I started off here as an IT Buyer. That was seven, maybe eight years ago. I’m now the buyer for HR services. What brought me to NFU Mutual in the first place? I’m from Stratford, so I knew that they were a big employer and a good place to work. That was probably about it though. I saw a job ad in the local paper and, as I was commuting at the time, I thought I’d apply. No more long commute! Also, it felt like the right time to move on career wise. A change of scenery and all that.
I buy services and products for everything related to Human Resources. Things like our applicant tracking system or software packages to help our HR people do their jobs better. So my day-to-day job involves fielding questions and running projects. Deadlines are probably my biggest challenge. Obviously, when we’re tendering or managing a contract, you have strict deadlines that you have to meet. That’s why I work so closely with the business, making sure that colleagues know when to involve me and, from my point of view, trying to make sure that they involve me as early as possible in the process.
Why’ve I stayed? There are a few things. Flexibility of work is definitely one. I have two children now and NFU Mutual have been very flexible and amenable with me changing my hours. I work part-time nowadays. It’s a real joy to come in and work with these people and the procurement projects are always quite different. It’s certainly never boring. So my NFU Mutual experience? Friendly and flexible and fun. I genuinely enjoy coming into work.