How to succeed as an HR director and leader

An HR director with broad experience

Hanna Lyredal is HR Director at GK Sverige, part of the GK installation group with around 3,000 employees in three countries. She became a manager at 23 and has worked in HR across logistics, pharmaceutical manufacturing and IT security. She is an economist by training, and also a qualified health educator and personal trainer.

What it takes

The remit is to attract, retain and develop the best people: ensure compliance, give managers and employees the conditions to do a good job (a manager with 40 direct reports cannot be present), and drive culture and diversity in daily work. Hanna’s key advice: choose your CEO as carefully as your company – shared views and trust are the foundation. HR also needs its own budget for initiatives.

Managers affect health more than they think

Hanna cites Gallup’s finding that managers account for around 70 per cent of the variance in engagement, and Swedish research linking poor leadership to higher risk of heart attack among men. The small things matter: greeting people, saying thank you, and acting when someone is treated badly. Her favourite question for a real check-in: “How does it feel in your heart?”

Tough decisions and measuring success

When financial goals clash with wellbeing, HR must be confident in the decision and carry it out with respect – and remember those who stay. Success can be seen in turnover, sickness absence and eNPS, but also in trust: managers and employees reaching out, and managers rating HR support highly. Hanna expects more health and recovery data in the future, and with it new ethical questions.

Key takeaways

• Alignment between HR director and CEO is a prerequisite for success.
• HR needs a budget for initiatives, not only for staff costs.
• Managers strongly affect engagement and health through everyday actions.
• Build trust so employees dare to say how they really feel.
• Clear priorities reduce stress and uncertainty.