Steve Green, 35, national recruitment and training manager at Brighthouse,
explains how organisational and HR objectives are aligned at the household
goods and electrical retailer
What does your role involve?
I manage a team of six regional recruitment and training managers who manage
recruitment strategy and spending, succession planning, induction and
management training.
What are the best and worst aspects of this job?
The best is working with so many talented people. The worst is the travel. I
am often away from home.
What is your major training project or strategic push?
I am very busy with a new performance and development process. We have
worked on a full range of performance management tools in the last 24 months
and need to bring our performance development review process in line with this.
As we move closer to the new financial year in April, we need to put together a
2004-2005 training and development policy for the company.
What attracted you to training and development?
People kept telling me they thought I would be good in this type of
environment. For 11 years I worked in various operational positions from store
management to regional management, and was involved in training and
development. So when the opportunity came up, I just went for it.
Which of your qualifications do you most value and why?
All of them.
What was the worst training course you have been on as a delegate?
I can honestly say that I have never been on a poor training course.
How do you think your job will have changed in five years’ time?
I would like to think that in our business, operations and HR work as a
partnership for the good of the organisation, our staff and our customers. I
also believe that we will be much more reliant on technology than we are today.
What do you think will be the core skills for your job in the future?
Leadership, interpersonal and communication skills are key features that
will always be required.
What self-development have you undergone in the past 12 months?
I am probably not as good as I could be at self-development, but I give it a
go. I read loads of books and listen to and watch my colleagues. I try to learn
from everyone with whom I come into contact. I even learn from unsuccessful
people – I find out what they do and I don’t do it, or find out what they read
and then don’t read it.
If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Director of Tourism for Hawaii.
Do you take work home with you?
Yes, all the time. Not because I have to, though. I’ve found that if you
want to get anywhere in life, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices, which
sometimes includes a little homework.
What is your motto?
There is only one person who can stand in your way of accomplishing
anything, and that is yourself.
Which is the best management book you have ever read or would recommend
to readers?
The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard, published by Harper Collins.
