Professional development insight
Diary of a student… Angela Hensley BA (Hons) FCIPP Monthly payroll team leader, Laing O’Rourke
Tony’s West Ham season ticket which took him out of the house every other Saturday. The tutorials for each module were a great help and after a gap of six years between completing the Foundation Degree and starting the BA degree there had been huge changes to methods of studying and writing assignments. Harvard referencing being one of them. Did the fact that the CIPP is Chartered or recognised within the industry influence your decision to enrol with the CIPP? And were there any particular modules which were of interest prior to enrolling? Knowing the CIPP were a chartered body definitely influenced my decision to study a corporate qualification with them at Derby University. Having a degree recognised by a national institution makes me incredibly proud. The modules were all useful and unique in their own right but I was particularly interested in the enhanced leadership module to help me evolve into a more rounded confident manager with good communication skills. The module has given me the inspiration to try and empower and motivate my team and to encourage them to develop their own careers. For someone who is thinking about studying for a CIPP qualification what would your advice be to them? I would definitely encourage anyone to consider a CIPP qualification. Not only do you receive a nationally recognised qualification but you also get the continued support of the CIPP. I have more confidence in my skills and ability not only in payroll but in people management and also an understanding of how corporate businesses operate. In addition to this you meet like-minded people at the tutorials who are a support and inspiration to study with. The whole experience, whilst being one of the hardest things to do, is also one of the most rewarding achievements of my life. n
Can you give us a brief background into your life?
administrators not only needs an in- depth knowledge of payroll but requires an up-to-date understanding of modern management. Theories constantly change in management and the CIPP course offered the perfect solution to be the best manager I can be and to help support and develop the team. Learning about people management, project planning, finance within business and bringing it all together with a work-based assignment also enabled me to network across the company and understand many aspects of the business which were once alien to me. How important is this degree in relation to your future career? It seems more apparent in a modern workplace that gaining relevant qualifications is more important than ever. My years of experience has culminated in a formal qualification. The degree has opened my mind to modern management skills. The knowledge I have gained is transferable across many areas and has helped me when communicating with other departments especially reward, finance and legal. How do you cope with the work- life balance and include your study? Trying to manage a full-time job, family life and studying for a degree is not easy. Sitting at the laptop, surrounded by reference books, staring at an assignment to complete, the first thing my mind turned to was chocolate. Weekends were when I completed most of my assignments and I studied best when everyone was out of the house and I could take time to concentrate completely. Thank goodness for my partner
I started working with my current company when my eldest daughter was a year old and 22 years later I am still here, initially working as a secretary in the buying office, transferring into the legal department and then finding myself working in payroll. I have seen huge changes within my job, the company and the construction industry whilst watching my two daughters grow up, leave school and flourish at university. In my spare time I love good food and red wine. I also spend many hours walking Draco, my German shepherd dog, across the Essex countryside. Can you give us an insight to your career and qualification background? I started my career as a legal personal assistant in the City of London before starting a family and then returning to work at O’Rourke’s, a construction company. My colleague in the office next door was rushed off her feet needing some help running the payroll. After a buyout O’Rourke’s became Laing O’Rourke and I started working full- time in payroll. Growing from a department of two into a team of five, after six years I was asked to head up the monthly payroll team of five paying nearly 4,000 employees. I studied then for the CIPP Foundation Degree. Seeing both my girls in university inspired me to take my knowledge further and undertake the BA (Hons) in Business and Management with the CIPP. Why did you choose to study the BA (Hons) in Business and Reward Management? Managing a team of five payroll
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 32 | July/August 2017
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