I graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a degree in law, and after taking some time out to travel and work part-time in Sainsbury’s, I started job-searching. I was inspired to apply for a role at Hays after hearing positive feedback from existing employees, and during the interview process I was really impressed with the culture and work environment. I joined the company full-time in March 2020 as an associate consultant in insurance, but the pandemic meant my role was furloughed not long after I joined. I came back to work in August – this time as a member of the life sciences team – and I was promoted to recruitment consultant in February 2021. Then in June of the same year I was promoted again to senior recruitment consultant. I’m pleased to say that my initial great impression of Hays is still standing, and both the excellent culture and workplace environment have continued to deliver ever since.

In my current role as senior recruitment consultant in the life sciences department, I specialise in recruiting for pharmacovigilance professionals. I really enjoy the process of matching the right candidates to their perfect jobs, and then supporting them with their long-term career goals. I’m incredibly proud to have achieved multiple promotions in such a short period of time, and I’m excited to see what comes next in my career at Hays.

One of the many things I love about working at Hays is that it is a meritocracy. The culture is focused on creating opportunities for everyone to flourish and succeed, regardless of your background and hard work and dedication are fairly rewarded.

I work with a close-knit, brilliant team and we have a great collaborative environment. It’s fast-paced and sociable, and you really do get out what you put in. I have only been here for a fairly short time, but I have already learned so much, which shows in my results. As well as receiving promotions, I’ve even been enrolled on this year's Rising Stars’ programme, an initiative for prospective leaders to get an insight into leadership from directors in the business, gain exposure and can drive positive change.

To me, ED&I (equity, diversity, and inclusion) means providing equal opportunities regardless of someone’s race, upbringing, social status, beliefs, gender or sexuality – everyone should feel comfortable and respected and should be given a voice. Not only is it the right thing to do, but ED&I enables people to feel empowered, increases employee retention, creates a sense of belonging and means that a greater number of creative ideas can be brought to the table.

I think the ED&I policies are integrated well throughout all areas of Hays and it is something that is pushed consistently, not only by the talent acquisition team who ensure they employ a genuinely diverse workforce, but by everyone, in that we always treat each other with respect. It’s an environment where you are rewarded for your results rather than your background, which resonates with me, especially as my family are from Malta and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi are inspirations to me. These three individuals started the Black Lives Matter movement back in 2013, which was really brought into the public eye in 2020, after the tragic deaths of a number of black individuals that included George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

What they’ve achieved in terms of raising awareness and sparking change for black people sits with me deeply. I didn’t realise how much of an issue there was until the movement gained momentum, it made me stop and think and I realised how much discrimination and casual racism I had received over the years. They’ve helped me and others feel empowered, they have prompted a lot of people to learn about the history of black culture, what really is acceptable and what isn’t.

Find out more about the opportunities available and start your Hays story today.