Hazel Slimmon, HR director at Diversified Communications talks to Red Recruitment’s Pragnesh Karunakaran about bringing something to the party, attracting new talent to the industry and what it takes to work at Diversified

What makes Diversified a good place to work?

I know it sounds like a cliché, but it’s the people. We are lucky enough to have such a talented and hardworking team, who are incredibly passionate about what they do.

If you don’t believe me, head to our careers page and watch our ‘magic’ video and see for yourself.

What do you look for in a candidate?

Strong skillset, great attitude, good company and team fit. The rest they can learn!

Who could definitely never work at Diversified?

David Cameron…am I allowed to say that? Other than that, I would like to think that anyone could work at Diversified, with the right attitude and something to bring to the party – everyone is welcome.

If you could recruit anyone in the world, who would it be?

I would love to work with Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook and founder of the Lean In Foundation. I love her commitment in giving women the selfconfidence to reach their goals and to ‘be fearless’.

Do you offer any staff benefits?

Yes, we have a great benefits package – I think it’s an important part of an employee’s overall package.

We offer a matched pension contribution, healthcare, gym membership, cycle to work scheme, childcare vouchers and other less conventional ones such as money to decorate your desk, entry into a charity race, a day off to work at a charity, and paid time off to give blood.

What could the industry do to attract more talent?

I think the events industry is very proactive in attracting new talent – last year the AEO created two fantastic videos to give people a real insight into what it is like working within the industry. You can check them out on YouTube – ‘Events Industry Snapshot’ and ‘Experiences of the Industry’.

Do you mainly look for talent within the industry?

Obviously talent in the industry is a plus, in such a fast-paced environment with show cycles it is important that they are able to hit the ground running. Having said that, when the opportunity arises I think it’s important that we bring in new ideas and approaches to our industry.