Abi - Head of HR - Retail

There's always more to learn and more challenges as the business expands.

Questions we asked Abi:

Hello, who are you?

"My name's Abi Weeks. I'm the Head of HR for Retail."

How was your first day?

"My first day at Harrods was very daunting. It was my first job since leaving University, and obviously the added pressure that it was Harrods, this iconic business, and I was feeling very lucky to have got a job here. But the team was really welcoming - I'd expect the HR team to be welcoming, and they were."

What do your friends and family think?

"When I told my friends and family I was coming to work at Harrods I think they were very excited. My mum is always asking me to bring home my green carrier bag - no presents, she just wants that plastic bag - it is very iconic."

What's different about HR at Harrods?

"I think working in HR at Harrods is very different because there are lots of different facets of Harrods. So you could be working with the shop floor sales associates, you could be working with engineers, with our store service or cleaning staff, food halls, chefs, doctors. So it's fantastic in terms of the opportunity to liaise with lots of different parts of the business."

Is your future here?

"In terms of my future, I've been here for seven and half years, so a long time, but there's always more to learn and more challenges as the business expands."

What about the benefits?

"Everybody loves the staff discount. I think that's quoted as the single most popular benefit that we offer, and the business clothing allowance that we have to enable us to buy clothes for work. Sometimes when I leave work at night, and I walk down the road and I see the store lit up, it really hits home that, wow, I work at Harrods."