Alumna, Ruth Cornish was recently selected again as one of the most Influential Thinkers in HR. Ruth tells us about her career and what led her to this point, the different types of HR, corporate diversity initiatives and what makes Mazars special. Find out more about Ruth’s journey after Mazars and her advice for those building their careers currently.

Congratulations on your recent award as one of the most Influential HR Thinkers 2022, could you tell us a bit about your career to date and what led you to this award?  

I was thrilled to again be recognised as one of the most influential thinkers in HR. Having your peers recognise your contribution to the profession is as good as it gets.  I began my career in financial services, working for American Express, then Robson Rhodes (now Grant Thornton) before I joined Mazars. I used to work in the old national office and headed up graduate recruitment as well as providing HR consultancy services for clients of Mazars.  My career has been in professional services and investment banking with some time in the public sector. I set up my own business, Amelore 12 years ago. It was always an ambition of mine to create a profitable business after years of hearing HR referred to as a cost centre. I am very happy that we now provide HR consultancy services to clients of Mazars so I've gone full circle. I also co-founded the second professional body for independent HR professionals ‘HRi’ to set standards and accredit UK HR practices.  It’s really important that fast growing SME’s get the right support from a professionally run legally compliant business. 

As an HR professional, what are you most passionate about?–

For me HR has to add value.  We do a lot of HR audit work and often this reveals that organisations have the wrong type of HR.  There are 8 different models of HR and being able to accurately assess what is needed to make an organisation competitive, is a real focus for us.  My passion is on keeping it real. Not talking jargon. Simplifying things. Hearing what my clients want and making it happen for them. And always giving competitive advantage by knowing what they don’t know and taking care of all the detail. Lots of our clients are fast-growing businesses with an exit strategy. Great to plan ahead for that due diligence process and make sure all is in order now.

What are your thoughts on corporate diversity initiatives?

They can be amazing and change hearts and minds, or just become a dull meaningless corporate activity. One of the special things about Mazars that has never changed the whole time I’ve worked with you is your culture. It’s culture that is the key to whether something is going to work. Likewise we’ve all got a story.  Don’t make assumptions about people based on what you can physically see.  Find out more.  One of my proudest moments when I led Graduate Recruitment for Mazars was hiring our first deaf student (Mike Gibson) who went on to qualify and is still with the firm today. We had to do some work to prepare people for his arrival and I answered lots of questions including one from a partner about where his dog would sleep. 

I am also a huge advocate for social inclusion. It’s often missed in corporate diversity initiatives but it's a huge barrier. Some of the more traditional recruitment methods don’t work for everyone. Really focusing on how you can assess people’s potential in a relaxed informal way is powerful.

Are there any lessons you took from working at Mazars which have helped you subsequently or do you have a favourite Mazars memory?

The one that always stands out for me was joining straight from a competitor and wanting to do really well because I was so ambitious. So really killing it during my probation period and working all the hours. So I had a huge shock therefore when it was extended. Being in National Office, John Mellows the senior partner, kindly took the time to deliver the news and explained why. It wasn’t the quality of my work or what I had delivered. It was how I had delivered it. I wanted to be better than everyone else and did whatever it took to do that. He asked me how my focus on being the best, would have felt to my colleagues.  I hadn’t thought of it at all. I cried and cried but I did 3 more months of delivering results by focusing on relationships and it was a complete game changer. Learning that lesson has had a huge impact on me and my career. I have another fond memory which is also a John Mellows one. When we used to induct the new graduates he managed to remember all their names. It blew them (and me) away every time. We all want to be recognised as an individual. And my final happy Mazars memory was performing on stage at a conference dressed up as Ginger Spice complete with the Union Jack mini dress and the platforms singing ’Wannabe”. Wonder if anyone reading this remembers that?

What would your advice be for those building their careers currently?  

Well be a team player for sure! But actively manage your career. Don’t expect others to do it for you. Know what your goals are and how you are going to get to them. Work with a coach or a mentor if you can.  Properly understand your personality preferences too. How you work. What sort of a manager you are and what sort of a manger you need.  But above all else be really clear on your personal values. I have three. Humility, courage and independence. I guess I was always going to end up working for myself.

Do you have any good book or podcast recommendations for our network? 

Watch out for my new podcast launching in September called ‘HR Uncovered’. I do highly rate all the Patrick Lencioni books including 'Death by Meetings’, 'Silos, Politics and Turf Wars’, 'The Five Temptations of a CEO' and 'The Three Signs of a Miserable Job’. Great to read to understand the dynamics our clients are facing and how we can help them but also learn more about our role and the art of the possible.

We would love to hear from other alumni on what they have been up to after life at Mazars. Please reach out to us at alumni@mazars.co.uk if you are interested in writing an article or complete the four alumni story questions via the network homepage.