Tell us about your journey within the company?

I’ve really loved my journey with Anabas. I didn’t have any HR experience in the beginning, but I had a big appetite to learn. I’m grateful to Gemma Rigby, our HR director who has been my mentor. She’s been so supportive and has encouraged every step of my progression.

Since joining the team I have progressed from HR administrator to HR advisor which I’m really thrilled about.

What steps has your development taken? How has Anabas supported you in this?

As well as on the job learning I have been doing my HR qualifications through Anabas. I completed my CIPD level 3 Certificate in Human Resources Practice two and a half years ago which enabled me to be promoted to HR advisor. The course gave me a greater depth of knowledge and more confidence to be a people professional.

I have now started my CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management which is the equivalent of an undergraduate degree. I currently have a weekly half day release from Anabas, so I have time to complete my studies. This course will give me the foundation I need to progress into an HR manger role where I’ll be able to advise at a more senior level.

I have been so grateful of all the support I’ve received from Anabas and my line manger Gemma. The encouragement has been a great confidence boost for me. I wouldn’t have dreamt of this progression before joining Anabas.

What do you love most about working at Anabas?

The people and the business’ values are hands down the things I love most. Anabas really cares for its workforce and that is so evident in everything the company does. Each staff member has a name and a personality, they are not just a number. Everyone has a purpose, and they are all made to feel part of the business’s success.

How have you grown as a person during your career development? How has this influenced your role?

For me, the largest development area has been my confidence. I used to have a real fear about presentations and training. I was fine on a one-to-one level but talking to a room full of people really frightened me. Now, I’m much more comfortable at communicating and can comfortably run a training session or go to our sites to deliver a TUPE presentation, for example.

Can you give us an example of a time where you feel you went above and beyond your role at Anabas? 

At Anabas we pride ourselves on going above and beyond every single day, from frontline to HQ. One of the areas I’ve been able to impact on a wider scale though is during Brexit. The right to work requirements changed significantly and strict deadlines were imposed. I worked really hard to support every team member affected by this.

We started the process eighteen months ahead of the deadline and had conversations with every affected colleague ensuring we properly supported them through the process. We even extended this support to their family and friends. For many, there were language barriers which would have made the process significantly harder had they been left to manage it alone.

By the Brexit deadline, all our affected employees had the right to work in the UK. We even supported the team members that chose to leave the UK and return to their home countries.

Would you recommend Anabas as an employer to friends/family? And if so, why?

I would recommend Anabas to anyone. I even recommended Anabas to our employee experience manager. Anabas cultivates such a friendly, welcoming environment and it makes coming to work a joy.

What are your aspirations?

I find HR deeply rewarding and diverse. One moment I could be supporting with mobilisations, TUPE and inducting our new employees, and the next, refining our HR processes. I would love to progress into a more senior role as HR manager where I can have an even greater influence to supporting our workforce.