After leaving university, I spent several years in hospitality, working in management for the Harvester Restaurant brand and the Spirit Pub Company. I decided I wanted a change, and this came by chance when I had a conversation with a manager from HIT Training, a company that provided training for the hospitality industry. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right fit, and less than a year later, I knew I needed to find something else.
One day, I came across an advert for a Trainee Recruitment Consultant role at Igloo. I applied and was invited to present for 15 minutes to the two Directors at Igloo’s Head Office in Hinckley. Despite being very nervous, I enjoyed the experience and was invited to a second interview with the Directors and the Operations Manager.
When I arrived at the office, it was icy, and as I walked toward the building, I slipped. Looking up, I saw the people I was about to meet laughing. Not the best start, but we all had a good laugh about it. On my way back to the car, I slipped again — much to everyone’s amusement. I’m not sure if it was my presentation, the second interview, or the fact I slipped twice in the car park, but I received the call with a job offer, which I accepted immediately.
On February 25th, 2013, I began my journey at Igloo. I started alongside five others, and we were immediately placed on a week-long training course that equipped us with the confidence and skills to succeed in our new roles.
Once the training was completed, we spent the first few months making cold calls to companies within Igloo’s specializations. We generated leads, both from our own outreach and by using the company’s database.
After a few months, I moved into the automotive recruitment team, focusing on hiring skilled automotive staff. I received full training to understand the roles I was recruiting for, including site visits where I could see firsthand how bodyshops operated. I met staff across all areas of the business, which greatly expanded my industry knowledge. I also worked closely with clients and their management teams, as well as our teams working on-site, sharing the 24/7 emergency phone for any issues outside of office hours.
In 2017, I shifted away from recruitment and took on the responsibility of installing a biometric clocking-in system across our clients’ sites. This included setting up the system’s back-end rules. Over time, my role evolved to include the creation of a compliance and business support team, which provides crucial support to Igloo’s operations teams. Since the team’s creation, we’ve had two successful inspections from the Government’s Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. The most recent inspector praised Igloo for going “above and beyond” with compliance, calling it one of the best inspections he’d conducted.
My current role involves managing all job adverts and responding to ad applications. We report this data to the Directors and senior managers. I also handle the company’s social media platforms and contribute to website content. Additionally, I’ve supported office moves and the setup of IT equipment for new and existing staff.