Resourcer Review

I really enjoy being a part of Randstad, I have learnt so many valuable skills that I will use in my personal life as well as work life. The people are friendly and supportive. The social life is a massive plus and the work itself can be rewarding. Now I know what to do day-to-day I feel a lot more settled and comfortable but before this I was really overwhelmed at times and felt I wasn't trained in a way that was useful to me. The training was effective because I was thrown in the deep end but I wasn't happy and didn't feel like I could speak to anyone about it because I was new. My only improvement would be to have a structured training plan for the first week however I am aware I am the first placement student they have had on their department so it was a learning experience for them too. Overall, I enjoy working at Randstad, the team is fun and the atmosphere is positive, there is always someone to offer help and advice and the work itself is challenging and interesting once you know what to do.

I feel like I am a valuable part of my immediate team because we all work closely and rely on each other. All the team welcomed me from day one and I can ask any of them for support whenever I feel like I'm struggling. Among the wider team I feel like I am valued and the managers make sure my contribution to the company is recognised when we have weekly meetings.

At the beginning they appreciated that I was new and had no experience in recruitment or the construction industry. They were patient and answered any questions I had however, they had no training plan so everyday I would go into work not knowing what I would be working on or learning. I was thrown in the deep end from the first week and it was very overwhelming as they expected me to learn a handful of things a day without being able to practice them effectively. The lack of training at the beginning of the placement was the only downside to this placement. In spite of this, the L&D trainer was fantastic and I learnt a lot in the short session I had with him, the couple of days training in Luton was incredibly beneficial too. The overall support and guidance from Randstad is great because I can ask for advice or help whenever I feel I need it and the training days/L&D trainer are helpful too. It's just the lack of support at the beginning I feel needs to be improved.

I am very busy day-to-day. The work load depends heavily on what is going on in the job market but there is always something to do. The working hours are long but the day flies by because you're talking to candidates or working towards deadlines, the work is challenging yet achievable so it can be very rewarding.

I am given the same level of responsibility as any other worker of the same job title as me within Randstad. I value this a lot because it has given me a real taster of the working world and what it would be like to work for Randstad full time, just like any other employee.

Working full time for a year has really opened my eyes to how much I can actually achieve in a day. I will set myself deadlines and be stricter with myself when it comes to work load and revision. Upholding a professional attitude at work will benefit me for any future job I have and I am more outgoing and confident since working at Randstad because I have met all kinds of people from various backgrounds and developed the skill to be able to talk to anyone. I have personally developed so much since joining Randstad and have definitely learnt some skills I will continue to use after my placement.

The general atmosphere in the office is positive and energetic. Everyone wants to do well and everyone encourages each other. It is a fun office and we all interact with each other, the different teams interact and we occasionally have team outings which are always fun. Everyone is close here at Randstad.

The placement was well organised. The interviewing process and assessment day was enjoyable and I learnt a lot from them. The placement itself was not very organised when I started but I was the first placement student the department had so it was a new learning experience for them too.

I received a lot of support form colleagues and felt like I could ask for help from anyone within my team, whether it be specifically about a task or about the job in general. I received training individually, so it was specific to me and my job, and I also receive training alongside others and both I found personally rewarding.

I really enjoyed working for Randstad and the company is well recognised. There is a lot of potential in the business and hard work really does pay off, it is a fair environment where you get out what you put in and that is very appealing to me. There are lots of branches across the UK so I can always re-locate to a closer branch if needed after university.

We have had hardly any interaction with the other placement students. We had a couple days training together and I think it's such a shame there isn't an event or something organised that fellow placement students can attend to meet each other in a non-working environment.

London is always going to be on the expensive side of things and for me the cost of travel to and from work for the year is shocking. In terms of socialising with Randstad, they are a great company because they appreciate that some things are expensive and will often pre-buy some bottles or beers ready for an evening of socialising in a bar.

The nightlife in London is great and always has been. There's always a bar or pub or club open for whenever you want to go out and people frequently go out after work for a few drinks.

There are some opportunities to get involved in outside of work, such as casual drinks or an activity in the evening after work such as a game of rounders. However, a lot activities are for the men in the office like football tournaments. Christmas time is great for everyone but there should be more diverse activities.