Inside SQLI - meet Laura Springall, resource manager UK

Laura is the Resource Manager at SQLI, helping the UK and ME offices and teams run smoothly. Here she talks to us about her job, motivations…and passion for music!

How did you career path bring you to SQLI?

My first job was actually in financial recruitment in Essex before I made the move to London. Finance was never the right fit for me!

In London, I took on a position as a resource manager at the marketing agency, Digitas, that later integrated with the Publicis Group. It was a new role, but a great structured environment to learn something different. I was there for six years, met my partner Scott there and had my first child while working there.

I had always felt a media agency was where I wanted to be long-term as the creative environment suited my personality more. One day I bumped into some from the SQLI team – quite literally - and I was lucky enough that the job of Resource Manager became available, so it was a perfect fit!

What does your role look like?

My main role is finding the right person for new positions and to make sure existing staff are happy and have everything they need to do their job properly. There’s a lot more to it, but that’s the role in a nutshell.

What are your biggest achievements at the company?

I’m most proud of installing a brand-new resource function into the company. Finding it, rolling it out and watching it work.

I’m really happy with how it has gone. I know some of the other offices in the group have shown an interest in it, so I’d love to see it rolled out further across the SQLI Group.

When I left Digitas, I realised how appreciated I was and how much people were going to miss me as a person and my work contribution. Now, I try to incorporate this into what I do today. Firstly, for me, it’s about retaining staff. I don’t want people to leave. I try to have close connections with people in the company and I want to ensure they feel valued. It’s very hard to find good staff and keep them for a long time, so it’s important for everyone in a team to feel valued. Secondly, t’s about finding out what makes them tick and understanding what they need for things to run smoothly.

What motivates you day-to-day at work?

Being part of a fun, London team is amazing. It motivates you to do well and succeed as an integral part of the infrastructure. I love being close to the projects from the start to the end, so I feel part of the whole project cycle.

Any challenges?

The challenges stay the same from company to company in this role. It’s about getting everyone aligned and following the process consistently. Things can fall apart if everyone doesn’t follow the same process. But then, if everything ran smoothly, you wouldn’t need a resource manager in the first place!!

Projects change and it’s about trying to manage people’s expectations. Sometimes you are going to disappoint people, but it’s about finding an alternative that they are happy with.

From a recruitment perspective, right now due to COVID and the aftermath, it’s hard to get people to want to go into an office. People want to work at home a lot more. But I love coming into the office because we have a great atmosphere and team here. SQLI is a great social place to work and this is an aspect that really appeals to many people.

What does your time out of work look like? What inspires you?

I obviously love spending time with my partner and our two children. I also really like running - I’ve completed a few half marathons and ran my first just nine months after giving birth! I’m not sure I’m ready for a full marathon just yet, though!!

My biggest passion is music. I was a pretty successful DJ part-time and played at London Pride Parade to over a million a people – it was amazing. I’ve DJ’d at lots of the big clubs around London, like Ministry of Sound, too.

I was 18 when started. I remember hearing two songs being mixed and a new song being made and thinking ‘I can do that!’ I tried it and got good at it. 

I then got my first decks as a gift from my Nan, she was so pleased to see me getting into something that I felt passionate about.

Back when I began, I looked up to big names like Carl Cox and Sasha and nowadays there’s a DJ called La Fleur, she’s from Sweden, but has a residency in Berlin and has made such a big entrance onto the female music scene and over the last decade I’ve watched her really grow. Social media has opened up the scene to women a lot more, I was nearly always the only female DJ when I played.

What does the future look like?

In work, it’s a really exciting time to be part of SQLI. We’ve only been part of the wider group for a few months but it’s great to be part of a bigger entity which comes with more opportunities globally and meeting new people who have different ideas.

I’d also love to get DJ’ing in clubs again one day. Having a baby and then COVID changed the dynamics a bit, but hopefully I’ll get back into it when the children are older!