Starting my AAB People Journey

When I was asked if I wanted to write this blog, I must admit my stomach started to churn. Blogging is definitely not in my comfort zone, but after some reflection, I thought why wouldn’t I want to write about joining AAB People and share this amazing experience.

I can’t believe it’s been 12 weeks already and what a roller-coaster ride it’s been. After working as a standalone HR Manager for the past 23 years, HR Consultancy has always been something I have been interested in. I embarked on this new path following redundancy, after nine years with my previous Employer, an Oil & Gas Company in Aberdeen.  At the time I thought my world was falling apart but luckily, I was introduced to our CEO, Lisa Thomson in a mutual Facebook group and I instantly knew that from that first introductory call, I wanted to be a part of Lisa’s team.

Originally from South Africa, I arrived in Scotland in 1997 and have been working in Recruitment and HR ever since. This was not my career of choice at the time, but I was lucky enough to secure a job almost immediately and once I started to learn more about the role, I knew instinctively that I was destined to work in HR. I went on to gain my Chartered Membership of the Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and have never looked back.

What I hadn’t realized when joining AAB People was how different working as a consultant would be from a standalone role, in a good way of course. When working as an internal HR Manager, particularly for SME’s, you only get the opportunity to make a difference to one company. The absolute joy of working with AAB People is that I can demonstrate my experience and knowledge daily and make a real difference to a number of clients based all over Scotland.

Even in my few short weeks, I have gained so much insight into different businesses and had the opportunity to work on some very complex and interesting cases. This has allowed me the freedom to ‘think outside the box’ and find solutions that not only fit the legal requirements but more importantly find the right solutions for my clients and their employees. I love the fast paced, yet supportive environment and I know that I am going to develop my skills further as a HR professional as I gain more exposure across our vast portfolio.

As for the team I am lucky enough to work with, well what can I say other than AMAZING. They have made me feel so welcome from day one and the induction process was second to none. I had the opportunity to meet with every team member individually and discuss the things they were working on which I found very interesting and informative. No one at AAB People is precious about what they are working on, and we are all willing to share experiences and knowledge. There is a great sense of teamwork, and this is something you lack as a standalone HR Manager. It’s great to be able to sense check my thoughts with likeminded professionals.

I know it’s still early days, but everyone has been so welcoming that I feel like I have been here a lot longer than a few weeks. I am really looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me.

By Frances Wood, HR Consultant