Updating Results

BAT Australia

4.3
  • 50,000 - 100,000 employees

Alex Chung

I chose to apply for BAT for the career opportunities that BAT can provide, but also the amazing perks that we have access to. It’s a global FMCG company with a bit of a twist that really prioritised the development of their people.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’d like to say I’m a pretty positive and happy person and I absolutely love Chinese food and sleeping in! I’m Korean, living in Sydney but was born in Chile – so had a little bit of an early childhood adventure. I love wearing the colour black cause it’s super simple and easy. During my spare time, I enjoy exercising and going to a café for a nice cup of coffee (Almond Cap).

Why did you choose BAT?

I chose to apply for BAT for the career opportunities that BAT can provide, but also the amazing perks that we have access to. It’s a global FMCG company with a bit of a twist that really prioritised the development of their people.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Of course! If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that if people are willing to learn and grow then anything is possible.

How did you get to your current position?

I started my journey at BAT Australia as an HR Global Graduate for about a year before graduating from the programme to become a Marketing Skills & Development Executive (MSDE). The MSDE role enabled me to support our National Field team by building capabilities and talent programs to further upskill our talent. After about a year in the role, I moved into the HR Executive role where I continue to support our National Field team from an HR generalist perspective.

What are your areas of responsibility?

As the HR Executive, I support the implementation and interpretation of HR policies, procedures and guidelines, and provide advice on employee relations issues. For our National Field team, I assist with their onboarding as well as their recruitment and selection process. Within the wider HR team, I support maintaining HR Governance, projects, and the rollout of local, regional, and global initiatives. One of the best parts of the role involves supporting talent identification, succession planning and learning & development opportunities to help grow our people.

What soft skills would you advise university students to start building early in their careers?

I would strongly recommend students to start building their emotional intelligence and become aware of their personal preferences and that their styles will be very different to some other people. This will really help them build relationships and networks to collaborate and work together to create a diverse and inclusive organisation.

What is your team like?

Our HR team is made up of 10 people, so we’re a really small team that supports 400+ employees. We’re a team that looks after each other and makes sure we’re able to have fun along the way too. We appreciate the hard work each member puts in and also love celebrating the small wins we have. We’re a support bunch that know there’s more to life than just work so it’s great to have a team that we can do life with.