George Bradford joined Bupa Dental Care in 2018 as a Resourcing Business Partner based in our Support Centre in Bristol. Having relocated from the UK with sponsorship from Bupa, he now supports employees in our dental practices in Victoria, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory as a People Partner at Bupa Dental Care Australia in Melbourne.
We sat down to find out more about his career journey with Bupa Dental Care and where it all started:
“Prior to joining Bupa, I worked in Australia for six months whilst I was travelling. I joined Bupa upon my return in July 2018 as a Resourcing Business Partner. I’ve always been interested in meeting new people, trying new things, and developing my skills and knowledge to enhance my career, so it was attractive to work for such a large organisation with businesses all around the world. The career mobility and prospects felt endless.”
During his time working in the recruitment team, George was given the opportunity to travel overseas to Ireland and Spain to recruit dentists. He also worked on several key recruitment projects, such as our overseas recruitment strategy, employed dentist model and candidate referral scheme. Early in his career, he was given the chance to study CIPD through Bupa and joined our ‘Aspiring Manager Academy’. This gave him his first glimpse into the broader aspects of the people function beyond hiring and managing people. He says:
“Having worked in recruitment-facing roles for several years, I was keen to develop my skills further in HR and with the support of Bupa, I moved into a People Delivery Partner role with Bupa Dental Care UK, supporting our dental practices across Southern England and South Wales. This role provided me with a wider view of the employee lifecycle, and I was able to assist with the ongoing support and development of our people.”
“Bupa is a great place to work. If you are looking for somewhere that can offer you endless career development opportunities, it is the place to be! There are not many organisations that can offer you the variety and career mobility that Bupa can.”
After four years at Bupa Dental Care, George wanted to gain more experience and explore a different area of our business. In September 2022, he joined the Cromwell Hospital in London as a People Delivery Partner. Here, he used his skills and knowledge in a different environment, working with new people, and facing different challenges.
Fast forward to February 2023, and an exciting opportunity came up to relocate to Australia. George says:
“Moving to Australia was something I had been interested in doing after I had travelled there in 2017-2018. It was a great chance to bring my expertise from Bupa Dental Care UK to Bupa Dental Care Australia, whilst also challenging myself and pushing me out of my comfort zone. I relocated to Melbourne from Bristol in February 2023 to join Bupa Dental Care Australia.
“Without Bupa, it would not have been possible for me to relocate to Australia due to the way their visa system works; without Australian citizenship or residency, I required sponsorship by an approved employer. After I expressed my interest in relocating to Australia to start a new life for myself, Bupa supported me so that I could achieve my ambition.
“Moving to the other side of the world is a big (and daunting!) task however, Bupa provided expert advice and support throughout my career move which made the whole process a lot easier. My colleagues at Cromwell Hospital in the UK were also fantastic. They assisted and supported me with anything I needed as I prepared to relocate.”
We asked George how Bupa Dental Care has supported his development. He said:
“Since the day I joined Bupa, I have always been encouraged and supported to develop and achieve my ambitions. There are lots of opportunities to advance your career, these include taking on new projects, learning and education, and receiving mentoring, coaching, and feedback.
“During my time at Bupa Dental Care UK, I studied and gained qualifications in CIPD, Management and Mental Health First Aid, and participated in our “Bupa Include” mentoring program. I was paired with a senior colleague from a different department, and we formed a mentoring relationship where I learned from their experience and used their skills and knowledge to improve my own.
“The opportunities at Bupa do not stop with formal studies and education. I work with a variety of individuals from different locations and business units and as a result, I frequently encounter new people with diverse levels of experience and from different backgrounds. This in itself provides me with new perspectives and learning opportunities.”
And lastly, when we asked George what he would say to anyone thinking of applying to join Bupa Dental Care, he said:
“Bupa is a great place to work. If you are looking for somewhere that can offer you endless career development opportunities, it is the place to be! There are not many organisations that can offer you the variety and career mobility that Bupa can.”
If you’d like to learn more about how you can join the team at Bupa Dental Care and see how your career can progress, search our jobs here.
