Maddy Johnston

Tell us about your degree - why did you choose it? What elements of the degree inspired you to study it?
After completing an undergraduate degree in Sociology, I chose to study a Human Resource Management Masters in 2021, specifically to delve deeper into diversity management. 

During this time, the world was turbulent, which showed the need to address the inequalities in the social world. From a business perspective, there is a crucial need to address societal issues which are reflected in the workplace and to portray the importance of having a diverse workforce. 

In between my undergraduate and my masters, I interned for six months at a Communications and Marketing Agency in their HR team. This gave me great hands-on knowledge of the practicalities of working in HR. During my internship, my passion lay with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in which I supported their four staff groups. In particular, they had just published their Race Equality Pledge which provided a strategy to support and embed a diverse workforce. 

Therefore with my foundations of Sociology, Human Resource Management provided a business perspective to deepen my knowledge around diversity management and making effective change from the inside out.

What was the best part of your studies here? What did you enjoy the most about your course?
Leeds was one of the only universities which provided an overview of Human Resource Management from different stakeholders (Trade Unions, the Employee, the Employer etc) which makes it stand out from the others. For Diversity, there was one specific diversity management module, which was fascinating. I also received well- rounded HR knowledge from the Employee Relations Module. Thank you to my fantastic lecturers!

What was your impression/experience of the student union, the city of Leeds and Yorkshire? Did you do any extracurricular activities during your studies? How did you enhance your personal development? What would you recommend to future students?
I loved studying at Leeds, so much I came back for my masters! I made such fond memories and Leeds is a great student city to live in. I loved being at a campus university, with everything just a short walk away. The Student Union is one of the best in the country and definitely something that attracted me to the Leeds campus. I even worked as a student ambassador, showing new students the campus on open days and at Welcome events.

How did your experiences at Leeds University Business School help you to advance your career?
Leeds University Business School provided me with the tools to combine a theoretical foundation in HR, with practical application. The course also enabled me to gain my CIPD Level 7 which was integrated into my modules. This was a great addition to advance my career to gain an external accreditation at the same time as my MA.

How has your career progressed since leaving the Business School? Have there been any notable highlights?
In the last six months, I have joined AXA UK as an Inclusion Parter in their People team. This has been a huge highlight for me as this role is specifically focussed on Inclusion & Belonging which I am learning such a lot from our central IB strategy and business partnering the five Employee Networks.

What are your ambitions for the future?
I'd love to consult specifically on Diversity.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to work in a similar role or industry to you?
Talk to as many people as you can that do similar roles and try to gain practical experience from this. You never know who might be a great contact or may know someone in that field who can help.

What advice would you give to students to help them get the most out of their time in Leeds?
Talk to your lecturers, they have so much knowledge, so learn as much as you can from them!