Five minutes with: Tom Robinson, Director of Talent at Friday

Tom Robinson, Director of Talent at Friday, attaches Darwinian Theory to the Talent agenda and urges evolution.

What do you think is the key to being a successful Director of Talent?

My personal view is that the Talent role should be all-encompassing, with its tentacles in all areas of the business.  I think it’s far more effective when it’s seen as more of an OD-type role, rather than being boxed into the HR or Learning & Development corner.  It’s more than that, and because Talent touches every part of the business, it needs to be equally valued in both the operational and ‘traditional’ areas.  The only way this can happen is when the function is not just seen as a gatekeeper of policies and process, but as an enabler - and one that really understands the core business drivers.  

One other thing that really makes the difference is working with people who share your beliefs.  Personally, I will never work for an organisation that pays lip service to the support and development of its people - it’s just not something I’m interested in.  It’s rare to find an organisation that will do whatever it takes to make sure they attract, retain and engage their people, and I’m proud to say that at Friday, it’s an unshakeable principle.  I have a lot of latitude in doing whatever it takes to make that happen!

What are some of the unique HR challenges you currently face? How will you overcome these?

Friday is going from strength to strength, so we’re experiencing rapid growth.  As such, one main objective is to maintain the exceptionally close-knit, values-led family culture that has provided the success thus far. One main challenge we’re facing is the same as many SMEs. As the business expands, we need to know how well people are doing.  We need to identify where people are outperforming and where they may be underperforming, so we can nip technical or behavioural issues in the bud.  We can no longer rely on anecdotal assessments or informal methods - but at the same time, we are developing a system that still matches the informality and conversational style of the company.  

Another challenge lies in making sure we’re recruiting pro-actively to bring down agency costs, which can be very high in the fast-moving digital industry.  

Lastly, because the company is filled with exceptionally talented people with often very niche skill-sets, we’re looking at ways to make sure knowledge is shared.  Not only person to person inside the company, we’re also keen to share the team's deep knowledge with our customers and peers in the industry.