Lean Practitioner (HR) Review

My role as a lean practitioner requires me to travel, moving around the business gaining experience and exposure to the entire organisation and how it functions. I have built a fantastic picture of how a large multi national organisation operates at a strategic level, just through doing my day job, delivering improvment training and activities to the business. Superb.

I work in a ten strong team and have felt like family from day one! There is a strong culture of coaching and development within the team helping me develop proffessionally. All outgoinga nd friendly people who have made me feel right at home and as a result created an enjoyable working environment.

My manager has backed me to the hills, putting me in positons of responsibility, although challenging at times I have learnt far more than I could have ever expected. My manager is understanding, values my input and treats me like any other member of the team.

With responsibilty comes workload! I feel that my workload was high because I wanted to push myself. The great advantage of the job is that two 12 hour days in a row is fairly normal but the flexibility to recoup the time on a quieter day is there as well. So you can self manage your time, a level of flexibility I dont think I would have had in another role.

After a period of settling in and learning the ropes, building up my subject matter knowledge I was off! Just like any other member of the team. I worked solo on projects, facilitating groups of people from within the business and even got the chance to stand up and speak in front of the CEO!!!

My degree title is Business Studies and my final year units include strategic operations and lean, which is basically what I have been doing for a year! I would like to think I can hold an in depth conversation with any operation lecturer on the application and theory of it now. I can also put my learning in context.

My team are great but because we all travel a lot to deliver various workshops it can get a bit quiet in the office and being the HR floor there isn't that much banter...

Very well organised and run by a supportive team of people. Lots of opportunities to further personal development and network.

You are treated like any other member of the organisation. If you want to do a training course you can, I have attended over a week's worth of training since joining and been supported by a strong network of mentors, coaches and team members. A great developmental experience.

If you perform well and hit certain criteria and objectives over the course of the year you will be invited back straight to assessment centre stage, skipping preliminary application. Bringing with you a sound knowledge of Fujitsu's operations to interview will only stand you in good stead!

It's difficult being thrown into closed social community at no notice, finding a house and having a social group of people you've never met before. But everyone on the scheme was at least a 'character' and I've found some friends for life through the placement scheme.

Lots of good shopping and cinemas in the Oracle and a great pub scene in wokingham just up the road. Everything is good except for the nightlife!

Reading is awful for a night out, its pretencious and trying to be something it's not. Much prefer the local pub scene where you dont have to pay £6 for drink.

Yes, but it was for you to go and get them rather than forced on you. Lots of charity work and volunteering inititives.