At EML, one of our key values is to get to know our customers really well. We believe it’s vital to understand the inner workings of our clients’ businesses and appreciate what makes their people tick. This enables us to provide 100% tailored HR, employment law, and health and safety support to our clients.
In celebration of ‘Get to know your customers day’, which takes place on the third Thursday of every quarter (in January, April, July and October if you’re wondering) we caught up with Emma Hibbs from DAMS Office Furniture.
We’ve been supporting Emma and her team for more than two years and we knew she’d make the perfect profile for this fun blog post. Here’s what we discovered…
What is your role at DAMS Office Furniture?
I’ve been working at DAMS in various roles for 20 years. In my role as Finance Director and Company Secretary, I oversee financial control and reporting for the business and also have responsibility for our HR, health and safety and IT departments.
Tell us more about the business
DAMS is an office furniture wholesaler and manufacturer based in Knowsley in Merseyside. It’s a traditional family-run business with more than 50 years’ experience behind us. Our workforce has more than tripled in size over the last decade, which is one of the reasons why we sought out external HR support. What I love most about working here is the culture and atmosphere. There’s very little sense of hierarchy, everyone’s familiar with our goals and comfortable giving and receiving feedback.
How does working with EML make your job easier?
Our HR and health and safety advisers deliver robust day-to-day HR support and advice to the business. They ensure our managers always have the support they need and our handbook, employee contracts, policies and procedures are in place and up to date. We look to EML for a fresh perspective, objectivity and practical advice on specific cases – as a sounding board or to sense check decisions we’ve made. All their advice is based on practical experience built up over many years in the corporate world.
They really do understand us and how we work. When we first appointed EML, Karen spent two weeks working in our business, carrying out a comprehensive HR audit, fact-finding and getting to know us. This created a level of trust between us, which has made such a difference to the support they provide.
What’s your proudest achievement?
I recently achieved an MSc in Entrepreneurship after two years of study alongside my day job. The company was fully supportive of my studies. I’ve always been intrigued by the psychology behind business and now I’ve ticked it off my bucket list!
If you could choose to be stuck in a lift with one person, who would it be?
Picasso. Not many people know I have a background in art and I’m actually a very creative person. I would ask Picasso why he chose not to paint like the other masters.
What motivates you to get out of bed in a morning?
Working for a company that employs a lot of local people, I feel a responsibility to those people to help them achieve and be successful in their roles.
And finally, a few fun quick-fire questions…
Do you have a celebrity crush?
David Beckham.
What’s your favourite holiday destination?
The Maldives or New York (my spiritual home!).
How do you like to spend your lunch hour?
When I’m not eating at my desk, I like to buy shoes, possibly too much!
How do you travel to work?
By car, I’m only 20 minutes away.
Complete the sentence. If I didn’t work at DAMS I would be…
A dog sitter.
Do you have any interesting talents?
I am creative in many ways; one of them is interior design, including making my own curtains and cushions.
We’ve certainly learned a few things about Emma that we didn’t know before! Getting to know your customers is a fantastic exercise to undertake. It’s something we place great value on at EML, not just when we gain a new client, but throughout our working relationship with them.
If your business feels the same, and you’re looking for HR or health and safety advice, we’d love to get to know you too. Contact any of the team on 01942 727200 or use our contact form here.