Hazel Cromie

Take us back to the beginning of your career, how did it all start?

When living and working in pubs in the UK I was always the people problem solver for our landlord. If there was a people related issue within our team or with a customer, or an event or roster that needed sorting it was sent my way. When you have a large diverse group of people from all over the world living and working together in a busy London pub, it takes a bit of conflict resolution and problem-solving to make it all work.

When I came back to Australia I studied at university and undertook a few courses in HR and IR Management as part of my Bachelor of Business. With a fresh interest on all-things HR, I landed myself a part-time job as an HR Administrator at Brisbane International Airport. It was a workforce managementheavy role where I’d be rostering 200+ employees to match different language skills with flight schedules to maximise our sales opportunities. It was a great first experience in the world of HR and set me up to complete some contracting work before joining Woolworths Group, which I consider a pivotal move in my career. I was with Woolworths Group for nine years and had the opportunity to work across a number of roles for different brands within the Woolworths Group portfolio. A few highlights include working as a Regional HR Manager for BWS and Big W and having the opportunity to complete a national relief in Sydney on a fly-in/fly-out basis whilst balancing a young family at home.

From there, I then moved into an Advisory Manager role within Woolworths Group, working as part of the team that established the national people advisory service in Brisbane. Having the opportunity to work on a formative project that was spearheading HR transformation for such a large, complex company was a career defining experience and gave me an appetite to explore what else could be possible in my HR journey.

Following from my time with Woolworths and looking to gain experience across different industries, I moved into healthcare for 12 months prior to being offered the opportunity to join Eagers Automotive almost 6 years ago. Eagers Automotive is a fast paced and dynamic business with over 7,500 team members across Australia and New Zealand. As the Executive General Manager – People & Safety I am fortunate to lead an amazing team who support all aspects of the employee experience from HR, Payroll and Workplace Health, Safety & Environment through to HR projects and business operations.

What learned skills have served you well in your industry?

As you progress in your career the more you need to be able to step outside of your comfort zone. Many of the projects (and the challenges that come with them) have been new, so I’ve had to

Executive General Manager of People and Safety Eagers Automotive

get comfortable with not having all the answers and have learnt to lean in, asking the important questions and getting the right people in the room. Within the automotive industry, an important skill has been the ability to be flexible and agile to change, our business moves quickly so being able to stay focussed on the end goal whilst adjusting to a changing environment is important.

One piece of advice for anyone wanting to enter your profession?

The best advice I ever received as a HR professional was to diversify my industry experience and take any opportunity that comes your way (especially if both excites and slightly scares you!). I was given that advice 10 years ago and still stand by it to this day. It was the reason I elected to join the team setting up the national shared services within Woolworths Group and had the courage to step in the automotive industry. Without that advice I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work on some of the projects I have or with some of the amazing leaders I have met throughout the past 10 years. Having diverse experiences gives you inner confidence that your expertise transcends beyond the industry you work in.