Five minutes with Rachel Williams

Rachel Williams is a Human Resources professional and experienced lecturer. Before joining Cardiff Business School she held HR roles in the public and private sector and was Head of Human Resources for Eversheds in Cardiff for 6 years.

How did you end up at Cardiff Business School?

When my daughter was born, I decided that I no longer wanted a full-on HR role. A friend suggested that I apply to teach a few HR tutorials at the Business School, which I did. Before long the tutorials were accompanied by a project to gain CIPD accreditation for the MSc HRM and this then turned into a permanent lecturing contract. After 14 years I think my full-on HR role has been replaced by a full-on academic one.

Why go to a university for executive training?

At university you are exposed to new ideas and can be confident that the material is based on evidence and the latest research. During executive training you have the opportunity to discuss these ideas with other managers, share experiences and reflect on how they can enhance your current practices. Having the space to share ideas is really important.

What are you working on currently?

I am interested in HR at all stages of the employment relationship. I‘ve looked at how teachers cope with the challenges of starting out in the profession, but I am also interested in how we break down barriers to employment for many disadvantaged communities. HR practices can impact whole communities as well as individual employees.

What secret skills do you have?

With both my daughters at university I have become an expert at sending items safely through the post. Last year this included a fully decorated birthday which arrived unscathed after been sent with Royal Mail!