The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum
An exclusive member-only group for HR professionals
For over a decade, The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum has consistently delivered informative, educational and thought-provoking events to all its members who work within the HR industry.
Born from a one-off breakfast meeting in 2009, the forum now has over 500 members and is widely recognised as a leading HR networking group.
Sharing knowledge…staying connected
Apply for free membership
Symposium at the HR Forum
The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum
An exclusive member-only group for HR professionals
For over a decade, The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum has consistently delivered informative, educational and thought-provoking events to all its members who work within the HR industry.
Born from a one-off breakfast meeting in 2009, the forum now has over 500 members and is widely recognised as a leading HR networking group.
Sharing knowledge…staying connected
Apply for free membership
Symposium at the HR Forum
The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum
An exclusive member-only group for HR professionals
For over a decade, The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum has consistently delivered informative, educational and thought-provoking events to all its members who work within the HR industry.
Born from a one-off breakfast meeting in 2009, the forum now has over 500 members and is widely recognised as a leading HR networking group.
Sharing knowledge…staying connected
Apply for free membership
Symposium at the HR Forum
What is the Surrey & Sussex HR Forum?
What is the Surrey & Sussex HR Forum?
Launched in 2009, The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum is a membership-only group that brings together HR professionals through its topical programme of free events and webinars that take place throughout the year.
These events are designed to focus on the most pressing issues and challenges facing the HR industry today and range from interactive training sessions and workshops to legal updates, webinars and conferences.
Recently voted, by members in Surrey, as ‘the number one networking group for HR professionals in Surrey’ the forum now has over 500 members who come from a broad spectrum of businesses across Surrey, Sussex and the surrounding areas.
Membership is free and there is a strict ‘no-sales’ environment at all our events to ensure that members can focus on learning and networking with other like-minded HR professionals.
Launched in 2009, The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum is a membership-only group that brings together HR professionals through its topical programme of free events and webinars that take place throughout the year.
These events focus on the most pressing issues and challenges facing the HR industry today and range from interactive training sessions, webinars and workshops to legal updates and conferences.
Recently voted, by members in Surrey, as ‘the number one networking group for HR professionals in Surrey’ the forum now has over 500 members who come from a broad spectrum of businesses across Surrey, Sussex and the surrounding areas.
Membership is free and there is a strict ‘no-sales’ environment at all our events to ensure that members can focus on learning and networking with other like-minded HR professionals.
Why become a member?
Attend professionally-run FREE workshops, conferences, seminars and webinars.
Network with HR peers from a range of industry sectors in your local area.
Receive priority booking invitations for all Surrey & Sussex HR Forum webinars, seminars, workshops and conferences.
Learn from professionals about the biggest opportunities (and threats) that affect your sector and your role in HR.
The Surrey HR Forum is a fantastic free resource for local HR professionals. The workshops are relevant, informative and always well organised and communicated. They really add value and enable us to enhance our HR knowledge and skills – thank you and please continue the great work!
I try to attend all the Surrey HR Forum events as they are consistently informative and relevant, the speakers always engaging and knowledgeable and I thoroughly enjoy them. Without fail I come away armed with useful information and ideas which I can use and apply within my role.
The Surrey HR Forum, always goes straight into my calendar. I have sampled the delights of many seminars run by various organisations, but Sharon’s team are streets ahead and very professional. Their regular presenters cover a wide spectrum of personalities. … read more >
I could not let today pass without expressing my gratitude for today’s Forum in addition to my formal feedback form comments. It was my first Forum and it exceeded my expectations with good speakers and a lot of actionable insights to read through again and put into action.
I have attended a number of the Surrey HR Forum events and I can highly recommend them to anyone working in HR. The topics presented to date have dealt with highly relevant and topical subject matter… read more >
I haven’t been a member of the Surrey Forum that long, but in the short time I have been, it’s been so helpful! I’ve attended various seminars and workshops, which have helped me to keep up-to-date in the world of HR! It’s great to also meet other HR professionals and learn about different experiences from the local businesses. One of the great things I love about the Surrey HR Forum is that the events are always local and at convenient times so it doesn’t impact my day too much.
