Employee Spotlight: Chloe, Collections Advisor
Chloe joined Hilton-Baird in October 2019, new to the collections sector and looking for a new challenge. Enthusiastic and driven, Chloe excels in her role as collections advisor.
Where did you start your career and what was your path to Hilton-Baird?
I left school and went straight into a sales job. I worked in sales for three or four years and then decided I wanted a different career path. I spoke to a recruiter at the time and explained that I love working to a target and they suggested collections which was an industry I hadn’t previously considered. I then met up with Hilton-Baird to discuss the role and I was really interested. It was a good match of the skills I had from my previous career with a different focus.
What do you enjoy about working for Hilton-Baird?
I enjoy is that it’s target and KPI driven, definitely in a more relaxed way than my previous roles. Over the years, as I’ve improved and the company’s got bigger, I’ve had the opportunity to take on more complex challenges with harder cases. I really like this as no day is the same, the clients we work for are varied and we get to deal with a wide variety of sectors.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of your role?
I’d say the feedback we get from clients is really rewarding, and getting money in for them. For example, the one I’m working on at the moment and some of the bigger cases in particular, are very rewarding when we hear from the clients that they are really pleased with our results. It just feels great to receive recognition from external sources that we’re doing a good job.
Do you prefer working alone or within a team?
A mixture of both as I like being at home and working on my own, where there’s no distractions so I can focus. I can do what I need to do and just get on with it, but then I also like being a part of a team with the different personalities and the diverse strengths this brings. We all speak every day. When I need help, or one of us just needs 5 minute to have a chat, it could just be about what’s going on in our lives even, we have a Teams call or exchange messages. We have a group chat to keep us all in the loop and then we often break off and have catch ups to keep connected both professionally and socially. It’s a really supportive team.
Describe a typical day in the life of Chloe at work.
First of all, we all catch up as a team to see what everyone’s got going on for the day. We all share our plans so the managers and the team can see what we’re working on. Then I prioritise the reporting, based on what is the most urgent or if a client is keen for feedback. I then will speak throughout the day with my managers regarding anything like results we’ve achieved, or something I need help with or advice on. Admin work comes towards the end of the day to ensure I’m set up for the next day with everything in order.
Do you think there’s any special skills that you need to be able to do your job?
I’d say I’m approachable and friendly, as well as being driven and tenacious. I’m quite direct and know how to speak to people clearly and fairly to get the right outcome of the call.
How important is the social aspect of work to you?
Yes, I think we wouldn’t be able to get through the day sometimes without just having that moment of having a quick catch up because we’re all humans. We do need to have contact and also, throughout the year, when we have in person team meetings or team dinners we all get really excited to see one another, especially those of us who work remotely the majority of the time.
Where do you see your career progressing and do you have any career goals?
I had my end of year review in December and I discussed with the managers that I would like to progress to a more senior role so they’ve put certain things in place for me, set some goals for me to achieve, to be able to do that. This is largely elements that are outside of my current role to enable me to gain experience. Then, when the role is ready or I’m ready, I will be able to move forward to the next stage of my career.
Do you feel that there are opportunities to progress within the business?
Yes, and I think the management team work to your strengths. So, they see what I’m good at and will make a role based on what I’m bringing to it, rather than just having a set structure and trying to slot people into fixed roles and structures.
What is the best part of hybrid working?
I am located too far from the office so I work solely at home but I do come into the office every couple of months for a few days at a time, which I enjoy.
Being able to work at home really helps with the work: life balance. So, taking out the commuting and having more free time before and after work. I like that you’re in the comfort of your own home as well. I relocated whilst working for the business which was great as I’ve managed to move due to not having to be in the office daily.
What makes you strive to be the best that you can be in your role?
Healthy competition within the team I think. I wouldn’t want to have an off day as that might then have an impact on someone else’s work and I don’t want that to be a catalyst for putting pressure on someone in the team. We all work hard and we all pull our weight.
What would you say would be a reason that someone new should join the team?
The balance between working really hard, but also having the support from management and the team. Not all companies have such a strong and supportive team to back them up. As a team we get involved in training too and we build each other up without hesitating. It’s great to be able to ask for help also and I think the rewards we receive by way of the Christmas and summer parties, and team dinners really help in building a fun and rewarding working environment.
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Would you like to be a part of our friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable team? Find out more about the opportunities available to take your career forward with Hilton-Baird here.
