Helping Businesses Grow Without Losing Their Soul – Interview with Amy Stephenson

Amy Stephenson is an experienced people and culture strategist, having worked with hundreds of business leaders across the UK to tackle real-world workplace challenges. She is the Founder of Human, a consultancy that partners with forward-thinking organisations to create great jobs and build powerful, authentic cultures. Known for her practical, no-nonsense approach, Amy also hosts the Human CEO podcast and champions the idea that thriving people are the foundation of successful businesses.

Amy Stephenson, People & Culture Transformation

Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.

’m Amy Stephenson, founder of Human People & Culture, though most people just know us as Human. I live in the North of England with my family, a bit of chaos, and a dog who thinks he’s a human. I love building things; businesses, ideas, opportunities and helping other people do the same. I’m passionate about helping people reach their potential, and I’ve always believed work should be a place where we grow, connect and make a difference, not just somewhere we clock in and out. Growth not graft as we say in Yorkshire.

What inspired you to start Human, and what sets it apart from other people and culture consultancies?

I started Human because I was tired of working in recruitment and knew there was a better way to help businesses than just introducing the best candidates. During the lockdowns of 2020 I undertook an exec MBA and began looking at how we add value differently. I looked at the challenges that exist on either side of the hiring process and looked for ways to remove obstacles to make the match more successful for the client and the candidate. At that time I began seeing the real impact of diving deeper into the organizations we were hiring for and developed solutions to make more impact for everyone involved. 

We exist to solve real people challenges for real business leaders, no jargon, no templates. What sets us apart is our ability to speak business and people in the same sentence. We’re direct, collaborative, and laser-focused on impact and purpose. We’re not about off-the-shelf fixes, we help businesses create great jobs and build powerful, authentic organisations that last.

How do you ensure a more human, values-driven approach in your work?

We start with listening. Every business has its own story, and we make sure we hear it before jumping to solutions. We also ground everything we do in the business's goals, we’re not here to preach culture for culture’s sake. Our Human 6T framework (Team, Tools, Training, Tactics, Traction, Transformation) helps keep values front and centre while still delivering measurable business outcomes. We believe strong cultures aren't about posters on walls, they’re about actions, accountability, impact and clarity.

What clients do you specialise in supporting?

We specialise in supporting growing businesses, typically those between 10 to 500 people. These are usually purpose-led, values-driven companies that we call Built for Impact businesses. They’re ambitious but grounded, and they care about the experience they create for their people and their clients. Our sweet spot is working with founders, CEOs, and People teams who want to build something meaningful and scalable without losing what made them great in the first place.

How do you support your clients in building long-term, successful partnerships?

We treat our client relationships like we treat our own team; we’re open, direct and visible; always on hand to help, advise or even just be a sounding board. We don’t do surface-level fixes. Instead, we embed ourselves, challenge constructively, and work shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders and their teams. From our Cultural Audits to our long-term transformation programmes like the Culture Accelerator and Evolution, everything we do is designed to create sustainable change that outlives any single consultant or strategy.

Can you share a client success story that reflects your mission?

One client came to us with rapid growth, high turnover, and a leadership team pulled in all directions. We started with a Culture Audit to find the truth, not just the symptoms. Through a mix of leadership coaching, team clarity work, and building their internal capability, they went from firefighting to focused. Turnover dropped, engagement rose, and they now have a culture that supports their ambition, not one that drags it down. They’ve since rolled out their EVP, hired better leaders, and are growing with intention.

What advice would you give to companies struggling to build purposeful, impactful culture in today’s environment?

Start with clarity, on your values, your goals, and the behaviour you expect. Culture isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s the operating system of your business. If you don’t set it intentionally, it’ll set itself. Change is constant, clarity, consistency, and the courage to challenge are the cornerstones of building a resilient culture.

Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.

Creating Human. Not just as a brand or a consultancy, but as a way of working. We’re building Human in the same way we’re helping our clients grow. That insight and experience has been invaluable. We’ve helped leaders rethink what’s possible, helped teams find their voice, and helped businesses scale without selling their soul. Every time we see a client turn a lightbulb moment into lasting change, that feels like success. It’s so rewarding partnering with leaders who are building something outstanding, not just for themselves and their clients but also for their teams.

If you could change one thing about your work, what would it be and why?

I’d make sure more people knew that culture isn't the fluffy stuff. It’s not the stuff you ‘get around to eventually’. Culture IS strategy. It’s fundamental. Everything in your business impacts your culture and your culture impacts everything, performance, perception, profit. 

Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.

Leaving a secure, well-paid longstanding role in recruitment to start Human was one of the scariest, and best decisions of my life. It was a leap of faith, driven by a belief that work could be better for everyone. That moment taught me the power of conviction and the importance of creating the kind of business you’d be proud to work in and proud to lead. We’re now almost 13 years in. It’s not always been a smooth ride but it’s never been dull! 

Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

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