Tell us about your background and what led you to Hastings Direct?
I have an IT background working as a Systems Analyst. I moved into a Business Analyst role about ten years ago because I wanted to develop the skills to offer full project lifecycle coverage. Most of my experience is in financial services - insurance, pensions, banking, etc. Recently I saw an advert for a Business Analyst role with Hastings Direct that reflected my skills and allowed me to continue my experience in agile methodology. I thought that it would be a great fit, so I applied.
Can you tell us a bit about the work you and your team do at Hastings Direct?
I work in a SCRUM team that covers mandatory and regulatory change. The projects have a wide scope and are heavy on analysis. I create features and user stories containing strong acceptance criteria. We engage with a wide range of stakeholders, so building trust and good relationships is key. I enjoy analysis and there is never a dull moment! The members of our team support each other, which is great.
Tell us about your experience of joining Hastings Direct and working remotely during Covid-19 lockdown…
I must admit, at first I thought my job offer may get deferred due to the lockdown. But Hastings Direct quickly adapted to the home working model and I joined my first stand-up on my second day, so it seemed like business as usual from my perspective. The team made allowances for me when I was getting my laptop up and running. I soon got going on analysis work and the help and support I received from fellow analysts, technical staff and stakeholders was amazing. It still seems odd that the only time I have been to the Bexhill office was for my interview, but using tools like Skype and Microsoft Teams has proved that we can still communicate and work effectively from home.
Do you have any tips for new joiners starting their role at Hastings Direct virtually?
Everyone is in the same boat; the colleagues you are working with have all adapted to home working and will help you do the same. Any questions or issues can quickly be resolved because there is a good team spirit across the organisation - there is no such thing as a silly question! Listen lots, ask questions and have a quest to show that you are hitting the ground running.
Why should someone consider joining Hastings Direct?
We all gather skills and experience as we progress through different roles, companies and projects. I like to exploit those skills and gain traction on whatever work is assigned to me. From my perspective, Hastings Direct are assigning projects that mean I can do exactly this. The agile methodology is embedded, creating a dynamic environment. You have the opportunity to experience lots of different challenges and solve interesting problems. I am pleased to be part of Hastings Direct and am grateful that the organisation was able to adapt in these challenging times.
To find out more about our current vacancies, click here.
Date posted: 18th June 2020