“Trust First, Titles Second”: One HR Leader’s Honest Take on Culture, Capability and Change

Exclusive interview with Beena Chohan Chartered MCIPD, HR Partner at VenturEd Solutions UK.

When Beena Chohan stepped into her new HR leadership role at VenturEd Solutions, she wasn’t handed a neatly labelled blueprint. What she walked into was a business in flux: leadership change, legacy silos, cultural disconnection and a private equity backdrop where the pressure to perform was immediate.

“I had to get to the good, the bad, and the ugly…quickly,” she recalls. “And the only way to do that was by showing up as a real person, not just a job title.”

Beena’s approach is refreshingly human. No jargon. No fluffy frameworks for the sake of it. Just consistent, grounded work on building trust; first with people, then with the process.

Private Equity Pace, People-Centred Strategy

Private equity businesses don’t move slowly. Beena quickly learnt that pace wasn’t optional, but purpose was still essential. “The primary objective was clear: commercial performance. But for HR to add value, we had to go deeper than KPIs.”

That meant forming cross-continental partnerships (the business spans the UK, US, India and Philippines), navigating legislative contrasts, and acting as the UK subject matter expert for colleagues overseas.

“Communication became non-negotiable. Structure, cadence, clarity — those were our pillars. And when you’re bridging different time zones and cultures, you have to move from assumptions to shared understanding.”

The Behavioural Reset

When a new MD joined the business, Beena saw an opportunity to reset the tone, not just at the top, but across the whole organisation.

“We had to rebuild. That meant asking, ‘What do we stand for?’ Not in a laminated-poster way, but in a way, people could live and breathe.”

Out went abstract values. In came behaviour-led clarity.
“Show up with confidence.”
“Don’t interrupt in team meetings.”
“Respond proactively.”

Simple. Specific. Shared.

The team then adopted the Lencioni model of team dysfunction — think Maslow’s hierarchy, but for workplace behaviour. “We started at the bottom: trust. We held a vulnerability session; one I wasn’t sure people would embrace. But they did. And from that moment, everything shifted.”

The result? A leadership team no longer bound by silos but fuelled by collaboration. A HR function with impact woven through every interaction.

The Numbers That Followed

• Staff turnover dropped from 26% to 15%
• Business performance improved across all departments
• Employee engagement stabilised — and deepened
• The business gained recognition, including BBC features and education industry awards

It wasn’t about one shiny initiative. It was about relentless commitment to doing the basics brilliantly.

“We listened. We clarified. We coached leaders through uncertainty. It was emotional work, not just operational.”

Capability Mapping: Low-Tech, High-Impact

While many companies opt for slick tech stacks to map skills, Beena kept it simple: real conversations, cross-functional insights, and a heat map built with intent.

“We asked: What do we need? What do we already have? Where’s the untapped potential?”

One example? A retention team member with an unspoken talent for data — now redeployed to a more analytical role where he adds measurable value.

“This isn’t about promoting everyone. It’s about recognising capability and aligning it to ambition — whether that’s sideways, upwards, or deeper into specialisms.”

From Performance Reviews to Purpose Reviews

At VenturEd, appraisals aren’t annual events. They’re monthly check-ins, quarterly reflections, and continuous calibration.

“We’ve replaced formality with frequency,” says Beena. “If people are off course, we don’t wait. We ask. We realign. We support.”

This agility helps the business stay lean and gives employees a clearer sense of purpose. “We’re not developing people to stay with us forever. We’re developing them so they can go further whether that’s here, or beyond.”

Advice for the Next Generation of HR

So, what would Beena say to someone just starting out in HR?

“First, ask yourself if you really want it. Because HR can be isolating, and sometimes you’re the emotional sponge for a whole business.”

But if the answer’s, yes? Then lean in. Be curious. Build relationships. Learn the business.

“We’re not just note takers. We’re not admin. We can influence real change- but only if we understand the people, and the purpose, behind the policies.”

One Last Thought… An App Called Pulse

If she could build one HR app for schools, Beena says she’d call it Pulse to HR a wellbeing tracker for teachers, TAs, and support staff to anonymously log how they’re really feeling.

“It would help leaders act early, not react late. Morale, workload, stress, all of it. Data is powerful, but only if it’s connected to empathy.”

Thank you to Beena for her time and insightful contribution to this article.

Interested in hiring or working in strategic HR roles like Beena’s? SF Recruitment’s HR team specialises in placing people who build culture, drive change, and transform businesses from within. Explore our latest HR vacancies or speak to a consultant today.