Carolyn Miller has spent a quarter of a century working across every level of HR, from country to global roles, but her focus has always been on practical, people-first leadership. Now head of UK HR at Capgemini — a global consultancy specialising in business and technology transformation — she divides her time between the company’s London and South East offices while living in Berkshire.
With Capgemini employing more than 350,000 people worldwide, Miller is responsible for steering the UK people strategy through rapid shifts in skills, technology and ways of working. In this edition of The Big Interview, she discusses the evolving demands facing large employers, practical steps towards genuine age and life-stage inclusion and why HR’s future depends on balancing digital innovation with the enduring value of human connection.
You lead HR for one of the UK’s largest technology employers. What do you see as the biggest people challenge facing large organisations right now?
Something that’s certainly keeping us all busy is the topic of skills, AI and how people and technology work together moving forward. It’s a fast-changing and unpredictable landscape to work out what skills we actually need now, and what we’re going to need in the future.
Based on recent trends, some of those skills haven’t even been conceptualised yet. AI is clearly a huge part of the conversation, and there’s a big question around the reality of human-AI collaboration. We’ll always need the human element, so it’s about examining how AI can help people with their jobs, and making the transition smooth.
Another huge challenge is the future of hybrid working. After COVID, people’s behaviours and expectations around work have totally changed. We all got used to new routines, and now there’s a push to get people back together, spend time with clients and collaborate. But how do you do that when everyone’s got used to working in their own way? It’s a discussion keeping all organisations busy, large and small, but there’s an interesting psychological component that goes to the heart of HR management.
You’ve been a vocal advocate for age inclusion. What practical steps can employers take to ensure age diversity becomes a reality rather than a box-ticking exercise?
One practical step is to build intergenerational networks that centre on lived experiences. For example, in November 2024 we launched our Multi-generational Age Inclusion Network. It’s a safe space where employees can openly discuss how age intersects with their careers, health, life stage and aspirations.
The power of storytelling and shared experiences is very valuable. Members share personal journeys, like reinventing their careers at age 50+ or navigating menopause in the workplace or how it feels to be starting a career journey in a hybrid workplace. These stories really humanise age inclusion and foster empathy across all age groups.
The network is also developing allyship toolkits and reverse mentoring programmes to challenge age stereotypes and promote mutual learning. These initiatives help colleagues, both younger and older, see each other as collaborators rather than competitors.
Another crucial step is using data to drive fairness in systems. Employers should regularly audit engagement, promotion and performance data by age group to identify any disparities. This ensures that promotion, development and recognition systems are scrutinised for age bias and adjusted accordingly.
We should also design benefits for life stages, not just job grades. For example, we recently launched the Navigate Your Future hub and initiative, focusing on life transitions like retirement, flexible benefits and career pathways. These are not just age issues; they’re human issues that affect engagement and retention.
Generational differences are often overstated, but what are the real opportunities in managing a multigenerational workforce well?
One of the real plus points is what comes from moving beyond generational labels and focusing instead on individual strengths. This approach allows managers to tailor development and support to actual needs, avoiding bias and stereotyping that hinder collaboration. Our goal at Capgemini is to value every individual, regardless of age.
Building age-inclusive cultures encourages mutual respect, team cohesion and psychological safety. Multigenerational teams bring a mix of experiences and problem-solving styles, fuelling creativity and innovation by blending fresh ideas with seasoned insight.
We see this value in some of our key strategic business areas such as AI. It’s interesting to note that contrary to common misconceptions, AI is becoming a great equaliser for older professionals. The intuitive design of many AI tools, especially generative AI, has made them accessible across all age groups.
This levels the playing field and allows experienced professionals to pair deep industry knowledge with AI capabilities, creating a unique competitive edge. Cross-generational collaboration can thrive, as both tech-savviness and experience are recognised as complementary strengths in AI innovation.
We need to move away from the whole “must have a degree in X- and 10-years’ experience” mentality.
Skills-based hiring is gaining traction as an alternative to experience-led recruitment. What shifts need to happen for this to truly take hold across industries?
For skills-based hiring to really work, there’s got to be better workforce planning, with leaders sitting down and figuring out what skills we’ll need in the future, not just what specs we need right now.
The talent market is tough at the moment, and honestly, it’s easy to become too focused on finding the perfect fit for today’s demands. Sometimes you just have to take a step back, look at people’s potential and be willing to take a few risks. People learn by trying, sometimes by failing, and that’s how they grow.
So we need to move away from the whole “must have a degree in X- and 10-years’ experience” mentality. There are, of course roles, where certain experience is key, but for many, it’s about what someone could do if given the chance. Refreshing people’s skills and reskilling existing employees should also be a big part of the plan – that way, you fill gaps and help people grow with the business.
AI is transforming both the work we do and how we do it. How should HR functions approach upskilling without overwhelming employees or widening inequalities?
For us, it’s all about making learning and development a normal, ongoing part of work, rather than something extra you do on top of everything else. If we can help people make time to upskill, especially with AI, it can free them up from the more routine tasks and let them focus on adding value. It’s not about making huge changes overnight or scaring people with the pace of it all, but embedding learning into everyday life.
And I do think AI can help make things more accessible for people. The right tools can reduce the skills gap by reducing barriers to utilising technology. We need to make sure everyone has the chance to train up, meet their own career goals and keep up with what clients need from us.
Capgemini has introduced enhanced support around menopause, fertility and baby loss. How should HR leaders approach deeply personal health issues while remaining inclusive and sensitive?
