Sharon Ashcroft started her career in the operations team at GT News before being offered the position of personnel manager. In 2001 she moved to Gamestation to take on the role of HR manager, before becoming a senior HR consultant at CODA.
Ashcroft joined TrustFord in 2005 as an HR manager and was given a key role in a number of large HR initiatives. This included a unique £2 million HR-driven customer services training programme that has resulted in more than 3,000 members of staff across 65 dealership sites earning either an NVQ in customer service or a Ford Retail ICS diploma. This is an industry first.
Following her appointment to HR director in 2013, Ashcroft led an ‘organisational clarity project’ that resulted in the collaborative formation of TrustFord’s purpose, principles and ambition – an overarching ethos centred on customer and colleague satisfaction that guides the whole organisation. She also launched an Induction Academy in late 2014; a full immersion residential on-boarding course, unique within the automotive industry, which resulted in increased employee retention and reduced attrition in 2015. To support this initiative Ashcroft introduced an innovative internal communications employee app to connect all 3,200 colleagues.
During her long career at TrustFord she has introduced a revolutionary approach to recruitment. Ashcroft and her team of 26 use personality, ability and competency assessment tools, as well as assessment centres to ensure new colleagues are measured on their behaviours and not simply their industry experience. This has resulted in a workforce recruited from a much broader talent pool, all of which share the same ethos and passion. Under her stewardship TrustFord was listed at number 22 in The Sunday Times Best 30 Large Companies to Work For in 2016. Ashcroft led by example, with the HR division gaining the highest satisfaction scores in the confidential survey that was circulated to every employee as part of the award’s assessment.
Ashcroft is passionate about diversity and fairness in the workplace. She has recently become involved with the ‘Speakers for Schools’ programme as part of her efforts to change perceptions of the automotive sector and to inspire young people to consider a career in the industry.
