What has your career with HM Land Registry been like up until now?
I joined HM Land Registry (HMLR) in September 2021, after my A Levels as a Level 3 HR Support apprentice.
Through my 7-month apprenticeship rotations in the Managers’ Advice Service, Resourcing and Support Desk Administration team, I’ve developed the skills and experience which will benefit me in my future HR career.
I’m grateful for the development opportunities provided at HMLR. This includes the HR Skills Development programme which has enhanced my skills in people analytics and resourcing.
A recent success of mine is that I’ve passed my Level 3 HR Support apprenticeship and been promoted to an HR Support Adviser at Executive Officer (EO) grade. I wouldn’t have got to where I am today if it wasn’t for the support of my managers and colleagues at HMLR.
What are the most interesting things you have worked on?
I’m grateful for the development opportunities at HMLR. This includes the HR Skills Development programme which has enhanced my skills in people analytics and resourcing. I applied for this programme as I wanted to gain some knowledge on data and people analytics as this is an area I want to develop my knowledge and it’s highly valuable for my future HR career.
I’m proud of myself for passing my Level 3 HR Support apprenticeship at HMLR. Since completing it, I’ve been promoted to an HR Support Desk Adviser at Executive Officer (EO) grade. The skills and experience gained from my apprenticeship have helped me achieve this position.
I am also proud of myself for achieving HR Star of the Month (an award for HR employees who exceed expectations in the workplace) for being a ‘brilliant ambassador for apprenticeships at HMLR’ in a podcast interview on Apprenticast.
What does the average day in your role look like?
As an HR Adviser, I deal with day-to day generalist HR queries and provide support to managers and employees on HR policy and processes. My main duties include, but are not limited to:
- actioning temporary promotions, change of work patterns and maternity leave
- responding to general HR queries via email and phone
- updating and owning Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs)
I regularly communicate with my line manager during monthly 1-1’s where we discuss my objectives and development. It also gives me the opportunity discuss any questions or concerns.
Since starting my role on the HR Support Desk, I’ve been allocated a mentor who I regularly communicate with. My mentor has supported me throughout my training which has been really useful for my development and future HR career.
The main tools I use in my role include Oracle Service Cloud (OSC), Fusion, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel
What is the best thing about your role?
The variety! In my current role no two days are the same. One day I might be actioning a phased return and the next I could be processing a temporary promotion or maternity leave. Knowing that my work has positively impacted employees is very rewarding.
I also have a good work-life balance through a mixture of flexitime and hybrid working procedures.
HMLR is a friendly and sociable place to work. LR Leisure (who promote and run sport and leisure events across HMLR) allows you to network with different departments and offices across the organisation.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of applying to work at HM Land Registry?
I would highly recommend that you use the Civil Service online practice tests before completing the real thing. This allows you to become more familiar with the different types of questions asked.
It’s important to talk to your family, friends or colleagues before an interview. You can ask them for advice or to conduct a mock interview with you. This will make the interview less daunting.
Civil Service interviews are niche as they test Success Profiles. I would highly recommend that you spend some time reading through the Success Profiles documents attached to your job description as they will help you prepare for your interview.
During the interview itself, I would recommend structuring your interview answers using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) technique. The result and action are the most important parts of this method so make sure you emphasise on this.
