What is your role at Barclays ?
I joined Barclays 12 years ago and I am currently the
Head of Human Resources for Barclays International Chief Operating
Office and Barclays Execution Services Management Office. I also
have the pleasure of being the Head of HR for Barclays in Scotland.
It's a really exciting time for the bank as we increase our
footprint and build a new world class campus at Buchanan Wharf.
What do you enjoy the most about your job ?
I'm really lucky to have a varied role, every day is
different! One day I focus on talent and resourcing, and the next I
am driving our Diversity & Inclusion strategy. This, coupled
with the global nature of my role, and being able to manage it from
Scotland, is what keeps me energised and motivated.
You've recently been promoted to Managing Director, tell
us more about that?
I feel extremely privileged to have been promoted to
Managing Director, to make it to this level in my career is a huge
personal accomplishment. It demonstrates Barclays' commitment as an
organisation to supporting females to grow their careers, and I
hope my journey shows others within the industry in Scotland that
there is career trajectory and paths to progress.
How do you feel the industry is embracing Diversity
& Inclusion in the workplace ?
Taking Diversity & Inclusion seriously is critical to
Barclays as an organisation, and to financial services as a whole.
When I joined the bank our activity in this area was not as focused
and seeing how much progress has been made makes me hugely
proud.
At Barclays we aim to drive a culture of conscious equality
where everyone can be their true self at work and reach their full
potential. It's important that the work in this area is business
led as opposed to HR driven and I am blown away by the passion our
colleagues have for this agenda. Their efforts and
determination have led to a number of external awards for Barclays
including the Scottish Financial Services Award 2018, Best Large
Private Sector Employer in the 2018 Working Families Scotland
Awards, and being rated as a Top Global Employer by Stonewall.
For me, being a diverse and inclusive employer is a key driver
in helping us to attract the best talent. It's particularly
inspiring to see peer organisations now coming together to deliver
industry wide initiatives. In 2018, Barclays jointly launched This
is Me Scotland with PWC, and other business partners, to reduce
stigma surrounding mental health issues in the workplace. Strength
in numbers and a collective approach really shifts the dial and
helps to position Financial Services as an industry of choice.
What is it about Glasgow that makes it an ideal location
for Barclays to grow ?
Glasgow is a fantastic location for a number of reasons; the local
talent pool and the calibre of graduates and students from
universities and colleges is world class, the accessibility to
other parts of the world makes it easy to do business globally, and
the warm and welcoming culture is key - you can't bottle it, if you
could you'd make a lot of money! The slogan 'People make Glasgow'
couldn't be more fitting!
As we expand our footprint, we are recruiting a diverse range of
people to ensure our colleague base represents the customers we
support, and is reflective of the communities in which we operate.
We are also heavily focused on our Early Careers talent pipeline
and supporting more young people to get into the workplace.
How do you manage your work life balance?
I am a huge supporter of dynamic working to be able to
fulfil both my work and personal goals. I couldn't work in an
organisation that didn't feel the same and believe it really helps
to form a psychological trust between colleagues and an employer.
It has given me the flexibility throughout my career to look after
my family whilst delivering against my objectives at work and it's
one of those intangible things that I feel really makes a
difference to the engagement of our colleagues. It is also a key
contributing factor supporting us to significantly increase our
gender balance in senior roles in Scotland.
Interestingly, I thought that my children would need me more
when they were young but now living through the teenage years, I
realise I was wrong and I'm grateful that I have been able to
support them. No two people use dynamic working in the same way and
it's important to make it work for you, whatever your situation may
be.
What is your top tip for young females in Financial
Services?
2 tips:
- Have confidence. Early in my career, I was asked by my manager
to take on additional responsibility and it took me three times to
say yes. Finally, once I took that step, I realised I was more than
capable of doing the role and could have been there much
sooner!
- You don't always have to be the finished article; you can grow
into a role. If you have the skills and ability to do the majority
of what's required, go for it! There's always room to learn and
develop on the job.
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