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Lauren H.

Senior Wellbeing & Engagement Executive

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Top Insider Advice

I’m a natural introvert and I don’t think anyone in my personal life would describe me as outgoing or confident! But, I’ve found in my career so far that the occasions where I’ve been brave - whether that’s deciding to move away from HR (even though I studied a Masters in the topic!) or saying yes to presenting in front of a crowd of senior leaders - have been the times where I’ve grown and developed the most. I’m at a point in my career where I’m eager to grow and progress, so being brave is something I try to make a conscious effort to do. It can be scary to say yes to things you might usually shy away from but, by getting more practice and exposure to these things, over time they naturally begin to feel a bit easier. Even if things don’t always go to plan, it’s all part of the journey.

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Career path

Senior Wellbeing & Engagement Executive

First Central

Started 03/2023 to Present

Culture & Engagement Officer

First Central

From 11/2021 to 03/2023

HR Officer

First Central

From 09/2019 to 11/2021

Company

What do you live about your job and the company?

I really love my job and working on trying to improve colleagues’ experiences at work is something I genuinely am passionate about. We spend so much of our time at work so why shouldn’t we try and make it positive? I also enjoy that I tend to get instant feedback in this role, either from an event or piece of communication, and hearing about how an initiative may have helped a colleague receive some help for themselves is really rewarding. I also enjoy being creative and getting to write comms and blog posts, so thinking of new ways to engage with colleagues throughout the year is a fun challenge.

Greatest achievements

I'm most proud of developing our Wellbeing offering for colleagues, resulting in us placing 7th in the Super Large Category of Great Place to Work’s list of the UK’s Best Workplaces to work for Wellbeing. Before I joined the team, we already had a Wellbeing programme colleagues were aware of. When I came on board, we were able to dedicate a lot more time and resource to our Wellbeing Strategy and try things we’d never done before. Feedback throughout the year was positive from our colleagues and I was really pleased that we recently achieved a place in the top 10 Best UK Workplaces to Work for Wellbeing list, an initiative run by Great Places to Work. Being the only Insurance company in the top 10 is also a pretty nifty achievement. We receive fantastic internal feedback from our colleagues on Wellbeing so to have our efforts validated and recognised externally too was exciting! I’m proud and feel lucky to work in a company where a huge emphasis is placed on the colleague experience and colleagues’ Wellbeing too.

Other insiders

Ali C

Top Insider Advice

Volunteering in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Climate / Social Rights Groups can be an excellent way to get exposure to ESG and set yourself up for future career opportunities. Not only does it give you a chance to learn more about the issues at hand and the various approaches being taken to tackle them, but it also allows you to develop key skills such as leadership, project management, and communication - all of which are highly valued in the ESG space. By getting involved in ERGs and social groups, you can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how it intersects with ESG. You can also learn about the various ways in which companies are approaching sustainability, social responsibility, and governance, and gain valuable insights into how these approaches impact business performance and reputation. But perhaps most importantly, volunteering in ERGs and social groups is a great way to build connections and expand your network in the ESG space. By working alongside like-minded individuals who are passionate about creating a better world, you can forge relationships that may lead to future career opportunities or collaborations.

Jacob H

Performance Analyst

Top Insider Advice

Ever since I started as a handler, I’ve constantly pushed for positive change, working with different business areas throughout my tenure and learning from each experience. When I think back to my application to become a Performance Analyst, I was lucky I could pull experiences from my time as a handler and team leader. However, they weren't all huge changes to processes or massive improvements to performance. Nothing is too small; as long as you’re tenacious, inquisitive and excited by continuous improvement, you're already halfway there!

Marco D

Operational Excellence Deployment Manager

Top Insider Advice

I am a strong believer that opportunities are there for people if they have the work ethic and desire to seek them out. Having not gone to university, I chose to get my foot in the door of a company and seek out opportunities for careers once I was there. My advice is to research various roles within a company and find a few that interest you. Reach out to colleagues who do that role and find out what skills and experience are required and put yourself forward for opportunities to stretch yourself. Additionally, look for colleagues who are in senior roles and present themselves in a way that aligns with your values and ask them for advice!

Discussions with Lauren H
Have you found it easy to maintain a work-life balance?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, January 23, 2024
1 response
24 views
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in Application Advice·Monday, March 27, 2023
1 response
36 views
What are the characteristics of your most successful employees?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, May 23, 2023
1 response
29 views
How is this company different from your expectations?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, May 16, 2023
1 response
32 views
Tell me why you wanted to work here?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, June 27, 2023
1 response
26 views