Simon Mills – HR
HR Business Partner for European functions
Based in Manchester in the UK HR Department, I work with a number of different Departments providing an HR business partnering service regarding all aspects of HR, including recruitment, employee relations and organisational development.
Before taking this role I previously worked at HBOS (Halifax & Bank of Scotland), which is very different environment. I worked within the retail division and the fast moving pace is the only real similarity. Within Kellogg’s, the Business Partner role has the scope to be more integrated with the business. Here, I work with a slightly smaller customer base, which has enabled me to be a real business partner. Whereas before, the larger customer base meant I was only really scraping the surface.
Prior to that I was at AstraZeneca for about 5 years and culturally both business are quite similar – both value and invest in their people. They both place high importance on their company values - but I would say Kellogg’s creates a more commercial, faster-paced working environment.
One of the reasons I came here was that I knew of Kellogg’s reputation as a fantastic employer and the European focus of the role. When I was going through the recruitment process, Kellogg’s values also jumped out at me. They were values you can relate to and seemed very prominent within the organisation. When you first join the business, you really notice the importance people place on these values. People constantly talk about them and quote them in day-to-day life. We give feedback based on these values, they are constantly referred to and they underpin the entire company.
There’s a fun perspective to working here too. You work incredibly hard but there is always a sense of light heartedness. When you look around the working environment there is lots of Kellogg memorabilia around the place and that pride in the brand and the heritage really comes through. Visitors always comment on it.
Morale always seems quite high here and I believe this is because people’s hard work is recognised and rewarded. There are loads of opportunities if you want to progress and develop. We’ve a fantastic Talent Management approach and everyone owns their own specific career Development Plan. These help people focus on the development opportunities within their current roles and on future roles - and this lets people progress through the organisation.
Development is key throughout the business and people regularly go on secondment. Certainly from an HR perspective, colleagues of mine have gone on secondment to South Africa to be an HR Director for 3 months. People are regularly given those types of chances. So there are opportunities for people who want them - in that respect careers here are better managed than I’ve seen in other organisations.
No two days here are the same and there’s always a great buzz about the place, which helps to keep you motivated. Also Kellogg’s Europe is not too big an employer that you start to feel lost in the crowd - you feel you can make a difference and you never feel like just a number. I see the positive impact I make, which gives me a sense of self-fulfilment. I have a wide variety of customer groups that all have very different business needs. I enjoy the cultural diversity and love the opportunity to work with different countries.
I want to deliver what my business areas expect of me - and more. I can really develop credibility in that relationship and take it to the next level, so I can have a real impact on what the bottom line looks like. It’s about getting the basics right so I can then go on to do the bigger things and that’s how I reward myself – by adding value.