It’s been three months since Acro’s HR manager Emily Davies joined the company. With no previous experience working in the aircraft interior business, it’s fair to say that she’s already learnt a lot at Acro.
Here she reflects on her first three months and the initiatives and schemes she has brought into the company.
The first three months at Acro have really flown and I’ve been totally immersed in the business and the sector during that time. The welcome I’ve received from my new colleagues has been great and they have been very patient with me while I learn all I can about the aircraft interiors business. I’m pleased to say that they all believe in the saying “no question is a stupid question” because let’s be honest, this is a very niche industry. I knew next to nothing about it before I applied for the role and started researching the company.
It is a fascinating company and sector – I had no idea how extensive the work is to create aircraft seats, how complex the process is, or how competitive it is, either. It has certainly been a steep learning curve – but I’m loving it.
No two days are the same here at Acro, but that’s what I enjoy about it. It’s a very busy manufacturing business with a specialised engineering arm, as well as a highly skilled international commercial department. They all have different wants and needs from a HR department and manager, meaning my work is varied and exciting, as well as very busy.
Everyone who works here at Acro has such a massive impact on the overall success of the business. Each colleague has an important role to play in every part of designing, manufacturing, and delivering our seats, as there are so many aspects to creating an aircraft seat (most of which I had never considered before I worked here). The knowledge and expertise we have in-house is truly amazing.
When I joined Acro, there were a few things I immediately wanted to achieve, and I’m pleased to say that in a short space of time we have done that.
The HR team launched a new benefits platform that is offered to all employees. The previous scheme had great retail discounts, which we still retain, but the new platform also offers deals and schemes which have a bigger focus on employee health and wellbeing – something that is very important to me and to Acro as a company.
We have also been working very hard on our onboarding process for new starters. This is something that many in the business are unlikely to see but is key for new team members, so they are properly welcomed into the Acro fold. We have created and implemented a new induction process and experience for new team members, which, I’m pleased to say, is working really well. The feedback has been very good.
The past three months have been a whirlwind of learning about a new industry, a new company and meeting new colleagues, many of whom I now consider friends. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year will bring for the HR function, as well as the business as a whole.
To find out more about Emily, and her work visit here.
