Esther McLeodis, Kia Motors
| Date | 01 May 2005 |
| Published date | 01 May 2005 |
| Pages | 6-6 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390580000795 |
| Author | Esther McLeodis |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Esther McLeod
is head of HR for Kia Motors,
UK. She joined the company
three years ago and previously
worked in HR for Whitbread and Wallis Fashion. She
also has experience in management consultancy and
direct marketing.
6Volume 4 Issue 4 May/June 2005
PRACTITIONER PROFILE
,
HR executives share their experience in human resources
Esther McLeod,
Kia Motors
W
hen you manage HR for an
organization that’s trebled in
size during the last three
years, there are certain challenges that
inevitably come your way. But, for
Esther McLeod, head of HR for the UK
arm of Kia, the world’s fastest-growing
car company, there are also numerous
opportunities. “There is a real air of
excitement around Kia,” she says “and
because we are a young brand there
are a multitude of opportunities to
make your mark in the organization.”
In August 2002 Kia Motors Corp
bought back the sales, marketing and
distribution of its cars in the UK. Since
then there has been huge investment
from the Korean-based parent company
resulting in growth of 30 to 50 percent
per year. “The brand has really sky-
rocketed,” says McLeod. “HR has been
at the forefront of this growth,
ensuring effective change management;
the right fit of skills development; and
critical measurement of performance.”
Drawing on experience
McLeod joined Kia three years ago as
HR manager and is now head of HR for
the UK and Ireland. With a background
as varied as personnel, management
consultancy and direct marketing in
industries ranging from oil and gas to
luxury goods, McLeod has a wealth of
experience to draw on.
This experience has been highly
valuable in introducing HR processes
and systems into the rapidly expanding
company. “When we launched our
performance appraisal system last year
it highlighted how important it is to tie
it to the success of the business,” she
says. “By using the balanced scorecard
we were able to see where we are in
terms of our competencies and develop
training programs to improve
capabilities across the business.”
Kia is also implementing a
management development program
aimed at improving the flexibility of the
organization and its ability to manage
change. “Managers need to enhance
their knowledge of corporate and
employment law to help them become
effective managers of people,” says
McLeod. “If you’re running a function
you need these skills. Being a good
leader doesn’t just mean leading from
the front, but having the ability to drive
initiatives and set standards.”
Benefiting from growth
Kia’s strapline, “The UK’s fastest-
growing car company,” brings benefits
in itself. Its growth creates an
excitement around the company, says
McLeod, that’s attractive to new recruits
as well as customers. It also means
employees have the opportunity to
shape the business as it expands. “I’ve
been able to implement new processes
and initiatives rapidly and see my input
come to fruition quickly rather than
over the course of months or years.
“Because of our rapid growth,
however, we need to make sure that
we aren’t vulnerable. In addition to
succession planning we’re working on
knowledge transfer. For example, an
administrator in PR may be given the
opportunity to gain knowledge in
marketing, sales, etc. and acquire the
relevant skills. In a year or two it gives
them the flexibility to move to a
different role.
“The result is that there are always
several people at any one time who
actually know more than one
functional area of the business. This
makes us stronger and ensures that, if
someone in a critical position does
leave, we can react to it.”
Cross-cultural working
The influence of Kia UK’s Korean
parent company goes beyond strong
investment in growth. It also has a very
distinct culture and a different working
style in comparison to the UK. To
ensure the two work effectively
together, employees have attended
specialized training courses on
intercultural skills development.
“We identified and re-enforced one
key area for change: to clarify the
differences between Korean and UK
styles of communication,” says McLeod.
“We learned, for example, that nuances
between the languages can result in
misunderstanding and it’s much more
effective for us to communicate using
numbers or succinct points.”
With the raft of initiatives McLeod
and her team are implementing and
the buzz surrounding the organization,
there’s no doubt she’s looking forward
to – as the company website puts it –
“a big, bright Kia future.”
Kia Motors Corporation was the fastest-
growing car company in the world in
2004. Its production capacity is more
than 1.15 million vehicles a year.It has
over 150 dealerships in the UK.
KIA MOTORS
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005 For more information visit www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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