Ian Lloyd

I began my career in HR by moving into training and development while a deputy manager at WH Smith. My specific interest, at every company I’ve worked for, has been developing people’s performance by looking at how we can really get good conversations happening between line managers and their people, in order to get the best out of staff. I helped to open a new concept WH Smith store and was given carte blanche to do what I wanted with the people side, which was radical at the time. We recruited people based on their interests rather than their specific work history – for example hiring ex-teachers or mothers to look after the children’s books section – and we put people through NVQ training to make sure they enjoyed themselves at work.