Redwood’s investment in people reaps rewards for Tara

A Redwood rising star has just celebrated her seventh anniversary with the bank and the successful end of her second year as its People Partner. 

Tara Procter joined Redwood in 2017, when the organisation was only a few months old, and has seen her own career flourish alongside the growth of the specialist lender. 

Initially hired as an HR assistant at the age of 19, Tara has gone on to achieve four promotions in Redwood’s human resources department thanks to her tireless work to ensure the bank had the right support and processes in place as it accelerated its growth. 

Her greatest achievements to date include introducing the HR system – HiBob – to help manage Redwood’s people processes and communications and then exploring how the bank could bring more value to its colleagues as part of its efforts to be recognised as a leading employer in the specialist banking space. 

Tara said: “Launching HiBob is my greatest achievement. We started with nothing – just a spreadsheet. It was something I have never done before, it took  a lot of hard work but the reward for both the HR team and wider business made it worth it. It has brought efficiencies in managing absences, recruiting and wider HR activities and provides our line managers with all the HR information they need.  

“It’s also supported better internal communications and now supports performance and workforce planning. 

“I’m proud to have worked with our Director of People on creating our colleague proposition, with a focus on improving diversity and inclusion and promoting health and well-being.”  

In her current role as People Partner, Tara acts as an adviser to the business on a wide range of topics including recruitment and employment law as well as continuing to lead on new people projects. The key aim for her role is supporting colleagues to perform at their best. 

While Tara’s career has developed at a fairly rapid pace, like many aspiring female leaders she has experienced imposter syndrome. At times she feared she was not yet ready to lead but with support and continuous feedback from senior colleagues at Redwood she has continued to flourish. 

Tara said: “My biggest challenge is to trust my knowledge, which helps to continue to build my self-confidence. I try to remember that my colleagues, including our executive committee and our CEO, trust me to deliver. 

“A few years ago, I received a piece of advice that was a turning point in my career. Our Chief Financial Officer had seen I had potential and that I was delivering results at Redwood.  

“He told me I was knowledgeable, but outputs alone do not make you into a leader. I had to consider how I conducted myself across the business and the tone this set for others. It was great advice. 

“I also check in with my boss, our Director of People, to help build my confidence in my knowledge and I’ve learned it’s OK to not know everything. It is about being transparent and if you don’t know something, you can always go away and find out.  

“I have found preparation is key – before going into any meeting,  I plan what I am going to say and make sure I have the information they need from me.” 

Tara wants to continue to learn and develop and has her sights set on being a Head of or Director at Redwood in the future. 

She said: “I love learning and I love the entrepreneurial spirit at Redwood that facilitates this. I also enjoy that no People Project ever really ends, we’re always looking at ways to evolve and improve.” 

Find out more about working at Redwood Bank.