The remarkable journey of Kate Morphew - from traveling the world to developing our global Employer Brand
Remarkable stories
As we launch our new global Employer Brand, we wanted to share the experiences of our people. Their stories have helped shape our unique proposition and we wanted to share their life at work with the world. In the first of this blog series, we caught up with one of the ambassadors of the global Employer Brand project – Kate Morphew. Now Head of People (Europe), Kate’s remarkable journey is a great example of the opportunities to develop and grow with us.
A remarkable journey
"I had no idea when I started thirteen years ago what an amazing journey I was about to begin. I’ve always been the type of person who wants to experience all that life has to offer. I’m fascinated by different cultures, and I love meeting people, so I decided to travel and try and see as much of the world as I possibly could.
After several years of exploring and having the most diverse and wonderful experiences, I came to London for an interview for a Learning and Development Coordinator with AS Watson. It was my first people team role and it suited me down to the ground. I was able to travel around Europe, working closely with the European Group Learning & Talent Director, and being in L&D was a great way to immerse myself in the workings of the business. With the support of great management who have encouraged me on every step of my journey, I’m now Head of People for the European Group Office, with a fantastic and growing team."
A world of opportunities.
"A lot has changed since I joined. We’re an ever-evolving multinational business of thousands of people, and our teams are always growing, but our commitment to our customers and each other is the same as it was when I started all those years ago. The feedback that we often get from colleagues is that it feels like a business of half the size, and I believe this is reflective of the culture that we’ve created with genuine care for people at its heart."
"Despite huge growth, we’ve never lost that, which is special, along with the opportunities for us to learn and develop together through exposure to different nationalities and cultures. Diversity of specialism and experience are part of the every day as we work and learn from our colleagues around the world. Which is so exciting and is great for sparking new ideas. We’re a passionate and ambitious bunch, who all care deeply about what we do and I’m incredibly proud of my team."
A remarkable project
"All of this growth and change indicated to us that we needed to take a fresh look at our Employer Brand. The working world has changed hugely in the past five years alone and the labour market has changed with it. What we needed was a story that translated and resonated with every candidate and colleague. A story that shares the authentic truth of what it’s like to work here, with our collective growth ambitions for the future.
We conducted in-depth internal research, and it was fascinating to discover a lot of the same themes coming back. The lovely part was that the majority of it was hugely positive, while giving us valuable information on how we can improve."
"What stood out across the board was our welcoming, inclusive culture and a place where people feel they can be their true selves. We realised that we needed to adopt a micro, individual-focused approach to our Employee Value Proposition, and create something that recognises each individual for who they are while supporting them to be the best they can be. And when we combined that without passion, energy, and ambition, our story was starting to become clear."
A powerful proposition
"Be remarkable.Be yourself. This is our new Employee Value Proposition. This line has the power to connect with every person, in every team, and every country. It makes me feel proud of my journey and everything I have been able to achieve has been made possible by the support of the remarkable people who have not only encouraged me to go further in my career but also helped me throughout each stage of my life.
I’ve essentially grown up at AS Watson, from each promotion to becoming a Mum and moving out of London to raise my family, the business has supported me through all of that. To me personally, that’s remarkable. And that’s the beauty of this Employee Value Proposition because it will mean something different to everyone. It’s an empowering message that welcomes people to bring their whole, remarkable selves to work in a world of exciting opportunities."
A remarkable opportunity
"This project fills me with pride that we can offer so much to so many. Our new Employee Value Proposition gives a clear message. Whoever you are you’ll be welcomed, celebrated, and inspired to be the best you can be at AS Watson. If you’re established in your career and looking for new opportunities with stretch, you’ll find the challenge you seek here. If you’re fresh from school and maybe lacking in work confidence, you’ll be supported here. Whoever you are, you can be your remarkable self."