HR policymakers should approach these topics with empathy, inclusivity and discretion. Creating a psychologically safe environment for our employees encourages open dialogue without pressure. Inclusive, evidence-based policies should support the diverse needs of the workforce, while tailored services, such as counselling and flexible leave, offer practical help. Training managers and educating employees on the issues also helps reduce stigma and builds awareness.
Respecting people’s privacy is also essential; employees must have autonomy with how much they share. The way a manager listens and responds can significantly impact how much an employee feels comfortable disclosing. Managers should focus on asking simple, open-ended questions and allow the employee to express themselves in their own words to foster trust and understanding.
Using inclusive language ensures all identities and experiences are acknowledged. And, of course, gathering feedback and tracking impact helps refine support systems over time. These approaches fosters a compassionate, respectful and supportive workplace for all.
What have you found to be most effective regarding embedding wellbeing into everyday culture, rather than treating it as an initiative or add-on?
Wellbeing needs to be front of mind, not an afterthought. At Capgemini, we aim to embed wellbeing into our culture through the integration of support channels for mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing, and not treating these as standalone initiatives.
With mental wellness, for example, we have over 100 trained Wellbeing Champions offering peer support throughout the workforce, and all managers receive mental health awareness training. The Talking Heads network and Time to Talk sessions help normalise mental health discussions through virtual and in-person community.
A similar holistic approach to physical wellbeing is supported through fitness classes, health seminars and inclusive initiatives like menopause awareness. Social wellbeing is promoted through volunteering and team challenges.
Our regular engagement surveys show high wellbeing scores, which reflects our supportive and resilient workplace culture, and I believe this is down to having so many channels that provide a broad foundation for wellbeing.
AI is not about making huge changes overnight or scaring people with the pace of it all, but embedding learning into everyday life.
Many organisations talk about employee voice but fewer act on it. What does genuine listening look like in a modern workplace?
Genuine listening means ensuring there are multiple different ways for people to share what they think. It’s not just a yearly survey and that’s it. For example, as well as regular monthly engagement surveys at Capgemini, we have employee forums and structure performance management so people have regular check-ins with their manager.
There’s also our Works Council, which gives us really valuable insights, and lots of specific employee resource groups and communities, such as for women, LGBTQ+, and ethnic minorities. If one forum doesn’t feel right, there are others to explore, and people can always share things anonymously if they prefer.
The main point is to be transparent, whether you can take the action that someone wanted or not. It’s important to make sure people feel genuinely heard and see their feedback make a difference, being acknowledged for pushing us to create a better workplace. It has to be a two-way conversation.
Tech consulting often involves distributed teams working at client sites. What are your guiding principles for maintaining a strong and unified internal culture in this kind of model?
I think the backbone of our UK workforce is having a strong, long-standing culture and set of values that everyone actually lives out, wherever they’re located. Whether you’re at a client site, in one of our offices or working from home, those values and behaviours are what connect us.
And then it’s about building communities. We have lots of employee groups and forums, both global and UK-specific, so people can stay connected, share experiences and celebrate wins together. It’s not always easy, but those touchpoints really help people feel part of something bigger.
Flexible retirement options are becoming more common. What role do you think HR should play in reshaping how we think about the end stages of a career?
HR should play a pivotal role in reshaping how we view the later stages of a career, by championing flexible, inclusive and empowering-retirement pathways. Rather than treating retirement as a fixed endpoint, HR leaders can help redefine it as a personalised transition, offering options like phased retirement, part-time roles, consulting, mentoring and retraining.
Flexible retirement options also have a broader social impact. By normalising flexible work arrangements at the end of a career, it helps reduce the stigma around flexible working, especially for those with caring responsibilities, which disproportionately affect women. This shift opens up more sustainable, long-term career paths for part-time workers and keeps employees engaged in the workforce on their own terms.
Some key actions HR leaders can take include building customised retirement plans that reflect individual goals and organisational needs, promoting knowledge-sharing roles for late-career professionals and supporting financial, emotional and career planning. Embedding age and gender inclusivity into flexible work policies is also key for reshaping how we think about late career stages and retirement.
I think the future is going to be even more unpredictable, and HR will need to get comfortable dealing with that ambiguity and being able to re-prioritise as necessary.
With HR becoming more data-driven and strategic, how do you ensure the function remains human at its core?
Data is more important than ever. It helps us make better decisions and figure out what’s working and what’s not. But at the end of the day, all that data is about people, and that’s what matters most.
Especially now with the impact of AI still yet to be fully realised, it’s so important to keep that human element: the sensing, the feeling, the kind of judgement that only people can bring. AI and humans have to work in tandem, but I believe it’s the human side that’s the most powerful part of HR.
And finally, how do you see HR evolving over the next five years?
Honestly, who knows. If you’d told me five years ago the challenges we’d be dealing with today, I couldn’t have believed you. The pace of change is unbelievable. The key topics for today’s HR leaders are ones nobody was projecting, from the impact or COVID to hybrid work and now a human/AI workforce. So I think the future is going to be even more unpredictable, and HR will need to get comfortable dealing with that ambiguity and being able to re-prioritise as necessary.
I’ve always believed it’s essential to look ahead, stay on top of new trends and what other organisations are doing, and be ready to adapt. The skills HR people need are changing too. Now, it’s as much about how to leverage technology as well providing thought leadership and being agile as it is about the traditional skills.
I think the best HR teams will be the ones who can stay flexible, keep the human touch and help everyone navigate whatever comes next.