Tesco [LSE: TSCO]

Norbert Turoczi

Norbert Túróczi is a seasoned HR leader with over 15 years of experience across the retail and consulting sectors. He began his career at Korn Ferry, where he developed a strong foundation in HR consulting before joining Tesco over a decade ago. Starting as a Reward Specialist, Túróczi quickly advanced through various HR functions, gaining expertise in organisational development, compensation, talent management, and capability building.

His passion for employer branding emerged during his university years. It took shape at Tesco nearly five years ago when he formed a dedicated team to drive the company’s employer reputation in Hungary. Over time, Túróczi took on broader regional responsibilities, eventually leading a diverse team of more than 50 HR professionals across Central Europe. Since January 2024, he has served as Tesco Hungary’s Country HR Director, working closely with the leadership team to shape and deliver the national HR strategy. His journey reflects a rare blend of specialist insight and strategic leadership, underpinned by a commitment to people development and a deep understanding of multinational dynamics.

AT A GLANCE:

• Creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and valued is not just a slogan but a core principle that drives employee engagement and organisational success.

• Balancing competitive compensation with robust growth and development opportunities is essential for attracting, retaining and empowering top talent.

• In a rapidly changing world, HR leaders must be willing to learn, embrace new ideas and lead with empathy to create a positive impact.

This exclusive interview recognises Turoczi’s impactful leadership and dedication to fostering inclusive workplace cultures. It explores his insights into balancing employee well-being with strategic HR initiatives to drive organisational success.

Consulting Background and HR Management: A Foundation for Problem-Solving and Strategic Planning

My consulting background provided a strong foundation for my HR management approach, particularly in problemsolving and strategic planning. Consulting exposes you to various problems across different companies and stakeholders. This experience is invaluable in a multinational corporation like Tesco, where you interact with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Learning to navigate this diversity and work effectively with multinational teams is crucial for success in today’s business environment.

My consulting experience also instilled a pragmatic, solution-driven and customer-centric mindset. This focus on understanding the needs of the ‘customer,’ in this case, my colleagues and stakeholders within Tesco, allowed me to bring fresh energy to corporate HR. By prioritising problem identification and focusing on delivering what stakeholders truly needed, I was able to make a positive impact early in my career.

Promoting Diversity and Inclusion: Creating a Welcoming and Supportive Workplace

Fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion is a top priority at Tesco. It’s a slogan and a core value reflected in our actions and colleague feedback. For example, in our annual colleague survey, over 85 percent of respondents said they could be themselves at Tesco. This indicates that our efforts to create an inclusive environment are resonating. Our approach to diversity encompasses more than gender, race or religion; we strive to be inclusive of everyone’s individuality and circumstances.

Currently, we focus on three key areas: women in leadership, supporting colleagues with disabilities and creating opportunities for young people. Regarding disability inclusion, we employ over 430 colleagues with disabilities in our stores, representing more than 5 percent of our workforce. This makes us one of the leaders in the Hungarian private corporate sector for employing and supporting individuals with disabilities. Recognising the challenges of an ageing population, we also offer numerous programs for young people, including acceleration, capability growth and leadership development initiatives.

One example of our commitment to intergenerational understanding is a project focused on improving communication between different generations within our stores. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between Gen X store managers and the growing number of Gen Z colleagues, fostering a more collaborative and understanding work environment.

Balancing Compensation and Growth: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Attracting and retaining top talent requires a balanced approach that considers competitive compensation and growth opportunities. At Tesco, our employee value proposition centres around the idea that ‘Tesco is a place to get on,’ emphasising both inclusivity and growth within the company. We have countless examples of internal career progression, highlighting this commitment.

Our key strengths are our robust group team and extensive network of in-house capability experts. This allows us to develop most of our training programs internally, tailored to the skills needed for our business strategy and future needs. This unique approach means we can offer development opportunities not readily available elsewhere, which is a significant advantage in attracting and retaining talent. Our internal resources and knowledge base support this focus on internal growth.

While this strong emphasis on capability development is crucial to our employee proposition, it complements, rather than replaces, competitive compensation. Both are essential for attracting and retaining top talent and we ensure our reward packages are competitive.

Advice for Emerging HR Leaders: A Foundation for Making a Significant Impact

My advice to emerging HR leaders is simple but powerful: be willing to learn, have a strong work ethic and be nice. While it may seem basic, this advice, inspired by Professor Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, covers the essential elements for success. A strong work ethic, including a clear sense of right and wrong, is crucial for HR leaders. Equally important is being friendly, caring and open-minded. The world is changing rapidly, so a constant willingness to learn and adapt is essential. My career has been driven by curiosity and a desire to understand how to contribute to the success and happiness of both the company and my colleagues. Without that curiosity and openness to change, I wouldn’t be where I am today.