Next in our Meet the Rooster series, we’re catching up with our Head of People and Culture, Holly Dunham-Shortt. If you want to understand our plans to build the highest-performing team at the Coop, then take a read here…
What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
That being Head of People and Culture doesn’t mean I sit in HR. We’ve made a deliberate decision to outsource HR to specialists so it’s handled with the right level of expertise and compliance. That allows me to focus where I add the most value.
My role is about the bigger picture. On the people side, I focus on how individuals are supported to perform, how clear they are on expectations and how confident they feel in their role. On the culture side, I focus on how work actually feels day to day—how people experience the business, how we show up for each other and how consistently we live our values.
We talk a lot about being bold, transparent and relentless, and about always delivering and smashing expectations. My job is to make sure that shows up in reality—not just in what we say, but in how we behave, how we support each other and the standard of work we put out.
I read something once that’s always stayed with me—culture isn’t perks or words on a page, it’s how you feel on a Sunday night before the week starts. That’s the standard I care about.
Fundamentally, I believe there’s nothing more important in a business than its people. They drive everything forward. When you have the right people in the right roles—who feel motivated, supported and clear on what they’re doing—performance follows. When you don’t, it shows quickly.
That’s why my focus is on bringing in the right people and then supporting and challenging them to do their best work. I stay close to what it really feels like to work here day to day, and if something feels unclear, slow or misaligned, I’ll step in and fix it.
Because that’s where culture is shaped—not in theory, but in how we work, make decisions and deliver. If something isn’t creating the right environment for people to perform at their best, I’ll challenge it. That’s a core part of my role.
What’s one small thing that makes a big difference in how people feel at work?
Clarity and consistency.
When people know what’s expected of them, how decisions are made and what good looks like, it removes a huge amount of uncertainty. They’re not second guessing themselves or trying to read between the lines. They can focus, take ownership and get on with doing great work.
Consistency is what builds trust around that. When people see the same standards applied in the same way, they feel secure in how things work and confident in how to operate within it.
For me, that sense of security is fundamental. When people feel clear and supported, they’re far more likely to step up, take ownership and perform at their best. It creates an environment that feels calm, focused and fair, even when things are moving quickly.
At Little Red Rooster, we want a culture where people feel confident, supported and able to speak up. Where expectations are clear, standards are high and people know where they stand. Clarity and consistency are what make that real day to day.
In a fast-paced environment, this matters even more. Pace doesn’t remove the need for direction—it increases it. The more clarity and consistency you create, the better people perform and the better the business runs.
It might sound simple, but it has a disproportionate impact on how a culture feels and how effectively a team operates.
What energises you most during a workday?
A 15-minute meditation, a dog walk and breakfast with the family to get the day started right. It’s calm and considered before the day properly gets going.
After that, it’s the people.
I get a huge amount of energy from seeing individuals grow in confidence, challenge themselves and achieve things they didn’t think they were capable of. When someone steps slightly outside their comfort zone, backs themselves and delivers something they’re genuinely proud of—and feels great about themselves as a result, especially when that work is recognised by colleagues and externally—that shift is what drives me.
A big part of my role is creating the conditions for that to happen. Making sure people feel clear, supported and trusted enough to take ownership, try things and keep pushing themselves forward.
When that clicks, you can feel it. People are more engaged, more confident and more willing to contribute. They’re not holding back, they’re leaning in.
The impact goes beyond the individual. When people grow, the standard rises, momentum builds and the quality of work improves across the board. The business moves forward because its people are moving forward.
That’s the part of the job I find most rewarding—seeing people develop, succeed and realise what they’re capable of, often before they fully believe it themselves.
How do you see your role shaping the culture and employee experience here, both now and as the company grows?
Right now, my focus is on making sure how we operate matches the standards we set ourselves. Creating clarity, driving consistency and making sure people feel supported, accountable and empowered to take ownership of their work.
A big part of that is removing friction. Making sure things are clear, consistent and easy to navigate so people can focus on doing their best work without unnecessary noise or confusion.
It’s also about making sure the way we feel internally matches the quality of the work we’re creating. If we expect a high standard in what we put out, the experience behind the scenes needs to reflect that. It should feel aligned, considered and consistent.
A core part of my role is being intentional about the people we bring into the business. For me, there’s nothing more important. The right people, with the right values, attitude and work ethic, will move a business forward faster than anything else.
I’ve seen in larger organisations how complexity can build quickly—layers get added, decision-making slows down and focus gets diluted. It can look like growth, but it doesn’t always drive performance. I’m deliberate about avoiding that.
I’m a big believer in the 80/20 principle. A small number of people drive a disproportionate amount of impact, so my focus is on building a team where that level of contribution is the standard. A smaller, aligned, high-performing team will always outperform a larger group without that clarity and focus.
As we grow, my role is to hold that line. Growth naturally creates pressure and complexity, and it’s easy to lose focus if you’re not deliberate. I’m there to make sure we stay disciplined in how we hire, how we develop people and how we maintain standards across the business.
Ultimately, it’s about building a culture that isn’t just talked about, but felt day to day. One where people know what good looks like, take ownership and consistently deliver work we’re proud of.
For me, it all comes back to the same thing—create the right environment, back the right people and hold a high standard. When you get that right, everything else follows.
