People, purpose and performance in the energy transition

Lucy Webb (00:02)
I think there’s so much more about

AI and how it can support us that we really need to look at. And I think actually the kind of perspective I have and that we’re trying to kind of really educate and promote within So Energy is actually how we can use AI to help us as a tool to work smarter and not something that’s taking over from us.

Adam Sroka (00:41)
Hello and welcome back to the HyperCube podcast. I am joined today by Lucy Webb, who is head of people partnering at So Energy. We were talking just before recording, we’ve never had this much of a people focus on the podcast before. So Lucy, thank you for joining us. If you could introduce yourself for the audience and tell us a little bit about your role and what you’re up to at So Energy.

Lucy Webb (01:06)
Yeah, thank you very much, Adam. Firstly, it’s a pleasure to be here. Super excited to be that first person on that people lens and also to be around the 60th mark on the episodes as well. So really excited to be here today. So as you rightly mentioned, I am the head of people partnering at So Energy. I’ve actually worked in energy industry for scarily now about five years. And I’ve always had that people first lens on my approach with the energy industry.

I joined So Energy, again, scarily nearly two years ago now, coming up to that in March. And one of my key focuses whilst being at So Energy is around introducing the people partnering model across the company. Lots of people might have heard of HR business partners, people partnering. Ultimately, it’s the same thing, really. And it’s really about working closely with the business to understand their challenges, understand really what’s happening in that energy world and bring in that people-focused perspective on them.

to really help solve those problems. Some examples of that may be performance, organizational design, leadership support. We’re really here to make sure that the people we have do succeed, because ultimately when people are succeeding, people are performing well, we’re able to support our customers and make sure they’re thriving too. Part of that is So Energy.

I’m really proud to share that we were actually recognized by the Sunday Times as being one of the best places to work in both 24 and 25. So it’s a great accomplishment that I think has been a really momentous achievement in trying to recognize our commitments to fairness, transparency, and value in everything we do really. Alongside that, finally, I also have a different lens on it as well. I’m actually a trustee of my local citizen advice branch in rural Cambridge here.

And I think it really helps, again, they have a lot to do with the energy industry and providing energy advice to those people that may have some questions about their bills or have energy poverty. So it’s really nice to be able to bring my skill set into that way really as well. And that really does align both with So Energy and my own values and really our mission of trying to make energy simple, really, and fair and accessible to everyone.

Adam Sroka (03:10)
Amazing. Like, well done. That’s just incredible. Like so much to pick up on there. And I think for me, like Bootstrap founder, CEO, trying to build a business. I’ve bumped into so many of these things where like I set out with this idea, values driven, like I want to build the best possible work environment. think, this will be a great incentive. Or I come up with this idea and I’m like, right, this feels really rewarding. And like it will fall flat or like the human.

that are involved don’t read it the way I read it and it’s like actually I miss a crack and and it is that thing that you can go in with the best of intentions and still really stumble across this stuff and like fingers get burned and feelings get hurt and no one wants to create a business that creates discomfort and pain right I say this all the time and so it’s an interesting lens because

And again, every, I think I said this every episode, that the tech is the easy bit. It’s the people, getting people aligned and happy is the bit that’s like the most challenging. I think like looking at your background, right? So you’ve worked in tech, you’ve worked in engineering, even motorsport, which plenty of our staff would love to hear about. And now energy, what is it from the kind of purpose, people perspective that brings you into energy? And yeah, what it is about the sector that you love.

Lucy Webb (04:33)
Yeah, no, it’s a great question. And I want to say it was intentional to start with, but I have to say it was actually something that I just fell upon. I think all of my career moves were inadvertently in the STEM field and that wasn’t a conscious effort, but actually it’s something that I naturally felt more passionate about and why my skillset aligned. And I think, yeah, it’s great to be able to provide that skillset across industry. And I think you always save in a people lens. Like you can work in various different sectors, really get to know really nuances so I can kind of

understand how an engineering drawing of a gearbox works, for example, just because I’ve been in that field. And I think it’s really exciting to be able to bring your skill set and transfer them into different areas. But energy has been the sector that I’ve stayed in the longest and that I am pleased to say has been a conscious choice. And I would say it is a really a mixture of both the people and the purpose. When I got that offer to move into the energy industry, I was genuinely excited. I think

kind of lot of people hear about energy in the news, on the press, and some people may think it kind of sounds quite dull, but actually in reality, when you’re in that world, it’s entirely different. I think it’s one of the most dynamic sectors out there and we’re actually really at a pivotal moment in the sector of a transformational change. And I think being part of that journey is really energising and something that really excites me. I touched upon kind of the news there and I think you kind of know, we see it everywhere that.

