For our latest ‘Behind Barnes’ blog, we caught up with HR/Administrator Assistant, Laura Tomlinson.  We asked her about her career journey, what her role entails at The Barnes Group and the advice she has for other people looking to work in HR.

What does your role at The Barnes Group entail?

I work alongside Karen the HR Manager for Barnes Group. I assist her and others in the office to ensure the working day runs a little more smoother for everyone. I ensure all checks are up to date on each driver, that we have all the required documents that we need for ourselves and our supplies. One of the checks is to ensure all licences are in date and audit checks have been completed, alongside our health declarations.

Can you tell us about your career journey, how did you get your job at The Barnes Group?

I was at my previous job for 2 years, which was a personal injury firm. Where I built myself up to senior admin assistant, I was in charge alongside the manager of the whole admin team and general running of the office – based in Manchester city centre.

I applied for the job at Barnes due to my extensive office experience and dealing with difficult and different scenarios every day.  The HR side of the role was the part that appealed to me the most, the growth aspect and the possibilities the company could provide for me. Also finding a company that has ambition to reach each goal they set, to be bigger and better each year!

What does a typical day (or week!) look like for you?

On a typical day, I am handling a number of tasks to ensure the company runs smoothly for the following day:

1. Each day I upload Optac downloads, this being what the drivers use to download their card to prove they have completed work
2. Populate Fri, Sat, Sun and enter hours for wages for each region
3. Opening letters and handing out to the relevant people
4. Creating and sending POs
5. Check wage reports
6. HR Electronic and manual filing
7. Unit checks
8. Check DBS report for out of date certificates

What would you recommend to others looking to join the industry?

I would recommend others who are looking in to going into a HR industry to go for it, if you have experience even just in admin!  I was quite lucky and fell into this career path but I enjoy my work. The HR industry is fast paced, challenging and good problem solving skills are crucial.

I love the opportunity to make people’s working lives better, even in a small way.  The variety of work that comes into the department each day. We work with everything from recruitment, benefits, pay administration and workforce development. It keep you on your toes and mind challenged.