In this HR on the Offensive podcast the conversation centres on how HR and people-centric strategies have evolved, particularly in the post-pandemic world. To explore this, Chris and fellow LACEr Cathy Acratopulo invite on Kathryn Dolan, former Chief People Officer at Bureau Veritas, to share insights from her experience.
Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification services, has a workforce of 80,000 employees spread across 140 countries. The company’s LEAP 2028 programme focuses on growth and performance. It’s built on three pillars: portfolio, performance and people.
Historically, Bureau Veritas relied heavily on external hiring to drive growth. However, Kathryn recognised the need to shift towards a retention-focused model, emphasising internal talent development, especially in emerging areas like sustainability and cybersecurity where skills are scarce.
In order to convince the executive team to prioritise people-centric strategies, Kathryn approached the executive team with business-relevant language and data-driven insights as well as highlighting the external market dynamics that could impact the company’s goals. This was to show that people are central to achieving business success, especially in an industry where technical expertise is critical.
Kathryn reflects on the importance of global alignment within the HR team and the need for consistent communication to ensure everyone is on the same page. She emphasises the transformational nature of moving from a recruitment mindset to one focused on retention and development.
Listen now to learn how to better equip your HR team is to support the organisation’s business goals.
Want to be notified when the newest episode is released? Join here for HR on the Offensive podcast LinkedIn group.
