Inside Bamboo Loans: Hannah Young's career progression story

Tell us a bit about yourself, what do you do?

I am a Senior Team Leader managing the Quality Assurance department in Bamboo, celebrating my 7th year with the company in 2022, after starting out within the call centre in 2015.

My journey:

July 2015 - Outbound Support Consultant

January 2016 - Customer Service Representative

August 2016Senior - Customer Service Representative

May 2017 - Customer Service Team Leader

March 2020 - Risk & Control Analyst (QA)

September 2021 - Senior Quality Assurance Team Leader

Early on in my role I could see the opportunity for progression and at only 5 months into my Bamboo career, during my monthly 1-2-1 session I advised my long term (12-36 month) career goal was to become a team leader in the customer service department. 16 months later that goal became my reality, thanks to the support and encouragement I received from my colleagues.

However excited I was about being offered the Team Leader role, there were many things about being a team leader which made me nervous due to my lack of experience, such as public speaking. In spite of this, I received unwavering support from management which gave me the confidence to constantly challenge myself and grow as a person. I undertook leadership and management courses and always encouraged my team to let me know what management styles worked for them, allowing me to adapt per individual in the team to help them get the most out of their time at Bamboo.

My team’s staff turnover was low in comparison with my previous experience in call centres, and I took great pleasure in issuing pay rises and promotions to recognise the hard workers. It has been especially rewarding to see members of my team which I have supported, be recognised by others in the business, for example, two individuals from my team reaching team leader and also senior team leader level.

Approaching 3 years as a customer service team leader, I spoke with my manager as I wanted to expand my career horizons. In early 2020 I began my career in Quality Assurance, just as the pandemic hit us. During this time of uncertainty, furloughed staff and getting used to working from home, I put my company knowledge to the test by assisting both the Servicing and Complaints functions of Bamboo. I spent some months learning about and working with the Financial Ombudsman Service before returning to my colleagues in Quality Assurance. This additional knowledge helped us to improve on the core audits the team were completing and I was recognised for my hard work by being promoted to Senior Team Leader. 

What was your background before you joined Bamboo?

Prior to Bamboo I worked in customer-orientated roles, mainly within the hospitality industry and only had a year’s telephony experience. When applying for the role at Bamboo I had no financial knowledge, but I found that although previous experience was useful, it was not mandatory to apply. This is because Bamboo prioritises personality over experience. We’ve spent years perfecting the culture here at Bamboo as we believe it is super important to like where you work and get on with your colleagues!

What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional?

In 2018 I was a part of the core team who were tasked with introducing and testing a new telephony system. I headed up training for all agents in our customer service departments on how to use the new system to ensure a smooth transition. System testing was not something I had ever done before, so I was extra thorough in all that I did to ensure the call centre was ready for switchover and to lessen any potential hiccups.

I was personally thanked by the CEO and head of IT (among others!). Due to my hard work and perseverance in this project, I obtained the first-ever 5 rating in Bamboo for this achievement and was also nominated for employee of the year 2018.

What is your favourite part about working with Bamboo?

The people! You spend more time at work with your colleagues than you do with anyone else, so here at Bamboo, we feel the culture is really important. Bamboo hosts events such as quiz nights, seasonal parties, and charity fundraisers, all overseen and coordinated by the Social Committee, which I joined in early 2020. It has been great to have the opportunity to be involved in organising incentives, games and events for the whole company, including our London office.

What advice would you give to recent new entrants? / What are your top tips for being successful in the working environment?

Be yourself – everyone is a little bit weird, embrace it!

Work hard – I did and it really paid off!

Get to know your team – teamwork makes the dream work is such a cliché, but it’s true!