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HR Interview Series: Seána McCreesh
Published on: 28/07/2025
Issues Covered:
Personal Development
Article Authors The main content of this article was provided by the following authors.
Legal Island

 

 

Seána McCreesh

Position & Organisation: CDE Group

Number of Employees: 500


Give us an idea about your early life and career: 

After graduating in 2016 from Queen’s University Belfast with an LLB Law (2:1) degree, I joined CDE as a business intern. CDE is a global engineering and manufacturing business, headquartered in Cookstown, N. Ireland, delivering wet processing solutions for applications in sand & aggregate, mining, and construction & demolition waste recycling. During my time as an intern, I had exposure to all areas of the business including tendering, customer contractual review, health and safety, and quality. However, from the onset, it was apparent I was passionate about people and the ability to drive organisational success through the development of our people, and I transitioned to the Talent team to begin my people journey. 

In 2017 I completed my CIPD Level 5 and then proceeded in 2023 to complete my CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma.  I have since gone on to successfully upgrade my membership and am now a Chartered Member of the CIPD. During my journey in CDE Global, I have been fortunate to have exposure to over 8 regions and their employment and payroll laws and have had the opportunity to visit our regional offices in the USA and provide bespoke leadership training to our upcoming leaders across the organisation. Every day is a new challenge and one I am eager to embrace. 


What are the key challenges you face in your role?  

In the HR profession, it can be difficult to find a balance between the day-to-day operational matters that arise and the long-term HR strategy that will advance the HR department and the organisation's agenda. A key concept I have introduced to my daily work is to ask myself “Where am I most likely to add value”; it is critical in any HR role that you understand how your role adds to the organisation's success and to ensure your role and duties are aligned and support the overall strategy.
 
Another advancement in the HR profession that has been noted in the last few years is people data. Many HR professionals have now identified the powers of data and the ability of analytics to shape the people agenda. This transition to data analytics has come with its own challenges with a reluctance for several professionals to move towards data-driven solutions. A key challenge for many is the utilisation of the data with data accuracy concerns due to many organisations having numerous people systems and not one unique HRIS. My advice to any HR professional who is considering starting their data journey is to start small, review your new starts for the year identify trends and then replicate this process for your leavers. What do you notice, is there a pattern with the length of service, or certain departments? As you become more comfortable in the pulling and trend spotting of data you will start to see the benefits data can have for the HR department and the organisation. 
 

After a tough week, what’s your go-to for recharging and staying grounded? 

In the last few years, I have found a haven in the running and after recently completing a 10k run I want to continue on my running journey. On a Saturday morning, you are very likely to see me running Cookstown’s streets with a personalised concert of ABBA’s greatest hits featuring an out-of-breath and beetroot-faced Seana. In 2025 I want to continue running, and I am aiming to push myself to complete a half-marathon 
 

What’s the funniest or most unusual thing that’s ever happened in an interview, and what did it teach you? 

A very good question! I think Post COVID we have seen a shift in how we work and patterns. With this shift, we have completed many interviews via teams to facilitate candidates. With this shift from initial office interviews, I have had the pleasure of interviewing two cats, three dogs and even a parrot who have all successfully supported their owners through interviews. I find this a positive shift in interviewing as it provides a great snapshot of the individual and their interest/ hobbies outside of work and helps to settle the nerves during the process for the candidate. 


What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to someone aspiring to your role, especially in today’s fast-changing world? 

To further your career and advancement in HR it is critical to position yourself as a trusted adviser for the business.  At the nucleus of HR is people, it is so important when working within HR to build strong relationships with employees, leaders and other stakeholders. Strong relationships create great communication and trust which forges the success of great partnerships. 
 

Imagine HR is a reality TV show—what would the title of your episode be?  

The toolkit to shine
 
HR plays a pivotal role through internal and external mentorship programmes, leadership training and facilitating learning and development opportunities. These opportunities all enhance employees' personal and career profiles. HR professionals understand the link between people's development and its ability to increase company performance.  One of the greatest moments in HR is when an employee demonstrates a skill gained through learning and development that can then tangibly be proven to increase business performance through increased sales/ or productivity etc.  A win for the company is a win for the HR team. 
Disclaimer The information in this article is provided as part of Legal Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article. This article is correct at 28/07/2025
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