Insider profil
Top Insider Advice
The importance of a strong network should not be underestimated. During my career with Kingfisher I have built good working relationships with key contacts who I can turn to for further information and advice. This was extremely useful following the creation of my team in 2022 as it enabled me to gather open and honest feedback which meant we could ensure we delivered and exceeded the expected level of service. The creation of the People Operations team in 2021 led to bringing together three different ways of working and the processes that involves. My team's focus on continuous improvement has meant there has been a lot of change during the past year which has led to our service becoming more efficient and streamlined. The level of change within our team and Kingfisher as a whole has highlighted to me the importance of being flexible and open to new ideas. Since I have become People Ops Team Lead, I have been in many meetings where to fully understand the implications of decisions which need to be made, I have had to ask a lot of questions! I was originally concerned how this would look but now appreciate it is the only way I would understand the full picture and could make a fully informed decision. In addition to a strong network, the importance of a sense of humour should not be underestimated!! Having a laugh with my team and other colleagues has definitely helped us through some challenging times!
Career path
People Ops Team Lead
Kingfisher
Started 02/2008 to PresentAssistant Personnel Officer
Youth Service - Hampshire County Council
From 06/2004 to 02/2008Personnel Assistant
University of Southampton
From 08/2002 to 06/2004Company
What do you like about your job and the company?
During my 15 years, I have built a great network of supportive colleagues from across Kingfisher. I am extremely fortunate to work with colleagues who are as passionate as me about improving our processes and making them simpler and more efficient. The role involves a wide range of activity. My team's focus is ensuring our current internal processes are aligned across the three functions. We also focus on creating processes to support new initiatives for the team to use internally but also those which support other teams (for example the Colleague Experience and Talent Acquisition teams). There is a large element of project work which provides us with the opportunity to build relationships and work closely with other teams both within group functions but also in B&Q and Screwfix.
Greatest achievements
When I was appointed to the role of People Ops Team Lead in February 2022, I had two People Ops Assistants already in role and two vacancies, which I quickly filled. During the course of the year the Ops Assistants' relationships have developed and strengthened. They are extremely supportive of each other both on a professional and personal level. Soon after the team was complete we brought in the joiner / mover / leaver processes for O&S S&L. The integration of the work into our team was smooth and we quickly began looking at how to align some of our processes. This is an area where we are making continuous improvement. We have brought in new processes to support this, such as the People Change Form (a tool for line managers to request a change to be processed for a member of their team) and Digital Right To Work checks, with Induction conversations and 'ASK HR' (a tool for colleagues to contact the team with their queries) soon to be introduced. I am extremely proud of how much the team have achieved to date and of their drive and passion for looking for areas of alignment and process improvement.
Video
Devrim G
sourcing quality engineer
Top Insider Advice
quality is important, to provide good quality product meaning is not to block production, it means cooperation across the production quality and sourcing teams
Natalia J
Top Insider Advice
It's a powerful truth that many of us need to hear when we're standing at the crossroads of aspiration and reality. We all have dreams, whether it’s building a successful career, starting a business, traveling the world, or making a positive impact on the community. But too often, we let our dreams sit idle, cherished in our hearts but never brought to life. Without action, even the most beautiful dreams will stay out of reach. It’s the steps you take today that turn your aspirations into tangible achievements. To turn your dreams into something real, you have to take the leap and start moving forward, no matter how small the first step may seem. The road from dream to reality is paved with consistent action and determination.
Konrad K
Sourcing quality engineer
Top Insider Advice
There are better and worse days in my job, but each of them can be considered a success when you work in a close-knit team with people who know what to do. Working in a purchasing office involves a lot of dynamics and decision-making under time pressure. In such a situation, teamwork is the key to success. I see my daily work as a quality engineer as a challenge - new experiences, new people, and unusual problems. There are days when achieving new goals is easy, but there are also moments when every step is bought with a lot of effort. My most important advice for 'beginners': Work with people you can rely on. Set yourself goals that you are capable of achieving. Build good relationships with suppliers.