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What is your job title and what are your main responsibilities?

HR Assistant, I am responsible for anything to do with staff from recruitment, dealing with new starters, holidays, absence, and projects such as improving staff benefits.

How did you get into HR?

It was something I fell into when I left school.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and a job came up for a HR Administrator which was maternity cover but the lady didn’t return to her role, so I stayed for 7 years and learnt a lot along the way.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?

The variety, no day is the same and there are always things to be working on and trying to improve.  I do enjoy getting queries from clients that I can research, and I always feel good when I solve a problem for a colleague or a client.

What three words describe you the best?

Thoughtful, empathetic, inquisitive.

Can you tell us about a defining moment in your working life?

Completing my CIPD Level 5 whilst I was expecting my daughter, I completed the course on maternity leave when she was 5 months old.  It was tough at times but I’m so proud that I did it.

What is your strongest personal quality?

Emotional intelligence – I like to think that I’m pretty good at understanding people and their emotions as well as my own emotions which is good when you work with people.

Why should a client choose to work with David Allen?

The number of services we offer is amazing, we really do provide a 360-degree service to clients and staff.  I have personally used our services for my mortgage, life insurance, Will and I always refer friends and family to us because I know how good the service is!

What is the highlight of your career at David Allen?

Honestly just having the courage to start here.  My previous role was great, and I learned a lot, but it didn’t end in the best way and before I came here I was suffering with depression which took me nearly a year to properly recover from so I’m proud of myself for having the courage to apply for the role and attend an interview when I was at such a low point personally.  I am so thankful that I took the leap because I now know how an employer should treat their staff.

What drives you to do what you do/what motivates you?

I want to make positive changes and ensure that our staff are always looked after.

What is the top perk of working in #TeamDA?

The flexibility, the firm are so understanding about people having commitments outside of work such as family and we have our flexitime policy in place which makes things easier.  You never know what is going to come up, especially when kids are involved, so working for such a flexible firm really is appreciated.

If you didn’t work at David Allen, what would you like to be doing?

Possibly something to do with mental health as it’s a passion of mine, I think everyone could do with a little help from time to time.  Or petting animals all day, although I’m not sure such a job exists!

Why is it important to have mental health first aiders available at work?

I believe that everyone struggles with their mental health from time to time, so just being able to talk something through and having these resources available in work is invaluable to staff.  I also think that previously if someone was struggling mentally, they wouldn’t talk to anyone in work about it.  Their work may have started to decline, they may have been off sick more regularly but now having mental health first aiders available means that they can talk to someone and us being aware of any problems means we can help to manage workload if they are struggling.

Why did you personally volunteer to become a mental health first aider and how has it benefited you professionally?

I have personally struggled with anxiety for most of my life, although I do feel I am much better at managing it now, and I have also previously had a bad spell with depression, so I do feel that I have a good general understanding of mental health issues.  Mental health and wellbeing is something that I am passionate about, and I know so many people who struggle with it daily so I’m so glad it is more spoken about now.  People have been experiencing poor mental health for decades but just may not have known what it was because the information wasn’t available to them, with the internet now there is so much information out there and so many resources available to people from charities, helplines, crisis teams etc.