Careers - Meet Our People
 

Central Support - Helen Gallagher

Adrian Walcott

I've actually been working for Barclays for 29 years now; and the reason I've stayed so long is because of all the opportunities that have come along. I started out as a cashier and have worked my way right through the organisation. In fact, my career in HR didn't start until 1996 and was the result of a role I was doing in Africa which included a lot of HR change projects.

On returning to the UK, it made sense to make the most of this experience and I got involved in some big HR projects concerning pay and performance management.

My current role means my days are tremendously varied. However in essence, they're divided between straightforward HR issues, change management projects, line management of my team and some overall project management. So while I'm tremendously busy, I'm fortunate to be involved in a great breadth of things. I also spend a lot of my time with the business, getting a better understanding of the issues they face.

One particular project I have been instrumental in was concerned with changing how we go about performance management. We ultimately wanted to focus on the way people do their jobs rather than just what they do. The end result was that we are now able to provide line managers with the tools they need to make their performance management even more effective.

Obviously though we all have a role to play in ensuring our own performance is of the highest level. That's why I think, to work anywhere within Barclays, you need to be a team player, very customer oriented and someone who aspires to the highest standards. As an HR professional, you also need to be very commercially aware and understand how people can drive the bottom line. It's those skills that enable us to work effectively in partnership with the business.