Empowering people for sweet success at Perfetti Van Melle

Employee experience is at the heart of Charlotte Hathaway’s role as Interim HR Manager at global confectionary company, Perfetti Van Melle UK. With a background spanning HR consultancy to her recent jump into the FMCG sector, Charlotte brings a fresh perspective on nurturing talent, aligning people strategy with ambitious business growth, and building a culture of empowerment and innovation.

In this interview, she shares her vision for Perfetti Van Melle’s future workplace and the key ingredients behind their consistent recognition as a Top Employer.

Could you please tell us a bit about your professional background?

In the early stages of my career, I worked as a Personal Assistant in a tech firm. Although the link to my current role may not be immediately apparent, in many ways my work as a PA helped to shape my future in HR – it was during this role that I honed my ability to support others, a mindset that serves me daily in my current role at Perfetti Van Melle.

Initially, making the jump into HR was quite daunting for me, but I took the initiative to propose the idea of evolving the HR function at the business I was working for at the time as the needs of the company grew globally. At first it was a stand-alone role, but over time I had the privilege of recruiting and leading a team of three individuals, who worked across talent management and employee recognition. That allowed me to be versatile in my own role, overseeing the day-to-day operations and overall HR strategy.

After I left the business, I went on to do some consultancy work in various sectors within the start up space, before joining Perfetti Van Melle UK in September 2023 as the Interim HR Manager. One thing that initially attracted me to Perfetti Van Melle is the company’s enduring entrepreneurial ethos; there’s a unique balance between having a structured framework to guide our efforts and the freedom to explore new ideas.

How does working at Perfetti Van Melle differ from your previous role and what excites you about working at the company?

Transitioning from my previous company to Perfetti Van Melle has meant a significant shift in both focus and culture. The prevailing focus was naturally on the numbers, often overshadowing the human aspect of business operations, and it was ultimately this misalignment of values that prompted me to seek out a new opportunity.

I’ve always been driven by the desire to collaborate, with both individuals and businesses alike, and find joy in the pursuit of working together towards common goals. In joining Perfetti Van Melle, I have discovered a culture that is deeply rooted in the ethos of caring for its people. In this sense, I can feel confident that I am contributing to a company that prioritises doing what’s right, both internally and externally.

The company was recently awarded Top Employer for the fourth straight year. To what do you attribute to an exceptional workplace culture and employee experience?

Having only joined the business in late August last year, much of the groundwork for Top Employer had already been laid. However, all the work we have done since then and are currently doing is a continuation of our efforts to further enhance the employee experience. We recognise that there is always room for growth, and that we are on a journey – we are committed to continuously listening to feedback and to creating a safe space for colleagues to share their views that allows us to learn and evolve.

One key area of our approach is partnership, and by working closely with Hayley Osborne, our Communications and Sustainability Manager, we’ve been able to streamline onboarding and off-boarding processes and improve both internal and external communication channels. We want to ensure our initiatives are not only impactful but also sustainable in the long term. For example, we prioritise maintaining connections with departing team members through consistent communication, with the intention that their positive experiences with us will continue to resonate long after they’ve left.

At the heart of our approach is a genuine empathy and respect for each individual’s needs and preferences. We strive to treat others as we would like to be treated, acknowledging and appreciating the diverse perspectives and contributions of all our team members.

With big ambitions for growth, how are you ensuring your HR/people strategy aligns with and enables the business strategy? Where do you see the biggest opportunities with regards to talent management?

Ensuring our HR and people strategy aligns with and enables our business strategy, particularly in light of our ambitious growth plans, is a top priority. Despite being comparatively small in the UK, we adhere to the Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Measures (OGSM) strategy set by the global group, ensuring our efforts are consistently measured against these overarching objectives. One of the key pillars of our HR strategy revolves around listening to our people. We conduct regular poll surveys to gauge team member sentiment and satisfaction, which not only helps us maintain our status as a recommended employer but also provides valuable insights for enhancing our HR practices and policies.

I work closely with the global talent team to identify and nurture talent – country borders are no impediment in an agile international business! Our banded structure and investment in leadership programs, along with a dedicated budget of £1.5K p/a per team member for individual training, underscores our commitment to developing our workforce. Being a smaller organisation, we recognise there is work to be done in terms of attracting talent and to address this, we’re focused on raising awareness of all the great work we do. We’ve already got plenty to be proud of, so the next step is to shout about it more.

As a relatively small but quickly growing company in your industry, what are some of the unique HR challenges you face? How do you prioritise initiatives with limited resources?

At Perfetti Van Melle, we’re fortunate enough to have a really diverse mix of team members with varying levels of experience; whilst some have been with the business for decades, others are new starters with just a few weeks under their belt so far. This presents a unique challenge in terms of ensuring long-term team members are aligned with the journey of organisational change and transformation as the business needs continue to evolve. It’s crucial we cultivate a culture of open communication and collaboration, striking that balance between valuing the experience and expertise of longer-standing employees, whilst also ensuring more recent joiners feel heard. Naturally, being part of a smaller team means we have to work smarter, and despite my role being a stand-alone one, I feel lucky to have great support from my team.

What lessons have you learned in your 10+ years of experience that have been particularly helpful in your current role at Perfetti Van Melle?

Understanding that people are at the forefront of everything is arguably the most important thing – ultimately, if you don’t have people, you don’t have a business. In my previous role, I saw first-hand how damaging neglecting a people-centric agenda can be. Every organisation hinges on the wellbeing, engagement, and satisfaction of its employees. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve, and I firmly believe that this authenticity and transparency lays the foundations for building trust and fostering meaningful relationships in the workplace.

What does a positive, supportive, and innovative culture mean to you and your team? Can you share an example of this in practice?

Whilst I wasn’t new to HR, this role at Perfetti Van Melle marks my first venture in the FMCG sector. Naturally, at first there was a lot to learn, but my colleagues soon allayed any concerns I had, offering their support and expertise in spades. No question felt too ridiculous, and each query was met with openness and patience - a concrete example of our positive culture in practice.

In terms of fostering an innovative culture, our Managing Director, Jonny Briscoe leads from the front, actively encouraging and supporting team members to speak out, share their creativity and propose new ideas without fear of judgement. I wholeheartedly echo this in that I want every member to feel confident in their contributions, within the safe space we have created and empowered to carve out their own path towards success.

What’s your vision for the future of your workplace culture and policies?

My vision is centered around building upon the strong foundation laid by my predecessor, Emma Locke. As the business landscape continues to evolve rapidly, it’s essential we maintain a culture of honesty and transparency. I also want to ensure the UK market remains a valued player in the global business as the company goes from strength to strength in this key growth period, whilst also protecting the ‘small company, big ambition’ mindset.