Human Resources Placement Review

The atmosphere within the office was generally serious and dull, more so within my team but the workforce was generally older which could explain the reasion for this atmosphere. I think the office could have benefited from a more light-hearted atmosphere, even from time-to-time. More interaction and fun between the teams would also create a better atmosphere as this was very much limited. I think part of the problem was due to the fact that there was no canteen facilities or anywhere to take a break for lunch, so this hindered socialising a great deal.

The work placement was very badly set up and there was very little structure to what I had to do. I had big responsibilities to undertake but due to the heavy workload which was constantly being placed on myself it was difficult to maintain a level of output and the workload was of detriment to my important aspects of work. I tried explaining numerous times to my line manager the troubles I faced but no understanding was exemplified. Within weeks of starting my placement the team gradually grew over two months from 4 to 8 with each new team member having at least 8-10 years more experience than I. Yet I was expected to hand-over to them and be available to help them at any moment, which again took away from my workload and there was no structure for this process. I was expected to pick up different aspects of work whenever it was required and suited other people in my team, regardless of the work I was trying to organise and prioritise. The additional work which was delegated to me was expected to take precedence, regardless of my expression that it was not of utmost priority in comparison to my other actions. I also had work to complete with the other placement student that was in the office but she had a workload which was easier to manage and wanted to have meetings frequently to stay on top of our projects, however my workload did not allow for this and my line manager constantly encouraged me to push it onto to her. This caused bas tensions between myself and the other student especially as the project were technically under the remit of my team, Human Resources for completion.

I was given an initial handover with the placement I was taking over from, but due to the increasing workload, the handover gradually stopped and we were just actioning work between us. Upon request from my line manager I asked for a structure to be in place to exemplify my development over the course of my placement. However, my additional training to increase my development had to constantly be postponed due to my ever increasing workload and demands.

I would never return to the company to work due to awful experience I had whilst on my work placement, I felt completely undervalued and no consideration was shown to how I felt despite my numerous meetings and explanations. My placement officer from university even came down to my office for a meeting with my line manager and had to explain that I was still a student and this had to be taken account. I do believe graduate positions are available but no fast-track options like other big companies offer.

There was no social scene amongst the colleagues or with the other placement student.

The cost of living was cheap as it was located in the Stockton-on-Tees, North East. However, I commuted from Newcastle-upon-Tyne so this was an additional cost to myself, but worth it to avoid living in Stockton-on-Tees, as this is not a particularly nice area, with much to offer.

There was no nightlife in Stockton-on-Tees or any that would of been keen on investigating. However, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, only an hour away, has the best nightlife on offer.

There was a company initiative, called EEEC, which encouraged all employees to participate in an activity which gives back to the commnunity e.g. dog-walking. These were completed during company time and many activities were completed with their team, however my team were not willing or available to try and make this into a team-building event.