Aftercare Consultant Review

It was an interesting experience as it provided me with insight of how the organisation works, and how the recruitment process works. I gained a lot of experience being exposed to different aspects of the organisation, and have also gained many transferable skills through the line of work I was involved in.

Hays were very good at making sure that each member of the team is noticed, through means of commendations i.e. bonuses, being nominated for awards when you had performed well. This was very confidence boosting and encouraged me to try harder at my work. Furthermore, the team were welcoming and supportive which was much appreciated when it came to settling in.

Management were very good when it came to guidance as there was always a member of the team/management available for you to ask questions. If there were any issues, the management were always happy to step in an assist.

Very busy - the role that I was doing was supporting a few of the consultants on the team (roughly 300 candidates) so there was always plenty to do. The role was reactive as it was largely reliant on which candidates needed help or had queries etc, so it would vary from time to time.

The desk that I had been placed on was not the typical recruitment role that I had first expected when starting, however it was there to support very high volume clients so there was a lot of responsibility. This was encouraging as it made me feel as though I was valued and thus why I was tasked with so many challenges.

I think that the skills I've gained will be very beneficial in the future. The hours at Hays are long however as there is so much to do and it can all come in at once, it demands time keeping and organisation skills, which I believe I have improved in my time here - this will definitely help when I return to university meeting deadlines etc. As it was a candidate facing role, there was constant interaction with the candidates and also other departments, which I believe has improved my communication skills.

The atmosphere is the office is very busy as it is recruitment, so the phones are constantly ringing and there are always consultants getting new jobs in/placing candidates which kept things lively. The floor I was on was also very large, with roughly 100 people working on it, which meant that there is always lots going on.

The intern programme at Hays is quite popular, so there was quite a lot of structure when I first started. There was lots of timetabled training which was well organised and with different consultants which was interesting. Throughout the placement there were monthly meetings held with my manager and quarterly performance reviews with the directors, which was good for direction throughout. The role did vary slightly at times, however overall well structured.

There was a thorough 12 week training programme when I first begun the placement, with a few in class training sessions per week as well as learning at my desk with my manager/handover with the previous intern. After the 12 weeks there was also an 3 day intense training course which was beneficial. Throughout the placement I was being taught new things by my colleagues, so overall there was lots of training.

I think that if I decide I would like to come back after finishing my degree that there would be a job available for me, however this has not been offered explicitly.

There definitely was a good level of interaction with the other placement students, including an interns conference where we had the change to meet with other placement students from London and the surrounding areas. In terms of interactions with colleagues this was great as there were often incentives and chances to socialise with colleagues outside of work.

As this placement was in London, the cost of living was obviously very high, as is the travel expense to commute to work. Socialising was also expensive, however the company often held incentives which were always subsidised.

Being in Victoria in the heart of London, of course there was a great nightlife. It's location meant that going to other popular parts of London was very accessible as London Victoria Station is one of the most well connected in London.

The most popular outside activities included team incentives, and the whole office incentives when targets were hit. In addition to this, there were also social engagement evenings that were arranged including pub quizzes etc, which were always an option for inters to attend also. In addition to targetted incentives, there were others that were done on personal achievements, which interns could not always attend as they required earning fees - which my job did not entail.