About
Your HR interior designer!
At Haus of HR, we’re like HR interior designers for your business. Our HR consulting services and people solutions are specifically designed for SMEs and start-ups across the UK.
We believe that the right people foundations are essential for building a stable and long-lasting business. As an expert HR strategic partner, we provide access to the best people solutions available. Our speciality is delivering talent retention programmes, ensuring you keep your people and attract top talent, positioning your company as an employer of choice.
Rachel Collar
FOUNDER | CONSULTANT HR DIRECTOR | EXECUTIVE COACH
Hi, I’m Rachel.
Let’s get the boring bit over first – both my Degree and Masters are in HR Management, and I’m a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD).
If that wasn’t enough I also have an ILM 7 in Executive and Senior Level Coaching & Mentoring, an Association for Coaching Accredited Advanced Diploma in Coach Training and a Diploma in NLP, as well as being a Professional Member of the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC) and a Member of the Association for Coaching.
More importantly I’ve got the experience too. Frightening to say, but I have a 25-year career in HR, driving people strategies and delivering successful HR programmes across the employee lifecycle whilst leading HR teams across the UK, EMEA and USA.
I’ve partnered with SMEs and global corporations, and thrown in local authority and not-for-profit organisations for good measure too.
I’ve successfully led HR in manufacturing (food, industrial, automotive), distribution, IT outsourcing, telecommunications, insurance and financial services. I have been an established member in senior leaderships teams across a number of organisations, and as a Board member in my last corporate role as the Head of HR for Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
I’m also the Vice President and Non-Executive Director for both the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce, supporting the CEO and President to ensure that the highest standards of governance are applied to managing the performance of the Chamber’s activities and representing the interests of Members.
I’m also a Mentor for the CIPD, providing support and advice to fellow CIPD members who are ambassadors of the people profession. And a mentor for the Natwest Accelerator Programme, offering guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs aiming to grow and elevate their businesses.
When I do have spare time, I love to go hiking in search of geocaches and mountain biking. As well as keeping fit, I also like to have some down time doing Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates.
I live in a motorsport mad house – so it’s ideal being able to hear the action from the Silverstone track when working from my desk.
Last but not least, I’m a fur baby mummy to my rescue cat Buddy AKA the Chief Happiness Officer at Haus of HR. He may even make a special Zoom appearance, for a fee of course!
Chief Happiness Officer
Steph Underwood
HR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE
I’ve got over 10 years’ experience working in recruitment and HR, in large corporate organisations and smaller companies, from shared service centres to partnering with Director’s, in all sorts of sectors.
I then moved into recruitment (not the agency type), but supporting Independent Consultants with their client’s recruitment needs.
That’s when I found my passion for supporting and being part of a journey that adds value and somewhere that you can truly be yourself!
I’ve got 2 daughters and if there’s a chance of sun, at the weekend, you’ll find us on a beach (often the cold and windy UK ones).
I love travelling and the water and have my PADI diving license and I hope that as the girls get older, we’ll be able to explore the world and ocean together!
Contact me at steph@hausofhr.com
Hayley White
HR ADVISOR
I’m a CIPD qualified HR expert with 15 years of experience working in HR within various industries including – the police, retail and hospitality.
I’m is also a Breathe HR Guru, which is super handy because all our Core HR Retainer clients get this awesome HR software as part of their support package!
Did you know that I’m also an adrenaline junkie?
Why else would I be a qualified Skydiving instructor – though the rest of the team are not sure on it being a future team-building activity!
Contact me at hayley@hausofhr.com
Alison Allen
HR CONSULTANT
I’m a Chartered Member of the CIPD, with 25 years of experience comprehensive experience in HR and Learning & Development.
I’m renowned for my passion for educating and empowering businesses. I also specialise in delivering accredited menopause training, mediation and coaching.
I enjoy family time and I’m your go-to person for planning adventurous outings or looking forward to unwinding on a family holiday. If you’ve any great destination suggestions just let me know!
Contact me at alison@hausofhr.com
Lauren Gatenby
HR CONSULTANT
I’m an Associate CIPD member with 10 years of experience across various industries, where I have built my knowledge and expertise in all aspects of HR.
I’m particularly passionate about driving positive change in employee relations and engagement.
I love travelling, and my mantra is ‘life is too short, and the world is too big!’
Fun fact: my husband and I have visited over 30 countries in the past 6 years – always happy to share travel tips!
Contact me at lauren@hausofhr.com
Nicky Sheppard
HR CONSULTANT
I’m CIPD Level 5 qualified and have worked within HR and Recruitment since I was 26. My strengths are HR administration, employment law and working with HR employee platforms, and my particular passion is full-cycle recruitment. I’m very interested in supporting neurodiversity and mental health both during recruitment and within the workplace.
I live on the sunny South Coast (I’m reliably told we’re one of the sunniest places in the UK) and love being able to take a walk with my dog along the beach before I start work. I’m a bit of a couch potato so you won’t find me in the gym or doing high octane activities, but I do like being out and about and exploring the UK and further afield. I’m a keen (very) amateur photographer, and like nothing more than a solitary wander with my earphones in taking pictures of random flowers and landscapes.
Contact me at nicky@hausofhr.com
Business Award success
The 2025 award season has kicked off in style….
Haus of HR is announced as a finalist in the SME Northamptonshire Business Awards 2025, in three categories: Service Excellence, Towcester Business of the Year and our Founder Rachel Collar as Business Woman of the Year.
Haus of HR is named HR Consultancy of the Year Central England (Northamptonshire) in the Central England Prestige Awards 2024/25.
The 2024 award season was amazing. Here are just some of our successes!
Haus of HR is named HR & Coaching Business of the Year 2024 in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2024
Haus of HR is named HR Consultancy Firm of the Year 2023/24 in the Central England Prestige Awards.
Haus of HR is awarded HR & Coaching Business of the Year – East Midlands in the UK Enterprise Client Service Excellence Award 2024.
Our Founder, Rachel has been named as one of the top 100 female entrepreneurs in the UK in the Small Business Britain’s ‘f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100’ campaign. Read more here and our feature in The Business Times Northamptonshire here.
The 2023 award season was amazing and here’s how we did…..
Business Elite Awards
Winner of HR Consulting Firm of the Year 2023 – UK
Woman Who Achieves Solopreneur Awards
Finalist
Theo Papthitis’ Small Business Sunday
Winner
SME Northamptonshire Business Awards
Gold Award Winner of Towcester Business of the Year and Best New Business Finalist
UK Enterprise Awards
Winner of HR Consultancy of the Year – East Midlands
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Celebrating Small Business Awards
Start-Up Business of the Year 2023, East Midlands Finalist
Here’s how we did in 2022!
Northamptonshire SME Business Awards
Silver Award Winner for Best New Business 2022 and Silver Award Winner Towcester Business of the Year 2022
Northamptonshire Business Awards (Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce):
New Business of the Year 2022 Finalist
Women’s Business Awards
SME Startup of the Year 2022 Finalist
Ethical Awards
Young Business of the Year 2022 Finalist
Northant’s Life Awards
B2B of the Year 2022 Finalist
Don’t you mean house?
No we don’t! It’s definitely Haus!
At the Haus of HR, we like to be a little different. Or we might prefer to say a bit more avant-garde (sounds good hey!)
We could say we were influenced by Lady Gaga’s business empire!
But, we just simply wanted to have a name that would enable us to showcase our services, and make you feel welcome with a more personal and friendly service.
Our door is always open at the Haus of HR….
Want to pick Rachel’s HR brain?
Get in touch to book some time with Rachel with our free HR consultation.
Find out how she can get your HR Haus in order!