In this episode Dawn Browne, People and Talent Director at Fuller’s talks to Nic Elliott as the podcast goes on tour, recording from the Hercules pub in central London!
Dawn shares her career journey, having never intended to work in HR, starting out at British Airways, joining Quantas, then Compass Group, before joining Fuller’s 12 years ago. Nic asks Dawn about the leadership lessons she learned working with baggage handlers and cabin crew!
Dawn talks about how she fell in love with Fuller’s as a business and progressed to the role of People and Talent Director. She shares the importance of their business to the local community and the value of great leaders to success.
Nic and Dawn discuss the challenges of significant business change, with Dawn describing how selling the brewing side of the business was managed. Dawn shares how she built a new look people function and developed trust with the operational side of the business.
Dawn also shares how the business approaches its values – and how their people genuinely live and breathe them. Nic asks how Fuller’s have approached the challenge of recruitment and retention. Dawn specifically focuses on retention as the key to avoiding a recruitment problem.
Dawn talks about “inclusion” and the journey of education and engagement. She shares details around the businesses’ focus on “age”, seeking to recruit older workers to the sector. Nic also asks Dawn about her journey as a female in a male-dominated industry. Dawn describes how being the business’s first female executive has impacted her and the business.
Dawn shares her advice around career progression and her tips for moving towards the top job in a people function, and making it about the success of your business!
Supplier shout-out: JR Comms (Jess Roberts) – Internal Communication and Employee Experience | Jessica Roberts Communications (jrcomms.co.uk) and Wage Stream – Financial wellbeing for frontline workers – Wagestream
Dawn’s LinkedIn: Dawn Browne | LinkedIn
Nic’s LinkedIn: Nic Elliott | LinkedIn
Posted on May 16, 2024