Lindsay Gallard’s job is all about people: how to support them, develop them and keep them connected in a fast-moving tech business. As chief people officer at Six Degrees, a UK-based provider of secure cloud and IT services, he’s responsible for making sure the company’s people strategy keeps pace with the demands of cybersecurity, hybrid working and an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
He grew up in Australia and moved to London more than two decades ago, building a career across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. In this edition of The Big Interview, he talks about managing risk without losing the human touch, why dignity at work should never be optional and how HR can stay relevant in a tech-led world.
Given Six Degrees’ focus on secure and integrated cloud services, how do you ensure that HR strategies align with the fast-paced advancements in cloud technology and cybersecurity?
We work hard to ensure our HR strategy is connected to what’s happening in cloud and cyber security by building it alongside our overall business plan. That way, HR priorities stay in step with how the company is growing and evolving, and we can link workforce development directly to the skills we need, both for supporting our clients and running our own operations.
I also work closely with our tech, product, legal and other teams across the business to map out the skills we need now and in the future. We keep L&D front and centre by using gamification and self-managed platforms. And while tools like AI-driven skills analysis are still pretty new, we’re already looking at how they can help us build a workforce that’s ready for what’s next.
The Employment Rights Bill aims to enhance worker protections, including amendments related to unfair dismissal and redundancy procedures. How are you preparing to comply with these forthcoming changes, and what impact do you anticipate on your HR policies?
This is important work, and we’re reviewing our policies to make sure we’re compliant, keeping the business informed about what’s changing and focusing on proactive management training. We are also using the launch of our new financial year plan as a chance to reinforce our cultural expectations and help managers get up to speed on the latest employment law developments.
We’re not expecting huge changes to our policies, but we are putting more focus on clear documentation, open communication and making sure managers are equipped to lead fair, consistent processes that maintain our high standards and compliance levels.
Recent discussions emphasise the importance of dignity at work as a driver for productivity and societal wellbeing. What initiatives have you implemented to create a respectful and inclusive workplace culture?
We’ve worked very hard to build a culture that encourages employees to bring their whole selves to work by celebrating diversity and promoting inclusive leadership. We run a rolling programme of cultural events, back strong advocacy for women in tech and create space for honest conversations around important but often under-discussed topics such as menopause, impostor syndrome and neurodiversity, to name a few. We’ve also created employee-led groups like our Culture Club that help build a sense of belonging, and we use management training to keep inclusive behaviours front and centre.
Career development is a big focus too. I’m a big believer in promoting from within and making sure people have clear pathways to grow. We regularly gather feedback through different tools, and our leadership teams take it seriously, digging into the results and acting on what we hear. That structure helps us keep the culture supportive and inclusive, where people’s voices matter and different perspectives are genuinely valued.
With hybrid working, I’ve found that clarity, strong communication and keeping people engaged really make the difference.
With the increasing reliance on digital platforms, how does your Safeguarding Policy address the protection and wellbeing of employees, particularly in remote or hybrid work settings?
Our Safeguarding Policy has been built to protect employee wellbeing by being really clear about what’s expected here. Areas such as how we use IT, making equality and diversity training mandatory and putting the right digital monitoring in place are always front of mind. We use a mix of security tools to keep both our people and the business safe from inappropriate activity. But just as important is the culture of trust we’ve built, where openness and early conversations are encouraged, especially if someone’s dealing with personal challenges.
For remote and hybrid teams, we give clear guidance on safe working practices and do workstation assessments to make sure setups are right. People also have access to mental health first aiders and employee assistance programmes. On the security side, we run regular drills to keep everyone aware of digital risks, and we keep the conversation going with useful updates. It’s not just about spotting risks; it’s more about making sure people feel safe, supported and confident enough to ask for help if needed.
As hybrid work becomes more prevalent, what strategies have you employed to maintain employee engagement and cohesion across both in-person and remote teams?
Getting hybrid working right is a big area of focus, and I’ve found that clarity, strong communication and keeping people engaged really make the difference. Everyone has clear roles and responsibilities, and we make sure regular updates and proper two-way communication are used across all the digital channels at our disposal.
Hybrid working takes a bit more effort to keep everyone connected, so we’ve stepped up our use of multimedia, including Teams chats, Microsoft Viva communities and recorded updates to reach people no matter where or when they’re working.
I also really value in-person time, especially in situations where face-to-face chats lead to quicker problem-solving and a stronger team vibe. National team gatherings, office events and reinforcing good hybrid practices are all part of how we keep people feeling connected and part of something bigger.
In the competitive field of cloud services, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial. What approaches do you take to stand out as an employer of choice in this sector?
For me, it’s all about creating an environment where people can build careers that matter and get recognised for the great work they do. We’re big on promoting from within, and around 25% to 40% of our roles each quarter go to existing team members.
We also support flexible career paths and encourage people to try new roles and take on different responsibilities across the business. That culture of opportunity and recognition really helps us attract people who want to grow while being part of an inclusive, supportive team.
