Meet Liz Walker; a Director in Green Park’s Private Sector Practice, specialising in Human Resources Executive Search

Written by Liz Walker

Part of the Green Park team since April 2022, Liz Walker is an expert in executive HR recruitment. Over the last 15 years, Liz has sourced talent for all kinds of senior HR roles for every kind of sector and has a deep knowledge of how to build best in class People functions.  

A highly supportive approach is Liz Walker’s hallmark. It’s earned her an extensive network of contacts, including some of the industry’s best talent and all types of clients, from pioneering start-ups to global brand leaders.

“I’ve always prided myself on being fair and honest, no matter who I’m dealing with. I’m not afraid to have direct or difficult conversations. I believe in giving good counsel on both sides of the fence, and I know the market well and people remember that. This is why so many candidates have gone on to become clients even years after we’ve worked together, I’m the critical friend they can rely on.”

Since finding her vocation, Liz has moved through increasingly senior positions at niche recruitment organisations, most recently, managing partner at a boutique executive search firm. As part of Green Park, she’s bringing a careers worth of expertise to a whole new set of clients, helping them prevail in a challenging post-pandemic market:

“Since Covid, the relationship between employers and employees has changed. What matters to employees has changed dramatically: there is reinvigorated focus on purpose, wellbeing, flexibility and meaningful rewards. Can they volunteer or take sabbaticals? Is there a diverse, inclusive culture? Although a shift towards this kind of approach is achievable, organisations don’t always understand the challenge. They desperately need HR leaders who can lead for the now and with a strong focus on  the challenges of the future: hybrid working; ED&I; and compensation and benefits that help with the cost of living.”

For Liz, the most successful leaders are those who do not only manage such problems, but picture the wider employment landscape. They understand that potential candidates want authenticity and genuine engagement. Empathetic and adaptable, they accept that some staff turnover is inevitable in a post-job-for-life world. Instead of fearing change, they concentrate on evolution and minimise disruption.

It’s a far cry from the days when HR existed purely as a corporate support function. Liz says that today, HR leaders play a central role in helping solve business problems. “They can get to know every part of an organisation, spark cultural transformation and provide leadership coaching across the business to ensure effective talent management and succession planning HR should be integral to high-level strategic decisions.”

Unsurprisingly, demand for such multi-faceted leaders is high. “There are more roles emerging than there are candidates with the expertise to do them,” says Liz. However, thanks to her networks, she is identifying fantastic talent outside the usual pools. She is particularly determined to ensure that neurodiverse candidates are effectively supported and given fair opportunities. With two of her three children being neurodiverse, it’s a subject that’s close to her heart: “When they enter the workplace I want them to have equal opportunities to succeed. The challenge for organisations is that there is still stigma around neurodiversity – individuals, especially those from Generation X and Millennials don’t feel comfortable sharing their neurodiversity status and so it still remains hidden challenge for many people. It’s the responsibility of organisations to lead on developing an inclusive culture, make the adaptations to their processes and systems, and ensure that there is education and support in place to make it possible for all individuals to bring their authentic selves to the workplace. And the beauty of it is, that there is tangible economic benefit for organisations to do this. Part of my job as a search partner is to help organisations understand this.

As an organisation Green Park have a well-earned reputation for changing the face of leadership, and neurodiversity is part of that evolution of diversity: we need to be at the forefront of driving those conversations and I take my responsibility for that very seriously.” says Liz.

This drive for fairness is one of the reasons that Liz felt that she and Green Park would be a good match.

“It’s important to me that I do good work, working for  a good organisation, with good people. It sounds so simple but it’s so often overlooked or taken for granted. Green Park cares about what they’re trying to do and that matters.”    

Take the next step: get in touch with Liz Walker and find out more about Executive Search at Green Park.