication and a positive approach to The HR Dept.

Stacey Clark

HR Administrator

After 10 years as a Recruitment Specialist, Stacey joined The HR Dept to continue her passion for people and organisational development. With expertise spanning customer service, team management, recruitment, and HR functions, Stacey brings a well-rounded skill set to the role.

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The HR Dept have been a fantastic support to both of my businesses, providing expert guidance on all of our HR needs. Their advice is clear, practical, and always reliable, which gives me real peace of mind. They’re approachable, proactive, and feel like an extension of my team. I would highly recommend them to any business looking for professional and trustworthy HR support
HR Department have supported our business through a period of growth and have always been helpful, easy to communicate with and professional. Any issues we’ve had, have been resolved with their excellent advice. We wouldn’t go anywhere else now for all things HR.
I have used the services of Helen and the team for various HR support. The advice every time is straightforward and clear, which is vital for someone like me that has very little HR knowledge, and is always incredibly prompt. I would certainly recommend them to anyone that requires this type of service.

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