In the latest instalment of our HR industry executive interview series, we spoke to Each Person Founder & CEO Matt Norbury about his company, the biggest challenges faced by the HR sector, industry opportunities and sage advice…
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Matt Norbury, Founder and CEO of Each Person. Stuff about me that’s relevant: I’m originally from Manchester, I’m a father of two and I’m a big fan of films, travelling and sport.
Tell us about your company, products and services.
Each Person is a product we’ve developed which aims to help companies do more for their people. It centres around mental and financial wellbeing.
What gave you the inspiration to set up Each Person?
The inspiration for Each Person is something I can’t take any credit for as it really came as a direct result of a multinational company asking for help with how they recognised and rewarded their team. Which at the time was in excess of 30,000 people. They had a real issue with getting visibility of how recognition and reward happened across their 300+ locations and wanted something that tied directly into a reward that saved their people money.
What have been the biggest challenges the Human Resources industry has faced over the past 12 months?
Furlough, pay freezes, redundancies, covid rules, Brexit, you name it HR professionals have had their work well and truly cut out this past year, year and a half. I know lots of HR people and therefore have seen first-hand how tirelessly they’ve been working to do the right things for their people in tough circumstances.
And what have been the biggest opportunities?
The biggest opportunity comes from Covid reminding us all how important people are. Due to remote working and feeling isolated, it really has made us reflect on what matters in life and the importance of the people you share it with. Also, everyone has been through a tough patch HR professionals know now is the time to do everything they can to make their people feel special and appreciated.
Any advice to HR Directors or managers looking to improve their employee experience?
It can start with a simple thank you. With 50% of employees saying a simple thank you can make them feel more appreciated and valued. Furthermore, my advice would be to keep close to some of the trends as platforms like ours are constantly evolving and improving to do more for employees so, whatever was on offer six months ago could be wildly different.
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
The combination of the people I work with and the clients we have stimulate our thinking and drive us to do more and keep improving.
And what’s the most challenging?
Competing priorities that HR professionals have. Other stuff comes in and can make recognition and reward something to come back to later when, in fact, it’s a fundamental part of the employee experience and should be the foundation of any good company.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Never give up and don’t take yourself too seriously.
What’s your favourite fact?
The first written use of the acronym OMG in history was in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917.
You go to the bar at the HR Summit – what’s your tipple of choice?
Tequila.
