What made you choose the public sector?
Like many young people at the time I didn’t really know a lot about the public sector. I was fortunate enough to be offered a training placement at Coventry City Council and worked in a number of areas including libraries; direct services such as highways, street lighting and grounds maintenance; planning, social services etc. I also studied for my CIPD qualification through day release and my career in Human Resources grew from there.
How did you get into your current role?
Having developed my interest in human resources and people management I worked for 13 years in Coventry, then at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council where I also gained a post graduate management diploma. I then relocated to the South West and established my home in Taunton working at Taunton Deane Borough Council and then North Somerset. The range of local authorities I have worked in has given me a wide appreciation of the challenges of unitary services such as Social Services and Education but also the resourcing issues that are always so demanding in District councils. I have now worked at Exeter for 3 years as Head of Human Resources.
What does your job involve?
My role involves the overall direction and management of the Council’s Human Resources service including all employee relations and people management services with payroll and learning and development. We are a small team of 13 and as such work very closely together pooling resources and embracing our strengths and individual qualities. Like many colleagues in districts the range of involvements can be from developing key organisational strategies and programmes of change and efficiency to responding to a customer feedback form.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love the variety, the vibrancy and the mix of people I work with, I am so fortunate to meet and work with so many committed and hard working people. As a small district council it often feels like a tight informal team working together, colleagues from all service areas working to a common goal often with little resource. I am also the regional chair for the PPMA (Public Sector People Management Association) and this role enables me to network and develop my own knowledge and experiences through PPMA colleagues and through sharing ideas and solutions. I like a good chat too and HR people are able to classify this under “good people skills”.
What has been your greatest achievement within your career?
Surviving…..sometimes it feels that way! I guess there have been many along the way which has built and developed my confidence and ability. I am proud of the successes of my team and the achievements made as a service generally. When I first joined local government my ambition was to earn £10k a year on my P60….that was when I really thought I had made it!!
What are your aspirations for the future?
There are so many opportunities for local government to excel in business, the reputation and the culture is changing so rapidly so for the future I see a need to engage this enthusiasm and energy in a positive way and really demonstrate how local government does make a difference. Also to be able to contribute to Exeter’s growth and success for the future reorganisation challenges in Devon.
What advice would you give to those interested in a management or executive career within public sector?
Work out where you want to go and develop a success plan for achieving your goals, find a strong role model as a mentor and talk to HR people for guidance and advice on how opportunities are developed.