Process Improvement Lead People & Culture Review
at ISS UK
Level 4/5 Apprenticeship
Human Resources
Birmingham
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
As a Process Improvement Lead within People & Culture, my role sits at the intersection of people, process, and technology.
I am responsible for ensuring that people related processes are not only aligned to our broader group standards, but are also practical, efficient, and fit for purpose particularly in supporting the organisation’s people systems.
My role involves designing, reviewing, and continuously improving P&C processes across the employee lifecycle (e.g. onboarding, people changes & offboarding). I translate high-level group frameworks into workable, user friendly processes that can be consistently applied in real operational settings.
A key part of my remit is ensuring that processes are system enabled rather than system constrained. That means working closely with HR systems (such as HRIS platforms) to ensure processes are structured in a way that the system can support whilst avoiding unnecessary manual workarounds yet still meeting business needs.
I also act as a bridge between stakeholders:
Partnering with Group functions to ensure alignment with enterprise-wide standards,
Collaborating with HR teams to ensure processes are usable and adopted in practice,
Working with technology teams to ensure processes are effectively embedded into systems.
Beyond design I focus on continuous improvement, identifying inefficiencies, reducing complexity, and standardising where it adds value.
I bring a mindset of balancing governance and flexibility, ensuring compliance without creating overly rigid or impractical workflows.
Ultimately, my role ensures that P&C processes are:
Aligned with group strategy and governance
Practical for day-to-day use by HR and the business
Optimised for integration with people systems
Scalable and consistent across the organisation
I am responsible for ensuring that people related processes are not only aligned to our broader group standards, but are also practical, efficient, and fit for purpose particularly in supporting the organisation’s people systems.
My role involves designing, reviewing, and continuously improving P&C processes across the employee lifecycle (e.g. onboarding, people changes & offboarding). I translate high-level group frameworks into workable, user friendly processes that can be consistently applied in real operational settings.
A key part of my remit is ensuring that processes are system enabled rather than system constrained. That means working closely with HR systems (such as HRIS platforms) to ensure processes are structured in a way that the system can support whilst avoiding unnecessary manual workarounds yet still meeting business needs.
I also act as a bridge between stakeholders:
Partnering with Group functions to ensure alignment with enterprise-wide standards,
Collaborating with HR teams to ensure processes are usable and adopted in practice,
Working with technology teams to ensure processes are effectively embedded into systems.
Beyond design I focus on continuous improvement, identifying inefficiencies, reducing complexity, and standardising where it adds value.
I bring a mindset of balancing governance and flexibility, ensuring compliance without creating overly rigid or impractical workflows.
Ultimately, my role ensures that P&C processes are:
Aligned with group strategy and governance
Practical for day-to-day use by HR and the business
Optimised for integration with people systems
Scalable and consistent across the organisation
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
Completing the Improvement Practitioner apprenticeship has been a genuinely rewarding experience, both professionally and personally. I found the programme highly engaging, as it combined practical tools and methodologies with real world application in my role within People & Culture.
Being able to directly apply what I was learning to live process challenges made the experience particularly meaningful and reinforced the value of structured improvement approaches.
What I appreciated most was how the programme strengthened my ability to think critically about processes, moving beyond simply identifying issues to understanding root causes and implementing sustainable solutions. It has given me greater confidence to challenge existing ways of working in a constructive way, while still aligning to wider group frameworks and expectations.
I also valued the opportunity to develop a more structured and disciplined approach to continuous improvement.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the programme and see it as a key step in supporting my ongoing growth, both in my current role and in future career development.
Being able to directly apply what I was learning to live process challenges made the experience particularly meaningful and reinforced the value of structured improvement approaches.
What I appreciated most was how the programme strengthened my ability to think critically about processes, moving beyond simply identifying issues to understanding root causes and implementing sustainable solutions. It has given me greater confidence to challenge existing ways of working in a constructive way, while still aligning to wider group frameworks and expectations.
I also valued the opportunity to develop a more structured and disciplined approach to continuous improvement.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the programme and see it as a key step in supporting my ongoing growth, both in my current role and in future career development.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
During my Improvement Practitioner apprenticeship, I developed a broad set of practical and transferable skills that have strengthened my effectiveness in a Process Improvement role within People & Culture.
A key area of development was my ability to analyse and improve processes. I learned how to map current state processes, identify inefficiencies, and design future state solutions that are both streamlined and sustainable. This included applying structured improvement methodologies such as root cause analysis and continuous improvement techniques to ensure changes address underlying issues rather than symptoms.
