Need to Hire a Head of People and Culture? Here’s What you Need to Know!
What Is a Head of People & Culture?
A Head of People & Culture leads how an organisation attracts, develops and retains talent. The role goes beyond traditional HR: it frames organisational purpose, employee experience, DEI strategy, and high‑impact leadership development. Focusing on people‑centric culture and organisational effectiveness, this role shapes long-term engagement and business performance across Irish organisations.
What Does the Job Entail?
✔️ People & Culture Strategy
The Head of People & Culture is responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive people strategy that aligns closely with the organisation’s business objectives. This includes shaping the entire employee experience, from recruitment and onboarding to career development and offboarding, to foster engagement, belonging, and high performance.
A core focus is leading meaningful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that move beyond checkbox compliance towards embedding inclusion as a business imperative, driving measurable impact on innovation, decision-making and employee retention. Leadership alignment is critical, requiring collaboration with senior executives to ensure consistent values, behaviours and culture are modelled at every level.
✔️ Talent Management
This role demands ownership of talent lifecycle management, including succession planning for critical roles, identifying and nurturing high-potential employees, and deploying strategic engagement initiatives that keep teams motivated and aligned. The Head of People & Culture develops retention strategies based on robust workforce insights and market trends to minimise turnover risks, especially in competitive Irish talent markets. They lead the creation of career pathways and learning frameworks that support continuous development and prepare future leaders.
✔️ Leadership Coaching and Development
Upskilling managers to thrive in modern work environments, particularly hybrid and remote teams, is essential. The role involves designing and delivering tailored leadership development programmes and coaching initiatives that build emotional intelligence, inclusive leadership skills, and agility. By empowering leaders to lead with empathy and accountability, the Head of People & Culture directly influences team cohesion, productivity and wellbeing.
✔️ Policy, Compliance and Governance
Ensuring the organisation’s HR policies, procedures and practices are fully compliant with Irish employment legislation, including evolving areas such as workplace flexibility, data protection (GDPR), and equality law, is a key responsibility. The role involves continuous policy review and governance oversight to safeguard the business against risk while promoting fair and transparent people practices that support the organisation’s culture and reputation.
✔️ Leading Culture Change
The Head of People & Culture is often at the forefront of managing complex organisational change, whether during mergers and acquisitions, business growth phases or restructures. They lead initiatives that embed new ways of working, drive cultural integration, and sustain employee engagement throughout transitions. This requires strategic communication, stakeholder management and a deep understanding of change psychology within Irish workplace contexts.
✔️ Analytics and Insight-Driven Decision Making
Data and analytics underpin effective workforce planning and culture management. The role involves leveraging people analytics tools to interpret engagement survey results, turnover data, diversity metrics, and sentiment analysis. These insights guide targeted interventions, measure the success of HR programmes, and inform strategic workforce decisions. A data-savvy Head of People & Culture translates complex analytics into actionable business recommendations, balancing quantitative evidence with qualitative feedback from employees.
Emerging Trends: Moving Beyond Performative DEI
Irish organisations increasingly demand a culture-led approach to HR leadership. The focus has shifted from performative Diversity, Equity and Inclusion gestures towards embedding inclusion in core business outcomes—such as innovation, customer satisfaction and financial performance. Heads of People & Culture are expected to champion sustainable inclusion strategies that foster authentic belonging, transparency and equitable opportunity. This evolution reflects broader global and Irish social movements, reinforced by data showing the positive impact of inclusive cultures on employee engagement and retention.
What Experience and Qualifications are Needed in Ireland?
✔️ 8+ years in senior HR leadership or people strategy roles, ideally including cross-functional or international exposure
✔️ Proven track record of delivering culture change, DEI programmes or leadership transformation
✔️ Deep understanding of Irish employment law and compliance frameworks
✔️ Experience using people analytics tools to track engagement, retention and DEI metrics
✔️ Certification or development in coaching, organisation development or people analytics
✔️ Strong stakeholder management; including CEO and board experience
Tips for Employers and Candidates
Employers
✔️ Define your people vision as clearly as you define your business goals
A successful Head of People & Culture needs a well-articulated framework that aligns directly with your company’s strategic objectives. This means going beyond generic HR aspirations to setting clear, measurable outcomes around culture, leadership behaviours, talent development and diversity. Articulating your people vision upfront ensures candidates understand the scope and impact expected of the role, helping you attract senior leaders who can drive your specific business agenda.
✔️ Prioritise inclusivity and employee engagement measurement
Modern HR leadership demands not only commitment to diversity and inclusion but also rigorous, data-driven assessment of how inclusive your workplace truly is. Regular employee engagement surveys, pulse checks and inclusion metrics should form part of your organisational dashboard. This transparency enables ongoing refinement of your culture strategy and signals to candidates that you value evidence-based decision-making and authentic people-centred leadership.
✔️ Look for candidates with an agile and commercial mindset, beyond process expertise
The complexity of Irish workplaces today requires Heads of People & Culture who combine strong operational knowledge with commercial acumen and adaptability. The ideal candidate understands the business context—market pressures, competitive talent landscape, regulatory shifts—and can translate HR initiatives into outcomes that support growth, profitability and resilience. They must navigate ambiguity and lead change with agility while maintaining employee trust and engagement.
Candidates
✔️ Build your personal brand through thought leadership on culture, DEI or people analytics
Standing out for senior HR roles means demonstrating expertise beyond traditional HR functions. Share insights and practical case studies via LinkedIn articles, industry blogs, or speaking engagements that showcase your strategic thinking and leadership in areas like inclusive culture building, data-driven talent strategies, or wellbeing programmes. This positions you as a trusted advisor and forward-thinking leader in the Irish HR community.
✔️ Highlight measurable business outcomes of your initiatives
When presenting your experience, focus on tangible impact: how did your people strategy improve retention rates, accelerate leadership development, or increase employee engagement scores? Use data and clear examples to illustrate your role in driving commercial results through HR. Irish employers value candidates who can bridge the gap between people practices and business performance.
✔️ Stay visible through industry networks, conferences and specialist recruiters
Maintain an active presence in Ireland’s HR ecosystem. Attend CIPD events, local HR forums, and sector-specific conferences to build relationships and stay abreast of emerging trends. Collaborate with specialist recruiters like HR Hire who understand your career ambitions and the unique Irish market, ensuring you’re front-of-mind when senior roles arise. Visibility and networking remain crucial to securing leadership opportunities.
Why partner with HR Hire as your HR Recruitment Agency?
At HR Hire, we don’t just fill roles; we partner with organisations across Ireland to secure visionary Heads of People & Culture who drive measurable business transformation. Our candidates are proven change-makers with the strategic insight, leadership gravitas, and cultural expertise to embed lasting impact at every level of your organisation.
We understand that today’s organisations demand HR leaders who move beyond compliance and administration to become true architects of culture, engagement, and growth. That’s why our focus is on connecting you with exceptional leaders who deliver tangible outcomes, from elevating employee experience to championing inclusion and accelerating business performance.
When you engage HR Hire, you gain a trusted consultancy with deep sector knowledge, a robust talent network, and a commitment to matching you with candidates who align to your vision and culture.
