On Monday the 18th of September, I had my first day at Pennine. My first impressions of Pennine were fantastic; as everyone I was introduced to was incredibly friendly and welcoming. On my first day, I was given a tour of Pennine Healthcare, where I was shown the many different areas and introduced to the various teams across the business.
I was admittedly incredibly nervous before starting my new role, but as soon as I began meeting and speaking with everyone, my nerves quickly disappeared. I soon realised what a friendly and supportive group of people I would be working alongside with.
My role as Junior Marketing Assistant means that I work closely alongside Dan, the Strategy, Marketing & Communications Director and Beth, the Graphic Design Manager. Both Dan and Beth have been a real pleasure to get to know and work alongside with over the past few weeks.
So far, I have been working through my training modules, meeting the many different teams at Pennine and developing content for our social media and website platforms. In doing this, I have learnt many new skills and discussed multiple topics completely new to me, all of which I have found incredibly interesting.
As I continue to settle into my marketing role, I am also developing a greater understanding of Pennine’s purpose: Protecting Life. Empowering Colleagues. Enriching Communities. It has been lovely to see how this purpose connects to the work carried out across the business and it has helped me understand the importance of communicating not only what we do, but also the values and people behind it.
I am beyond excited to see where my role as Junior Marketing Assistant will take me on my journey here at Pennine Healthcare.
During my first three weeks, I was introduced to the different departments across Pennine Healthcare, helping me gain a deeper understanding of the business and get to know the fantastic teams who make Pennine what it is today.
I was first introduced to the Export team by Sharon, who kindly explained her role at Pennine and what a typical day looks like for her. I learnt about the important role she plays in coordinating international export shipments and ensuring our products reach customers around the world.
Shortly after this, I spoke with Ruby, who introduced me to Customer Care and explained what her day-to-day responsibilities involve. This gave me a greater understanding of the importance of building positive customer relationships and ensuring customers receive the support they need.
Next, I met with Dionne, who introduced me to the Packs team and talked me through the key aspects of her role. Dione also took me down to the Cleanroom viewing area, where I had the opportunity to learn more about how our products are prepared for shipment. Seeing this process helped me gain a better understanding of the care, attention and procedures involved in preparing our products for customers.
After this, I spoke with Mark, who gave me an insight into the IT team and shared some interesting information about the technology systems we use at Pennine. This helped me appreciate the important role technology plays in supporting our colleagues and ensuring our day-to-day operations run smoothly.
I then spent some time with the Procurement and Logistics team, where Catherine, Louise, Karen and Tara introduced me to their roles and gave me a general overview of their daily responsibilities. It was particularly interesting to learn how different tasks and responsibilities come together to support the wider business.
Shortly afterwards, Clare introduced me to QARA, explaining its responsibilities and the important role it plays at Pennine. This gave me a greater appreciation of the quality assurance and regulatory processes that help ensure our products meet the necessary standards and requirements.
Lastly, I had the opportunity to learn more about the Finance team with Tim, who talked me through Pennine’s finances and shared some valuable business insights. This helped me develop a broader understanding of the financial side of the business and how it supports Pennine’s continued operations and growth.
Over these past few weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the different departments across Pennine and gain a better understanding of how they work together. Each conversation has given me a new perspective on the business, highlighting the knowledge, responsibilities and contributions of the people who help keep everything running smoothly.
Alongside learning about the different departments, I have also gained a greater appreciation of Pennine’s purpose and the values that help shape the way we work. Accountability, Honesty and Continuous Improvement are important parts of Pennine’s culture, encouraging us to take responsibility, communicate openly and look for ways to improve every day.
Getting to know colleagues across the business has helped me understand how these values can be reflected in our everyday responsibilities and the way we support one another. It has been particularly rewarding to see how everyone brings their own knowledge and experience to their role while contributing to a shared purpose: Protecting Life. Empowering Colleagues. Enriching Communities.
Overall, I have really enjoyed my time here at Pennine Healthcare so far. Going into a new job, it was super important to me to be able to feel welcome into this new environment as I started a new journey in my life, I can absolutely say that Pennine Healthcare has exceeded my expectations.
The atmosphere is consistently positive and everyone is so friendly. I never expected to feel comfortable and settled into a new job so quickly, but I am pleased to say that I have felt this way from my very first week.
Everyone I’ve met, from Hummie, our lovely front of house manager, who was the first to welcome me on my very first day, to colleagues I may not get the chance to work with regularly, have all been so incredibly kind and welcoming. It’s been a pleasure getting to know so many wonderful people across Pennine and experiencing the friendly, supportive culture that makes it such a special place to work. I can safely say I have been given the confidence to be able to speak with anybody here at Pennine, as I have learnt that I will be met with kindness and support in response.
Another aspect of working at Pennine that has stood out to me is the positive workplace culture. One example is the ‘Dress for the Day’ approach, which allows colleagues to wear more casual clothing on days when there are no external meetings or other requirements. I really appreciate this flexibility, as it helps me feel relaxed and comfortable at work. It is these little things that can make such a difference when settling into a new role.
I would love to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Pennine Healthcare for making my first three weeks at Pennine as brilliant as it has been, everyone has been so warm and welcoming, making me feel part of the Pennine team from day one. It has been a pleasure getting to know so many colleagues, learning more about the business and beginning this exciting new chapter of my career.
Find out more the Pennine Healthcare team here: https://www.penninehealthcare.co.uk/meet-the-team/
