An unusual job for a woman?
Swiftclean has a long history of women helping to form and drive the organisation forward, so for International Women’s Day we caught up with one of them. We asked Abbey Maxwell, Head of Shared Services, about her new role managing the disciplines of human resources, marketing and processes.
Q: Taking on three roles seems ambitious. How did it come about?
Abbey: During my ten years at Swiftclean I’ve held several roles which have given me a broad view of our company. I’ve been Planning Manager, Service Delivery Manager, National Service Manager and Business Innovations Manager. Each of these has provided invaluable insights, especially in managing systems and processes, but I also have a passion for people and communication, and it seems increasingly logical to combine the three.
Q: What changes have you seen over the ten years?
Abbey: Quite a few, but perhaps most significantly, we’ve made huge strides in changing to a more digitised system, and this has happened in several stages. In several of my past roles, I was asked to lead aspects of that transition, and that involved keeping the team informed, motivated, and onboard during seasons of significant change. It gave me a really sharp view of how systems and processes affect, and are dependent on, our people; as well as the importance of effective communication throughout.
Q: What qualifications do you hold?
Abbey: I gained a Level 5 Operational Management Diploma, as part of learning about leadership, but, more practically, I am also IOSH & CSCS trained, as well as ladder testing trained, and I am a Face Fit Tester, helping to ensure safety for the Swiftclean technical team. I also completed the BESA Grease Hygiene Technician course in 2018, and more recently, I have started helping to deliver this course at our training centre.
Q: Doesn’t that mean you are training competitors?
Abbey: It’s long been a Swiftclean principle that we help to raise standards in the industry as a whole, so we don’t have any problem with providing training for potential competitors.
Q: Swiftclean has been active in the BESA, (Building Engineering Services Association) for a long time. Are you continuing the tradition?
Abbey: Definitely. I’ve been involved with the Eastern Counties BESA group for several years, serving as vice-president before having my son. Since returning from maternity leave, I have resumed my involvement and became president for the group at the end of 2022.
Q: How important is teamwork to you?
Abbey: Enormously. As Business Innovation Manager my remit was both internal and external and gave me the scope to build up our culture of celebration of team achievements. I was able to establish a social committee and introduce an internal newsletter and intranet. As an organisation with more than one base, I am determined that we bring the team together as much as possible so that everyone feels included and knows that their work is valued and appreciated. This is in addition to ensuring that everyone gets the training they need to upskill and progress as much as possible.
Q: So, processes and human resources seem to go together for you. What about marketing?
Abbey: With a degree in English Literature and Journalism, my first job was editing a leading regional equestrian magazine, which I partly owned. Setting up a company newsletter felt a bit like returning to my roots. Internal and external communications are both very important for telling our company story. I believe that strong, relevant, and consistent communication, is vital, both internally and externally.
Q: So your new role is playing to your strengths?
Abbey: It’s true that few organisations combine marketing, human resources and processes, but I believe there’s quite a lot of overlap between them. Our processes help our team to deliver our work, while our marketing tells of their achievements. I believe that marketing also has a contribution to make to some processes; for instance, in bids and tenders, helping to communicate industry-leading processes and values to prospective clients. There’s more of a natural fit between the three that you might expect.
Q: It’s International Women’s Day; is it tough being a woman in your industry?
Abbey: I know it can be; but for me personally I have been lucky and it’s mostly been a positive experience, particularly internally as I have a great team around me. You do certainly have to work to be taken seriously in some situations. There are quite a few strong, highly skilled, women at Swiftclean, increasingly in leadership roles. We’re perhaps less of a surprise than we used to be. I think for me the key is being confident in my skillset and my knowledge; and I do make it a rule always to acknowledge when I’m wrong, to learn from my mistakes and to aim, always, to be a better leader.