Celebrating success is also a big part of how we do things. We shout about achievements and spotlight our people, whether that’s through internal channels or employee profiles on LinkedIn. On top of that, we keep our rewards competitive by regularly reviewing salaries and benefits. That helps us stay sharp in what is a very competitive sector and shows our people they’re genuinely valued.
How do you integrate diversity and inclusion into its HR practices, and what measures are in place to ensure these values are upheld throughout the company?
Our approach to diversity and inclusion covers a lot of ground, but what it really comes down to is education, fair recruitment and treating everyone as an individual. Our managers get training on inclusive leadership, and our people team, who are all CIPD-qualified, are in a great position to make sure we’re sticking to best practice.
I keep a close eye on a range of diversity indicators, including gender, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQ+ status and religion, among others. These help inform policy and decision making across everything, from hiring and promotions to pay reviews and exits.
We run regular reviews to spot trends and catch any issues early, and we’re also working hard to keep female and BAME representation strong, especially at leadership level, where the tech sector often falls short. At the end of the day, Six Degrees is a place where different perspectives are genuinely valued, and we’ve got leadership support that keeps D&I high on the agenda.
Considering current economic uncertainties, including new trade tariffs and business regulations, how are you adapting your HR policies to support employees and maintain organisational resilience?
We try to strike the right balance between supporting our people and keeping the business resilient. One way we do that is through a flexible hybrid model, usually two days in the office and three from home, which helps people manage cost-of-living pressures without losing sight of operational needs.
We also offer a wide range of family-friendly benefits, employee assistance programmes and financial wellbeing tools to help people stay supported through what’s been a pretty tough economic period. On top of that, we make sure everyone has access to occupational health services and confidential support when they need it.
On the resilience side, we’ve been growing our international workforce to tap into new labour markets and boost our scalability. This gives us more flexibility without compromising who we are or the quality we deliver and includes working with more freelancers and contractors where it makes sense, which helps us stay agile and manage costs.
All in all, it’s an approach that keeps us well positioned to support our people while adapting to whatever’s going on outside the business.
We see growing opportunities to use AI around areas such as skills mapping and the development of learning pathways.
Cybersecurity threats are evolving rapidly. How do you ensure employees are continuously trained and aware of best practices to mitigate risks?
We focus on a number of key areas, including mandatory certifications, regular testing and a strong internal culture of learning. The business runs security drills and periodic reviews to assess vulnerabilities in real-world situations.
As part of this overall approach, training is delivered through interactive, gamified platforms and lunch-and-learn sessions, which our organisation loves, and access to a dedicated self-managed learning environment called the Lab. Security is heavily embedded into our day-to-day operations, and it’s this approach that helps the team to stay engaged with the various threats we all face while reinforcing best practices.
Employee wellbeing is a key focus for many organisations. What specific wellbeing initiatives do you have in place to support mental health, work-life balance and overall employee satisfaction?
We’ve made sure the company has a really broad set of benefits in place to support wellbeing across the board. The basics are all covered and include private medical insurance, pensions, cycle-to-work schemes and flexible leave options, but we go further too, with things like dental care, fertility support and midwifery services.
As I mentioned earlier, people also have access to mental health first aiders, employee assistance programmes and financial wellbeing tools, so they’ve got somewhere to turn when life brings personal or professional challenges.
We also run regular health initiatives, and we encourage people to get involved in social activities to help build that sense of community. For me, this is all about creating a culture where wellbeing is part of how we define success.
AI and automation are reshaping the workplace. How are you leveraging these technologies within HR processes, and what impact do you see on workforce management and development?
Like many organisations, we’re starting to use AI and automation within HR processes. For example, our recruitment activities already use AI tools to widen reach and streamline social media communications, while workflow automation is helping to manage performance reviews and employee lifecycle changes more effectively.
We’re also making greater use of HR dashboards and analytics to track trends and provide real-time insights that support better workforce planning and decision-making.
Although some content generation tasks are supported by AI, we’re cautious about protecting employee data and are keeping a human-centred approach. In the future, we also see growing opportunities to use AI around areas such as skills mapping and the development of learning pathways, though these initiatives are still at an early stage.
Our overall philosophy is to balance technology adoption with building broader business and data skills within the HR team to ensure it continues adding strategic value.
And finally, how do you see HR evolving over the next five years?
We’re definitely living through interesting times, and I see HR continuing to shift towards a more strategic, value-driven role, with smart use of emerging tech playing a big part in that. As things evolve, we’ll need fewer manual processes, and HR teams will have to apply more business, financial and technical skills to support both the organisation and individual colleagues in a meaningful way.
I also think entry-level HR roles are going to look quite different, with less admin, more advisory work and a quicker path to adding real value. That means we’ll need fresh thinking around how we train and develop early-career HR professionals so they’re ready to hit the ground running.