I have over 20 years in HR having held a variety of roles within retail, pharmaceutical, and financial services. Global Switch is an incredibly successful organisation, one which is set to become even more successful. I was not only impressed by Global Switch’s scale but also the opportunity for me to gain experience in a new industry. In addition, a global role was too good an opportunity to miss, and that combined with the high energy and positive commitment from everyone I met, made it immediately clear that this was a ‘can do’ environment with lots happening. I was keen to contribute towards the continued growth of the Company.
My role is broad and spans everything from top line strategy to day-to-day tactical matters. This means a day can range from looking at the organisation through an HR lens, to making sure we have the right procedures in place supporting the delivery of our high-performance culture as well as ensuring that Global Switch fosters an environment where our employees feel empowered to drive the business forward, or meeting with a recruiter to talk through a candidate shortlist.
A key challenge in this mission-critical industry is making sure we are skilled up to compete and evolve our offer –HR is central to that. We are very precise in our approach; we do not want a lot of people, just the right people with the right skills. For example, key to that is ensuring our recruitment process remains fit for purpose. I am looking at not just how we can further streamline this to target even more efficiently but also at the things that build our brand in the recruitment market. Elements such as our wellness offer, and our CSR initiatives are becoming more important for candidates. It is also at the heart of our values to be able to help employees develop in their careers. Whether it be organising business-wide trainings or providing support for individual staff to develop particular skillsets, we are always driven to create not just a supportive workplace, but one that also adds to our people’s professional ambitions.
HR is not a standalone function or role, partnering with all areas of the business is vital, which is why I spend a lot of time talking with colleagues from all round the company and collaborating with senior management to ensure that we are continuously improving our offer. This is the kind of place where, if you have a suggestion, you know you will be listened to. And if you present a strong commercial case, you will be supported to make it happen.
At the heart of everything we do we are committed to driving a high-performance culture, and as a result we have several key priorities. These range from ensuring that our recruitment processes maintain a competitive edge, to developing a balanced internal HR score card that will enable us to use the data insights to make informed decisions about where we continue to invest our time and efforts. In addition, employee wellbeing and promoting high employee engagement levels are on our priority list.