There’s hardly a day goes by where energy or climate change isn’t in the news and knowing that we’re able to do something and add to that at So Energy and in my role to enable us to contribute really to a greener, fairer future really resonates with my values. And the mission of So Energy has kept me here. So our mission is to make energy straightforward and sustainable for everyone. And that purpose really keeps me here and really aligns with my own values.

I touched upon the people as well. Obviously, Adam, mentioned your own team there as well and the work you do together. I’m sure you have a great team as well, but who are really passionate and intelligent individuals who really do care about doing the right thing for our planet, the customers and for future generations of our own to come as well. And I think that that commitment just runs through everything I do, everything we do as an organization. That’s why I’ve kind of stayed. And then finally, I think I’m quite proud to call myself a bit of a

Energy Geek is something I love. You kind of get lots of updates. And I think being around other people who have that passion and enthusiasm is something that just keeps me engaged in the sector really and sharing that knowledge, sharing those updates with one another is something that I’m really keen to continue doing. And I’m really proud to say that actually I’ve…

built some great friendships along the way as well. And although we may not work together day to day still, I still keep in touch with many colleagues, share updates, share insights. And it’s just something within that just really has kept me ultimately in the sector.

Adam Sroka (07:25)
That’s cool. You’ve touched on a few points. So like, I like to think about STEM actually, because

Like a lot of people, think erroneously think a techie is a techie is a techie, right? And so you do STEM, you go to tech role and you can kind of just plunk them anywhere and they’ll be right. But deeply believe that actually domain expertise and like focusing in on where you’re applying your skills has like a disproportionate reward and might influence. And I think in energy, you touched on a few more things like keeping in touch with people, friendships and the passion and drive

people.

think A, you get far more talented people that could probably go and make double what they are making if they went to a bank or some evil corporation somewhere. You get no great people that want to be in energy because they want to be in energy. And there is a community, like there is an energy geek. It’s like a thing like we all, think there’s a community of people that it’s not just what I do for a living because it affects every part of everyday life. And you can look at weather reports and natural crises and think about how they interact with the system. I mean,

for you, like what stands out as distinctive in STEM roles in energy versus elsewhere?

Lucy Webb (08:36)
Yeah, I think you’re so right. I think STEM is so vast, right? And actually if you’re, like you say, a tech person, you naturally want to go to one of those tech roles. But I think the energy sector brings that extra layer to it and I think it does attract certain individuals who want to work at a certain pace and a scale of change that actually touches everyone. it’s, you’re not just working with your peers. You can actually go home, talk to your family, talk to your friends about it. Everyone

utilises energy, maybe impacted by things and being able to really bring that to life is something that was really something that I was interested in. If you think about like regulatory reform, shifting of customer expectations or even internal processes that we have to run, there is never a moment to stand still. I think we’re constantly adapting, particularly at So Energy as well as the supplier. We’re kind of in that middle ground where you have the customer one end, you’ve got regulatory sides the other side. And I think actually we have to

balance the two, make sure we’re adapting, making sure we’re doing everything right to make sure ultimately we are putting the customer at the heart of everything we do, but actually adapting and changing as the market does as well. And I think because of that, that’s what’s interested me, makes it stand out for the rest of STEM. And I think it does bring in people that actually have the mindset of this can be done rather than no, it can’t be done. It’s actually always working together to let’s find a solution, work through this. And I think that

attitude and that resilience is what I love the most really about the sector. And I think you kind of turn on your laptop for your computer every day, you know, actually, what am I going to be doing here? And you might have one plan, but actually, something might come along and completely derail that and actually the people that are in the sector have the ability to adapt to that and really work together to do that. So I think it’s really, it’s not just the technical work that goes on in the backgrounds in an energy organization, it’s actually

the real impact it has on customers, on ourselves, and actually the people around us that make it so enticing for me and really makes it stand out compared to other areas of STEM.

Adam Sroka (10:41)
Yeah, like it’s never a place that’s sat still, I think, energy, but it’s moving. There’s a confluence of things. You’ve got AI data centers, climate change, like reforms going on. think it’s a place that.

