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O2 Director of Talent: The Best People in the Right Roles Will Secure Our Great Future
Glassdoor Team
Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | 8 Dec 2017
Earlier this week, Glassdoor announced the UK’s Best Places To Work and O2 has been revealed as the highest rated telecoms company (#35) with a final rating of 4.2.
This is an incredible achievement and the first time the global telecoms giant based in Slough (the UK’s #1 Best UK Town & City to Work In) has featured on any of Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Awards.
To find out more about company culture, leadership and retaining talent, we spoke with Michelle Adams, O2’s Director of Talent and Development.
MDT: How do you help build a great company culture?
MA: O2 is a brand that runs a business, not a business that runs a brand. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s important that our company culture creates an environment where we help our customers embrace the possibilities of technology. We’re more than just a network so we deliver more for our customers and our colleagues too. We have three key values that define who we are and how we behave – Bold, Open, Trusted and a clear company purpose – making everyday better through personal experiences that count. This provides clarity to our employees and sets clear expectation of what matters. But beyond this, we’ve always aimed to create an open culture, where everyone feels empowered to come to work and be themselves.
What do you do to foster employee trust and engagement?
We have a strong history of discouraging a culture of ‘presenteeism’, where employees feel pressure to be ‘seen’ in the office. Everyone at O2 is empowered to pursue that all important work-life balance, knowing that their performance will be judged on the quality of their work and not the number of hours they spend at their desk. Engagement is vital and ensuring there is a forum for communication with senior leaders is a key part of this. Examples include regular feedback and engagement surveys, quarterly briefings on company performance, a shared purpose or rally cry to provide focus, and our recently adopted Workplace social media channel which allows employees to share, collaborate, discuss and learn.
Your employees love working here as we see the strong rating on Glassdoor - How do you make this a great place to work day in and day out?
Our aim is to create an open culture, where everyone feels able to come to work and be their whole selves. To do this it’s important to create a fun and inclusive environment that encourages our people to work towards a shared ambition or purpose. We have a calendar of events ranging from our annual conference, experiences at The O2 or O2 Academy venues, to exclusive demos and activities from our partners. Beyond this, we lead our industry in challenging the status quo and innovating for our customers. We’re continually investing in products and services, and have delivered a number of firsts to our market. In 2013 it was O2 Refresh – allowing our customers to devices whenever they want without penalty; and this year, flexible tariffs – giving our customers the freedom to adjust how much data they use each month.
What does leadership mean to you?
Leadership is about is about creating high performing teams and the right environment that allows people to realise their full potential. It’s about empowering people to deliver in a way that suits them, and recognising them for doing so.
What is the best part about working here?
O2’s culture and the value placed on its people; achieving a healthy work-life balance.
What do you look for in informed candidates?
We want people to join O2 who are passionate about our brand and what we do. There are over 7,000 of us and it takes all kinds of people to help us think differently and meet the diverse needs of our 25 million customers. We have opportunities in our Stores and Head Office so whether it is surprising our customers or creating the next big thing, any candidates need to love what they do. Overall, we look for ambitious people who are not afraid to challenge the norm.
How do you retain talent - what are some of your best practices?
We take talent retention seriously and reviewed regularly. We know that having the best people in the right roles will secure a great future for not just the business but also for our employees too. We offer a great selection of talent development programmes at O2 which help us match the needs of high potential individuals to the best development programme for them. Some of the initiatives on our development programmes range from exposure to external thought leaders to spending time at our Leadership University in Barcelona. We get great feedback on our development offer and we are always looking to improve our approach.
What are some of the coolest or most unique perks and benefits you offer?
Our employees are a major part of our brand and the best advocates of the products that we offer so everyone as as well as their friends and families’ have access to exclusive discounts on the latest smartphones and tablets. We also have a range of flexible benefits to choose from including pension, health insurances, travel insurance, gym membership, buying and selling holiday which our employees can select at a time that suits both them and their lifestyle. One of our newest benefits gives people amazing discounts on their everyday shopping, helping their money go further.
Glassdoor Team
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