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