Ready, Get Set, Call!

I started working at Kura almost six years ago. It was never meant to be long term, it was a stop gap. Growing up I always dreamed of working in a role that enabled me to help people, I wanted to be a counsellor or a social worker and coming into a contact centre I  simply didn’t think  this type of interaction would be possible.

If I look back at my first few months here it wasn’t the on-boarding experience that we have created now, however I  was looking for my real opportunity with Kura,  and this  came when  someone put their faith and time into me. I was coached, challenged and developed beyond anything I could have imagined anywhere. I found that here at Kura, I could actually bring my true self to work and show my passion for people by helping coach and develop them, very much the way that I had been. The on-boarding process had dramatically changed and improved and the focus was now very much about our People.

Fast forward and I am now  a Grad Manager at one of our three Glasgow sites. ‘Grad’ is quite literally Call Graduation, the piece of the contact centre  journey that happens just before advisors go live on the call-floor.

As a Grad Manager my role is to help and support new advisors in their first two months in the business and ensure that the start of their Kura journey is memorable. The first few months at Kura are arguably the most important, as there are lots of different processes and systems to learn – and ‘Grad’ is where the majority of this learning will take place. We have to show through coaching and development that the Kura Values are important in everyday life at Kura. Grad is also where the initial indicators of growth and challenges start to show and I can then pass this on to ensure continued development and coaching once the time in Grad is over.

For me, my own journey could have been very different if I had decided in my own early days, to leave. Not only would I have missed out on the personal development I’ve had, but everyone else would have missed out on this bubbly personality! All joking aside, the first few months in any new advisors career is perhaps the most important. We need to show them our commitment to our values. I love having the chance to work with  all  of our  different people and personalities, each with their own challenges and goals. Being able to support them as they grow within Kura is one of the most rewarding roles I can think of.

My journey at Kura started with a short term outlook however, over the past six years I have found  a career path that enables me to help people and start a journey of their own.

Julie McQuade, Grad Manager.