I always look forward to the next Surrey HR Forum event. I find them very informative, but not heavy, and I am able to take away a new idea or information each time. It helps hugely that the speakers are always engaging as well as very knowledgeable in their subject, so they are very enjoyable, relaxed events… read more >
I have attended a variety of Surrey HR Forum hosted events including training workshops, seminars and mock tribunals and in my experience these are always seamlessly organised and hosted in a friendly yet professional way. The event topics are always current and presented in an informative way and as an attendee I always leave Surrey HR Forum events feeling positive and well-equipped to cascade and share the knowledge learnt with my colleagues.
Thank you for an amazing conference! I attend regular HR seminars but I was blown away by the speakers so knowledgeable and passionate about their chosen topics.
I thought Mitesh demonstrated what a true leader is … read more >
The Surrey HR Forum is a valuable support to me in my role providing up to date, relevant information and an opportunity to meet with others in similar roles. The forums and workshops are particularly helpful and enable attendees to keep abreast of current HR matters and legislation…. read more >
I haven’t been a member of the Surrey Forum that long, but in the short time I have been, it’s been so helpful! I’ve attended various seminars and workshops, which have helped me to keep up-to-date in the world of HR! It’s great to also meet other HR professionals and learn about different experiences from the local businesses. One of the great things I love about the Surrey HR Forum is that the events are always local and at convenient times so it doesn’t impact my day too much.
The Surrey HR Forum, always goes straight into my calendar. I have sampled the delights of many seminars run by various organisations, but Sharon’s team are streets ahead and very professional. Their regular presenters cover a wide spectrum of personalities. … read more >
I have attended a number of the Surrey HR Forum events and I can highly recommend them to anyone working in HR. The topics presented to date have dealt with highly relevant and topical subject matter… read more >
Thank you for an amazing conference! I attend regular HR seminars but I was blown away by the speakers so knowledgeable and passionate about their chosen topics.
I thought Mitesh demonstrated what a true leader is … read more >
I could not let today pass without expressing my gratitude for today’s Forum in addition to my formal feedback form comments. It was my first Forum and it exceeded my expectations with good speakers and a lot of actionable insights to read through again and put into action.
The Surrey HR Forum is a fantastic free resource for local HR professionals. The workshops are relevant, informative and always well organised and communicated. They really add value and enable us to enhance our HR knowledge and skills – thank you and please continue the great work!
I always look forward to the next Surrey HR Forum event. I find them very informative, but not heavy, and I am able to take away a new idea or information each time. It helps hugely that the speakers are always engaging as well as very knowledgeable in their subject, so they are very enjoyable, relaxed events… read more >
I have attended a variety of Surrey HR Forum hosted events including training workshops, seminars and mock tribunals and in my experience these are always seamlessly organised and hosted in a friendly yet professional way. The event topics are always current and presented in an informative way and as an attendee I always leave Surrey HR Forum events feeling positive and well-equipped to cascade and share the knowledge learnt with my colleagues.
I try to attend all the Surrey HR Forum events as they are consistently informative and relevant, the speakers always engaging and knowledgeable and I thoroughly enjoy them. Without fail I come away armed with useful information and ideas which I can use and apply within my role.
The Surrey HR Forum is a valuable support to me in my role providing up to date, relevant information and an opportunity to meet with others in similar roles. The forums and workshops are particularly helpful and enable attendees to keep abreast of current HR matters and legislation…. read more >
Our webinars and events
Throughout the year, we hold a programme of events from training sessions, workshops, seminars and webinars to legal updates and annual conferences.
Our events can be booked online and are FREE for all members.
Some of our previous events:
Some of our previous events:
Why choose our events?
Why choose our events?
At The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum, we ensure that all our workshops, training sessions and events maintain a consistent level of quality, so we only work with high-profile speakers, trainers and industry professionals.
