My first taste of HR was an undergraduate placement at IBM and that really piqued my interest. I am a people person, so I wanted to explore it further.
I’ve done a few projects at Starling on the data side and improving systems and processes is something that I really enjoy. It means I get to work with a lot of functions across the business.
That collaboration is something that I think I do really well on and it’s what really attracts me to HR.
At Starling we’re growing exponentially, we have more than 2,800 employees and multiple offices in the UK.
So for the people team, reiterating our processes to support a bigger organisation while maintaining that great employee experience that we have as we grow, is important.
Read more: How to retain company culture and values during fast growth
There will be a shift in the generations in the workforce in the next five years and we’re getting more Gen Z in the workplace.
Employee experience will be one of the things that comes up, and retention among that cohort. We run engagement surveys every couple of months which help us to identify key trends and priorities that are regularly communicated to our employees.
Looking to the future development of HR, technology is the first thing that comes to mind. Our role will be to ensure we continue to innovate, so we have the right services and tools as a people function tomorrow.
The people landscape is constantly changing and so learning and upskilling is paramount to ensure that the people function is responding appropriately.
A key part of that is using people analytics to inform better decision-making, retention, hiring, workforce planning and make sure they align with the commercial objectives of the business.
But what is important to note is that you don’t lose that human connection - that empathy and compassion.
This article was first published in the September/October 2023 issue of HR magazine. Subscribe today to have all our latest articles delivered right to your desk.
