Meet Addie, Research Manager, part of the Insight In-house Research Team. Addie has been with Tesco for 9 years. Here, she shares her experiences of how Tesco has supported her throughout her career journey, and how she now gives back, supporting grads at the start of their careers.

 

Before I joined Tesco, I knew people who worked at the head office, and they always used to talk about all the opportunities available. I also wanted to make a difference and, with Tesco’s scale, I didn’t think there was any better place for that. 

I started off in a temp role, which lasted about 2 years in the end! During that time, I created a great network of colleagues. Even as a temp, I was still encouraged to participate in all the training and personal development talks, and create a personal development plan. This all helped to let my manager know where I wanted to go and what I was interested in. 

My first permanent role at Tesco was called something like ‘Quality Technical Assistant’. I was involved in all the product testing with our customers to help with product development. We were there to make sure that our products were as good quality as our competitors – and that people actually liked them.

My team sat within the Product Insight Team but as the need for research grew, the business decided to create a new and larger team to focus on research for everyone within Insight. So, since May 2023, I’ve been part of the new Insight In-house Research Team. We support the business by bringing insights that change the way the business acts and thinks. 

We put the customer at the heart of all our decisions, making sure their voices are heard and actioned. I’m responsible for running all the consumer research projects and working with our agency partners, using our internal testing tools. We try and dig deep into our customers’ lives to understand their needs, their attitudes to things, and their behaviour. Then we translate that into clear, actionable recommendations for stakeholders. 

One of my career highlights at Tesco is when I was involved with the Lingerie for Life range, which was a truly cross-functional project with F&F. The aim of the range was to help people looking for their first bra or a nude range that suited their skin, and we were also exploring post-surgery needs. Our insights work really helped shape and inform decisions. We learned about what customers wanted in terms of quality, product attributes and the colour range for the nudes. There was nobody in that space doing it at that time, and the range that was developed was inclusive and affordable. I was really proud to have been part of that.

Another highlight, that’s more personal, is completing my MRS accreditation. It was a two-year investment that was funded by Tesco, allowing me to take the time to develop myself and I had so much support, it was great. I’m really proud of gaining the accreditation and have been able to put all my knowledge, skills and experience back into my role. Early in my career I was fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to complete a postgraduate course at Reading University around understanding and influencing consumer behaviour. Part of the course involved carrying out projects with new methodologies that I was able to bring back with me but I also had to chance to meet and network with other people in the industry.

I also ‘give back’ by being part of the Customer Graduate NWT. This will be my third year of mentoring and buddying with new grads to make sure they achieve their potential, and get the most out of their time within Customer. The NWT gives them somebody outside of their direct team who they can talk to for any extra support they need. We organise learning and field trips, such as time with agencies and suppliers, to give them a greater understanding of what we do. This really helps them as they start out on their career journey. I was fortunate to have people who invested their time in me, so I’m happy to do that too. 

I think the opportunities at Tesco are endless and you have the freedom to try what you want to. People see progression as a ladder but it’s not always like that here. I know people that have gone from Product to Technology; people are just moving everywhere. I guess that’s why colleagues have been here for so long. 

The flexibility is also great – work-life balance is really important here. We have lots of colleagues who are parents and carers, and we try and make it work for each individual. I know a lot of people who are part-time at Tesco and they feel supported and are making it work for them.

I feel so lucky that I enjoy my job and that I've been able to grow throughout my career. The people have been great and the culture of Tesco has evolved loads. You want to wake up and not dread going to work on a Sunday. I've been here 9 years now and I still don’t have the Sunday dreads! Tesco is the biggest UK retailer. We can lead the way and make a positive impact on our customers. So, why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that story and journey?