It’s definitely a bit a whirlwind at the moment and the kind of momentum building is getting more exciting. I guess if we narrow in on the supplier side, you’ve got that unenviable job of balancing, like you said, the customer service and being a really positive experience that enables people’s lives and regulatory boundaries and you’ve got to money, right? Because you’re a business, need to kind of do that profitably. that’s not, they’re not three plates that are easy to spin. I guess from where you see it, like what may

people challenges sit beneath like the big digital reforms that impact you. like smart meter roll hours and half hour resale.

Lucy Webb (11:30)
Yeah, I think it’s a really good question. I think you kind of touched upon there around these things happen and they change quickly. And some of those ones you’ve mentioned there are happening now, right? And it’s actually from a people perspective, we’re trying to help support the business and set it up for success in the future. So that’s having kind of the right people in the right roles at the right time. So it’s being able to actually predict as much as you can, what that looks like and what those roles.

and capabilities are needed to help support the business moving forward so that we’re able to be there and be at the pinnacle edge and at the front of that for the industry. And one of the most interesting tools that we’re using at the moment and rolling out, and think lots of different organisations are as well, is something called capability mapping. So it’s not actually looking at the people or the role, it’s the fundamental capabilities businesses need.

to achieve those goals. So whether that is obviously smart meters or half hourly settlements changes, they aren’t just technical upgrades. They’re actually fundamental differences in how we kind of work as an organization and what capabilities we need to be successful in those. Obviously those kind of things in terms of the market half hourlies and smart meters allow us to be more competitive, more kind of advantageous to.

customers, for example, like personalized tariffs, right? And customers allow them to get greater insights into their energy use. But actually, alongside those, we need to make sure that we’ve got the shift in our people to set that up for success as well, and making sure we’ve got the capabilities to achieve those things and ultimately support those customers. So really what we do is work with our leaders to look at those capabilities, look at what’s needed.

At the minute, we’re trying to look until 2030, it’s kind of actually so much can change in the sector within that timeframe, but really trying to get leaders to think broader, think about what will be needed. And actually, how many of those do we have now? Do we have any skills gaps that underpin that, that we need to look at bridging? And then it’s actually, how do we bridge those? Is it something that actually we can build? We’ve got a bit of time, maybe can we upscale our current staff members? Can we put on more learning and development budgets for them? Can we use other individuals to bring in that skill set?

Or is it something that we have to buy, for example? Or is it something that when you talk about buy, is it a skill that actually we need to hire into, for example? And it’s really making sure we can time that to bring in those people with that right talent at the right time to make sure that we are successful with these things and ensuring that really we’re being innovative with that and really making sure we’re able to support the business on those journeys, but also the customers at the same time.

Adam Sroka (14:16)
I mean, and you weren’t paid to do this, but you’ve set me up perfectly to say, like, if you can’t buy or build those skills in-house, there’s always partners, there’s always consultancies. But no, I totally, look, I’m getting, my spider sense is tingling. There’s a real danger that I turn this podcast into me grilling you on how to design the people part of my business. So I’m gonna hold back. But I love what you’re talking about there.

Lucy Webb (14:20)
Okay.

Hi.

Yeah.

Adam Sroka (14:42)
Planning for talent and the needs you have is not impossible sometimes. Especially in smaller orgs actually where you’ve only got a couple of headcounts to play with, you can’t build a big team of 50 people. Touch on capability mapping. I’ve read about that stuff and it feels a bit like the Golden Fleece. It’s just like the holy grail of…

being able to do this stuff. And if you’ve read books like Ray Dalio’s Principles and everyone’s got an approach, Myers-Briggs, all this stuff. as someone that sits and I write job specs, I design roles, I’m trying to build a highly functioning team, right? how does…

Lucy Webb (15:13)
Hmm.

Adam Sroka (15:21)
like job design, what’s the current thinking? How do you help people transition roles? And before I shut up, because I often joke that in a startup like ours, all the job specs should just say get stuck in and that’s it. I just want clever people, heart, enthusiastic, bit of charisma, and you usually teach the rest of it. In reality, you can’t do that. You need to define and design roles and make it applicable.

I like the idea that roles are made up of tasks and you can hot swap them in and out as things evolve. But I guess how much of that is founder nonsense versus leading into like role design and transitioning and things like that. How do you support humans in those roles doing that stuff?

