I went straight into employment from college and got my first administrative role in a call centre. There, I concentrated on building my customer service and organisational skills.
Later, I took on a role looking after contractors for a recruitment agency which exposed me to onboarding processes, contracts, and payroll. I used that experience to then move into a HR officer role.
What the future leaders of tomorrow think:
Charlie Barclay, Catella
Ben Wrigley, Wincanton
There is a large opportunity to use and analyse people data to support the business, rather than constantly being reactive to people challenges.
There is a lack of data, particularly diversity and inclusion metrics. Ideally, the HR team should be in a position to provide the business with a dashboard of useful data combined with the right story and solution.
In addition to becoming more analytical, inclusivity is going to be even more important as the world changes.
The world of work is becoming increasingly aware of those with neurodiverse conditions and the importance of making work accessible to all.
Another topic is the increased flexibility in working environments. With increased presence in the media about being able to work from anywhere, there will be an increase in demand for other businesses to follow suit to stay competitive and acquire the best talent.
As technology advances, there will be less demand for a human workforce for the more basic functions. This will change the dynamic of a team focused on people, such as HR. I will push for innovation within HR as well as promote a solution-focused mindset.
I treat employees as customers and therefore encourage a more open-minded approach to advising managers, as opposed to being strict to what a policy says. In the future I hope this approach becomes the norm, and policies and procedures become more like guides and less prescriptive.
This article was first published in the July/August 2023 issue of HR magazine. Subscribe today to have all our latest articles delivered right to your desk.
