Adrian Binfield, HR Director for Business Continuity

Adrian Binfield,
HR Director,

Looking back at your time with the company so far, what are you most proud of?

BT has changed significantly in the 14 years since I joined. We’ve rolled out faster, more reliable broadband across the UK and we’ve launched a number of ground-breaking products and services such as BT Sport. We have integrated EE bringing together network leadership across fixed and mobile, and awesome converged products. We have also simplified what we do to create a platform for sustainable growth, and we’ve invested in our future; creating thousands of new jobs, becoming the biggest employer of apprentices in the private sector and making huge improvements in customer experience.

I’m particularly proud of my time in Openreach supporting the roll out of fibre across the country and my time in BT’s consumer division bringing customer service calls back to the UK, creating thousands of jobs across the country and setting the foundations that have transformed customer experience.

What is the most exciting project that you're working on over the next 12 months?

I’ve been lucky to work with some great teams on a number of projects, but two stand out. The first is the work we’ve done on colleague experience. The research into what matters to colleagues has helped us identify expectations and requirements for different personas and identify the moments that matter which drive advocacy and enable colleagues to thrive. It’s early days but I’m really excited about how this can help to drive improvements in HR policies, processes and systems.

The second is the way we’ve responded to COVID-19. I feel privileged to have played a part in helping the business and HR teams plot the right path through unprecedented times and challenges. BT has been essential in keeping communities connected. Whether it’s helping our customers to work, teach their kids, socialise or whether it’s building connectivity to the Nightingale hospitals, we’ve been there. And HR has played a crucial role in helping colleagues stay safe, supported and engaged whilst keeping the business running. We’ve got a real opportunity to bottle some of the changes that we’ve seen to create a better business – especially how we use technology to connect and collaborate better.

What is your guiding philosophy to HR?

I’m not sure it’s a philosophy, but I always try to understand the context and the outcomes we’re trying to achieve so we’re really clear on the ‘why’, and then focus on what is the right thing for our business, our customers and colleagues as we define the ‘how’. I think that is key to ensure what we do in HR not only delivers real value, but does it in a way that protects and enhances the organisation's values and supports its people.