JCS Human Resources' Julie Sykes set for next big challenge

Jan 12 2010 by Henryk Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

JCS Human Resources boss set for next big challenge

BUSINESSWOMAN Julie Sykes is always happy to take on a new challenge.

As owner of JCS Human Resources Consultancy, she relishes the chance to help small and medium-sized firms deal with a wide range of personnel issues.

Away from work, Julie has run the London Marathon four times – raising many thousands of pounds for the Anthony Nolan Trust

She has also completed a 500km cycle ride through Poland as well as competing in several half-marathons.

A member of the Denby Dale Travellers running club, Julie, who lives at Shepley, is now gearing up to join a group of fellow club members for a UK coast-to-coast bike ride this summer.

She is also planning to climb Kilimanjaro later this year.

“I try to go running two or three times a week,” she says.

“But what I love is the fact that the club is really sociable.

“We are all members of a running club, but that’s just the hub of a whole number of activities.”

One of Julie’s biggest challenges during the past 12 months has been to help client companies handle their staffing issues in the face of a deep and damaging recession.

And the experience has been surprisingly positive.

Despite the temptation to axe jobs as a quick way to cut costs, many companies have been doing everything possible to avoid losing staff – opting instead for short-time working, temporary lay-offs, flexible working and changes to shift patterns.

“People have been quite imaginative in finding ways to hang on to their staff,” says Julie.

“They want to hold on to their skilled workforce because they know that is the best way of being able to respond quickly when the recovery comes.

“While engineering and construction have been quite badly hit, the service sector seems to be doing not too badly.”

Looking ahead, Julie can detect a turnaround in fortunes.

“As the private sector sees activity levels improve, public sector jobs will come under pressure as the Government seeks to tackle this great big deficit in its finances.”

Julie set up JCS Human Resources Consultancy more than seven years ago – having worked in HR for Deighton-based chemical company Syngenta and its forerunner businesses ICI and Zeneca for 15 years.

“When Syngenta was formed, it changed to being a Swiss-based company and it wasn’t my cup of tea,” says Julie.

“A few colleagues had left or taken early retirement and I spoke to them about the pluses and minuses of stepping out on your own and decided, why not?

“I had always enjoyed HR, but I felt it was time for a change.

“I started getting ready for it six months before leaving Syngenta, having talked to people and got their advice.

“It was the time of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

“I left Syngenta on a Friday and from the following Monday I spent four weeks working as a volunteer at the games. It was a sort of sabbatical.”

Said Julie: “I had got my head around the fact that things would be a bit quiet for the first few months of running my own business, so I spent my time marketing and getting my name out there.

“If I hadn’t done the research and spoken to people for advice, I would have found that quite scary.”

But Julie says: “It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

“The bulk of my time is spent working with small and medium-sized companies.

“I only have to work with people I want to work with – people with the same outlook and standards.