Sophie Newton is a Recruitment Co-Ordinator for the department and has been with QEF since February 2022. Sophie explains what her day to day consists of:
“My day always starts with checking through my emails for enquiries, meetings, ID checks and other tasks for the day. I advertise for new vacancies in positions on social media and in person at job and careers fairs. I also headhunt for the right candidates for various roles and partner with external companies such as the salvation army to get people into work. I organise interviews and provide shortlists for hiring managers as well as taking part in these processes too. I also work with the senior members by providing system training to help systems run smoother. It’s a great variety that always brings something new into my daily activities.
The best thing about my job is the people side of things, I get to engage with every single department on a day to day basis. This allows me to build relationships with employees and feel a sense of community and connection with the people I work with. I’m lucky that I get to meet people from so many departments! I also enjoy working with external companies to get people back into work after a long time and providing them with a second chance. It rewarding being able to help get people back on their feet, start a new path or continue to build their careers for the future.
I am very proud of the career fair we did at Gateshead International Stadium. It was one of the largest fairs we had attended and it was really successful, we had lots of interest. We connected with more people than ever before, its really nice to be flying the flag for QEF and highlighting some career paths people may never of even heard of. Its a good feeling, I feel like I have contributed to the next generation of employees in healthcare.
One thing people may not know about my job is that I not only cover recruitment for Gateshead but also other areas such as Coventry, Leeds and Scotland. This adds to the vast range of people I meet and brings unique challenges to my role.
Working in this role, I have been able to develop whilst still having room to grow further. I have gained so much experience within such a short space of time and It has really increased my confidence. I would say to anyone reading there are always opportunities to be had and room to grown within QEF, I have seen so many people progress or completely change roles through our apprenticeships. Keep an eye out for the vacancies and don’t be afraid to apply, we even run internal training to help develop your skills you just need to email the learning and development team.”