3.4/5
Overall I enjoyed the placement. The people were great and I felt valued as an employee. I also had a decent amount of autonomy and responsibility which I enjoyed. The area I specialised in (Compliance) was something I did not find interesting however, which reduced my overall enjoyment.
The interns at Hays are very valued. I very much felt like I was part of the Financial Markets team and my contributions where praised and appreciated.
For the first half of my internships my manager worked part time, therefore I revived little feedback. She then left for a new job and I had to work very independently for a few months. However, the second half I had a much more supportive manager who provided great support and constructive feedback .
Most of the time I was very busy. When the market was busier I had multiple jobs to find candidates for. Then when the market was quieter I was expected to be proactive and remain busy. Some periods E.G. Christmas were very quiet.
I was working my own jobs and supporting senior members of staff throughout the placement. For a few months I was working in my specialism independently. Interns at Hays have the same level of responsibility as a new associate.
My increased understanding of financial markets will be useful in my future studies, particularity in economics focused modules. Additionally, soft skills like planning and communication will help me in the future. Finally, my understanding of the job market has greatly improved, this will make future job searches more effective.
The overall atmosphere was very good. People are friendly and always willing to help you if you have an issue
Very well organised. The first 12 weeks focused on training and learning and development. Then every 4 weeks the interns were grouped together and our performance was discussed,
12 weeks of an initial training planning, with classroom like lessons. There was lots of on the job training also. The best way to learn recruitment is to really jump in and the deep end and get started. There was also 3 full days of training a few months in.
There is lots of room for upward mobility at Hays, and the promotion paths are very clear. I would be tempted to come back after my placement.
Very good social scene amongst colleagues. Regularly would meet colleagues after work,
London is very expensive.
Really good,. Lots of variety,
Lots of charity volunteering type opportunities are offered to Hays employees.