A Conversation with: Angela Briggs

Can you tell us more about the expertise that UMENCO offers?
Angela Briggs: UMENCO has grown into a leading Human Resources advisory specialising in recruitment, headhunting and career coaching. Based in Sydney, we recruit for roles across a broad range of disciplines within the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries, including design, production, finance, buying, marketing, PR & communications, HR, technology and all channels of sales including e-commerce, retail and wholesale. Executive search and headhunting are our key areas of expertise and we are at the forefront of supporting brands to secure the best talent in the global market, with a focus on sustainable fashion specialists and individuals with proven career success in driving direct to consumer business models.

Our industry knowledge and experience with careers in fashion informs everything we advise on, from recruitment, leadership development and creating sustainable workplace cultures, to the foundations of career coaching, including writing a CV, creating a LinkedIn profile and preparing for job interviews.

What sets UMENCO apart in the recruitment and career coaching space?
Angela Briggs: Our holistic and creative approach to recruitment, HR and career coaching allows us to dive deeper into key objectives for the brands and individuals that we work with. For example, through in-depth behavioural-based interviews we identify the core values, skills, achievements and key drivers of each talent, and partner them with clients whose brand is aligned.  This innate understanding of brand alignment is a significant factor in our success locally and internationally in recruitment. We are committed to supporting brands in building their dream teams, and individuals in achieving their career aspirations.

Beyond the headhunting process, we operate Project You, a career coaching service that really caters to the individual, and helps talent to realise their potential with a wide range of practical tips and advice.  Our global presence spans key cities across the globe, with successful placements and partnerships in Australia, New Zealand, Paris, London, New York, and Los Angeles, and we are continuously expanding.

How does your approach to human resources differ from the traditional?
Angela Briggs: When advising on human resources strategies, UMENCO focuses on the core values at the heart of each business, and aims to create a culture that reflects these principles.

Culture is living and breathing; it is not simply a brand statement. A positive workplace culture is when the values of a brand come to life each day through the behaviour of each leader and team member. The result is an environment that encourages people to bring their best selves to work each day, and affords them the opportunity to build a career with purpose and meaning. This approach makes all the difference in supporting and retaining talent in the short and long term. We also assist with leadership development, succession planning, salary benchmarking and performance reviews for team members at every level – it’s a holistic approach that delivers sustainable and agile results in our ever-changing work environment.

UMENCO: How did Project You come to exist? And how does it work?
Angela Briggs: Project You was established amid the COVID-19 pandemic, initially to offer crucial support to the Australian fashion community. It has since evolved into a global project, with fashion professionals reaching out from international business hubs including London, LA and New York to gain access to this professional coaching service.

We are proud to offer a bespoke, one-on-one coaching service that caters to the specific skills, experiences, values and goals of each individual that we work with. The process itself follows the format of a creative workshop, where you are encouraged to explore the key drivers and aspirations at the core of your personal journey. From there, we aim to support and empower you to make positive steps forward, no matter what stage of your career you are at. If you are unsure about your direction, want to be more passionate about what you do, feel overwhelmed or simply want to advance to the next stage of your career, we will support you to reach your goals.

Can you tell us more about your background in the fashion industry, and how this informs your role at UMENCO?
Angela Briggs: My background lies in fashion, marketing and psychology, so I feel fortunate to have built a career in recruitment and human resources that draws on each of these principles every day. My love of the fashion industry – and genuine admiration for the brands that I work with – keeps my job exciting and reminds me to stay creative in all that I do. Prior to my work leading the UMENCO team, I worked at Apple and was able to learn so much about workplace culture and people strategies from one of the world’s leading companies, which offered me the brilliant foundation on which UMENCO was built.

What does a typical week at work look like for you?
Angela Briggs: The most challenging and rewarding part of my role is that no two working weeks are the same. On any given day, I could be brainstorming strategies and concepts with my team in our Sydney office, meeting with new clients and talent, or even travelling to our key international markets such as London, New York or Paris, to make new connections.

I am driven by a desire to constantly grow and create new opportunities for UMENCO, and all of the brands and individuals that we work with, and this manifests itself in many ways. Through all of this, the most consistent part of my day-to-day would have to be community; meeting with clients to ensure that their people strategies are yielding great results, supporting talent to feel inspired and motivated in their career development, and at a core level, connecting with my team to ensure we’re practicing what we preach. I am also focusing more and more of my time towards our new content hub, The Company We Keep.

What can we expect from The Company We Keep?
Angela Briggs: The Company We Keep celebrates individuals of creativity and purpose. It offers an intelligent, behind the scenes viewpoint on the career trajectories of creatives and thought leaders across the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries. Embodying a modern and conscious approach to interviews, we are connecting with insiders who are willing to share the challenges and moments of grace, as well as the successes and highlights. It’s a career playbook; a series of conversations that will offer unique access to the inspiring individuals behind the world’s leading fashion brands.

The UMENCO team will also be sharing practical ‘how-to’ guides that aim to educate and inspire those looking to obtain their dream job in fashion. Sharing our expertise, industry knowledge and personal experiences in a series of open letters, we will be discussing the current topics and issues facing the wider fashion and lifestyle business. We hope to empower our readers to choose their own adventures and to inspire courage in different touchpoints of their career journey.

What does the future hold for UMENCO?
We will continue to expand our Project You program and grow our focus on career development and coaching, supporting talent to achieve their dream career in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries. We are also excited to continue our work in supporting Giant Steps, an organisation that provides vital services to children and young adults with autism and their families. Giant Steps was established to bring the world’s best practice in the treatment and education of children with Autism to Australia, and we couldn’t be more proud of our on-going partnership. In the coming months, we will be launching multiple brand collaborations to raise funds and awareness for this leading education centre.

We worked closely with Leila Naja Hibri during her time at Helen Kaminski and were thrilled to see her appointed as CEO of the Australian Fashion Council (AFC). The AFC has been incredibly supportive of the wider Australian fashion community throughout the turbulence and uncertainty of the last few months, and we are looking at ways to collaborate and continue their great work in bringing people together.