Tell us a bit about your background and what led you to Hastings?
I joined Hastings in July 2020 in the role of Operations Insight Manager. Prior to joining, I was in the customer insight team at British Gas, supporting the business with shaping the customer strategy, as well as managing the customer segmentation programme. After seven years I was ready for a change, which is when I saw this role advertised with Hastings. I was excited by the opportunity to help the planning and strategy team move away from producing data reports towards creating insight. I was also attracted to the exciting stage of growth the company is going through – there is lots of change happening, so the opportunity to be part this appealed to me.
Tell us a bit about your journey at Hastings?
I applied for my role during lockdown and completed my interviews remotely. I have visited the office, although only to pick up my laptop! I thought there would be some challenges with starting a new role from home, however it’s been the opposite. Hastings have made the induction process really straightforward with lots of support and interaction along the way. My first week was spent doing virtual inductions to meet colleagues across the business. This was very welcoming and helped with settling in. Everyone is using tools to video conference on a day to day basis, which makes it easy to reach out to colleagues.
What does a typical day in your role look like?
My role is quite diverse and the to-do list is different each day – that’s one of the great things about it. Within operational insight we send out several reports which inform how our customer operations business is performing. These go out hourly to monthly depending on the requirement. I also look into specific issues or trends we see in the data to help understand what is happening so the business can act on it. This can take a different form, depending on whatever the question is that we need to answer that day or week. Otherwise I’m designing and implementing changes for future reporting to help translate the wealth of knowledge we have in operations into insight. The business uses this to help with decision making.
What advice would you give to somebody applying for a role in your department?
I would say join us! The team is made up of brilliant people who have an array of experience from their roles both within Hastings and from elsewhere. There are lots of things we’re looking to build on and improve in the team. If you want an engaging and varied role, it’s a great department to be in. Hastings is also a fantastic place to work – there are loads of exciting opportunities to develop. Many of the colleagues I’ve spoken with have moved around the business and progressed their career in the direction they wanted to take.
What is it like working at Hastings?
I haven’t met any of my colleagues in person yet, however everyone I’ve spoken to has been so friendly and supportive. The company also has real ambition and a clear focus of where it’s heading – I have already seen so much activity happening to help move the business forward. Finally, Hastings does a great job of communicating its success and, although I’ve not been here for long, there has already been a lot to celebrate!
For a list of our current vacancies, click here.