Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Careers in HRLatest NewsThe HR profession

Tesco’s Chapman tipped to take on HR challenge at DoH

by Mike Berry 22 Aug 2006
by Mike Berry 22 Aug 2006

Tesco group HR director Clare Chapman has emerged as the surprise frontrunner for the £130,000 job of workforce director at the Department of Health (DoH).

The job, vacant since Andrew Foster resigned in April, is seen as one of the biggest challenges in the public sector. The DoH has been looking for someone who has a “demonstrable track record of delivery, the ability to make a personal impact, and exceptional leadership skills”, according to the job ad.

Senior NHS sources told Personnel Today that Chapman is a leading candidate to replace Foster, as the NHS looks beyond the traditional pool of health professionals.

Chapman, 46, would certainly fit the bill. Tesco is the UK’s largest private sector employer, with more than 250,000 staff, making Chapman’s role the biggest HR job outside the public sector. Her strategies continue to play a pivotal part in the number-one retailer’s success. Its profits in 2005 were up by 17% on the previous year to £2.21bn.

The appointment of Chapman would be a massive coup for the public sector, which has previously struggled to attract top talent from the private sector.

Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell is keen to instil more professionalism into the Civil Service. Earlier this year, Gill Rider, a former senior executive at consultancy Accenture, was appointed head of HR for the service – the first time the post had been filled by an “outsider”.

Charles Cotton, reward adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said it was acknowledged in the HR sector that Chapman had done a good job at Tesco. “[Chapman] is thought of very highly. Tesco’s success has largely depended on its people and processes,” he said.

Chapman’s handling of unions is also likely to stand her in good stead in the race for the NHS job. Unlike some of its supermarket rivals, Tesco has largely managed to avoid major staff disputes in her time as HR chief.

The DoH is tight-lipped about any appointment, while Chapman also refused to confirm or deny whether she has been interviewed

Chapman factfile

Prior to joining Tesco, Chapman was an HR vice-president at PepsiCo and had several HR roles in the UK and US at its Quaker Oats division. Described by colleagues as a role-model leader, she is renowned for setting high standards, effective collaboration and for developing people. Chapman is also a non-executive director of First Choice Holidays and sits on the board of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Avatar
Mike Berry

previous post
Make me over
next post
Communication skills top employers’ wish lists

You may also like

Maternity leave: Cost of living crisis highlights need...

25 May 2022

Employees resigning in 2022: Survey shows ‘great resignation’...

24 May 2022

Tube strike on 6 June to see 4,000...

24 May 2022

Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022,...

24 May 2022

The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls

24 May 2022

Top 10 metrics HR leaders are using today...

24 May 2022

Hybrid working trends: ONS data on where people...

23 May 2022

Aspers casino cashier excluded by colleagues wins £75k...

23 May 2022

NHS should upskill admin staff to reduce waiting...

23 May 2022

Pay gap between CEOs and employees set to...

23 May 2022
  • The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls PROMOTED | The Great Resignation continues unabated...Read more
  • Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022, and beyond PROMOTED | Cornerstone OnDemand conducted a global study...Read more
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+