Biography
I’m the HR lead at Draw & Code where I work on recruitment, HR strategy and more. I’m also a lecturer at Liverpool Business School, a regular conference speaker, writer and blogger too. Bringing my HR experience into a technology company is fascinating, especially during an era where hybrid working is transforming the industry.
The entire team at Draw and Code are passionate about what they do, and the culture is collaborative and friendly. The leadership team genuinely care about their employees and want to make Draw and Code the best possible place to work that it can be.
Gemma's Q&A
What Is Draw & Code?
I think our purpose says it all: Draw and Code create immersive experiences that go beyond the known to enchant and expire. How we do that is contained within our values, which explain who we are. We are all about the good trouble, bringing that pirate energy!
What strengths do you think are most important in your role?
I’m a coach, which is about helping people to think, grow and learn – coaching involves being good at asking questions and presenting helpful challenge. To be an effective HR professional you also need to be able to understand how people think and behave. A good understanding of employment law is also important!
How do you think technology advances will impact your job?
Human Resources has a lot of processes and activities that technology can reshape and enhance. We can definitely use immersive technologies in the employment lifecycle – recruitment, on-boarding and training are great examples of processes that could go virtual and improve the candidate and employee experience. A VR watercooler is top of my list!
What online resources do you use to help you do your job?
Mostly employment law reference manuals!
What type of projects do you really enjoy working on?
Anything that enables people to learn, develop and grow at work, or helps to improve people’s working lives. Employee wellbeing is a particular passion of mine.
Gemma's Fun Fact
As well as working at Draw & Code, Gemma is a lecturer at Liverpool John Moore’s University and is a qualified personal trainer. And she plays roller derby (badly).