Continuous Improvement Manager for the Professional Services Hub

Georgia Payne, HR Services Team.

My career thus far at UCL has been within the HR Services Team. My journey commenced in 2016 when  I joined the HR Services team as an Administrator. Shortly after joining, I realised I had joined a large and busy team, that was responsible for a wide range of processes and tackled the pressures of payroll each month. In early 2017 I progressed into a Senior Administrator role and then in late 2018 I was appointed to the role of HR Services Manager.

My role as HR Services Manager was to manage the newly created Support Desk. The Support Desk was created to be a central point of contact for HR Services, responsible for all incoming emails and phone calls. In one calendar month we can receive up to 8000 emails, phone calls and customer visits. My role required me to maintain and deliver an efficient, accurate and compliant service, within service standards whilst driving high performance, engaging with key stakeholders and considering continuous improvement opportunities.

My first two roles at UCL really gave me a good basis and understanding to transition smoothly into the Manager role. I still value the skills and experiences I gained as an Administrator and Senior Administrator, many of these skills have enabled me to manage and truly understand the workload of the team. Whilst I was in the Senior Administrator role I completed my Level 3 CIPD, this is not a necessity for my current role but did enable me to hone some key skills and learn from other HR Professionals across various sectors. I joined HR Services with an open mind and was keen to explore different opportunities and challenges to facilitate my development. During my time at UCL I have embraced opportunity and volunteered for as much as I can, taking part in a variety of projects, such as the HR Communities of Practice. In 2017 I completed a secondment within the IOE, this gave insight into the operations within a UCL department and the challenges that they face. Taking part in additional projects has provided me with the opportunity to build relationships and networks across UCL. In addition to the above the working relationships I have built with my managers and peers has been invaluable for my learning and development.

My advice to anyone wishing to follow a similar path would be to jump at the chance for opportunities  such as training, knowledge sharing and networking. Welcoming feedback from my managers, peers and key stakeholders and then learning from it where possible has also proved to be invaluable. I have also found that networking with those outside of my direct team has enabled me to broaden my understanding and perspectives. This has been particularly useful for the development of the Support Desk as a service  and on my ability to manage key expectations. I would also advise self-led research and learning to ensure you remain up to date with key changes across UCL as well as Employment Legislation changes. This has enabled me to make proactive and well informed decisions.

As of September 2019, I have started a secondment, as the Continuous Improvement Manager for the Professional Services Hub. This role has taken elements of what I really enjoyed as part of my HR Services Manager role and has broaden them across other key functions of the PS Hub. My first step is to enhance the relationships I already have with key stakeholders (Hub Managers) and to establish their needs and priorities. Some key deliverables I am working on is the roll out and development of a Customer Relationship Management tool and increasing the PS Hub’s digital presence, such as a website and monthly newsletters. All  of the relationships, skills and understanding the complexities of UCL I have developed are highly beneficial and transferrable to this secondment.