MEET THE TEAM

Nicola Smith

Chartered MCIPD

HR Consultant & Director 

I'm Nicola Smith, an HR professional with experience helping businesses thrive. I’ve worked in all sorts of industries—telecommunications, manufacturing, finance, hospitality, health and social care, and charity - both as a standalone HR expert and as a consultant.

With my background in Business Management and being CIPD qualified, I’m well-equipped to tackle the HR challenges you face. Plus, I’ve got professional indemnity insurance and I'm a proud Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

At NCS HR Solutions, my goal is to bring you tailored HR solutions that really fit your business needs. I focus on professionalism and expertise while keeping things friendly and approachable, so you can count on me as a trusted partner in optimising your HR strategies and creating sustainable growth.

Steph Underwood

HR & Recruitment Support

Hi, I’m Steph, and I bring over 12 years of experience across HR and recruitment, supporting SMEs, HR consultancies and internal HR teams with practical, reliable people support.

I work closely with clients to understand their business, workforce and recruitment needs, providing tailored support that helps them manage employees effectively and attract the right people. From day-to-day HR administration and employee relations to recruitment campaigns and onboarding, I can provide additional expertise and capacity whenever it is needed.

 I genuinely enjoy helping businesses and HR professionals overcome people-related challenges, improve their processes and build teams that support their continued growth. 

 "The spirit of HR professionals is always about improvement and finding ways to make things better, whether that is through training, mediation, recruiting the right talent, developing effective benefit plans, exploring new HR technology or making HR processes more efficient. There is a constant focus on raising the bar and taking people, teams and processes to the next level.

It goes without saying, but I genuinely love helping others, and working in HR provides so many meaningful opportunities to do exactly that, from supporting managers through difficult conversations and mediation, to delivering practical training that helps people and businesses thrive."

Nicola Smith 

 "I really enjoy seeing businesses succeed, while supporting business owners and managers through those inevitable “want to pull my hair out” moments. No two days are ever the same, and I love being able to take things off their desk, easing the pressure and giving them space to focus on what matters most. From drafting employee onboarding schedules to supporting with employee engagement surveys, it is rewarding to be part of their journey."

Steph Underwood