UK 
United States
Edward Elliott,
HR Director, AkzoNobel UK
Dulux, Cuprinol, Polyfilla. Even the most DIY-averse among us are familiar with these brand names. But nobody would begrudge for you not knowing parent company AkzoNobel. Or, if the name does ring a bell, you might have struggled to link it to the popular brands named above...
Edward Elliott,
HR Director, AkzoNobel UK
Dulux, Cuprinol, Polyfilla. Even the most DIY-averse among us are familiar with these brand names. But nobody would begrudge for you not knowing parent company AkzoNobel. Or, if the name does ring a bell, you might have struggled to link it to the popular brands named above...
Dulux, Cuprinol, Polyfilla. Even the most DIY-averse among us are familiar with these brand names.
But nobody would begrudge for you not knowing parent company AkzoNobel. Or, if the name does ring a bell, you might have struggled to link it to the popular brands named above.
Would you know, for example, that the firm operates in over 150 countries and employs more than 32,000 people around the globe? Or perhaps that, as well as your consumer paints, they’re renowned in the aviation, automotive and marine industries?
Or that they coat all kinds of consumer electronics from household appliances and IT equipment to mobile phones, tablets, and even fizzy drinks cans?
Even the most ardent motorsport fan probably has no idea that they provide the “coating solution” on McLaren F1 cars. They don’t just make them look good – they've got to make sure that their livery and coating can withstand temperatures upwards of 1,000°C.
To sum, AkzoNobel has many paintbrushes in many pots - so to speak - and some pretty interesting ones at that.
But making the average jobseeker aware of the company’s huge portfolio – and all the unique job opportunities that come with it - is something that even the company’s UK head of HR recognises as a minor obstacle.
Edward Elliott, HR Director for AkzoNobel UK & Ireland, recently sat down with HR Grapevine to discuss the company’s strategy on all things people management, from Learning & Development to Talent Acquisition and DE&I...
Tell us a little about yourself and your role with AkzoNobel UK
I'm the HR director for AkzoNobel UK & Ireland, and the Nordic countries. I've been with AkzoNobel for just over seven years.
I've done quite a few different roles in that time, but I've been in this role for nearly three years.
What are some of the key HR priorities for the company right now?
We've got lots of different things going on.
No two days are the same, as you can imagine. We're very much focusing on working with our key stakeholders on their key challenges, and looking for ways to really deliver on that, from an HR perspective.
Our focus is on building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We really believe that by being a more inclusive employer, we can really drive forward our strategy, and understand and anticipate the changing needs, and expectations of our customers.
And that's where we really come in, as an HR team in the UK, to support those ambitions around our talent management and talent acquisition strategy. Lots of companies identify their top talent, but what are you doing to really activate and develop them?
We need to understand what skills capabilities we're going to need in the future, what opportunities we can create for people. We really focus on the 70/20/10 model here, so 70% of what you should be learning is on the job.
So it's really about promoting clear learning and career pathways for colleagues, and making sure that they know what's available to them. It's about powering that learning as well, and giving them the space to navigate their own career. But also, we've got the internal talent pipeline, which helps us with diversity and inclusivity.
We recognise that we're a manufacturing company, and that we have a lot of roles that traditionally have been male dominated.
We really believe that by being a more inclusive employer, we can really drive forward our strategy, and understand and anticipate the changing needs, and expectations of our customers
Edward Elliott | HR Director, AkzoNobel UK
So how do we flip that? How do we flip that with engineering, with science, with our manufacturing roles? What we're doing is engaging with young people at all levels of education to really talk about the careers available at AkzoNobel, and really igniting that passion.
We've recently had a class of young women joining our business for the day to learn about all the different careers that are available at AkzoNobel.
Many came away saying ‘I've got an interest in paint that wasn't there before!’ And that's really great.
So essentially, what we want to do is connect with young people, in the communities where we live and work. How do we engage young people in what we do and what careers are available? Especially in areas like engineering, where we're starting to see a real skill shortage?
Many people might be taken aback when they hear just how many things AkzoNobel does. It may be a bit overwhelming when the company is trying to improve internal mobility, or recruiting new people, and show them all the different careers you can have for the company. How do you help steer that direction, and how do you encourage people to find out what career path might be best for them?
It's a good point. Essentially speaking, it’s important to not get into the minutiae of the careers, but more the type of industries we‘re in.
We show them some very high level careers, whether that’s being a scientist or a technical expert, even roles like spray painting big ships and things like that. So it's about giving them overall ideas and career paths without getting too detailed, whether it be engineering, or sciences, and maybe not honing down to all the different avenues that are available.
AkzoNobel UK employees
