Our Recruitment team are responsible for bringing in some of the great talent that we have at Hastings Direct. Hear from our colleagues Jacqueline (Talent Acquisition Manager), Dan (Resourcing Executive), and Sarah (Recruitment Executive), about what they enjoy about their roles.
If you’re looking to move into Recruitment, the team are searching for one of their own! Find out more about our Resourcing Executive opportunity and apply.
Why did you get into recruitment?
Jacqueline: Like many in my profession, I feel recruitment found me rather than I sought it out. I was working with inspiring young adults with disabilities for seven years, managing a unit and large team. I approached a recruitment agency one day, looking for a change, and talked about the elements of my role that I felt were my strengths. These included interviewing and training colleagues, being people focussed and coaching others to achieve their potential, but importantly I wanted a career that would feel rewarding. The agency offered me a job with them at the end of the interview.
The reason I have remained in Recruitment is because I really enjoy all things recruitment! Having worked in both agency and internal recruitment, I find the job we do really rewarding, varied and exciting. Supporting candidates to best represent their skills and find their ideal role, guiding leaders on interview skills and how to best engage with candidates, and all the subsequent projects over the past four years, has given me the opportunity to make a real difference, which I’m sure really matters to us all at the end of any working week.
What made you choose Hastings Direct?
Dan: Hastings Direct was a company that I’d grown up with, having lived in Collington since the age of 18 – it was a big part of the community and only a five minute walk away from the office. It seemed exciting the thought of working for a fun, dynamic insurance provider that was on my doorstep.
I began working in the Recruitment team doing initial telephone screenings for the call centre. At the time, this was a platform to build my confidence and use my own soft skills to connect with candidates and to offer them an opportunity.
What do you enjoy about working at Hastings?
Sarah: Hastings really is a great company to work for. I feel so valued as a member of staff, you’re never made to feel like a number, your voice is always heard, and your opinion is always valued.
Work life balance is really important for me as I have two young children, so needed a role which would allow me to work part time hours and Hastings have been fantastic. They let me work my hours around the school run which allows me to be a mum and also have a career. It really is a breath of fresh air to work for a company that supports this and doesn’t see it as a hinderance.
The best thing for me though is, without a doubt, the people. The support you receive from not just your direct team, but the wider team, is incredible. Everyone is so passionate about the company and their role and thrive to do their best and it really does shine through. I’m so lucky to have such an incredible team of colleagues in recruitment, as cheesy as it sounds, we really are like a family.
What projects are you currently working on?
Dan: Currently I’m helping the team add additional heads into both Claims and Policy Fraud areas. I enjoy this changing volume market – it's nonstop, which brings the best out of me. We’re responsible for driving candidates to apply through social blogs, vlogs and posts. We’re also focussed on capturing recruitment data around candidate applications to help to inform hiring managers and future campaigns.
Sarah: At the minute I am all things Digital & Change! My role is very much a head-hunting role and I cover a variety of roles from Business Analyst and Project Managers, through to Developers and Engineers, from junior to senior level. Over the next few months, I’ll be taking on some additional roles within D&C to help broaden my knowledge of the area which I’m really looking forward to.
Jacqueline: I supported the implementation of our applicant tracking system and am part of a working group who review updates to this system twice a year. Currently, I’m also working alongside other colleagues to support with:
- the design and implementation of hiring leader eLearning modules
- a system process review that will enhance both the hiring leader and candidate experiences
- our Inclusion Council’s D&I agenda. I am a Disability Lead as part of the Inclusion Council at Hastings Direct, currently supporting with the review of our internal processes with respect of reasonable adjustments
- a brand review – exploring and assisting with opportunities to evolve our careers brand.
Join us
If Hastings Direct sounds like the type of company you would thrive in, check out our Resourcing Executive opportunity or our other current roles available.