Her workforce is diverse in age and motivation. Some are undoubtedly here because the business reflects the mainstay of their life, others for the flexibility of a retail position.
Retail is certainly a challenging sector to be in currently, but underpinning everything Webber-Powell does is her business degree, a qualification which she says has given her a broader commercial view across every organisation for which she’s worked. This knowledge and background inform her approach to HR – “people are a great business driver” she says, neatly lacing the power of the employee into a business context.
Having joined PwC as an accountant, Webber-Powell realised she’d taken a wrong turn at the start of her career. Energetic, passionate and keen to make a difference, this first job taught her a lot about what she didn’t want from her working life. Having found the world of HR she has worked in many different sectors and organisations including Rolls Royce, Sodexo, Danone, Bidfood (3663), consultancy assignments in the public sector and online retailers Lovehoney. “It was an amazing time to be part of Lovehoney’s journey” she says of the latter business. “We could challenge the norm – there was no bureaucracy or structure which encouraged innovation and creativity.”
Throughout her time in HR she has found that it’s important that the function is not seen as being all about policing – instead she aims to lead and encourage others to lead using diverse styles and approaches to get the best from all employees.
This diversity of approach plays well for Outdoor and Cycle Concepts. With 80 physical stores and an online presence Webber-Powell came to the organisation at a point of financial stress which coincided with the onset of the pandemic. With the majority of employees on furlough and no chance of meeting face-to-face, Webber-Powell had to establish herself within the leadership team despite everyone’s remote position. Moreover, she was responsible for all sides of HR at a time of uncertainty – from sourcing new recruits in the ‘new world’, to managing a highly complex payroll, and, of course, introducing new and more effective systems that would stand up to the challenges set at that time.
