Five minutes with: Dickie Donovan, HR Director at William Jackson Food Group

Dickie Donovan, HR Director at William Jackson Food Group, reveals how HR supports the company and its subsidiary brands

How important is it for HR to partner with universities to ease future talent into the workplace? 

Universities undoubtedly provide a valuable pool of talent, however businesses across all sectors should be nurturing the potential of young people regardless of their academic qualifications – this means engaging with schools and colleges and providing alternative routes to employment such as apprenticeship schemes. Partnering with universities can be crucial to filling highly specialised positions. For instance, we work closely with Sheffield Hallam University to find future food safety operatives.

Similarly, is HR doing enough to look outside of this bracket?