Lucy Webb (16:05)
Yeah, and I think you touched upon there as a friend of smaller organisations is more challenging, right, because you don’t have an infinite pool of individuals, you can’t really narrow down those job descriptions. So you have a set list of responsibilities and that is all you focus on. Sometimes you might have to dip into this or be a bit more agile and move into this and you’d need those types of people that are willing to do that. And like you say, get stuck in and get their hands dirty, so to speak with it. And I think a lot of leaders sometimes rely upon that final bullet point of a job description is which is

any other duties that may be required, for example, right, to allow people to do that. I think job design is really critical, right? When you have got those capabilities and skills mapped out and you would be pleased to know, Adam, part of that capability mapping, we do actually have two other Bs. I mentioned the buy and build there, but there is actually a borrow, which is obviously where that partnership comes in, and bots as well, right? So it’s great to see that in there. But when it does come to those job designs, I think

it helps build the clarity and confidence and the consistency to allow people to move through those changes. When people are clear on what’s expected from them, they’re more likely to succeed, right? ⁓ Obviously they’ll understand how they contribute to that bigger picture, how they need to link in with their colleagues and work together on those things. And really that does really help with collaboration and performance. I think if you kind of create a job description and you kind of got a bit of this and a bit of that,

creates uncertainty, can cause confusion, there may be overlaps with other individuals. And actually where that’s where the people lens does come in, because like you mentioned there, Adam, you create these job descriptions, but actually sometimes you need that fresh pair of eyes to take that step back actually and assess it. And they know the business, right? So people partners, understand, should be like, hold up, well, how does that fit with this person then? I thought they were doing that. And you might be like, that’s a good point actually. How does that connect? it allows people to think about that and really assess those jobs to make sure that

it does fit within a structure because no one wants to create a job, hire someone or move someone into it. And then the next minute you have to change it and adapt because it doesn’t quite work out. So I think you really need to factor that into it. And then when it is coming to kind of these changes in the sector that we’ve spoken about there, we need to make sure the team to set up for success to deliver those. And how do we do that? Making sure they’re clear on expectations and what’s needed from them to really understand their role within that. And I think

It’s a really interesting time as we touched upon with the changes in the sector, which ultimately does create changes in people’s job designs and job expectations. And that ultimately can be unsettling, right? People are not too sure. You get kind of job role creep, so to speak, actually, and making sure that you’re constantly kind of checking these things, having conversations, reviewing those job descriptions, whether that be kind of in a…

end of year conversation, for example, or a one-to-one really, it’s just making sure we’re constantly bringing that back up, having a look at it, making sure that it is always refreshed really to make sure that people are informed. They understand how the changes in the business and sector impacts them. It’s updated for them, allowing them to be more engaged with them really. then ultimately performance should just be the outcome from that really, right? In terms of what they’re delivering then the business, because actually you’ve got that structure in place.

You’ve got the culture where people are empowered to adapt and be innovative because their role is changing with them. Because that’s what we need when we think about, like I was talking about earlier, about the fast pace of the industry, how we’re moving. We have to move with that as well. And actually kind of linking all of the points together, you’ve got great people who willing to go on that journey. You’ve got an industry that’s doing that and it’s making sure that we’re keeping up with that with our job designs as well.

Adam Sroka (19:50)
So see that makes me think how important do you think things like KPIs and OKRs are? Because I’m not sold on them in a lot of times. Sometimes they can be useful, but I think for some people they just don’t work. Most managerial structures totally misuse them and kind of ruin the performance they could get. What’s your thought on like job design versus, I guess, performance management metrics?

Lucy Webb (20:17)
Yeah, it’s a really interesting point. I think it does depend on the type of role. So for example, at So Energy, we have a contact center, right? So we are heavily relying on KPIs to help making sure that we’re available to our customers at the qualities at the right level. And ultimately allows us to keep a track of performance with that as well. And it allows our…

⁓ agents as well to engage, be motivated, right? They hit targets and they’ll get certain outcomes from that, for example. So some roles I think it does really link to. However, other parts of So Energy, for example, and other industries have just goals. Our agents also have goals, but actually those sorts of things are more broad as such, right? They’re not as quantitatively measured and they’re more kind of longer term focuses.

project-orientated. And I think that does allow people to have that flex, have that empowerment and autonomy to work within their own realms, really, I think. it’s hard for leaders to constantly keep up with a job description. think being a leader is just one part of your role, right? You’ve also got a day job to be doing at the same time. So I can say that it’s good to have these conversations, but in reality, they’ve got to try and balance that.

And I think it’s just trying to make sure that they’re specific, but also broad enough to ensure that you encapsulate some changes that could happen, for example. So it still does link to what the person’s doing, but you’re not holding yourself and restricting yourself to a set number of duties because you’re of catching yourself out there really right with those things.

