Get to Know Gareth Cullen, Our EMEA Talent Acquisition Leader at Dell Technologies

Gareth C. | Senior Director, Talent Acquisition | Dublin, Ireland 

Originally Published: July 14, 2023 

Career Progression:

I first joined Dell Technologies in 2006 as a temporary worker in the Talent Acquisition team. I wasn’t sure I would succeed in finishing my first week. I had just returned from an amazing 4-month trip to Thailand, which left me with no money and the realization that I needed to find a job! Upon joining Dell, my colleague Paula Gill was the person I leaned on for help. She was the person who knew how everything worked (she still does, by the way). Thanks, Paula! 😊 I learned that people and relationships are critical and a unique differentiator at Dell. We have great people, and from my first experience when I joined, I can see the importance of our new hires at Dell being paired with a buddy or mentor. This gives them the opportunity to immerse themselves in our culture, ask questions, and feel supported from the very start.

Working alongside that team was a great learning experience for me. I was surrounded by people who were patient, kind, and great at their jobs. During my time at Dell, I have had the opportunity to explore Recruitment, General HR, and Compensation. These were all very valuable perspectives to learn from and broaden my understanding of our great company. Getting the opportunity to see how the HR function works outside of TA was very beneficial. For that reason, we view career progression and internal movement as priorities for team members.

Top 3 Biggest Learnings in My Tenure:

1) Care about your job, the impact you can make, and the change you can drive.

Going back to the ‘why’ tends to bring deeper meaning. Our purpose as a company is to enable human progress. We, in TA and wider HR, enable and empower the talent part of that equation that fuels our organization. So, our work is very meaningful.

2) People and relationships are key.

People will be there when you need them. Spend time building trust. Buy someone a coffee. 

3) Seek out opportunities to make a difference.

Many of the innovative programs we drive are right for Dell and change people’s lives. I am very proud to work for a team and a company that are so focused every day on driving for a better tomorrow.

My New Role as EMEA TA Senior Director:

It is an honor and a privilege to be promoted to Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Senior TA Director, and I appreciate the trust. I love the role, the people, and our team, and I am excited about the potential impact we can make together. My manager, Brent Amundson, and my peers have been amazing. This role has a different pace and rhythm from what I was used to, which is interesting and fresh for me. Ultimately, I look forward to what I know we can build and accomplish together. I have great levels of trust in our team. Our people are special. They are our most valuable resource. They bring passion to their role, and they have great ideas. Over the past couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of our team members, some in person and some virtually. This also showcases the benefits of a hybrid work environment for our teams. We’ve done a lot of planning, and we’re excited to go and execute together.

What I am Looking Forward to in My New Role: 

1) Opportunity

I would like to point out the opportunity we have. Yes, the market does challenge us; however, if I look at our total addressable market and what we are doing with Apex, Edge, Multicloud, Cyber, 5G, and Telco, I look forward to the opportunities that come with what we are doing around Artificial Intelligence. So we have a lot of opportunities to look forward to and chase, and that excites me a great deal!

2)Execution

Execution is critical. We continue to see our teams execute incredibly well against our priorities. This is very important for our company, and only when we are performing at a consistent level of Operational Excellence do we earn the right to innovate for the future. That balance is key. Execution has always been a unique differentiator for our company, and even more so in challenging waters. So, I look forward to executing well and finding opportunities to innovate.

3) Relationships

The last thing I would say is that getting to know everyone better, forming deeper relationships, and making progress toward our common goals is something I look forward to. I have a fantastic, wide, and diverse team of people, some of whom I know well and others whom I am getting to know better, and I’m enjoying the journey. Of course, looking to the future, there is a lot of opportunity for our teams. As an organization, we are passionate about opening doors and creating wide and diverse avenues for talent. Unlocking different ways in which we search for and assess potential, attitude, and key attributes like curiosity, agility, and relationships, to mention a few, is an opportunity for us. An article I read from Forbes said it well: someone’s true capabilities are not always clear on their CV. For me, nothing beats someone showing up with a can-do attitude, the hunger to learn, and the resilience to get back up when they may fail. This is the article for anyone interested: Hire For Attitude And Cultural Fit Rather Than Experience Or Education (forbes.com)

Why I am Grateful for Dell:

For this, I could give a much longer answer than we have space for. The company and our people (back to relationships) have empowered me and supported me in so many ways, I owe this company a great deal, and I don’t take any of it for granted.

Motto I Live By:

I believe in people helping people and seeing people empowered. I love how, in talent acquisition, we have the opportunity to roll out programs that create the market and give those an opportunity who may otherwise not have had one. Imagine a society where everyone was empowered to help in the area they cared most about. We sit on so much opportunity, and I’m excited to see how we can realize some more of that.

What I'm Proud Of:

I am most proud of my kids. Naoise, my eldest, is 13, a beautiful person, capable, smart, kind, and caring. Reilly is my son, he is 11, loves football, and I have taken to coaching, which I probably take way too seriously. 😊 I enjoy trying to help develop the kids. Try, fail, and try again!

Work-Life Balance:

I know we talk a lot about work-life balance and how important it is. The importance of taking time off and disconnecting is crucial to avoiding burnout, increasing our overall energy and engagement, and improving our overall health and well-being. I always encourage my team to switch off when they can, and there are ways we can all prepare before taking a break that will ensure we can fully disconnect. In a recent article by Harvard Business Review, they provided 5 tips for switching off before you take time off, which is a very good read for anyone interested: Set These 5 Boundaries Before You Go on Vacation (hbr.org).

Personally, I love to spend time in the outdoors; camping is probably one of my favorite past times as it gives me the ability to switch off. I play golf occasionally (but not very well!). I also love to play music, travel, and experience new cultures. Most recently, I have enjoyed listening to podcasts; my favourite at the moment is probably the Grit podcast with Joubin Mirzadegan (I highly recommend). Some of his guests are extremely interesting and provide some really valuable insights about leadership and culture.

To learn more about life at Dell, please visit our stories.