Tell us about your placement?

I completed my placement year at Lowe Rental, based in Lisburn. Lowe have been operating for over 40 years and are the world’s leading refrigeration and catering equipment supplier. They supply to major retailers including, M&S, Tesco and Aldi, online food delivery platforms, the hospitality sector, and global events including Glastonbury, the Singapore Grand Prix, Wimbledon, and Dubai Expo 2020. Lowe is a rapidly growing organisation and they currently operate in the UK, Europe, America, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.  

Within Lowe, I held the position of Talent Assistant and reported to the Talent Business Partner. My role involved supporting the wider Talent Team with day-to-operations such as onboarding, recruitment, company communications and compliance. Throughout my time there, I also delivered key projects on employer branding, early careers, performance management, analysing and improving health and wellbeing initiatives, as well as benchmark research projects and additional ad-hoc duties.  

 

Which areas of your placement did you find most rewarding?  

Working within the field of Human Resources has many rewarding aspects. In January 2022, I was allocated ownership of the Talent Team’s early careers recruitment. To promote Lowe’s placement opportunities, I attended the Schools Placement Fair alongside my colleagues in the Talent Team.  

Providing students with insights into life at Lowe and sharing my own experiences as a placement student myself, was one of my key highlights within the company. The team received tremendous attraction and engagement from the success of the event.  

I also had the opportunity to travel to Lowe’s sister company, PKL, to assist the team at the Gloucester and Cheltenham Job Fair. This was a fantastic experience as it allowed me to gain exposure to the company and provide the team with HR knowledge during the fair. As a result, we successfully recruited two new employees from the attraction of the job fair.  

I was heavily involved in analysing and improving Lowe’s Health and Wellbeing Initiatives. Playing a key part in implementing new and improved benefits for Lowe employees was such a rewarding experience as they were extremely well received and appreciated by the team.  

Additionally, joining Lowe’s Social and Charitable Committee was an experience I found particularly enjoyable. As part of my role within the committee, I was able to plan and lead several events including The Lowe Olympics, Marie Curie coffee mornings, and the office Christmas and Summer Parties. Driving engagement and increasing employee morale is one of The Talent Team’s key objectives and I am very grateful to have been involved in organising such successful events. 

 

Did you encounter any challenges?

Personally, I found adjusting from part time work to full time work slightly challenging initially, as I often had lower energy levels at the weekend. However, after a few weeks with the company, I was able to establish a well-balanced work-life routine. 

 

How has placement helped to shape your future career aspirations? 

Undertaking my placement year at Lowe provided me with the opportunity to develop my personal and professional growth. I have gained key skills that will positively impact my future career, including the ability to communicate across all levels of an organisation which I learned through leading projects and building employee relationships within my role as Talent Assistant.  

As Lowe operates in an extremely fast paced environment, I have improved my organisation and prioritisation skills by effectively managing my workload and working to deadlines.  

I have gained exposure to the different aspects within HR including, compliance and employment law, recruitment, performance management, employee relations, organisational culture, engagement and compensation and benefits.  

The Talent Team have played an integral role in providing me with enhanced knowledge and understanding of HR, which has confirmed my aspiration to pursue a career within the field of HR once I graduate from the School.  

 

What advice would you give to a future student starting their placement? 

Be a sponge; absorb as much knowledge as possible. Ask questions, listen and take onboard any feedback. Develop your personal brand by building employee relationships, posting on LinkedIn and getting involved in employee engagement initiatives. 

 

Find out more :

• Securing a placement   
• Queries about placement   
• Are you a business looking to hire a placement student?  

Gema Uprichard

BSc Business Management student

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