Adam Sroka (21:55)
box yourself in a bit and I want to get onto jobs a bit more but before we move I just think because it’s related one thing we get questions one of our major partners we were on a call with them last week and they asked the question how do you get so many incredible women working in tech roles in your business and like it’s something that does like I think about and the answer is like well we try I think we try and I think that’s not like to be derogatory of other people but

Lucy Webb (21:57)
Yeah.

Adam Sroka (22:24)
For me, what we see through the data is that if I put a job role up for a software engineer in Glasgow, I’ll get two to 300 applicants and the vast majority of them will be white males. That’s it. We don’t get a significant proportion of other.

demographics. What’s your thought on how do you like open the door to other people because they’re out there. They’re just not applying to these roles. We do it by going actively finding them. What’s your take on that dilemma in like, yeah, white men are just quite happy to go for it and apply to jobs they’d never be able to do, whereas a lot of other demographics are totally the other way around and won’t apply to jobs they’d smash up apart.

Lucy Webb (23:10)
Yeah, I think it’s a really interesting topic actually. And you’re right, like There’s proven stats out there that obviously men are more likely to shoot their shot, right? And if they don’t quite hit all of the requirements, they’ll still give it a go. But other people are a little bit more reticent to do that. And I think there’s things like imposter syndrome, right? They come in to play with those things as well and I think it’s a journey that we need to come on across like

in general, really, I would say. However, there are things we can be doing. I think one of the things ultimately, let’s start like from the beginning, like primary school level, secondary school, where does that kind of start to fall off really? And where do we see that actually?

females that you’re talking about here, actually know that sort of role. Like I can’t go into that. That’s not for me actually. Where does that begin really? And trying to prevent that stigma and that barrier. And this goes across the whole of STEM, right? I even had this challenge when I worked in motor sport as well, actually. And it’s trying to break down those barriers as to why people think that. And those early careers, earlier interventions, a key to that. And I think…

some organisations is great that they actually get involved from that. Like you can actually go into primary schools. They do little career days, for example, and getting your organization’s name and brand out there from there could really help. There’s also different partnerships. So at So Energy, we actually have worked with an organization called Code First Gops. ⁓ And this is actually, have you heard of them? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And we work with them to really try to introduce.

Adam Sroka (24:35)
Yeah, go ahead.

Lucy Webb (24:41)
more females into our tech world as well, and actually allowing our team members and people to spend time with them to upskill, develop and support. And it turns out on this really great career journey, which has completely kind of gone off on a separate tangent to where people thought their careers were going actually. And I think you can really just look at supporting these things, whether that is from an early careers perspective, the schools or leavers, even university career fairs, but actually there’s other kind of programs out there to support.

as well. When you’re obviously talent screen as well, One of the things we also do is blind CVs, as well. I think that helps as well with some of these things. You’re removing some of those biases mean, at that point, you’re going to have your pool there because you’ve obviously attracted the candidates you’ve got there. But actually, I think that does help prevent those things as well. and I think there’s some great initiatives that organisations can take away to help support these things and naturally change the kind of

positions on those.

Adam Sroka (25:38)
It’s so hard because it’s like, yeah, just fix the whole town pipeline. It’s tricky. But look, two daughters, like really young. I just, think I want them to feel like they can go through it and shoot for the moon. I hope it does change over the next few years, but maybe no one will get a choice because AI is coming through everyone’s jobs, right? And actually there aren’t many jobs left and we’ll be back to manual trades. So I, I like, talk a lot of data conferences and there’s one speaker in who in keynotes all over the world talked about data science.

Lucy Webb (25:41)
Hmm.

Hehehe

Adam Sroka (26:08)
he’s like a best-selling author, I’ve got some of his books up there, and he’s got two sons and he talks regularly about how like actually go and learn a manual trade because data, software, all that’s dead. Like go and like you you’ll never be out of job as a plumber or electrician and this is a guy who’s made a career, very lucrative career in data and technology, writing books on the staff telling his children yeah it’s probably not the future I would go for if I was in your boat now. What do you think about how

AI conquers the galaxy and takes over roles and how we can make it positive and actually bring people on the journey with us and freeing up teams and things like that.

