Pictured above: Conrad Gilbert.
A baker from Bakersfield is enjoying the taste of a fresh career
thanks to his role at a Nottingham call centre.
Conrad Gilbert, 44, worked on the production line at the British
Bakery in Watnall for three years before deciding that he wanted a
more challenging role where he could make use of his best asset -
his voice! He is now working as a call centre agent at Domestic
& General (D&G) in Nottingham city centre.
Conrad said: "I was doing 12 hour shifts at the bakery, which
was not only exhausting, but didn't leave me much time to do
anything else. I used to cycle to work - which was a 22 mile round
trip - pretty tiring. I also felt like I wasn't getting much of a
challenge from my role, I needed to do something that I had to
think about and where I could speak to people regularly as I really
like to talk - or so I've been told!"
Conrad knew that at 44 it may not be easy to start a new career
from scratch, but felt that it was a risk worth taking. D&G's
age diversity policy means that all age groups that apply and start
work there are recruited and trained in a way that meets their
needs and ensures that no bias enters the decision-making
process.
"I was worried that no where would take me on to train up at my
age and it was definitely a risk as I have mortgage commitments and
bills to pay. My interview at D&G was difficult and I struggled
with my typing speed and computer skills. I'd never spent much time
in an office, as before I was a bakery worker I was a full-time dad
- so it was all quite alien to me."
D&G employed Conrad as an agent in the warranties division
of the call centre, and nine months on, he has no regrets about his
career change.
"Things are going well, I have developed my computer skills and
now I would describe myself as a good agent. I really enjoy talking
to customers and have even been called an extrovert by some of my
colleagues. Now my confidence has built up I hope to take advantage
of some of the training available to me at some point and without
running before I can walk, I would even consider trying for a team
leader role at some point in the future."
Conrad is not the only recruit who has found a career at the
Talbot Street call centre. The call centre has won an Employer of
Choice award from the East Midlands Development Agency, given to
mark the investment it makes in staff. D&G has introduced
various development programmes and initiatives to enhance the way
it communicates with its staff.
As well as the Employer of Choice accolade, the call centre has
also teicw received an international AARP award for the pioneering
way the company recruits and retains older members of staff.
Tracy Burrell, head of HR at D&G says:"People believe that
you can't have a career with a call centre, but you can. One key
method of supporting people and giving them opportunities to
progress is our development programme.
"Once complete, the training gives you the skills to become a
team leader when there is a vacancy. Our training programme
progresses all the way up to management training. This means that
D&G can promote from within."
D&G is the UK's largest specialist provider of service
contracts on domestic electrical equipment. The firm employs over
700 people at its Nottingham call centre which opened in 1997.