Everything we do is designed to be current, informative and educational, so to ensure we shape and develop our programme to keep it relevant and engaging, we always ask for feedback from our members.
At The Surrey & Sussex HR Forum, we ensure that all our workshops, training sessions and events maintain a consistent level of quality, so we only work with high-profile speakers, trainers and industry professionals.
Everything we do is designed to be current, informative and educational, so to ensure we shape and develop our programme to keep it relevant and engaging, we always ask for feedback from our members.
Some of the topics we have covered recently as workshops and training sessions include:
IR35 & employment status
A minefield for all HR teams. Find out who is considered to be employed or self-employed and who fits into the ‘hybrid’ category of ‘workers’. Why do these distinctions matter? Also explore a case study from an IR35/tax perspective and find out what HMRC want to know.
Mental health wellbeing
Exploring mental health and mindfulness in the workplace. With one in four of the population affected by poor mental health and one in six workers experiencing poor mental health as a direct result of work, it is vital that businesses understand how to manage this key area.
Employee benefits update
A topical update on the key employee benefits and related issues of the year: Ageing workforce, UK productivity, people management changes, supporting employees in times of change, absence management, UK worker poverty and managing overseas employees.
Bullying, harrassment and culture
The impact of our society’s shifting attitude towards discrimination brings new challenges for employers, inspired by the #metoo movement. Learn the current law on sexual harassment and bullying. How do we ensure we are creating an inclusive culture? A highly topical and thought provoking session.
Financial education in the workplace
A session that will provide you with the tools to actively support your employees with their finance management. You will leave the session with simple ideas and top tips to manage more complex financial and benefits situations. A practical and essential lesson for the workplace and beyond.
A flavour of our latest annual conference
Held at the WWF Living Planet Centre, Woking our 2019 annual conference was a sell-out.
**With Covid restrictions easing, we hope to starting hosting live events later in the year. We will keep all members updated**
Focusing on the external forces that are rapidly changing the face of HR, the event was aptly named ‘The Future Face of HR’ and was attended by over 130 members. The whole event looked at how businesses needed to evolve and embrace change, if they want to find and retain the best talent in the market. The interesting mix of speakers included:
Janine Chamberlin, Director of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn
Kevin Green, CEO of What’s Next Consultancy & author of best seller ‘Competitive People Strategy’
Mitesh Sheth, CEO, Redington Ltd
Steve Herbert, Head of Benefits Strategy, Howden Employee Benefits
Details of our next conference will be released later in the year, so apply for membership now to receive priority booking.
Best Ever! So relevant, engaging. Great job!
The speakers were fantastic and gave a lot of food for thought.
Another fantastic and insightful event that leaves you charged up to go back and make a difference.
Brilliant as always! Thank you and well done to all who was involved.
Great networking opportunity and strong speakers.
All guest speakers were great. Kevin was fantastic as always!
Mitesh Sheth was a fantastic speaker, inspirational & thought provoking. Janine Chamberlin was also impressive, with lots of relevant insights.
First time at a Surrey HR Forum event – absolutely loved it!
Fantastic seminar, the speakers were incredible, so much to take away and apply into my role.
My first event, exceeded my expectations!
Excellent event as always! Food for thought and so good to have time to reflect on some great ideas.
Another fabulous, well organised and managed event by the Surrey HR Forum team… congratulations and thanks.
Our background
Having worked closely with human resources departments of SMEs and corporate businesses since the 1990s, Sharon Ellis, MD of The Recruitment Consultancy, identified a strong need for local HR professionals to be able to come together to learn, network and discuss the latest challenges facing the HR profession.
From this need, The Surrey HR Forum (as the group was originally named) was born.
Having started as a one-off breakfast meeting in 2009, for a small number of local Surrey-based HR professionals, the forum has now developed into a highly-regarded and well-established members-only group that has over 500 members from across Surrey and Sussex.
We knew there was a distinct need for a forum like this, back in 2009. However, as the HR industry is continuously being faced with more than its fair-share of legislative changes, challenges and issues, we now know how essential this service is to HR professionals from all types of businesses.
