Senior Talent Manager – Riccardo MacMillan-Wright

Name:

Riccardo MacMillan-Wright

Role:

Talent Acquisition Manager

Company:

Ralph Lauren

WHAT IS YOUR MORNING ROUTINE ?

I’m not the most dynamic person in the morning, so an espresso has been factored into my morning routine; without one the beginning of my day can often be a little hazy lol!
Before heading out, I select one of my curated playlists on Spotify – music keeps me going!
I get the Jubilee Line into work which is where I have the time to check my socials, which include – LinkedIn, Instagram, and emails, getting a head start on anything that may have come through the night before.
If I’m not held up by the usual TFL delays, I grab my second coffee which is usually a Latte from Pret.

HOW DID YOU GET THE JOB / HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE INDUSTRY?

After graduating in Marketing & Advertising, I was working in sales within luxury retail to earn some money. Despite it not being my long-term career goal, I found I had strong communication and selling skills. A recruitment agency that had supported me in finding a job previously reached out to ask if I would consider working for their luxury retail division. I curiously said yes…7 years later, I am now working in-house for a luxury brand I have always loved, and still very much enjoy recruiting!

WHAT IS YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITY?

My role is focused around bringing the right external talent into Ralph Lauren and establishing the internal talent within the company – supporting positive employment mobility that supports both the business and our employees. My remit covers the UK, with a true focus on our commercial retail business.

WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL DAY LIKE?

Busy lol! I interact with many internal stakeholders, business partners, external recruitment agencies, job boards and most importantly candidates. Because of the amount of varied interaction, I have throughout the day, I try to plan as best as possible to ensure I am catering to all of the above in the most efficient way.
I tend to have an even split of face to face and Zoom (video) meetings which can be anything from interviews, vacancy briefings, stakeholder meetings or strategy/project work.
I also get through a lot of emails in one day; according to my Outlook stats I send on average 400 emails a day!

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?

My team! Honestly, the Talent Acquisition team at Ralph Lauren is what has kept me engaged and is the primary reason why I enjoy my job so much. Everyone in our team is very different, from background to personal interests, so we are a very dynamic workforce!
The best part of in-house recruitment is that you are able to follow the success of one of your hires career as they progress within the business – it’s a very rewarding feeling

WHAT’S THE WORST PART OF YOUR JOB?

When a candidate declines a job offer I would take this very personally early on in my career, however I have learnt the art and importance of always having a strong plan B!

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE WORK MOMENT?

I have been fortunate enough to work with an organisation called Access London that does a fantastic job in connecting some of the UK’s top employers with underrepresented youth from across the country.
Most recently at Ralph Lauren we partnered with a few schools in Greater London, offering interview prep and coaching to students who were about to embark on university or apprenticeship schemes. We were fortunate enough to meet with some inspiring youths. As I advance in my career, it’s the value-added work outside of day to day recruiting that truly makes me feel like I am continuing to make a difference.

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A few words about the article author

Dwayne Ferguson is Head of Digital at Outside The Box Recruitment.

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