September 2025: Your Workforce: Training / Retention / Development
Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce hosted a highly engaging meeting on the topic of recruitment, HR and employment law on Monday, 8th September 2025, at a fantastic new venue for the Chamber, the stunning The West Park Centre in West Park URC.
The event was designed to provide businesses with a forum to hear from industry professionals about practical strategies for navigating the modern job market, building strong teams, and ensuring legal compliance.
Following a period of open networking (featuring scones, sausage rolls, tea and wine!), the meeting proper began with a warm welcome from Chamber President Phill Holdsworth, who thanked attendees and the team at The West Park Centre for their excellent hospitality.
Stuart Holland then spoke briefly about The West Park Centre, highlighting the venue’s versatility as an event space. He also drew attention to The Story of Harrogate - a semi-permanent exhibition about Harrogate's rich history and heritage that brings to life the work of the late local historian, Malcolm Neesham.
We then heard from Marian Farrar from The Harrogate Homeless Project, who presented a moving video showcasing the charity's work and their powerful message of hope. Marian promoted their Corporate Volunteering Days and the upcoming Big Harrogate Sleep Out taking place on 2nd October, encouraging local businesses to get involved.
This was followed by the main presentations, with insights from a panel of expert speakers on workforce strategy.
Louise Sparkes and Kitty King from Unity Resourcing spoke about the importance of attracting and retaining the right people in a candidate-driven market. They advised that with the job market changing dramatically from previous years, job seekers increasingly prioritise company culture and flexible working over salary. They provided actionable tips on crafting detailed job descriptions and stressed the importance of regularly communicating a positive company culture and vision through a business’s online channels.
Sarah Darbyshire from HR Solutions Yorkshire then addressed the challenges of staff retention. She shared that in today's environment, a business's career paths and internal culture are vastly different from 20 to 30 years ago, and managers must evolve with them. She emphasised that people often leave a manager or a company culture rather than the job itself, and provided a specific, actionable takeaway by stressing the importance of gathering honest feedback through well-conducted exit interviews and online platforms like Glassdoor.
Navya Shekhar from Truth Legal concluded the presentations by outlining upcoming changes in employment law. She provided an overview of the proposed Employment Rights Bill, which includes a ban on zero-hours contracts in most circumstances and the banning of the 'fire and rehire' process. Navya also highlighted new protections for women returning from maternity leave and discussed the new policy on paternity leave from day one of employment, leaving attendees with a clear understanding of how to ensure future compliance.
The presentations were followed by an engaging Q&A session where attendees put questions to the panel on various topics, including best practices for checking references and further clarification on the changing employment laws.
The evening then moved on to Member news
Francesca Pezzino from The Parent in You spoke about her upcoming 10-Week Coaching Programme (starting 16th September at Rossett School), designed to help parents navigate their role with confidence.
Paul Auty from Ake & Humphris announced their Christmas Wine Fair, an exclusive tasting event with over 50 wines at Hotel Du Vin on Saturday, 15th November.
Steve Phillip from The Jordan Legacy drew attention to World Suicide Prevention Day (10th September), and spoke about his involvement in the Baton of Hope initiative, a UK-wide tour raising awareness and opening up conversations around suicide prevention.
Time Together mentioned their ongoing request for donations of unwanted clothes to support their work (they welcome drop-offs at their Starbeck site, but a collection service is also available from the charity).
Ian Howard announced the launch of his new venture, Libertas Professional Services, which took place at The West Park Centre on September 10th.
Zach Greaves from Artus Digital announced the launch of a new multi-channel content creation service, with a special offer of zero setup costs (usually £400) for Chamber members.
The evening concluded with President, Phill and Chief Executive Martin Mann thanking all speakers, presenters, and attendees.
They reinforced the Chamber’s commitment to providing a forum for businesses to share knowledge and strengthen the local business community, and encouraged attendees to complete the meeting survey: https://www.menti.com/alggobi673yc
October’s Chamber meeting was announced: Meet the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, on Monday, 13th October at Harrogate Theatre. This will provide a unique opportunity for businesses to engage with key decision-makers and stay informed on critical regional issues. Find out more here: http://hdcc.me/events