Lucy Webb (26:46)
Yeah, think, be honest, I completely understand where people come from with from that perspective. I think it can be incredibly daunting. There’s lots of different things out there, like the top 10 roles that won’t exist in the future because of AI and whatnot. And I think when people see those things, I can totally sympathize as to why they think that. But actually, I think there’s a different lens that we can put on this. And I think there’s so much more about

AI and how it can support us that we really need to look at. And actually looking at it that way can be the wrong way to look at it. Right. And I think actually the kind of perspective I have and that we’re trying to kind of really educate and promote within So Energy is actually how we can use AI to help us as a tool to work smarter and not something that’s taking over from us. think particularly in a supplier world, there are quite a lot of repetitive tasks.

right? That happen, we’ve kind of some of the simple ones like a customer calls up and they want to change their address, for example, or someone’s like, Bill has an error on it or something like that. Like some of the things where we can really look at automating tasks to really focus on what really matters and support in our customers. And it’s really interesting going off on a tangent slightly, but I was actually chatting to our head of data yesterday about AI and automation,

And he was talking to me about radiographers. And was saying, actually, they used to be paid to look at x-rays, really, right, and actually determine what is actually happening here, what’s needed to support the patient. But actually now AI does all of that for them. So the role of a radiographer now has completely changed to actually be supporting that patient and really looking at that patient experience as opposed to determining what.

the problem is here, actually. And he’s telling me actually, in turn, that’s actually meant the demand for radiographers has gone up because the skill set and that support has changed. And I think that’s the lens that we really should be looking at this with. I even say to my own team, let’s just use AI to work smarter, not harder, right? Actually, what can we like utilise it for help us streamline so we can really spend time investing in what really matters. really.

And how can we allow that to like spend more time on value add activities? Whether I’m looking from a people lens, actually, how can we spend more time with our stakeholders, supporting them on real commercial challenges, as opposed to helping them approve someone’s sick leave or how do they like cancel someone’s holiday. or something like that? They are the things that we can be automating to help support us. So when it comes to even our contact center team members, they can really focus on more of those complex cases to allow us to really support the customers

where it matters. as opposed to kind of doing the mundane tasks that ultimately, they probably don’t like doing either. right? It can be quite boring for them as a job role, to really help us have that kind of more personalized customer experience. And again, it goes back to making energy simpler and fairer for people, right? We’re trying to simplify it, make it more time so they can actually do it themselves, automate it, utilise the bots, but then when they need someone,

you’ve got more people available, you don’t have to sit on the phone for as long waiting to speak to an actual person because the time is spent where it’s really needed and people can really self serve a bit more when it comes to those things to just enable us to be more creative and build in as up for success while utilizing those. So think really, I can see why people think that but actually if you kind of span that lens and understood the value as to why this could help you and

and build the confidence with those things really, we should really see it as more of an enabler and not a threat to us really, and actually look at all the good things in our roles that we like to do and imagine having more time to be able to do that. I think it really could unlock huge potential for us, right? We’re on a momentous journey with AI as every other sector is. I was reading like a mega trends article the other day and it was talking about like human centered AI. And I think that’s the lens we really need to put on these things.

Adam Sroka (30:53)
No, I absolutely love it. I always talk about like the human craft work. It’s like moving data from one Excel to another or like reading a 300 page document to try and find all the gotchas. And I just think like, is that what you wanted to do with your life? Like, was that what, like that is a, is there essential elements of the work that you can’t get past, but they’re not value add. And I think how do we give all that stuff to the robots? And so the thing I talk to my staff, I’m like,

Would you rather I spent eight hours manually writing a report or spent an hour writing it with an AI, six hours thinking about what was in the report and then an hour updating it? I don’t know, I’d like you like you totally spend six hours thinking about the work, please. Yeah, like actually deeply think about it. And there’s some of the flocks AI for a living, It’s people are always like, what’s coming for jobs? And I do think though that like it’s not coming for

Lucy Webb (31:38)
Zaffir.

Adam Sroka (31:50)
your job’s very creative, you don’t give a damn about Even some of the most experienced people I know find massive gaping holes in what it can do, like all the time, and it’s very, very dangerous to just let it loose on your full job. But I would say I’m an extensive user of AI in my work, and I can definitely see a lot of value in how it gets rid of some of the low value add grunt work that I used to have to churn through in my week.

I mean, okay, so hot takes controversial thoughts or just like big bets. Are you using AI as so energy? How’s it having the most value? Like where do see it having the biggest impact?

