Caroline Nugent is the Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development at the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). As a member of the Executive, she is responsible for the operational and strategic governance of the firm’s casework, as well as leading the firm’s overarching people strategy and promoting inclusion and diversity throughout the organization.
Caroline formerly worked with oneSource as part of the Leadership Team, servicing three London boroughs at the same time. She was the President of the Public Service People Managers’ Association and a board member of VineHR, an award-winning non-profit. She is also a proud member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s NED/Trustee. Her personal growth is really essential to her. She shares, “I’m a Fellow of the CIPD with qualifications in Human Resource Management, executive coaching, leadership mentoring, psychometrics, and workplace and employment mediation. I started working life as an Apprentice, so I’m extremely passionate about apprenticeship opportunities as an alternative to large student debt! Working while learning and earning is a win/win.”
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Caroline Nugent:
Tell us about your company.
We were set up by Parliament under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to resolve individual complaints between financial businesses and their customers – from debt collection and payday loans to insurance and mortgages – fairly and reasonably, quickly and with minimal formality as an informal and free alternative to the courts. Since we were set up, we’ve received 4,177,338 complaints and resolved 4,055,644. We get to the heart of what’s happened and reach an answer that helps both sides move forward, using our powers to put things right – telling the business to apologise, take action, or pay compensation. The way we resolve complaints makes no difference to the funding we receive. This helps to make sure our decisions are impartial.
What about the profession inspired you to join the industry? And how do you continue to grow and develop as a HR leader?
I had the opportunity to work in various departments of a London borough when I started as an apprentice at 18. Working on the front line in a housing department made me grow up quickly. Working at the refuse depot also made me resilient and able to stand up for myself as one of a handful of women and being so young. Let’s just say that working environments were different in the 1980s, as we unfortunately hear so much about now. At a young age, I learnt you had to push for what was right. When I started working in the HR department, I knew I had found my vocation.
Seeing people develop and grow gives me such joy. Seeing someone start a career and coaching them to become a HRD or a CEO gives me great pleasure. I also believe in personal development and that continual learning is critical. Too often, you will hear people say that something that worked in business twenty years ago is still best practice!I listen to people on the front line of a business as they will tell you what needs to change. Culture change isn’t easy or quick, but it’s worth pursuing.
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I loved the fact that I was told by my PA when I joined the FOS that people thought I was ‘normal’ – there is nothing more satisfying. People will say I’m dependable and will challenge you to make sure things are done properly. The few times I’ve not been listened to in my 30 years have always come back to bite. I’m rarely ignored, and I don’t like being proved right-I just want things to be done properly. Occasionally, it can be a battle to get things changed, but I do persevere. People will also say I have fun, whether at work or in my own time. Just because we are at work doesn’t mean we should forget that fun is what makes us human. I’ve had numerous people follow me from organisation to organization, and they wouldn’t do that if they didn’t respect me or enjoy working with me. Having my 30th wedding anniversary played by Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ as we walked down the church aisle shows you who I am!
Share your thoughts on women’s engagement in the HR business. Do you feel women’s participation is currently lacking?
I am honestly worried about the pressure on women now more than ever with the sandwich generation (having older parents and children) having to work whilst they are more often than not at the age of going through the menopause. I’ve been really personally impacted by menopausal symptoms, and we just don’t talk about it enough. Having women reach out to me to say they thought they had early dementia when I was vocal about my symptoms is just upsetting. I’ve heard of lots of women being forced out of work due to these symptoms, either through unsupportive employers or just because they can’t cope, which is a waste of such natural talent. As more women are now in senior roles, it is having a bigger impact than previously.
Tell us about your role as HR Director. What about the culture and values resonate with you?
I love knowing HR makes a difference. People think it is an easy career and everyone can do it, but a good HR partner knows when to push and when to challenge or when to support. Textbooks are fine, but you need to learn on the job. Inclusion, diversity, and wellbeing are core to my values. If people feel valued and ‘themselves’ at work, they will always do their best for an organisation.
What are the most important attributes of successful leaders?
Putting yourself in other people’s shoes and having self-awareness. Unless you realise that people have lives outside of work which might impact on their ability at any given time you are seen as aloof. You have to take difficult decisions but you have to do so with your values and ethics at the forefront. You should always treat people with respect, despite there being challenging circumstances. Making people redundant for example should be done with compassion and dignity. Doing a P&O and springing redundancy on anybody is appalling behaviour. Personal development, as I mentioned earlier, is critical as well as developing others. And obviously being commercially savvy and encouraging strategic thinking and new ideas is critical.
Why should someone come and work at Human Resource sector? What advice would you give to the next generation of HR leaders?
Why wouldn’t you want to would be in HR is my thought! Having a role where you actually make a difference to people’s working lives is so rewarding. As the CIPD so eloquently puts it, our role is ‘Championing better work and working lives’. My advice would be to remain as generalist as possible at first so you learn all areas, from employee relations to resourcing, organisational design, reward, talent, diversity and L&D. Your breadth is then what will promote you. Sideways moves are a good thing to continually learn.
