1. What does a typical working day look like?
It's difficult to define a typical working day in my role since each day is different due to the variety of clients and projects we work with. For instance, I could work on a pay and benefits benchmarking project one day, and write a pay gap or equal pay report the next. As a consultancy, our workloads are mainly determined by client deadlines. Therefore, I've learned that managing my schedule is crucial in this role. Consequently, my day usually begins by planning my workload based on approaching deadlines, determining which projects require priority, and allocating enough time for each task. In addition to data analysis and report writing, I'll also participate in calls with clients to initiate new projects, conduct data validation sessions, provide updates on project progress, and present our report findings when the work is almost complete. Lately, I've been joining more business calls with my colleagues and preparing proposals to help Innecto win more work. This opportunity has helped me gain knowledge about the commercial side of things.
2. What initially drew you to a career as an Associate Consultant, and why did you choose this field?
Until January of last year, I worked in Personal Group's in-house People team in a more generalist HR capacity. During this time, I was exposed to various People Operations activities, but what I enjoyed most was helping the team with our use of people analytics and our HR information system. My first experience of working in a reward capacity was when I assisted with projects to review all our pay benchmarking data and help with the annual pay review. These projects opened my eyes to the importance of reward management for company culture and engagement, and it felt empowering to help the company ensure that its reward offering is equal and fair for its employees, as well as suitable and sustainable for the business.
So, when the opportunity arose to support Innecto initially on a part-time secondment, and then in a permanent role, I was excited about working with a range of different client companies and helping them with their varying challenges in reward management.
3. What excites you about potential advancements or changes in Reward?
Over the past few years, the perception of reward has undergone significant changes. It has become a hot topic, particularly after the Covid pandemic, the current cost of living crisis, and the tight labour market. Organisations are no longer considering base salary as the only form of reward. Instead, they are focusing on the overall reward package they offer, which includes working conditions and accompanying benefits, to ensure they are attractive to their workforce’s needs.
As an assistant, I find it exciting to help companies identify areas where their reward strategy is falling short and work with them to find creative solutions to elevate it. With reward becoming more of a business focus, there will be an increased interest in using technology to generate more useful insights into how compensation is being managed. Pay equity and equal pay have become significant concerns, and utilising compensation software solutions like our Paylab, Evaluate, and Advance tools will help HR professionals quickly compare their reward offerings across the workforce to ensure they are fair and consistent.
We should all strive to be as efficient as possible while ensuring that the business decisions we make are well-informed. Embracing more technology in the reward space will be a vital part of this.
4. What sort of company is Innecto to work for?
One of the most impressive things I have noticed while working at Innecto is the shared sense of pride that everyone takes in the work we do for our clients. We have a strong focus on helping companies improve their business practices for the better, and we always strive to deliver the best quality to our clients. We truly care about being able to add value when companies need our support. As a growing consultancy, it means that our working environment is quite fast-paced and dynamic, but this just makes our achievements feel even more rewarding.
As someone who is still relatively early in my career and wants to continually expand my knowledge in the reward space, I’ve found everyone at Innecto to be really supportive of my career aspirations. They are also generous with the development opportunities available.
5. Which is your favourite/most used employee benefit?
I certainly appreciate the more traditional perks such as vacation time and flexible scheduling, but I'm particularly fond of the discounts and vouchers for lifestyle products available through our Hapi app. These came in handy when I moved houses recently and needed to purchase large, pricey appliances. They're also great when I want to treat myself and my partner to a discounted meal.
Additionally, I believe that benefits such as health cash plans and private medical insurance are among the most critical yet underappreciated benefits available. You hope you won't have to use them frequently, but it's reassuring to know that they're there if you ever do.
6. What's your favourite moment at Innecto so far?
Our team had a social event during the summer where we played miniature golf. It was a great way to unwind and have fun with each other after working so hard on Innecto's success. We enjoyed a bit of healthy competition and shared a lot of laughs. However, some of our team members need to improve their mini-golf skills before the next round. But I certainly won't embarrass anyone by taking names!
7. What advice do you have for an aspiring Reward Professional?
Becoming a Reward Analyst or an Associate Consultant can be an excellent career option if you enjoy interpreting and analysing data to create business solutions. My prior background in HR has helped me understand how effective reward strategies can help businesses achieve success by retaining existing talent, encouraging employee engagement, and motivating the workforce. However, the role of a Reward Analyst is accessible to anyone new to the reward space but comfortable with data analysis and interested in a fresh challenge.
8. What are your passion areas of reward? What are you particularly interested in?
I have had the opportunity to work on several gender pay reports for clients recently, which has helped me understand the significance of pay equity and transparency. These are two important HR agenda items that have been gaining momentum in the workplace, and for good reason. Pay differences based on personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, or disability can create a negative culture of unfairness and bias in the workplace. While gender pay reporting has become mandatory for companies with 250+ employees, organisations must use these findings to create and implement actionable plans to avoid unjustifiable differences in pay.
When we generate pay gap reports for our clients, we not only verify their pay gap figures but also delve deeper into the meaning behind the numbers to help our clients understand what is causing them and why. With these insights, companies can start having more open conversations with their employees about pay equity and consistency in the workplace. I am passionate about companies not letting pay gap reporting become just a meaningless, tick-box exercise that the government makes them do every year.
9. What clients have you worked with / any specific sectors?
During my time at Innecto, I had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients. From charities in the not-for-profit sector, such as Oxfam and the MS Society, to well-known food and beverage companies like Innocent and YeoValley. I even worked on a project with Surrey County Cricket Club and had the chance to work with clients in specialist industries. For example, working with Arriva TrainCare allowed me to benchmark their technical, train maintenance roles against the Rolling Stock market. Likewise, my ongoing project with the Royal Opera House has provided me with greater insight into the various roles and people involved in putting on their spectacular productions.
10. Which TV series/book are you hooked on?
Great question! I enjoy watching comedy shows that help me relax and laugh after a long day at work. Lately, I've been hooked on Ted Lasso, which is available on Apple TV. The show follows an American football coach as he learns to lead a soccer team in England. It's a fantastic show that will make you question some of the peculiar British customs.
