Tell us about your background and what led you to Hastings Direct?
My first job out of school was at Tesco and after a couple of years there, I knew I wanted to build a career elsewhere. I saw an advert for Hastings Direct on Indeed in 2013 and decided to apply. As soon as I started my training, I loved it and knew I had found what I was looking for. My first role at Hastings was a Retention Customer Representative, working at the call centre in the renewals department. I negotiated with customers to renew their policies with us, helping with their queries.
Tell us about your development journey so far at Hastings Direct.
I have had a fantastic journey at Hastings and been given so many wonderful opportunities. In March 2015 I became a Performance Coach in our new Leicester office, helping to support, coach and train the staff. I worked there for about 8 months and was proud to have played a role in the success of the new office. After coming back from Leicester I worked as a Performance Coach in the training academy in Bexhill. This involved supporting new starters and coaching existing colleagues to develop within their roles.
Once I’d been in that role for a few years, I was given the amazing opportunity to work in South Africa for 3 months! Again, I supported opening a new office. So far, this has been the best experience of my life and I am very grateful that Hastings gave me the opportunity. My role in South Africa was to coach and develop the new staff. I provided day to day support, answering their questions and running workshops to improve their knowledge.
Shortly after returning from South Africa, I applied for a Customer Service Team Leader role. I was successful and in May 2018 I started leading a team of 12 Customer Representatives. I still work within customer service as a Team Leader, but have also worked as an Academy Team Leader and Digital Team Leader.
Who would you say has been your biggest support during this time?
There have been so many people throughout my journey at Hastings who have massively supported me, either in my role or in my development. These include my Team Leaders, Contact Centre Leaders, Coaches and my peers... to name a few!
What advice would you give to someone looking to develop their career at Hastings?
My advice would be to invest time in your development. Create a plan using skills gap analysis, then work on improving these areas. Speak to stakeholders and take time to shadow colleagues in departments you want to work in. If you are looking to apply for a new role, ask yourself, ‘have I developed myself enough to be in the best possible position to get this job?’ If you’re not sure, speak to your team leader about what else you can do.
Finally, what do you love most about working for Hastings Direct?
I love how much Hastings cares for colleagues, especially through this difficult time with Covid-19. It has really shown how much they value their staff. You make so many life-long friends here and colleagues support you through the more difficult days. The social aspect and events are also so much fun. There is always something to look forward to.
For a list of our current vacancies, click here.
Date added: 19th August 2020