Influential Businesswoman Awards 2025 | 15 AIM-May25056 lasting change. This is achieved through a process of reviewing outdated policies, setting clear expectations around acceptable behaviours, and making sure women have access to development opportunities. Initiatives such as this have resulted in Go HR gaining a reputation as the ‘fourth emergency service’ for its clients, with many of these businesses seeing the company as an extension of their own teams. In tough situations especially, the personal, highly responsive approach favoured by Go HR sets it apart, and its commitment to providing HR support for small businesses that usually wouldn’t be able to access corporatelevel expertise sees them access straightforward and genuinely helpful services. Finally, reflecting on these awards and the ambitious growth plans Go HR Ltd has looking ahead, Louise summarised: “Ultimately, my ambition is for Go HR to be seen not just as a service provider, but as a valued partner that business owners can rely on to help them thrive, now and in the future.” Contact: Louise Lithgow-Dicker Company: Go HR Ltd Web Address: https://www.gohr.co.uk/ When Louise set up Go HR 11 years ago, she filled a gap in the market with her delivery of expert HR support stemming from a genuine understanding of the pressures behind running a small business. Louise wanted to take the extra stress of people management out the hands of business owners, and she sought to bring her own experiences in larger corporate environments to SMEs, businesses that are usually not in a position to be able to access outsourced HR services of this calibre in the UK. Having worked for more than 25 years in a variety of senior HR roles, Louise understands what works in the real world – not just what looks good on paper. This knowledge is at the heart of Go HR, which prides itself on offering tailored, responsive, and grounded support in every scenario. As Louise told us: “Go HR isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about helping businesses to thrive by getting the people side right. Most of the enterprises Go HR works with consist of teams of between 5 and 80, and their goals involve growing their businesses, delivering high standards of customer service, and building happy and successful workforces. The multifaceted HR support delivered by Go HR is beneficial across all these areas, with its work consisting of everything from day-to-day advice to long-term strategic guidance. Examples include redundancy planning, managing apprenticeships, as well as compliance support. Whether it is working with a client indefinitely or helping with a one-off project – this might be supporting an overstretched HR team, managing a particularly sensitive issue, or delivering a time-critical change – Go HR leverages what can only be described as a practical understanding of business. This translates to confidence from clients that it will handle HR issues quickly and correctly, without unnecessary jargon or drama, and allow them to focus on what they do best – running their companies. Regardless of what the sector she works in is called – Louise started in ‘personnel’ 35 years ago, before it shifted to ‘human resources’, then ‘HR’, and is now ‘people’ – the constant is that the actions of support remain pivotal. Sector-wide change has been significant but inconsistent, especially when it comes to women in the field. For example, HR was long seen as a ‘soft’ function, and women would often be pigeonholed into administrative roles and not invited into conversations around business strategy. Louise explained: “I made it my mission to challenge that, and I’m proud that HR is now much more widely recognised as a critical business function that directly impacts performance, profitability, and risk management. More women are now leading HR strategy at board level, and rightly so, and their input shapes not just culture, but business direction.” This is not to say that all cultural barriers have been removed, and industries like construction are still tough for women to enter and progress in. Go HR is working tirelessly to change this, advising male and female business owners alike on the best ways to create fair and inclusive working environments that go beyond ticking a box and instead nurture For 11 years, Go HR Ltd has been providing straight-talking HR support to SMEs, aiming to make HR feel less like ‘red tape’ and more like a vital tool. Helping business owners to tackle people challenges with confidence and compliance, Go HR has amassed an impressive client base over the past decade, and today delivers everything from HR for construction to HR for retail and hospitality. Louise Lithgow-Dicker, the company’s founder and managing director, was on hand for more. SME HR Director of the Year 2025 (UK): Louise Lithgow-Dicker & Business Leadership & Dedication Excellence Award 2025 Go HR Ltd
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