I also built strong problem solving and critical thinking skills, enabling me to approach challenges in a more structured and evidence based way. This has helped me move from reactive fixes to more proactive, strategic improvements.
Another important skill I developed was stakeholder engagement and communication. I gained confidence in working with a range of stakeholders across HR, business teams, and technology functions, ensuring their needs are understood, managing expectations, and bringing them along the change journey.
The programme also enhanced my data literacy, including the ability to interpret and use data to inform decisions, measure process performance, and track the impact of improvements.
In addition, I strengthened my change management and implementation skills, learning how to embed improvements effectively, encourage adoption, and ensure changes are sustained over time.
Finally, I developed greater confidence and professional credibility in leading improvement initiatives, supported by a more structured toolkit and a clear methodology for delivering meaningful, practical outcomes.
A key area of development was my ability to analyse and improve processes. I learned how to map current state processes, identify inefficiencies, and design future state solutions that are both streamlined and sustainable. This included applying structured improvement methodologies such as root cause analysis and continuous improvement techniques to ensure changes address underlying issues rather than symptoms.
I also built strong problem solving and critical thinking skills, enabling me to approach challenges in a more structured and evidence based way. This has helped me move from reactive fixes to more proactive, strategic improvements.
Another important skill I developed was stakeholder engagement and communication. I gained confidence in working with a range of stakeholders across HR, business teams, and technology functions, ensuring their needs are understood, managing expectations, and bringing them along the change journey.
The programme also enhanced my data literacy, including the ability to interpret and use data to inform decisions, measure process performance, and track the impact of improvements.
In addition, I strengthened my change management and implementation skills, learning how to embed improvements effectively, encourage adoption, and ensure changes are sustained over time.
Finally, I developed greater confidence and professional credibility in leading improvement initiatives, supported by a more structured toolkit and a clear methodology for delivering meaningful, practical outcomes.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The Improvement Practitioner programme was very well structured, providing a clear and logical progression from foundational concepts through to more advanced tools and real world application. Each stage built on the last, which made it easy to develop confidence and capability over time. The balance between theory and practical application was particularly effective, allowing me to immediately apply what I was learning within my role in People & Culture.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I was also supported by a highly encouraging employer, who recognised the value of the programme and gave me the time, space, and trust to fully engage with it. This support made a significant difference, as it enabled me to embed new skills into my day to day work rather than treating the apprenticeship as something separate.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
In addition, my training provider offered unwavering support throughout the programme. Their guidance, feedback, and regular check-ins ensured I stayed on track and continued to develop to a high standard. They were instrumental in helping me prepare for assessment and build confidence in my approach.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
Achieving a distinction is something I am very proud of, and it reflects the level of commitment I put into the programme. Since completing it, I have seen a clear improvement in my performance. I am more confident in leading process improvement initiatives, more structured in my thinking, and more effective in delivering practical, sustainable outcomes that align with both business needs and group processes. Overall, the programme has had a meaningful and lasting impact on how I perform in my role.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
Yes, at ISS they offer a range of additional activities as a side line mainly in the form of ERGs (Employee Resource Group). Our Employee Resource Groups (ERG) connect people and places to make the world work better for all; inspiring our people to connect, celebrate and support one another, creating a stronger, simpler, closer work environment.
Employee Resource Groups are voluntary, employee-led groups that ,Accelerate & enable Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, allowing us to build, think and give back to our business, communities, and each other. Additionally, the groups are coming together to strengthen their professional development and social network.
Every employee at ISS is welcome to join any ERG, there is no limitation of gender, age, culture, etc. to roll in an ERG to contribute and benefit of the ERGs initiatives and activities.
Employee Resource Groups are voluntary, employee-led groups that ,Accelerate & enable Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, allowing us to build, think and give back to our business, communities, and each other. Additionally, the groups are coming together to strengthen their professional development and social network.
Every employee at ISS is welcome to join any ERG, there is no limitation of gender, age, culture, etc. to roll in an ERG to contribute and benefit of the ERGs initiatives and activities.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend ISS UK to a friend?
Yes
Why?
There is ample career opportunities with ISS as it is an established global organisation . ISS Employee promise is a place to be you meaning every placemaker is unique and is valued for what they bring to the organisation. The promise is to be who you are , become what you want and be part of something bigger.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to ISS UK?
There is a plethora of opportunity , you will not stay in one position (unless you want to) for a long time it enables you to learn and stive in your own career development.
