Meet Trapeze HR: Jane & Harriet – a year in

So, what factors influenced Harriet and Jane to start up alone with a flexible talent offering? 

 

Their motivation is driven by the lack of flexible and agile working opportunities in the market. The Human Resources focus is a natural sector for them, with Jane’s solid HR background and Harriet’s recruitment career in HR. 

 

Both Harriet and Jane found their own search for flexible roles unbelievably frustrating! They knew they were more than capable of delivering the service they’d become known for previously, yet as soon as the ‘F’ word was mentioned to hiring managers they found themselves less appealing to potential employers. 

 

Having worked together for 3 years raising the profile of HR talent at their previous employer, they soon recognised the opportunity presented and believed they could do it ‘their way’ – Trapeze HR was established in 2018. 

 

Over the next week we catch up with Jane and Harriet to find out what motivated them to set up Trapeze HR and what life is like running their own business. 

 

Firstly, Jane and Harriet share a bit about their background prior to starting Trapeze HR. 

 

Jane: Up until 2010 I had held HR roles in both the hotel industry & financial services, with my most recent role being Senior HR Business Partner for JPMorgan Cazenove. Although I was working flexibly, the bank was going through lots of change and as I headed off on my second maternity leave, I wasn’t confident that my 4 day week working arrangement (with 1 day from home) would be feasible on returning, supporting a demanding client group. 

 

With two small children, flexibility was key for me, so in 2011, I set up an independent HR consultancy to juggle my career ambitions with parenting responsibilities and a husband who was in the military. I am immensely proud that we are able to offer clients and candidates flexible and full time talent solutions. 

 

Harriet: I’ve had a varied background, like many recruiters have! I fell into recruitment having worked in a Global Recruitment firm as a PA, a role to fund living in Oz for a year. 

 

After a brief stint as a Montessori teacher (which I loved but paid poorly) I was headhunted to join Oakleaf Partnership as employee number one! It was here I realised just how much I thrived in supporting individuals in their job search; a personal journey which involves really getting to know a candidate. 

 

In 2011, I had twins and returned to the market in 2013, deciding to move in to an in-house recruitment role, at easyJet, which I loved. After two and a half years I returned to agency recruitment, which offered further flexibility and was lucky enough to join Jane setting up a flexible working offering. We both had an itch that needed scratching and set up Trapeze HR!