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Tom Wiltshire

Founder

Blue Shed Group

Tom Wiltshire, a seasoned HR professional and People & Culture strategist at Blue Shed Group, draws on rich experience across education, professional services and technology to help organisations build human-centred, high-performing workplaces. In this interview he reflects on his journey from frontline roles to strategic leadership, shares his perspectives on how HR is evolving, and offers practical insights for teams navigating change.

• LinkedIn

1. How would you describe your professional background in a few sentences?

   My professional background has been varied across teaching, payroll and most prominently HR. I have spent the last decade across corporate senior HR roles and have recently left corporate roles to work on an independent consultant basis as well as launching my entrepreneurial journey with my company Blue Shed Group. Through The Blue Shed Group I now partner with ambitious professionals from backgrounds in HR, sales, education, and consulting who are ready to align their experience with purpose and autonomy. The goal is to help them build flexible, independent careers that fuel both personal and professional success through coaching, mentoring and personal development.

2. Who or what influenced your professional direction most?

   When I ventured into corporate HR my first line manager was the person who most influenced my career and professional direction. This line manager helped me build my professional understanding, supported me with my early professional accredited learning and shaped my workplace experiences to support me build my career at the right rate. Following this role, this individual headhunted me in their next role and scaled up my development and experience across the next few years to progress my career. Not only was I supported professionally, but also on a personal level building trust and helping to navigate through a new period in my life.

3. What’s one challenge you’ve successfully overcome recently?

   One challenge that I have successfully overcome has been to find the belief to leave the corporate HR roles and the fixed salary to begin my own journey as a self employed individual. There have been many barriers to begin this journey but something I have navigated successfully and purposefully. The way I have achieved this is through my own personal development, such as accessing the courses the Blue Shed Group now offer, networking with like minded individuals, setting key goals and pursuing those with a growth mindset and finding clarity of mind.

4. Which skills have been most valuable to your success?

   The skills that have been most valuable to my success and will continue to be as I further my career and purpose have been honesty, integrity and relationship building. Through utilising and developing these I have been able to create purposeful relationships whichever role I have been in. Through demonstrating honesty and integrity whilst building relationships, professionally and purposefully, I have shared my authentic self and key individuals have remained active in my life. This has been so important and successful so far, and will continue to help me to partner with new individuals, create new success and provide meaningful insights into my next steps.

5. How do you see your profession evolving in the next few years?

   Within corporate HR I see the waves of individuals out of work or have been made redundant. This is a reflection of the market, the state of employment and partly due to the costs of living that employers are really being careful with hiring numbers and their target operating models. One other influence has been the influx of AI use, which is not new but the trend of utilising has been in part down to roles being replaced. Automation is key across all industries and it’s utilisation can be increasingly effective, if done correctly and that is the challenge for individuals and employers, not using AI for the sake of it and taking the time saved to then review the output but having effective use without removing key human decisions.

6. How would you describe your leadership style?

   My leadership style is driven through honesty, integrity and human centred. For me, understanding and working with any individual who you may lead or looks to you for leadership, whether you are aware or not can be vitally important to making the right impact. The way I go about my business and everyday life is to lead how I would like to be lead and for emotions and challenged to be acknowledge and communicated with space to find solutions and importantly ask for help. People look for leaders for various reasons whether that be guidance, support or inspiration and I hope through my style this can be found.

7. What’s one challenge you turned into an opportunity?

   Having my corporate role cut short through a cost cutting exercise. I was one of the leaders on the exercise and knew my role would have been considered by the business at some point. When I was made aware I hit a cross roads section, follow the cycle and find another corporate job or take action. I took action. Now I continue to take action and build something with value and for myself.

8. What are you most excited about in the next stage of your career?

   Success and how I define it. Being present and showing up. Adding value and purpose to what I do and helping others. I am excited about the development of The Blue Shed Group where it can take me and how I can support others in taking action for themselves.