HR director, KP Snacks
I went to one CIPD meeting and came out with two new mentees. I was actually looking to find a mentor myself, but the organiser said they were low on mentor volunteers so I put myself forward. I was surprised at the richness of the discussions we had. Their businesses were different to mine, so it was really insightful, while they felt they were benefiting from my experience in HR. Being a successful HR practitioner is about understanding the business first, so I’d advise people to go to every business update, and get out there and speak to people in the organisation. It will form your understanding of what makes a great people strategy.
I left school after my GCSEs with the ambition to become a figure skater. I would train at the ice rink in the morning, then work in Pizza Hut in the evening. I joined their management development programme and became restaurant general manager. I started to learn people management responsibilities quite early on in my career, but while I had the practical application, I didn’t have the theoretical understanding, so I studied with the CIPD.
The guys on site do smile when I visit, as heels and factories don’t tend to mix. On one visit my heel came off – an engineer offered to glue it and lent me safety shoes, which didn’t look great with my dress. They will be pleased to know that I have invested in some flat shoes, but they are patent so they’re still a little glamorous.
HR shouldn’t lose sight of the ‘little’ things. Sometimes we forget about the person at the end of an HR process. We’re good at the big change management type programmes, but often tasks in the bottom quadrant of Ulrich’s model fall by the wayside. From a broader employee experience, they want to know that their request for leave is done and their pay is right. We shouldn’t be above that.
One person whose words have always stayed with me was my regional director at Gap. I went through a tough assessment day for my first HR role and I was only halfway through my CIPD studies. What I only found out a lot later was that the regional director had said: “I’d take a risk on her”. It was probably the key reason I got the job. Now, when I’m looking at talent management strategy and the conversations we have with individuals, I give feedback every step of the way so people know they are key talent.
CV
Johanna Dickinson joined KP Snacks in 2014 from Coca-Cola, where she had worked since 2005 in a number of HR roles. She began her career in management positions with Pizza Hut and clothes retailer Gap.