Sally G.
About me
Sally G. | |
Politics, Economics and Philosophy | |
Politics, Philosophy & Economics | |
Undergraduate | |
Vanbrugh | |
1997 | |
United Kingdom |
My employment
Director - HR Enablement & Engagement | |
EY | |
United Kingdom | |
Finance and consultancy | |
Large business (250+ employees) | |
2014 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Director - HR Enablement & Engagement in the United Kingdom
I have a less than traditional career path yet have spent 20 odd years working with multi-nationals, central government and third sector organisations
What I do
I am currently a Director in a large Professional Services firm. I am largely responsible for people and change related projects aimed at increasing engagement and improving the work environment for all staff.
Skills I use and how I developed them
I could write a long list of skills. The main ones:
1. Dealing with ambiguity is one of the key skills I use on a daily basis. My thought process on a day-to-day basis is largely around: What's the real problem here? What's the context? Who are the key players? What might a way forward be? How I developed that skill - taking on many and varied projects meant I was rarely the expert but I needed to be always curious and work my way towards a solution.
2. Relationship and credibility is the next big key skill in this business. I live and die by my reputation and the quality of my last project. How I developed that skill - connect, connect, connect and I keep in touch with a broad range of interesting (and fun) people.
3. Juggling multiple priorities is a core skills and has been in my management consulting life. How I developed that skill - keeping organised and 'on it'.
What I like most
Variety and making a difference to peoples lives. I also now work part time and spend the rest of my time on other activities. It's great to have that flexibility.
What I like least
It can be stressful and there can be politics and egos to deal with. I do less travel and long hours than a used to (which is good).
What surprised me most
The amount of flexibility I can have if I ask (and make it work)
My career goals when I graduated
Not sure I knew (I'm still not sure I know!). I had ruled out a career in TV/film production (a longer story). I wanted to make a difference to peoples lives and I was inspired by applied ethics, and applied economics and was interested in what we would now call the 'future of work'.
My career history
1997/8 - After York, I got an MSc in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations (my focus was industrial relations).
1998/2000 - ITN (News production) - Personnel Officer
2000/2001 - SAP - HR Systems officer
2001 - PwC - Consultant/manager in HR Consulting
2004 - Accenture - Manager/Senior Manager in Talent/HR/Change area
2011 - Freelance/studying another MSc/Parent
2013 - Set up own company
What has helped my career to progress
Working hard, always delivering and building a reputation. Keeping curious.
Courses taken since graduation
MSc in Personnel Mgt & Industrial Relations (UMIST/now Manchester University)
MSc in Sustainability & Responsibility (Ashridge Business School)
How my studies have helped my career
I think keeping learning is core to the success of any career (and life)
My advice about working in my industry
Expect to work hard and stay curious.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Sally’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Sally a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Sally to be your mentor.