Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Lorraine Stevens and I work as Director of HR. My role is to help shape and deliver the HR Plan for the firm, ensuring that we are recruiting and retaining talent as well as rewarding, engaging and ensuring the wellbeing of our people.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love the variety of what we get to do in HR. It’s a broad role that covers recruitment, employment processes, development, strategy and reward. It spans the whole of the employee life cycle which gives us a great opportunity to get involved in many things. It also allows us to interact with many different people across the firm.
What has been your standout moment over the past year?
I had a great opportunity to be a judge in the Wiltshire Business Awards for the Learning and Development Employer of the year category. It was really encouraging to see so many businesses being so innovative and doing so well. The business that won that category did so because of the way they had really embedded learning and development into the culture of their business.
Tell us something about yourself that is not widely known
I’m trying to get fitter! Last year I took on the Walk1000 Miles challenge which I successfully achieved. I managed it by walking to work much more as well as doing some lovely canal walks between Bradford on Avon and Bath. This March I will be Walking all over Cancer by taking up the 10,000 steps per day challenge. If my colleagues see me regularly volunteering to get the coffees in at the office, it’s because I’m getting my steps up.
Favourite holiday destination / song / superhero (or similar)
I absolutely love my holidays and particularly enjoy city breaks. I’ve been very lucky in the last 18 months to have visited some great cities – Amsterdam for fun, Seville for culture, Sorrento with the amazing Amalfi coast and more recently a trip to New York.
What makes you happy?
The sun, holidays and spending time with my family and friends. I love to have friends over and cook for them – paella is a favourite. Although, if I’m honest, I “taste” the wine whilst my husband cooks!
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t take life too seriously. I think I have much more fun now that I’m older than I ever did in my 20s.
