Line HR Placement Student Review

Monitoring the shared inbox (supporting over 120 employees across CBS), processing Return to Work forms, drafting contractual paperwork, processing New Starters, Leavers and Changes for employees, advising managers on polices and processes, and supporting the HR Advisors with Family Friendly cases etc. The job varies a lot so day to day tasks are always changing.

I have built upon my Excel skills, have become more confident in presenting to larger groups and leading training, my communication skills have vastly improved as I had to learn how work alongside my colleagues whilst working remotely.

I was given a lot of responsibility in that I was treated as a regular employee and not a student - I see this as a positive! I was always offered support and help if I needed it, but was encouraged to take on new tasks and always offered the opportunity to be involved with new projects if I wanted. Management encouraged me to speak up when I was interested in any particular areas, and they were happy to involve me to increase my exposure to different areas of the business and processes.

I was given a lot of support throughout the whole placement. I was given a "Buddy" within the team who provided me with a lot of my on the job training, and they were always available to instant message throughout the day with any questions, then we could jump onto calls if needed. I had regular 1 to 1s with my line manager, where she asked how everything was going, if I needed support, and if there was anything I felt I wanted more involvement with. I also had quarterly Skip Meetings with a manager 2 levels above me, and she checked in with how things are going and made sure everything was okay so I had the chance to discuss anything I might not have felt comfortable talking to my manager about. Half way through the placement I was also given a mentor (optional). We had a group chat with the whole team on Microsoft Teams so we could ask any questions throughout the day easily, and daily team meetings to have catch ups.

The company culture was really welcoming. In the first week I attended OnBoarding with the other students, the company offered great support to their employees with their Employee Assistance Programme, and regularly sent out information on where to seek support for mental health issues. The general atmosphere was also really good - I was made to feel like I could talk to anyone and message whoever if I wanted to, including the Leaders.

I have really enjoyed my placement with Cummins. I can't say enough how welcoming my immediate team were - they were really supportive and friendly, and made it really easy to settle in. The company culture makes you feel like they actually care about you as an employee, and they emphasise how students are there to be developed. The work was always interesting and I had the option to be involved with new things where I was interested. I'd definitely come back to Cummins in the future!

Yes

Read into the company culture and values and make sure it's something you resonate with, and if you do, put this into your cover letter and let them know why you would fit in with Cummins. Go in with an open mind, expect to have to learn a lot! At the interviews, try to just show yourself as welcoming, easy to talk to and compassionate (look at the skills needed for HR).