Hi, I’m Adam Coleman.

I started my career in recruitment in the UK and Ireland, eventually joining the startup team at Esat Digifone as HR Manager. That company went on to become O2 Ireland after a €1 billion acquisition by British Telecom, and I later moved to O2 UK. Those early years gave me a front-row seat to how fast-growing organisations succeed - and where traditional HR processes often hold them back.

In 2004, I founded an HR consultancy to help companies build better people practices. Over time, I saw a growing need for something more scalable than advice alone. That insight led to the creation of HRLocker.com in 2013, a SaaS HR and recruitment platform designed to help organisations manage their people and hiring in a smarter, more efficient way. By 2020, the software had outgrown the consultancy, and HRLocker became the core of the business, now used by companies in 55 countries worldwide. I successfully exited the company in December 2024.

HRLocker was built to help professional organisations, whether office-based, hybrid, or fully remote - digitally transform how they manage HR, recruitment, and compliance. But throughout the journey, one thing became very clear to me: success in HR isn’t just about systems and automation. It’s about trust, culture, and leadership.

I’ve long been an advocate for remote and distributed working, well before it became mainstream. Technology can enable flexibility, but it’s strong values, clear principles, and supportive leadership that truly allow people and organisations to thrive.

I believe that when you create the right environment, unlock employee potential, and support flexible ways of working, businesses don’t just improve processes - they improve performance, wellbeing, and long-term success.

For me, that’s not just smart HR. It’s common sense.

A DDO is a Deliberately Developmental Organization
Adult development is at the heart of everything a DDO does. A Deliberately Developmental Organisation operates as an open, transparent meritocracy which means that anyone in the business can openly challenge anyone else’s ideas.

Emphasis on Adult Development

Adult development is at the heart of everything a DDO does.

By focusing on the development of the person, you enable them to manage their own careers in your business.

Focus on Company Culture

A D.D.O should have company culture as it's first priority. It is the basis on which everything else is built.

Open Transparency

Operating your business as an open transparent meritocracy is not an easy place to get to, but making that commitment will yield an extremely worthwhile return on investment.

ADAM'S HISTORY

Having moved to the UK in the 1990's he ultimately became Human Resources manager for Esat Digifone, which after rapid growth became O2 UK with Adam then at the helm as Head of Human Resources.

"Digifone started with 5 employees and within 4 years we scaled from 8 to 500 people and in 1999 it was sold to O2 for €1 billion."

Homeward Bound

Due to family reasons Adam returned to Ireland in 2003 with his young family and set up his own HR consultancy firm in 2004. In 2007 with the downturn of the economy, Adam had to scale his business back down to three people to weather the storm. He did so. Successfully.

"When we came back home, I took my mums advice and moved to Lahinch in the West coast of Ireland."

The culture of our business is what has helped us grow. We have an open transparent meritocratic approach to how we work. Everyone has a say in what we do. The culture in HRLocker allows employees to step outside their comfort zone and take on bigger challenges.

This is what makes our company successful.

- Adam Coleman

*Licensed Distributor*

Interested in carrying out Insights Discovery in your organisation?

Behaviour and Principle Frameworks

Adam has consulted with countless companies looking to implement behaviour & principle frameworks in their organisations. 

From concept to execution, Adam has enabled cultural success across multiple industries and for companies of all sizes.

Where to begin on your D.D.O Journey...

"I could not recommend reading "An Everyone Culture - Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization" more. 

This book fundamentally changed the way I saw my business and enabled me to begin on my D.D.O journey with HRLocker."

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