How culture shapes the story

For any telecommunications provider, the technology that underpins products and services is vital. But it is the people in its teams that make the difference. Having been a top human resources executive in some of the best known technology brands in Ireland and beyond, Noelle Burke chose to join Vodafone Ireland four years ago. What appealed to her most was its culture and ambition.

“I have been lucky enough to work in lots of great organisations but certainly for me there is something unique and special in the culture here,” says Burke, who is Vodafone Ireland’s HR director.

“All our customers are important to us,” she says. “Our purpose is about keeping everyone connected. You see this in the haste with which staff work to get customers’ services back up and running after a storm, for example,” she says.

“From the outside I looked at the policies and employee supports in place in Vodafone and wondered if they were just words on a page, or were they values that were actually lived? And they are really lived. Company culture shows itself in difficult times.

“Our culture is about driving impact for customers, empowering our frontline teams and fostering accountability and learning. For example, we have best-in-class retention in our retail teams. We’re also bringing a growth mindset to AI, transforming our internship programme into an AI-first initiative that is accelerating both business outcomes and capability. We believe the future of work is people and AI together. AI agents are helping colleagues deliver greater value for customers and build our future ways of working.Vodafone Ireland’s new office, located at St Stephen’s Green in Dublin, is another part of this cultural evolution.

“Central to our city centre move was a desire to get closer to our customers,” says Burke. “While other companies are pulling back from hybrid working we are leaning into it even more, with many staff working a flexible eight to 10 days a month in the office.”

The company remains a huge advocate for diversity and inclusion. “We continue to champion opportunities for all, ensuring our workforce reflects the communities we serve and delivers stronger business outcomes,” says Burke.

Ciaran Bennett has spent almost his entire career with Vodafone Ireland, having joined the company more than two decades ago. During that time he has gained experience across all aspects of the business, working his way up to his current position as commercial operations director. He too believes culture played a huge part in keeping him there.

“The bottom line is that I really enjoy it and I fundamentally believe that we are making a difference to our customers and to wider society,” he says. “I know it sounds like a long time [to work for one place] but in truth there have been so many chapters [for me], working across the business and getting exposure to some really great leaders. I’ve had loads of cross-market learnings and great opportunities. I’ve just really enjoyed being a part of that,” he says.

“Vodafone has been a brilliant supporter of my career development. I love the variety and the flexibility that comes with being in a large organisation that has lots of discrete business units.”

Bennett feels as though he has enjoyed a number of careers within Vodafone, helped by the constant speed at which new technologies continue to come on stream. “Technology underpins everything we do, in our work, our life, and the way it has reshaped entire industries,” he says. “I don’t think that will ever stop.”

Anna Coghlan only recently joined the team. The Trinity College business graduate is working as a sales acceleration lead as part of Vodafone’s graduate programme, which sees her working in a number of different areas of the business. As a first-class honours graduate, a Trinity Gold Medallist for academic performance, and a published academic author in an international journal, Coghlan was an ideal fit for the programme.

So why Vodafone? “I was just really lucky,” she says. “I did an internship at Vodafone between my third and fourth year of college and it was just a lovely environment to be in. The people were amazing and I was chuffed with the amount of work and responsibility we were given in those three months.”

Fittingly, she did her research. “I spoke to the graduates when I was an intern, and not one person had anything but praise to say about the programme. And as it turns out, I’m so happy with my decision,” she says.

The transition from college life to work can be rocky. Not for Coghlan. “I came in very excited but also nervous. But the people are the magic of this company. Everyone is genuinely supportive and willing to help you.”

Within this educational environment, Coghlan is interested in the changes coming down the track in telecommunications. “Connectivity underpins so much of our lives, and Ireland is becoming increasingly digital, so connectivity is all around us, whether in your pocket, your home, your workplace or community,” she says.

“All of the important projects which Vodafone works on - like AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation - will continue to grow. What’s very exciting is when young career entrants have the opportunity to shape that as well. That’s really cool.”