Group Benefits Manager Review

I manager the Group Employee Benefits portfolio. This includes supplier management, ensuring the benefits package meets the needs of our colleagues and people managing the benefits team. I am responsible for ensuring the risk insurance renewals happen at the right time and co-ordinate the renewal process with our insurance broker. I manage the employee car scheme and cash for car allowance policy. The financial wellbeing benefits also come within my remit working alongside the Head of Pensions and Financial Wellbeing. I also manage the workload within the team.

Yes - loads! I've been able to overcome my fear of presenting and now actually quite enjoy doing this. I've developed my recruitment and developing my team skills. My interactions with stakeholders and suppliers has improved massively. My emotional intelligence has developed such a lot and has helped me to manage my team better.

I've enjoyed the apprenticeship programme massively. I love learning - the programme has been a huge learning experience. Helping me to consider colour insights when communicating with my team and stakeholders within the business as well as the benefit providers. Since becoming Benefits Manager I have been involved in numerous projects and the course has given me the skills I need to be an effective project manager.

The programme has been brilliant - from the course work materials, the content of the modules to the coach - it's been an amazing experience. The coaching team have always been there for me as have my fellow colleagues. The modules were very clear and the expected learning from each one linked in with the project skills I'd need at the end of the programme.

My line manager and also their manager have been incredibly supportive. I was given the opportunity to take time out of my day to day role to revise for the end point assessment as well as the time I needed to complete the modules. I was given a promotion during the programme and became a line manager with a team reporting to me so I was able to practice the skills being gained as part of the programme within my day to day role.

My training provider was always there for me - really supportive and it didn't matter how silly a question sounded to me, they never reacted in that way. My coach was amazing and really helped me to understand how each module subject dovetailed into my particular role - even when the subject matter appeared to lend itself more to operational work than a central support role.

Really well. Completing the apprenticeship has made me a better manager, given me the confidence to call out and challenge anything I don't think is right, shown me how to tune into my emotional intelligence and communicate with my team, peers and leaders more effectively. I feel I have been given more autonomy in my role now. Above all my presentation skills have improved!

We have team social events - usually following on from a strategic planning day. We held one in London last year and held an evening social event afterwards. I attend many networking events both virtually and in person, as well as REBA conferences and other employee benefits events. I am on client advisory boards for some of our providers to help them shape their future product developments.

Yes

Travis Perkins plc are an amazing business to work for. They are forward thinking and their culture is all about the people. They aim is to be the leading partner to the construction industry so their whole strategic plan is around reaching that goal. They have a saying - You be You it's what makes Us, Us. I think that says it all.

You need to be prepared to work hard, but also be sociable. The culture is amazing - it's all about the people. We have 3 values - We Care, We're Better Together and We Give our Best to be the Best. You have to live those values, help your fellow colleagues and if you see someone struggling - offer help. Everyone is also encouraged to "call it out". Another tag line is "everyone home safe and well every day". All colleagues have a responsibility to make that happen and if they see something that's dangerous practice or not safe, they must call it out.