Sunday, March 2, 2014

Summit Interview with Matthew Mills



1. Give us a short description of your job, scope, and team:
I work within the People team and my current role is focused on executive recruitment, I previously lead the operational recruitment teams here at Asda and I’m still heavily involved in our strategic resourcing priorities. I’m specifically focused on the proactive identification of talent in an effort to cultivate long terms relationships and engagement with our brand and business, helping Asda to create a leadership pipeline for the future.
2. Tell us about you (home town, residence, family, education, etc): I’m 34 years old and I live in a town called Wakefield with my partner Mark. We’ve recently bought a new house and we’re currently in the process of redecorating and I’m as most of you’ll have experiences it’s both time consuming and expensive – we keeping telling ourselves it’ll be worth it in when it’s all finished, I’m sure we’ll need a holiday. 
3. How many years have you been in recruiting? I’ve always worked in retail and it all started off with a part time job when I was studying at college. Having college I was lucky enough to gain a place on a trainee management scheme for a small supermarket business, I completed the scheme and worked with the small business for about a year before joining Lidl. The move into a discounter was quite different, simple clear and challenging, I worked for Lidl for around 2 years and enjoyed running my own small store. I was then lucky enough to secure my first role with Asda and I’ve worked here ever since, I’ve held a number of roles here at Asda both in store and home office in Leeds. I moved in to  recruitment around 5 years ago and I’ve done a number of roles, most recently had responsibility for the operational recruitment team in home offices and retail, and I’ve latterly moved into executive recruitment.   
4. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I’m quite interested in U.K. politics and I’m an active member of local branch party, interesting most people seem surprised when I tell them about this.
5. What are your top 3 goals you hope you and your team accomplish this year? Our continuing mission to 1) reduce costs, and increase the overall number of direct hires, 2) improve our candidates experience and 3) improve our recruiters capability. All these elements remain a key focus for us, we’re lucky enough to have a fantastic brand and we need to continue to leverage this in our efforts to attract the very best external talent available.
6. What do you like most about your current job?  I love meeting candidates because I’m naturally interested in people, I’m always keen to understand the choices they’ve made in their careers and their motivations. Our culture is both unique and powerful, our brand is amazing and most powerful of all is the way in which our business operates, and this hinges on the great talent we in recruitment help to attract – my contribution to this provides me with a  great deal of professional satisfaction.
7. Do you have a work pet peeve in yourself or others? Long emails – if it’s so long I just think it’s easier to speak and enjoy the personal interaction of conversation (maybe I’m old fashioned).
8. What is the best thing for you about working for Walmart?  My colleagues, the business values and beliefs, the difference we’re able to make to, the things we’ve achieved through collaborative working.  
9. When does the day start for you? 8 a.m. with a caramel latte – for me it’s the most important meal of the day.
10. When you are off work how you do relax? In the sun – I love the Canary Islands, you’ll find me their most winters having a short break in the sun to escape the cold of the U.K.
11. Can you give us a few unchecked items on your life’s bucket list: Climbing more mountains and doing more travelling in the US and Canada. I’d like to live abroad for a year, maybe I’ll have the pleasure of living in Bentonville in the future, that’d be something ticked off my list.
12. If you could have dinner with some notable person dead or alive – who would it be and why? William Wilberforce – an amazing convert who took the time to stand up, use his power and influence to change things for the better.
13. Fill in the blank: “I’ve been fortunate to___________”: I have met so many fantastic and interesting people, who’ve helped me throughout my life, colleagues, friends and family.
14. Where do I spend most of my disposable income: Eating out, spending time with friends, family and decorating our new home.
15. What 1 book would you recommend colleagues read? Animal Farm by George Orwell, great book, easy to read, and thought provoking
16. What is your biggest productivity challenge? Time, I’m a networker, which means I invest time in cultivating relationships and there’s never enough time to spend time with everyone.
17. Do you have one internet tool / smart-phone app that you cannot do without? Spotify – love my music
18. One word to sum me up: Realist.

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