Insider profil

Picture of Rachel R

Rachel R.

Head of Talent Acquisition

Ask me a question
HR

Keen to receive questions about

ApplicationsCareer DevelopmentCareer TipsEligibility AdviceEveryday LifeInterview AdviceOpen RolesOur CulturePeople & DiversityRoleWhy usWork & Life with Us

Top Insider Advice

A sideways or lateral career move can help give you a different perspective and broader experience. It helps you consolidate your knowledge. Always look around an organisation if you're happy before deciding to look outside. There are opportunities often such as secondments which might give you that breadth with an option to return to your 'home role' afterwards.

Read more advice

Career path

Head of Talent Acquisition

Phoenix Group

Started 06/2021 to Present

Company

What do you like about your job and the company?

Although my day is often very structured with regular calls and meetings it can all change very quickly. With all the communication methods available I can find myself involved in a variety of different tasks, asks or conversations each day which I didn't plan. It keeps it really interesting. I'm also really lucky as we work in a hybrid role so I have a huge amount of flexibility about where I work. For me I enjoy the social interaction that the office provides a couple of days a week although I'm more productive on the days I work from home so like the balance of both worlds.

Greatest achievements

It was actually a job that I was recruiting for but I got one well with the hiring manager and upon reading the job spec and interviewing candidates I realised I had the skills and experience to give it a go. No regrets it was incredibly tough, and I had just come back from maternity leave and so made the difficult decision to come back full-time to take the job but I learnt so much in the first two years that it was definitely a career highlight. I was lucky in that not only was I able to build something successful from scratch, but as we supported a number of countries across Europe and required fluent native speakers we ended up building a really diverse and multicultural team which meant I learnt so much from those around me about the different cultures, traditions and approaches - for example did you know that in Germany it's unlucky to give someone a birthday present or wish them a Happy Birthday before their actual birthday?

Other insiders

Serena W

Regulatory Analysis & Support Team Manager

Top Insider Advice

Have go......what have you got to lose!

Tim B

Programme Director

Top Insider Advice

Notice how you feel about what you're doing and about how you're doing it. If it feels right then stick with it... if not adjust, notice how you feel and keep adjusting until it feels right.

Grainne M

Top Insider Advice

I was once told your network is not everyone you know but instead everyone you have helped as these are the people who are likely to help you when need be. This was excellent advice. Always help others when you have the capacity to do so, of course your day job still must be done also which is where this can get challenging but also doable! It is often tasks outside of my job description I find rewarding. On top of this it is great for both personal and career development to work across different functions when given the opportunity.

Discussions with Rachel R
How is this company different to your expectations before joining?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Picture of Jeremy
2 responses
771 views
Can you give me some tips on what the company values?
in Career Tips·Friday, November 25, 2022
Picture of Chris
2 responses
479 views
What are the 3 top qualities required to succeed in your role?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Picture of Tim
Picture of Jason
3 responses
414 views
What motivates you about your role?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, January 31, 2023
1 response
219 views