Lucy Webb (32:30)
Yeah, so we are and I would definitely say we’re trying to use it more and more. It’s something we’re really advocating for so much so we’ve actually set up recently an AI working group, which actually brings together representatives really from across the business to really see how we can utilise AI a bit more in a safe way, kind of like you said, that you don’t want to let it go entirely on a job role and also effectively. And one of the key focuses for us on that is of course,

the benefits to our customers and our customer service. Really, we want to be able to create quick, consistent responses, Like I mentioned earlier, assisting on those call lines, reducing those wait times, because really we want to maintain an exceptional service and be recognized as one of those UK’s highest rated challenger suppliers to the market. I think we want to free up our agents’ expertise. They’re on the phone day in, day out, to these customers.

they know the challenges we’re facing. And actually we want to be able to free up their time to bring that back, to allow us to really solve those and work on those. And by enabling customers to utilise AI, automating processes, streamlining them a little more, we can kind of allow customers to be more self-serve when it makes sense, and then really utilise our agents to support where needed. And of course, AI…

plays a big role in that really. And then with that, obviously we can spend more time looking at our propositions, offering more smarter tariffs, more energy saving advice. So one of the big things is obviously energy literacy, enabling people to understand their bills a little more and providing that really. I think AI is going to be crazy on that journey really in terms of actually really bringing us forwards with that. And I genuinely do think it’s a really exciting opportunity. think.

people’s roles are going to change so much because of it. I think work like should become more enjoyable, right? You’re not doing those boring tasks anymore. Actually, you can really free up your time to really add value. And I think, yeah, you mentioned there about obviously the job roles and those tasks and stuff. And I think actually, who knows what job roles are going to.

come available, right? We’re thinking of in the realms of what exists at the moment, but actually there’s so many different job roles that are going to be created because of this. And I think it’s an exciting opportunity, but it’s just, that balance of blending the human side with the AI side, like you said, so make sure like it is safe really and effective really. We don’t want an AI, but given the wrong information to a customer, right? So it’s making sure that we’ve tested those. We’ve got it in place to balance up.

supporting our employees, really allowing them to have more fulfilling job roles, but also still making sure that the customer is at the forefront and we are supporting them in the right way.

Adam Sroka (35:13)
I love that. Yeah, I really think I believe in that. It’s the use the humans for what humans are best at. Connection, insight, analysis, relationships, like adaptability. I love it.

Lucy Webb (35:24)
Yeah. And I think with that, like, of course, in the energy industry, as a supplier, sometimes we do have to work with vulnerable customers that do have some really challenging circumstances and some difficult things going on. I think they’re the points where being kind of personal and having that human touch really makes you stand out as a supplier. If you can be there for a customer and if you’ve got something you’re really struggling with and you’re on a phone for two hours waiting to speak to someone, right, it’s not great. actually if we can remove that.

the ones where it’s a simple ones, we can really focus on those people. I think it can really make a difference.

Adam Sroka (35:57)
Last couple from me then, guess. Any thoughts on why energy has become so attractive for talent in recent years? Has something happened?

Lucy Webb (36:03)
I think there’s a couple of things. I think the sector’s become more visible than ever, right? I think obviously it’s, like I said earlier in the news, out there, and I think that clear link between energy and climate change is really what allows people to feel like they’re making a difference and people want to be part of that journey, want to be part of that conversation, right? And I think obviously,

We’ve had different, generations come into the workforce as well. Gen Z’s, we’ve got millennials as well who really want to make a difference to the world and not just do a job. And I think, obviously, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, right? It’s a core part of what we’re doing and what we’re trying to achieve as an organization. And I think people being a part of that is probably really what is becoming more and more interesting. And I kind of think

We’ve touched upon all these different points, but if you layer up actually helping the world, helping future generations to come, the transformation that’s ongoing, the tech implications and everything that’s going on, I you wrap all of those up. It’s a really exciting position to be in really, and it will allow people to have ample space for career growth and opportunities. You can combine those skills with a purpose. It should hopefully allow people to be more satisfied and fulfilled with their job roles really.

really making it more of an attractive place to work. And I think it’s really interesting to see as we progress with that and like we talked about the diversity in the sector and actually opening those doors, it will allow people to have more demand there. And ultimately a healthy bit of competition, right? Means you have the right people and the highest performers out there coming to join the energy sector, which will be great to see really.

Adam Sroka (37:42)
Really cool, yeah. Okay, so if you’ve inspired me, if you’ve inspired say like a student or a recent grad that’s listening to this, what advice would you give them on like skills or experiences they should go after for the energy sector of tomorrow?

Lucy Webb (38:00)
Yeah, it’s a really good question actually. Firstly, I would definitely recommend them to shoot their shot. I don’t think you should be scared to do that. If you can’t vouch for yourself and put yourself out there, then you’ll never get that opportunity. But I think you’re so right in terms of actually you can help support yourself to get there. I would definitely do some research is what I’d say just on the energy sector. There’s so much out there. I would have a look at it, understand which parts of it you want to work in. I’ve been quite fortunate.

