At Hastings Direct, we encourage our people to grow and offer lots of opportunities to progress their careers. Hear from Sadaf who originally joined us as a Customer Representative and has since worked her way up to managing a team as a Team Leader.
Tell us about your journey so far at Hastings
I started working for Hastings Direct as a Customer Representative on the phones five years ago and I’ve worked my way up to a Team Leader in the Retentions department. To progress, I used our platforms such as the talent pool to enable me to have hands on experience of the Team Leader role. In my one to ones and PDRs, I would speak to my manager about what was required to progress at each stage of my journey which really helped.
How do you use your previous experience in your role now?
Whilst I was on the phones, I learnt how to manage my own KPIs independently, which made me realise that I have an interest in managing others. As a leader that has two years’ experience on the phones, I can relate to my team members. I’m able to reflect back to my time on the phones and give my team specific, tailored coaching to their needs, with this being my most valuable quality as a leader.
What support did you get?
I was well supported in my journey to finally becoming a Team Leader: my manager helped me through a personal development plan where we had regular catch ups to discuss what was required for me to progress.
What do you love about working for Hastings?
The main thing I love about working for Hastings Direct is that it’s a diverse environment and has people from all walks of life. This culture enables everyone to work in harmony with each other and it’s a positive, accepting place to be.
Our recruitment process is designed to attract and retain the best people from every background. Take a look at what we offer to help our colleagues be themselves and grow.