Why Alex joined The Works
Alex, our newest member of team, has been in the job for two months and is coming along in leaps and bounds. Brad, from the marketing department sat down with Alex over a nice warm brew to find out how things are for him.
Brad: So then Alex, how are you finding it two months in?
Alex: It’s pretty great. I think I’ve settled quite well into the way that we do things here at The Works. I also think I’ve become a part of the ‘team’ quite easily and feel I can have a laugh with colleagues as well as working with them.
B: How did you hear about The Works?
A: In all honesty, when trying to find vacancies to work on in my old role! The Works seemed to be a name that always cropped up when speaking with clients, so they were on my ‘radar’ when I was going about my day-to-day. With that in mind, when I felt the time was right to move on from my previous company, it made sense to approach somewhere who I knew was dealing in the same types of roles I was used to dealing with.
B: Glad you mentioned that one. What was it that made you decide to make the switch?
A: Working for one of the biggest employment agencies in the UK, as I was at the time, you sometimes feel like you’re ‘just a number’: You do your job. You hit your figures. That’s it. Which is fine for some. But I liked the idea of being somewhere where you have the opportunity to put your own stamp on things, where your ideas can matter and you can add real value to how the business goes about things. I think that came across well when I came to interview here at The Works and something I was keen to being involved in.
B: As you say, you’ve obviously come from a huge business to one much smaller. What’s that been like for you? What’s different about it?
A: Like I said, I think the change is very positive one for me. I still do a similar to job to what I did at my past business, but the culture here makes it much more engaging place to be. Because we’re small, it’s a lot easier to get together and ask for help from other departments and the back office.
I’m not sure how else to put it, but I think overall you just get a real sense of what is going on in the business. You understand your place within it, as well as everyone else’s, and the sense of urgency that comes from everyone because of it.
As an example, we get together every week to discuss how things are doing on everybody’s desk, if there’s an issue I might have, someone will give me some advice about how I should approach it. On the flipside, if someone else has a problem, they’ll listen to my two cents on it as well.
B: What else are you enjoying so far?
A: Simply put, our location and office. I’m not sure of many other places where you work in the city centre at the same time as being beside a canal. We’re seeing a lot of the canal boats starting to move now that the weather is finally getting a bit better. Our office is one of a kind as well. It’s a bit of a maze with all the stairs you need go up and down to get everywhere; I’ve never worked in a place quite like it!
B: What do you see as your main challenge here at The Works?
A: For me, as a consultant in engineering, the skills shortages in the sector are a very real thing and not something you just hear and see in the news. This isn’t just an issue at The Works; any agency will feel the effects. But, I think the dynamic way we go about things at The Works will help us address it in the correct manner and attract the best candidates that we want to work with. It’s an exciting challenge rather than a daunting one.