Workforce Analyst Review

I have really enjoyed my time at Randstad. The work is varied, the atmosphere is always upbeat and cheerful and there is a lot of scope for independence and recognition within all roles. Working hours can be slightly long, but this is compensated by the sense of involvement and achievement that comes with the job.

I feel extremely valued by all my colleagues at Randstad. Being in only my third year of University, I thought that older peers would not value my thoughts and contributions, however, everyone always has time to listen to my opinion and make me feel a valued member of the team.

Supervisors and managers do have a lot of other work commitments. That being said they always prioritise me and the other business placement students over existing client obligations. They put a tremendous amount of effort in daily for proper, thorough training and it really does pay off for the progress of the business.

I am fairly busy with a variety of work coming in every day. As the nature of my work changes a lot on a daily basis, I am given independence to manage my calendar as a whole on a weekly basis, as long as all of my tasks set are completed within the allotted time frame.

I was given far more responsibility than I could've possibly imagined. I am able to plan my calendar every week which discerns what work I complete. As I also partake in a lot of site visits I am given the scope to book my trains and hotels through an expenses app.

The skills I have learnt will be endlessly helpful to me. My proficiency in excel, communication and specific front-end softwares have improved the most. Training has been both detailed and broad, allowing me access to multiple areas of the business, so I now feel comfortable in report work as well as more operational tasks.

The atmosphere in my office is very friendly. We have a policy that if someone walks into the office, an employee will ensure they are being looked after, or at the least given a friendly smile and told to wait a minute. It is a very high-pressure environment, that you have to have a particular mindset to thrive in, but work ethic and hard work are always recognised and rewarded.

There has obviously been a lot of thought going into the structure of the work placement. With three inductions being held throughout the year, weekly meetings with managers and buddy meetings there is always someone to talk to about your personal progress and any concerns you may have with work life.

The company fully invests in you as a person. They want to see you develop and spend a lot of time and resources ensuring that this happens. This is measured on a monthly basis through 'skills matrixes' and if you bring up that you would like to get trained on another area this is nearly always accommodated.

Future employment prospects are very good within this company. Being a leading recruitment company, there is a constant demand to increase gross profit and hire new staff to help manage the man power to achieve this. There is a big sense of trust and loyalty, as well as a lot of room for internal promotion and progress within the company.

As there are a fair few placement students of the same age in my division of the company, there is a lot of scope for socialising outside of work. The business has helped with this by arranging ice breakers and work events with the more mature/ experienced colleagues in the office.

The cost of living was reasonable. Standard midlands prices for clubs. Birmingham and other big cities are only a short train journey away, so there is a lot of scope for activities to do over the weekend away from work. The business was also very helpful with familiarising us with the area by hosting a night out before we actually started at the company.

The nightlife in the area I worked has been pretty fun. There are 3 main local clubs; Sin, Bushwhackers and Tramps. All are very studenty which is nice and the music isn't too bad. Entry is around a fiver and drinks are usual prices. Bigger cities are close-by so there are other options available.

There have been a few activities arranged outside of work hours, but an equal amount of events during company time. There is a real team feel within Randstad and they constantly strive to make everyone feel included as a whole. Examples of activities included a crazy golf trip, meals out and a summer safari park.