Every day, Rhona helps employers to manage their member records and members to better understand their pensions. Her role is as an Employer Relationship Manager working within Teachers’ Pensions. She’s a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, after living with M.E. herself, and is helping to support others within Capita as part of the Capita Ability Network (CAN).
The most exciting thing about my role is the variety of employers and stakeholders that I get to work with. There are only five Employer Relationship Managers (me included) and one Employer Relationship Co-Ordinator in my team, but between us we deal with over 13,000 employers. We deliver all the employer and member training, including webinars, presentations, drop-in sessions etc. So, there’s always something new or challenging to keep me on my toes.
A great team makes all the difference
I love my team. They’re so professional and knowledgeable, and they have a great sense of humour. It’s an absolute must when things are busy, complex and sometimes stressful. We support each other and help to lighten the mood when we have those heavier days. There’s always someone I can message, email or call when I’m stuck or need extra help. As we all work from home, we take the time to get together at least once a quarter. We make the effort to go to the office and follow up with dinner out and I think that’s important. Our next meet up is currently being planned and we’re thinking of going go-karting together. Needless to say, we’re all a little bit competitive!
Sharing my own experiences
As well as my day-to-day role, I’m also involved in the Capita Ability Network. I joined after taking part in a CAN committee townhall for the International Day of People with Disabilities. I lived with M.E. for almost 10 years and was bed-bound and wheelchair-bound during that time. I couldn’t work then and struggled during my recovery to find a role that I could do with my fluctuating condition. I had to be self-employed until I felt I could re-enter the workplace. Over the years, it’s become clear to me that if I still had M.E I would be restricted in the work that I could do. By joining the network, I hope that I can help to raise awareness of the various abilities we have within Capita and ensure that people are not disadvantaged when they join our company. The CAN committee are all so lovely. They are people dealing with their own roles, while doing their best to look out for others. It’s such a great group to be part of.
Finding the right balance
These days I work condensed hours, doing my full-time hours over 4 days. That means I get a long weekend with a Monday off and I feel like it gives me a much better work/life balance. I really enjoy spending time with my family, but they live three hours away, so having the extra day at the weekend means I can visit them more often without feeling like it’s rushed. I get to spend quality time with my partner too and can carry out my mentoring and volunteering roles on a weekday, so I feel much more in control of how I spend my free time.
Feeling positive about the future
I’ve been in my Teachers’ Pensions role for over a year now and I’m really happy with where I am. I enjoy looking into queries and doing my best to resolve them, so that both the Employer and Member have the information they need. I think to succeed in this kind of role you need to be a good listener and be open to being challenged. I’m always working to take on board what people are telling me so that I can fully understand before I’ll take an issue forward. Building strong working relationships with your team is important too. They can make all the difference.
