All About ‘People’ @ We Clean!
Crucial to the development of any organisation is the passion and hunger to evolve and grow – both as a collective and as individuals!
An example of this would be Jessica Powell, HR & Recruitment Advisor who recently completed her CIPD in People Management, Level 5!
It has long been our philosophy to encourage all of our employees to be the very best they can be and Jess is a fantastic example of seizing the initiative to go above and beyond within further education to enhance her day to day role at we clean!
We sat down with Jess herself to discuss her role within our organisation, the modules within a People Management Course and how this will help benefit both Jess and our staff:
So Jess, tell us about your role?
In my role as HR & Recruitment Advisor, I work closely with HR Director Gaynor within our HR Department here at Head Office. This is a busy and varied role that entails all aspects of HR and Recruitment – supporting the ever-growing number of frontline cleaning staff within the business, which we are proud to say is now over 600!
On a day to day basis my role focuses on the whole employee lifecycle, from onboarding and helping new starters, promoting and evolving the company culture and driving our ‘people first ethos’ as well as managing any Employee Relations matters that arise.
With such a large frontline cleaning team, there are often queries from staff and I genuinely enjoy resolving these and I do my utmost to make them feel comfortable and supported within we clean.
From a recruitment perspective, I manage the full whole process, liaising closely with our operational teams to ensure we source the very best candidates for our clients. In recent times due to accelerated growth we can take on anywhere from 10-20 new staff every fortnight so it is essential that we are always working to meet the ever growing demand and ensure that all of these new starters are properly inducted into the business. We are always on the lookout for new talent!
Congratulations, on passing your CIPD in People Management Level 5, what modules did the course cover and how did you find it?
This qualification covers all aspects of ‘People Practice’ including:
- Talent Management and Recruitment
- Reward & Recognition
- Organisational Culture
- Employment Law
The course has offered me a really good insight into the CIPD’s standards, building to my existing knowledge base to allow me to excel in my role.
Previously I studied Law at University, specialising in Employment Law. This degree enabled me to start my CIPD qualifications at Level 5 and it was great that I could continue my educational journey – I have significantly benefited from the course and it has given me a great framework for future projects that we are looking to undertake within the HR department and the wider company.
Participating in the course has given me the confidence to carry out my role to the very best of my ability and continue to support our people function.
Whilst enrolled on the course I studied outside of we clean at college for one day per week. This was challenging as I had to balance both my professional career and workload with the course plus along with all of the extra hours spent studying. All the hard work was worth it however, and it has been really rewarding completing the course!
LHow will the course benefit both you and our frontline staff?
On the course I was exposed to the workings of other similar companies and it was great to receive insight into the functions that other HR Departments are carrying out from both a staff support perspective and in terms of business culture.
Within we clean we place great emphasis on supporting our staff, the course weighed heavily in on this facet and that means I now have a whole host of ideas to bring back with me and apply. The course has been so beneficial and I am excited to begin putting it into practice!
What do you enjoy most about working for we clean and the cleaning industry as a whole?
It is great to work for an organisation that has a strong ‘people first’ culture and genuinely cares for its staff. The cleaning industry is typically associated with high staff turnover whereby frontline staff hop from one job to the next but I am proud to be helping our organisation in bucking this trend and helping staff to form long-term futures with we clean!
Working with an experienced HR Director over the past few years has inspired me to pursue my career within HR and the cleaning industry!
I have now been working at we clean for just over 2 years and have enjoyed every second, I would like to thank Directors Paul and David for supporting me in the development of my professional career – I am keen to aim for CIPD Level 7 now and excited by what my immediate future within the business holds!