I’ve worked in the generation side, the trading and now supplier. They’re very different areas of the energy industry, but actually if you want to understand and find out a bit more, you can soon connect those dots. In terms of skills, I would say data management is a key thing that they would look for. I think we’re collecting more and more data, right? Like if you’re about, do we talk about? Like the half hourly read, smart meters, it’s actually, how can we use that?

responsibly and securely, but to also add value and help support customers, organisations as they move forward, and obviously add different things under their belt as organisations go. think if you’re able to really understand that you’ll be able to support a business and set them up for success because data comes in all shapes and forms. It helps me in my job role and data helps our operational side. If you’ve got that core skillset, you can really.

combine that and blend that into a whole host of different opportunities within the sector. So by having to do that, I think it really stands you in a good stage really of what you’re kind of moving forward and looking to do. Cyber security is another part of that as well. I’d add, right, obviously I’m saying data, the more and more data you have, the more important security is with that. So I’d say that’s another key skill I would say that you’d look at bringing on board, but really just wrapping that into.

the energy sector and that understanding as a whole would be a great USP really to have those two blended things together. I think it would be fantastic to see that if we see a graduate coming in to interview and they can understand the two, connect those dots. It puts you in a good position and in good stead to progress pretty swiftly.

Adam Sroka (40:07)
Yeah, there’s a sort of practice of a fire for me. Like as soon as you get into the energy sector, realize cyber security is table stakes. Like you can’t just gloss over it. It’s really, really vitally important. Yeah, great answer. Okay, I guess last question. Anything we can do as employers or companies within the energy sector to make it more exciting or interesting or even more accessible to people that maybe haven’t considered it yet?

Lucy Webb (40:31)
Yeah, I think it’s really interesting. I would say that it is improving. Like I’m really proud to say it’s so energy that we actually represent 27 different nationalities. And like we know that obviously having diverse thought, diversity of people drives better ideas, right? And a better outcome for our customers. I think one of the things as well is obviously apprenticeships and trying to open up those to try and give people.

more opportunities would be another thing I would say. And I think we need to talk openly, I would say. I think it’s a really exciting sector, but we’ve got lots of challenges as well. And I think if we openly talk about those, how we’re going to hit our net zero goals, how fuel poverty is a real thing, We are representing at the moment a £3 billion poverty gap.

which I think is crazy really. And I think actually if we talk about some of these real challenges, it allows people to understand what they’re coming into. And I think if we do those things, it will allow people to understand that, be prepared for that, but actually feel hopefully excited and actually have a purpose and really making sure they’re helping the greater good for everyone really is one of the things I would shout about a bit more.

we shouldn’t try to fluff it up, so to speak. It is a daunting task, right? is quite a scary thing sometimes when you hear these things. But actually, if you put that lens of it, if you come and join us as a sector, you can really help with this. I think that would be something that would be great for us all to do and really speak about that and then kind of work of how we have these passionate people within the sector and how we can all work together to hopefully help reduce these things and achieve greater things for the…

the country and the world as a whole really, I think would be a fantastic thing to do.

Adam Sroka (42:18)
Lucy, absolutely amazing. Just lovely to hear a totally different spin on the usual conversation. Thank you so much for joining us. think that’s food for thought and I didn’t grill you for an hour on my business. I’ll do that later. But before I let anyone leave, I always like to ask the same question. If anyone wants to find out more about you or So Energy or if there’s anything at all you’d like to promote, where should we direct them?

Lucy Webb (42:45)
Yeah, love that question. Of course, anyone wants to speak and find out more about So Energy. We have, of course, got a website, so head over to that, or we are on LinkedIn. You’ll find lots of information on there, lots about what we do, what our tariffs are, some great information on there for you if you want to. And then personally, if anyone would love to connect and carry on the conversation, I’d really love to hear thoughts. I am on LinkedIn, so do please feel free to reach out, connect with me. Yeah, and I’d love to hear from you.

Adam Sroka (43:12)
Lucy thank you so much for joining us today and all the best at Ssala Ndzi.

Lucy Webb (43:17)
Thank you, my pleasure, lovely to be here.

Adam Sroka (43:21)
Thank you once again for listening to the Hypercube Energy podcast. As always, if you have any feedback or comments or you want to get involved, please get in touch. And if you want to find out more about what’s happening in data and AI across the energy sector, please join the Beyond Energy community and I look forward to speaking to you soon.