As part of our continued ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitments, particularly our focus on social responsibility and supporting future talent, we welcomed onboard Owen for a 48-hours behind-the-scenes internship at Handsfree Group.
“Hello, I’m Owen McMenamie from the North East. I’m currently in Year 10 and have just completed my mock exams. I joined HFG for two days; eager to learn how businesses function, explore each department’s responsibilities, and understand how they contribute to the overall success of the business.”
What did your internship schedule consist of?
Day 1
People & Talent: “First stop on my timetable. I observed how candidates are interviewed, which qualities are valued by the business, and what the new-hire process entails. I also learnt about Handsfree Group’s 5 company values of Service Excellence, Innovation, Inclusion, Honesty & Integrity, Fun & Friendly.”
Marketing: “We talked about how businesses market to potential customers to increase sales using tools like catalogues, proposals, blogs, and case studies. I also saw how they effectively use social media to spread the word about their products.”
Sales: “I gained an understanding of how the company makes sales by checking out the sales team’s stats, finding out what the sales process involves, discovering how much money they make, and where it all comes from.”
Warehouse: “I reviewed a pick list and fulfilled a few orders from our inventory. Then, I followed process to dispatch, organising shipments to Handsfree Group’s nationwide engineers.”
Technical Support: “I prepared a DVR for shelving and examined the software used to trial new hardware, ensuring everything functioned correctly.”
Day 2
Finance: “In finance, I looked at how they manage invoices and how they work with companies to ensure any overdue balances are paid. We made a call to one of these customers, and I saw how this process worked.”
Operations: “I saw how they manage the engineers across the country, set their schedules, and make sure that the projects are completed professionally. I also saw how they give the customer a reasonable timescale for these installations.”
CEO: “With Scott Cassell, I learned about how businesses are run, how to grow a business, and how important communication is. Scott also helped me think about my aspirations and focus on my strengths. He made me feel welcomed within the company, creating a friendly environment.”
Purchasing: “In purchasing, I learned how they work with suppliers to get high-quality products at the right price while minimising business overheads. We talked about how relationships are built with suppliers, where money is spent, and how they organise product shipments to ensure they always have the right stock.”
Which departments or topics caught your interest before you visited Handsfree Group?
“I was keen to speak to Handsfree Group’s CEO, Scott Cassell. To hear about the history of the business and how he got it to where it is today.”
What were your first impressions of the company?
“I felt really nervous at first, but everyone made me feel welcomed and relaxed. The team at Handsfree Group and CKO were so friendly.”
Which of our company values did you see most in action during your internship?
“The company value that I saw the most throughout my experience was the inclusion that everyone gave me here. Everyone was really easy to speak to and treated me the same way as other employees. This made it easier to connect and engage with others across different topics.”
Was there a challenge you overcame during your internship?
“Meeting new people and speaking to them. As well as making the most out of my experience by asking as many questions as possible.”
“This was a great experience and an amazing opportunity thanks to the Handsfree Group team.”
Do you want to be part of a fun and friendly work environment? Visit our careers page here to check out our open job opportunities or follow us on LinkedIn for updates on new roles here.
