Partner Spotlight: Beyond Partners
Maxine and Sally from Beyond Partners are joining me for my next online event on 1st December around people, purpose, and culture. I asked them to tell us a bit more about them and their own business so that you can get to know them before the webinar.
Thanks, Maxine and Sally for taking the time!
Tell us a bit about Beyond Partners
Beyond Partners was co-founded in July 2020 by business partners, Sally Cowling and Maxine Henry who met whilst working for a North East engineering company. We left behind roles in international companies to focus on our passion; people and brands. We’re disrupting the traditional structure of separate HR and Marketing functions by working with businesses to develop joined-up people and marketing and communications strategies to create strong brands, strong leaders, and great places to work.
Our philosophy is built on creating authentic and meaningful touchpoints for employees and customers throughout their journey with an organisation to align the internal and external experiences.
Why did you decide to set up the business together? What’s your why?
We’ve worked together in the past, so we knew that the co-founding route was an obvious choice for us.
Not only do we have the freedom and flexibility which being a business owner brings, but we’ve each got a cheerleader, someone to share the highs and the lows with but perhaps, most importantly, someone to laugh with.
Knowing someone has your back is both comforting and powerful at the same time.
We always know we have a sounding board and also someone for a reality check! Practically it brings advantages too; if one of us is away there is always someone in the business ensuring that we’re delivering for our clients.
Our Beyond Partners “why” is to improve the lives of the people and the customers of the businesses we work with and we use this purpose to guide us in our day to day decisions but also to help us plan long-term.
What expertise do you have in the team?
Our complementary HR and Marketing skills and expertise provide the perfect combination to be able to offer clients joined-up strategic thinking. As experts in our individual areas, we are also able to offer support to clients who need specific HR or Marketing solutions too. And Maxine is a few weeks away from completing a Level 7 Coaching and Mentoring qualification.
What types of businesses do you work with?
We work with SMEs who want to achieve more with their people and their brand. We know that every business is unique and we have a broad portfolio of clients ranging from start-ups to businesses to scaler businesses who are already established but have ambitions to grow.
What do you think is the most important function of an HR team?
Being an integral part of the organisation is a game-changer for HR teams. With all the changes we are seeing and the focus on people, it’s outdated for HR to be a separate function. And working in conjunction with Marketing and Communications teams will help organisations be consistent and deliver against their purpose.
What are the main skills you think an HR practitioner should demonstrate?
Honestly and integrity are important skills of any people manager along with empathy. Being able to see a situation from another point of view is key to engagement. Finally, listening skills. Listening skills are often underappreciated, but we think this is critical to engaging with your people and making them feel valued.
Find out more about Beyond Partners and follow Maxine and Sally on their co-founding journey:
Contact: hello@beyond-partners.co.uk