HR Assistant Review

I really enjoyed my placement year at Renault, work placements role giver you the opportunity to kick start your career, and within Renault if you can build trust you will be rewarded with great responsibility with the chance to own and manage various projects. Work placements are valued around the company and are a crucial resource.

From the very start of my placement year I was trusted with managing my own work, and as time progressed I gained more and more responsibility. The management style allowed me to explore my own areas of interest and own my work. My team placed trust in my me and this drove me everyday.

When I required support and guidance my managers were always there to support me and guide me in the right direction. Other management across the business were also willing to help when needed and the open and collaborative environment across Renault allowed for successful learning and development. Although across the business pressure was high and this limited support at times.

At times I was extremely busy working a lot of extra hours, I see this as a good learning experience which allowed me to deal with pressure and multiple deadlines, and developed my prioritizing skills. Although at times, It would have beneficial to have less work load to explore other areas of interest within the department.

I built up trust within the team and demonstrated that I was capable of managing my own work and responsibilities. This was rewarded with being given a lot of responsibility with the department and the chance to manage and execute my own projects. This gave me the chance to develop my project management skills.

A majority of the of the training was on the job, which in my opinion is the best way to learn and develop, practically applying theory into the real world. This brought a wide range of skills, it would have been great to have the opportunity to receive specialist training outside of the business.

Renault adopts a friendly and open environment, however it's very hard working. At times it is pressured and fast paced which is a good platform to learn off but can create a tense environment at times. The office is open planned which is great for collaboration and working within teams but occasionally can make focus difficult with colleagues approaching your desk.

A lot of effort had gone into the induction and on boarding of the placement program, throughout the year there were appraisals to be completed and an end of year review with your manager. The handover period allowed for myself to get settled in and to learn the ropes quickly, making me both comfortable and confident in my work.

The company invested a lot of time into training in the initial period. However throughout there was a lack of training in my particular role. Although on the job training is truly the best way to learn and develop, and within this placement scheme you are given the responsibility and trust to be able to develop progressively.

Renault offer a great graduate scheme for both finance and commercial departments which are great if you have a passion for automotive and these areas of business mentioned. The challenging scheme takes you into your first management potion where you have the opportunity showcase your talent and what you can offer the company.

Good social scene due to Renault taking on around 20 interns, and sharing the same site as RCI and Nissan who also both take on work interns. We often organised events and social in tandem with the sports and social committee at Renault. Although being based in Maple Cross the night life is limited, but links into London are good.

Being based in Hertfordshire just outside of London the costs are reasonable. They are not overall expensive but definitely not cheap, with the area not offering that much we often venture into London which makes socializing more expensive. As there are many inters, houses can be shared so that costs can be reduced.

There is a great selection of pubs around Renault as they're towns and villages which are great in the summer with brilliant beer gardens. Although the nightlife is poor and Watford or Uxbridge are the local places which offer some poor venues. Travelling into London is needed to have better options.

Renault have a sports and social committee which aims to arrange social events outside of work. Renault had various sports teams like football, netball and cricket which are great to meet new people and enjoy your time in the evenings. Social events are arranged in the evening to get people involved.