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Meet Our New Head of People: Rachel Hill

Pass Logistics, Rachel Hill, Harvey Travis 

 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what attracted you to Pass Logistics?

I’m Rachel, married to Colin, and this New Year’s Eve marks our 10th wedding anniversary – 2015 was hands down the best NYE party I’ve ever been to! We have one little boy and a furry four-legged family member named Poppy. My husband also has two older children and six grandchildren, making our family tree wonderfully unique!

I live in Castleford and am a proud supporter of Cas Tigers (apologies to all the Dons fans!). Colin, originally from Manchester, is a City fan, and by association, so am I. That said, we’ve talked about adopting Rovers as our second team and have started keeping an eye on their results each week.

In terms of what attracted me to Pass, I was initially approached by the lovely Sommer at Austin Banks Recruitment. Sommer shared Adrian’s story and how Pass came about. How they had experienced considerable growth and felt ready to invest in the people strategy to support further growth. The phrase that really piqued my interest was ‘Adrian wants to turn Logistics on its head’, and although I was happy at my previous Company, the prospect of being a part of that, helping to build something special was just too tempting.  Especially with my little boy having started school in September 2024 and turning 40 this year, I felt ready for a new challenge!

 

What excites you the most about joining the Pass Logistics team?

Being a part of something that is growing and that has such huge potential is so exciting! There are some really solid foundations already in place and I’m super keen to build on these.

 

Can you share a little about your background and experience in HR?

I didn’t have a traditional academic route into HR – to be honest, I found HR by accident! That said, I’ve now worked in HR for 20 years, completing my CIPD along the way. Over the years, I’ve been an Administrator, Adviser, Consultant, and most recently, a Senior Business Partner, a role I held for nine years at a large FMCG organisation. I’ve worked in several industries, but nearly always in roles linked to, or connected with, Supply Chain, so Logistics isn’t new to me.

I did try my hand at Finance once, but I quickly realised numbers weren’t for me – no offence to Carol, our amazing Finance Director! I’m definitely more of a people person.

One of my claims to fame comes from my career: when I was 17, I worked as an HR/Training Administrator at The Prince’s Trust and had the chance to meet HRH Prince Charles (as he was then).

 

What does being the Head of People mean to you?

It’s a huge privilege! We spend so much time at work so to think that I can make a difference for the better to someone’s day, career or even life, I’m forever grateful of that.  I’m passionate about people and I love nothing more than seeing people progress and develop whether that’s professionally or personally and playing a part in that progression is hugely rewarding.

 

Pass Logistics places a strong emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. How do you plan to support and nurture these values?

We currently operate across two sites in Doncaster hence why teamwork and collaboration are key. We need to ensure that we continue to foster an environment where colleagues feel safe to share ideas and work closely together.  Making sure we have shared goals and an appreciation and understanding of each other’s roles is pertinent, as is open and transparent communication.

 

What do you see as the biggest challenge for HR in the logistics industry today?

I think there are many challenges, to be honest, but one of the biggest is definitely attracting and retaining good people. Especially those with the right skill sets to adapt to the volatile and complex world we operate in.

Take sustainability as an example. This is a huge focus for the industry – not just what we can achieve for our own sustainability agenda, but also for that of our customers. Think optimised routes, maximising capacity, sustainable packaging, advances in technology, and so on. To meet these demands, we need to ensure we have the right capabilities, skills, knowledge, and awareness in place. It’s challenging, but it’s also incredibly exciting!

We need to achieve all of this while maintaining our competitiveness in a world of ever-increasing employment costs.

 

How do you see the role of HR evolving in the coming years, particularly in a growing company like Pass Logistics?

It’s such an interesting time to work in HR, and I’m not just saying that! More than ever, we have multiple generations working together, each with different needs and motivations. We need to keep evolving, finding new and innovative ways to attract, develop, and retain employees, all while responding to customer needs.

Diversity and Inclusion will become even more important and demand greater focus. Work-life balance, health, and wellbeing aren’t going away – nor should they. Over the years, HR has evolved into a much more strategic influence within businesses, and I’m genuinely excited to bring this insight to Pass Logistics.

 

What were your initial thoughts when you first walked through the doors?

I was just grateful to have made it in one piece! The snow definitely wasn’t part of my plan for my first day. My husband had to handle the morning drop-off since my little boy’s school delayed its start time to 10am, and I had to get my brother to give me a lift to the office because my car was snowed in.

That aside, the new office setting is fantastic – who wouldn’t be captivated by the view of the lake? Learning that the office was chosen with colleagues’ wellbeing in mind only reinforced that I’ve made the right decision in joining Pass Logistics.

 

Were there any moments or interactions during your first week that stood out to you?

Definitely! Getting a lift home from Marcus, our Sales Director, on day one because of the snow – what a true gent. Then having my induction with Joe, Core Fleet Supervisor, on day four - I certainly put him through his paces with all my questions!

Marcus and Joe aside, everyone has been incredibly welcoming, taking the time to help me understand the business and patiently answering all my questions. I’m truly grateful to everyone for the warm welcome I’ve received.

 

What are you most looking forward to as you continue to immerse yourself in the business?

Everything! There’s such an exciting year ahead in more ways than one, and just being a part of it will be amazing. I’m also really eager to get to know Doncaster better. Pass Logistics has a strong presence in the Doncaster community, and as someone who isn’t from the area, I’m looking forward to becoming part of that community.

If anyone within the Doncaster or HR community would like to connect, feel free to find me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-hill-76156220/