Rose Trent
- Name
- Rose Trent
- Age
- 27
- Role
- HR Manager
- Company
- AMG
- Degree / University
- BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology, Liverpool John Moore's University
Why did you choose the insurance industry?
I joined AMG after doing some temporary secretarial work here and finding that I really enjoyed the nature of the work. Loss adjusting has a very human dimension that appeals to me - you are dealing with real people and their lives, often at a difficult time for them when they have suffered an unfortunate event. Each claim is individual and I enjoyed seeing the claim process through to conclusion, knowing we had assisted the policyholder.
What have you done in your career so far?
I started out as a secretary in our North West and North Wales regional office, being promoted to PA to the Regional Manager within a couple of months. Although I enjoyed my role I was excited when an HR Manager was recruited and made my desires to move into HR known. Within a few days I was lucky enough in January 2002 to be asked to help establish the Human Resources Department as the HR Assistant. With my manager as my mentor and the backing of my studies, I was promoted to HR Officer and ultimately to HR Manager, my current role, reporting to the HR Director.
What's the most challenging aspect of your job?
A big challenge for me has been establishing myself as I have gone through the ranks and gaining credibility and respect from my colleagues, some of whom saw me originally join AMG as a 'temp' secretary.
Although recruitment has been a part of my role for a long time, it will always remain a challenge to attract high-quality candidates, ensuring the best person is selected for the job and that we retain staff.
Perhaps not a challenge as such, but my role often involves delivering bad news. Advising someone they have not got the job they wanted is always difficult because you know they are going to be disappointed. On the other side though, it is very satisfying hearing how delighted someone is when you call them to offer them a job!
What do you do in a typical working day?
Based in Bromborough on the Wirral, a typical day will always involve recruitment to some extent. I manage the whole recruitment process from confirming there is a vacancy to choosing the relevant media to advertise, screening CVs and interviewing where required, always involving the line manager. After placing an offer and receiving acceptance I ensure everything is organised for the new recruits from the equipment they need to their induction plan. It is important that a new recruit receives a warm welcome to AMG and the training and support they need to settle into the role.
It is the role of HR to protect the business, ensuring that employment law is adhered to. Part of my day is generally spent answering queries both from employees in relation to their employment and from line managers requesting advice. It is important that I continuously update my employment law knowledge and amend policy and procedure where required.
I also mange the HR Assistant on a day to day basis, ensuring all HR administration in the department is undertaken and assisting with her personal development.
Although the above outlines what I could typically expect in a day, my role is varied and there is always a new issue arising or project to work on.
What training have you received?
AMG have encouraged my professional development, supporting me through a Masters degree with Liverpool John Moores University in Personnel and Development. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) of which I am now a fully qualified graduate member.
I think that's something quite special about AMG. They recognised my potential and were happy to invest in me and give me the training and encouragement to build my career.
In addition to this, we have an excellent internal training department and I have attended various courses, both technical and soft skills.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I'm usually the first person anyone liaises with when they join AMG and with travelling around our Regional Office Network I know everyone here. I enjoy being the person for employees to contact with their HR related issues and I hope that they consider me to be approachable and helpful.
I find it very rewarding to see people I have been involved in recruiting going on to build successful careers with AMG and get a lot of job satisfaction from that.
Another thing I enjoy is the variety. The job is constantly changing and my days never pan out quite the way I expect them to.
As a company, I would describe AMG as dynamic and fast-paced to keep up with the challenges of a competitive and changing industry. HR plays a vital role in helping the company to deliver competitive advantage by attracting, retaining and motivating the right people. I enjoy being an important part of this.
