EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT – THE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS

Celebrating International Women's Day with Hannah Shilling

In celebration of International Women's Day, we're shining a spotlight on women in financial leadership roles. In this instalment, we had the pleasure of speaking with Hannah Shilling.After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in Mathematics, Hannah began her finance career as a Graduate Trainee at Croda International Plc, where she also completed her ACCA studies. She then advanced to the role of Group Assistant Accountant. Seeking new challenges, Hannah joined Costcutter Supermarkets Group, where she climbed the ranks to become Head of Finance. Currently, she is the Director of Corporate Accounting & Transactions at Card Factory, where she continues to excel in her field. Hannah's role at Card Factory is varied and dynamic, requiring her to wear many hats and tackle diverse challenges each day. Join us as she shares her journey, career-defining moments, and the traits that have fuelled her success. 1.Please can you provide a summary of who you work for and your current role?I am Director of Corporate Accounting & Transactions at Card Factory. I look after Management Accounting, FP&A, Transactions and Procurement. A typical day for me can involve reviewing divisional performance, working on Finance transformation projects, and defining our procurement strategy. So, a very interesting and varied role, which involves me wearing a lot of different hats!2.What have been the one or two most defining moments in your career to date?I would say without a doubt when I became Head of Finance at Costcutter Supermarkets. I had joined Costcutter as an analyst 5 years earlier, so to build my career and step into a senior leadership role after returning from maternity was a very proud moment.3.What are the most important personal traits, values or characteristics that, being a female finance leader, has really helped to contribute to your success?Being nosy and stubborn! In all seriousness though, opportunities have presented themselves through me stepping outside of my lane and getting involved in all sorts of things that were only vaguely linked to my role. And you’ve got to be resilient and determined if you want to be a true change agent in a larger organisation. I describe myself as having a healthy level of discontent with the status quo, so I’m always agitating at how we do things better, faster. If apathy sets in, I know that it’s time for a new challenge.4.What is the one piece of advice that you would share with the next generation of female finance leaders as they look to build their careers?Build your resilience and confidence when your career is in a steady state, so you’ve got plentiful reserves to draw on when you step up to a stretch opportunity. And don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.Hannah Shilling's career in finance is a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and stepping out of one's comfort zone. Her journey from her Graduate role at Croda International PLC to a senior leadership role at Card Factory PLC is truly inspiring. Despite the progress that has been made, women still face significant challenges in the finance industry. In the UK, women hold only 33.5% [1] of senior management roles in financial services, and while they make up 41.1% [2] of finance professionals, they are underrepresented in leadership positions. Hannah's advice to build resilience and confidence, and to seek help when needed, is invaluable for aspiring female finance leaders. As we celebrate International Women's Day, we hope Hannah's story provides inspiration to female finance professionals to embrace challenges and pursue their career goals with confidence and determination. Looking for your next career move in finance or accountancy? At Sharp Consultancy, our expertise lies in matching your potential with the perfect temporary, interim, or permanent position. With a well-established presence in Leeds and Sheffield, our seasoned team of consultants extends their services across Yorkshire and beyond. Don't wait for opportunity to knock, reach out to us TODAY and let's chart your career path together.

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What should an organisation consider if it wants to improve its engagement with its employees?

Happy and productive people make a significant contribution towards the success of a business and the achievement of its goals. Every organisation requires the best from its employees and the more motivated and productive their workforce is, the more likely a business is to grow.

It is important to remember that employee engagement is not something that you can decide to introduce or impose from senior management downwards. Employee engagement is very much about creating a cultural shirt and potentially changing or improving the way in which an organisation behaves.

There are several essential ingredients that companies will need to consider if they are to improve employee engagement within their organisations:

Creating exceptional leaders.

Whilst engagement cannot be dictated from above, it is the responsibility of the business leaders to set out the framework for the future of the company and communicate this on an on-going basis to the teams in a way which is motivational, inspirational and relevant to ensure that they understand and buy into the vision they are looking to create.

Two-way communication.

As well as sharing the management’s vision and objectives for the company, it is vital that employees have a means by which they can provide feedback to their line manager. Involving staff in certain decision making is a useful motivational tool and giving staff a voice to share their views and suggestions can help identify where improvements can be made to processes, procedures or productivity.

Effective line management.

Being able to motivate a team to ensure that objectives are met is an essential skill for any manager, but the method and means by which they approach this is fundamental. People respond in very different ways and it is the responsibility of the manager to recognise, understand and adapt their behaviour accordingly. It is important that a business also places importance on skills such as listening and the ability to empower individuals if it is to achieve longer term success.

Trust.

It is imperative that senior managers only make promises to their employees that they can or intend to keep. Staff will quickly become dissatisfied if they feel their boss is not being genuine or is unlikely to keep to their word. Rewards must be clarified at the outset by what must be achieved for them to be received and the goals need to be attainable with the right training and support put in place.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today to find out more.