Our goal with the forum has always been to offer members an annual programme of engaging and informative workshops, training sessions, legal updates, webinars and conferences. Additionally, we want to ensure that any updates on HR issues and legislation can easily be shared, so all Surrey & Sussex HR Forum members will have access to a members-only group on LinkedIn.
We have a strictly ‘non-sales’ environment for all of our events and we have maintained this throughout the eleven years from when we were launched.
Don’t just take our word for it, see what our members have to say…
Our chosen charity
We are delighted to be supporting local mental health charity Oakleaf Enterprise for 2020. While mental health has become a ‘hot-topic’ over the last few years, Oakleaf have been working tirelessly to support some of the most vulnerable adults in the Surrey Community since 1997. Their beneficiaries are adults, aged 16-67, suffering from a variety of mental illnesses. They address multiple problems of social isolation, unemployment, poverty and discrimination that their clients face. They also help clients to overcome huge barriers and work with them to rebuild their future by actively training, engaging and supporting them to gain the skills and the confidence needed to return to the workplace.
They deliver a variety of work-related training courses, including upholstery, horticulture and IT, which enable their clients to gain qualifications and practical experience. Where they differ from other mental health charities is that they also act as a social enterprise. This means that they can run upholstery and gardening services for households, businesses and other organisations, with all funds being fed straight back to the charity.
A large number of their clients are socially isolated as a result of their illness; for many, the only time they leave their homes is to attend Oakleaf. To reduce feelings of isolation, Oakleaf offers a wide range of wellbeing activities. These include physical activities such as yoga, football and Tai Chi as well as those, which cater towards building confidence and self-esteem, such as: art therapy, guitar lessons and literacy/numeracy classes. Alongside this, the charity offers a valued support service for as little as £3 an hour to help aid their clients’ recovery.
Oakleaf is also the base of the Guildford Safe Haven – an alternative service to A&E, which is available 365 nights a year for anyone who is reaching or has reached a mental health crisis.
In 2019, Oakleaf supported over 720 individuals in the Surrey community, helping 75 people back into employment. Their support made 84% of clients feel more confident and 91% of clients feel less isolated.
We are delighted to be supporting local mental health charity Oakleaf Enterprise for 2020. While mental health has become a ‘hot-topic’ over the last few years, Oakleaf have been working tirelessly to support some of the most vulnerable adults in the Surrey Community since 1997. Their beneficiaries are adults, aged 16-67, suffering from a variety of mental illnesses. They address multiple problems of social isolation, unemployment, poverty and discrimination that their clients face. They also help clients to overcome huge barriers and work with them to rebuild their future by actively training, engaging and supporting them to gain the skills and the confidence needed to return to the workplace.
They deliver a variety of work-related training courses, including upholstery, horticulture and IT, which enable their clients to gain qualifications and practical experience. Where they differ from other mental health charities is that they also act as a social enterprise. This means that they can run upholstery and gardening services for households, businesses and other organisations, with all funds being fed straight back to the charity.
A large number of their clients are socially isolated as a result of their illness; for many, the only time they leave their homes is to attend Oakleaf. To reduce feelings of isolation, Oakleaf offers a wide range of wellbeing activities. These include physical activities such as yoga, football and Tai Chi as well as those, which cater towards building confidence and self-esteem, such as: art therapy, guitar lessons and literacy/numeracy classes. Alongside this, the charity offers a valued support service for as little as £3 an hour to help aid their clients’ recovery.
Oakleaf is also the base of the Guildford Safe Haven – an alternative service to A&E, which is available 365 nights a year for anyone who is reaching or has reached a mental health crisis.
In 2019, Oakleaf supported over 720 individuals in the Surrey community, helping 75 people back into employment. Their support made 84% of clients feel more confident and 91% of clients feel less isolated.
Our HR and recruitment updates
To see all our posts, please visit our News page
Our HR and recruitment updates
To see all our posts, please visit our News page.