Episode 40 with Lucy Williams about portfolio careers and soft skills

The People Podcast

Good morning and welcome back to another episode of the #ChatTalentPeoplePodcast!

After a few mishaps, including a power cut, we finally managed to welcome Lucy Williams, the new Head of Talent Acquisition for Sennder.

Lucy is an incredible breath of fresh air in our industry and has a real passion for delivering value from a TA perspective.

After accidentally landing a job in international recruitment, Lucy found herself living in Dubai for just over twelve years. But now she is back in the UK and very interestingly helping out at a hospitality startup, We All Need A Holiday.

We, of course, talked about a number of things, around international recruitment, Brexit and the benefits of portfolio careers. Even though, Lucy didn’t even know she had one.

What at first was only supposed to be a break from job hunting and personal development courses, Lucy’s role with We All Need A Holiday has developed into a full-time position.

“IT’S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I GOT TO TAP INTO SKILLS THAT I DON’T THINK I WOULD HAVE FROM ‘MY NORMAL DAY JOB’.”

Lucy’s abilities to use her transferable skills from the world of TA is something that unfortunately a lot of HR and TA people are finding themselves currently trying to do. So I asked Lucy how she did it and what her best piece of advice is:

“THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK. THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU REALLY ENJOY ABOUT BEING A RECRUITER. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT? MY BEST ADVICE FOR ANYBODY IS YOU NEED TO BE RESILIENT, QUITE PERSISTENT AND VERY PASSIONATE. AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S AROUND THE CORNER.”

I thoroughly enjoyed recording this episode with Lucy. Exploring the world of start-ups and finding out more about We All Need A Holiday.

Is there maybe a ChatTalent + We All Need A Holiday crossover in the future? I’m sure we’ll soon find out.

Enjoy!

DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN

[1.47] Who is Lucy Williams

[4.35] Is there a difference between working for an agency and working in-house?

[6.44] What do we mean when we say international recruitment and what are the greatest challenges you faced?

[8.38] Do you see Covid changing the face of international recruitment? What with WFH and WFA becoming part of the norm?

[9.59] Do you think companies fully understand the benefits of opening up to a more international talent pool?

[11.58] Jumping back to you helping out at We All Need A Holiday, the start-up travel company. Tell us a little bit about it.

[13.38] Portfolio careers are something that a lot of people are looking at. Do you advise that kind of career style to others?

[14.39] As you enter the second stage of your TA career, what are the biggest skills you think you’ll bring from We All Need A Holiday?

[17.33] Unfortunately, there are a lot of TA and HR people who are finding themselves without work, what would you say to them? From your experience of jumping headfirst into the start-up world??

[19.27] What is a natural step for anybody working in TA or HR? What sort of roles will our background suit best?

[21.37] You clearly have a real knack for helping others find their true calling. Have you ever thought of career consulting yourself?

[23.02] Where do you see yourself next? What does your next role look like?