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GRADUATE PROGRAMME DETAILS

Customer Journey Rotations

The first 6 months of your programme is focused on getting a real understanding of the ‘customer journey’, from how we sell and set up customers all the way through to how we encourage customers to pay outstanding invoices. This time will be spent predominately within a busy call centre to give you a strong grounding into our core activities.

Let’s have a brief look at some of the key departments you’ll be spending time with;

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Provisioning; this is where many of our customer’s services will be ‘switched on’, you’ll learn about our core product areas, how we activate services and process customer orders.

Customer Services; this is often the first port of call for any queries or issues the customer may experience once a service is ‘live’. You’ll gain experience of how we resolve issues, including basic billing enquires and fault diagnosis.

Retentions; this team helps resolve issues relating to contractual disputes and cancellation requests, looking to keep our customers with us for the future.

Escalations; your time with this team is invaluable in discovering more about the issues that can’t be easily resolved first time and need more investigation.

Customer Resolution; this team is the stage where a customer has a complicated issue that is causing them dissatisfaction and has persisted for some time. You’ll see how we resolve these issues and even how we liaise with our industry regulators, such as Ofcom.

Credit Control; our credit control team works with customers that may have failed to pay invoices, therefore you’ll be getting insight into how we negotiate with our customers following a clear step-by-step process.

Renewals; once the customer is nearing the end of their contract with us this team will look to agree a new contract with them to reward their loyalty and ensure they are getting the best possible deal.

Special Projects; this team looks to launch new initiatives and developments into our customer facing teams dealing with all sorts of improvement activity. You’ll be able to really apply you’re learning from other teams and understand how we make key changes to what we do.

Administration Teams; there are a variety of teams that provide administrative services to customer facing teams, you’ll be able to spend time with them to gain exposure to essential activities such as how we contact our customers and make changes to their accounts.

Business rotations

You will spend the second 6 months of this programme working within 2 Business Support teams, called your Business Rotations. You will have the opportunity to select which teams fall part of your Business Rotations as part of the recruitment and induction process.

We’ll work with you to select your Business Rotation during your first 6 months with us to ensure we match you and your skills to the most appropriate team which will allow you to get the most out of your time during this Rotation.

You will also be permanently aligned to one of these teams after you successfully complete this 12-month programme.

You’ll start to develop specialised skills in these areas that will equip you for future roles. The following teams are available as part of your Business Rotations and give an important insight into your potential future career at Verastar:

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Projects

Verastar is a story of continual growth and the Projects team are responsible for leading a variety of change initiatives designed to achieve both strategic and operational goals.

Skills that get success Leadership, problem solving and excellent interpersonal skills
Types of key activity Working with a range of stakeholders across the whole organisation, developing and managing a change plan and driving delivery of business value
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll gain hands on experience of managing projects using the key processes and methodology required to drive business change

 

Marketing

Our customers are the most important ingredient to our success, so the way we communicate with them is key. This team creates compelling messages that ignite customer interest.

Skills that get success Creativity, communication and attention to detail
Types of key activity Creating content for a range of communications (blogs, social media, corporate website etc), building a deeper understanding of our customers through a variety of channels
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll develop a valuable knowledge into how to create messaging that gets results by engaging customers

 

Business Analysis

Many of our teams would not be effective without a helping hand to understand the everyday realities of our successful operation. This team seek to understand what is really happening to ensure change can take place in the right way.

Skills that get success Logical thinking, problem solving and communication
Types of key activity Engaging teams from around the business to understand our processes and contributing to key project activity
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll be able to apply a highly effective approach to business analysis that builds understanding quickly for you and others

 

Customer Operations

Ensuring customers can enjoy the benefits of our services smoothly is crucial to our success, these contact centre teams help maintain a high-level of support whatever the issue.

Skills that get success Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments, customer focus and organisational skills
Types of key activity Managing contact centre teams dealing directly with all stages of the customer journey
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll become a strong people manager able to deliver an excellent customer experience

 

Continuous Improvement

This team drives continuous improvement across all areas of the business ensuring the very best customer experience both now and in the future.

Skills that get success Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments, customer focus and attention to detail
Types of key activity Identifying opportunities to make improvements to key processes, procedures and ways of working
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll develop a valuable knowledge into how ongoing improvements are made possible within Verastar and how to measure tangible results

 

Provisioning

Customers want to access their services as quickly as possible to benefit from the savings and excellent support we provide. Provisioning make this happen, connecting customers to their chosen product quickly and effectively.

Skills that get success Customer focus, attention to detail & time management
Types of key activity Working with service providers, ensuring customer products are set-up smoothly
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll become a technical expert in Utilities and Telecommunications services

 

Acquisitions

Our business looks to reach new customers in lots of diverse ways. This team is crucial in finding new routes to growing Verastar’s commercial success, involving regular customer acquisitions.

Skills that get success Commercial awareness, attention to detail and self-motivation
Types of key activity Investigating options to bring new groups of customers to Verastar, understanding the commerical value this could bring and supporting with relevant information gathering
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll get an insight into a highly commercial career that mixes financial understanding with business strategy

 

Legal & Compliance

These teams deal with all legal and compliance issues affecting our business and offer a varied insight into all areas of our operation.

Skills that get success Attention to detail, critical thinking and self-motivation
Types of key activity Legal – reviewing and drafting corporate documents and commercial contracts, reviewing property leases, filing company returns.


Compliance - reviewing upcoming regulatory changes, working with key teams to agree and roll out required changes and highlighting compliance issues

Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll become a trusted expert offering valuable input into day-to-day operations and influencing business change

 

Management and Business Information

This team produces vital insight for key business decision making at all levels, working with technology to paint a picture of real performance and ensuring data is reliable and accurate.

Skills that get success Attention to detail, problem solving and excellent interpersonal skills
Types of key activity Working with various Technology Teams, understanding requirements from senior stakeholders, building system / reporting requirements and testing results to ensure impact
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll able to provide solutions to the challenges faced by various business teams through understanding how data and technology can add value

 

Commercial

Much more than just selecting our products and prices, this team ensures our offering to customers meets the requirements of small business owners, whilst at the same time delivering the returns that enable our business to grow.

Skills that get success Problem solving, analytical skills and attention to detail
Types of key activity Working with external service providers, understanding trends in the utilities and telecommunications market, projecting business returns as we improve our product offering
Learning that you’ll take away from the team You’ll become an expert on maximising value for our customers and the business alike

Project Work

Throughout your 12-month programme you will be required to undertake up to 3 key projects. These projects will give you the opportunity to work with senior stakeholders across the business including Directors, along with your fellow Graduates on programme.

These projects are an essential part of this programme giving you the opportunity to develop your skills in areas like: project management, time management, managing stakeholders, and team working.

Additional Support

What support will I be given?

In Verastar we believe in the importance of a supportive working environment. Our graduate opportunities offer ongoing support from a variety of sources to maximise career prospects. This includes regular development review meetings with our Talent Manager, meet and greets with internal stakeholders, and being assigned a business mentor.

Click below to learn more…

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Development Review Meetings

This is a chance to review your development as part of the Graduate Management Programme, celebrate successes and outline a plan of action to gain the most out of your experience.

Skills that you'll develop Planning, reflective practice & communication
Types of key activity Review of programme activity and a chance to reflect
Learning that you’ll take away You’ll be able to drive your own graduate journey through the development of the programme

 

Meet and Greets

You will be introduced to key stakeholders, including our senior executive team, to learn about their roles, objectives, overall business strategy and scope how your future role can directly contribute.

Skills that you'll develop Resourcefulness, listening skills & analytical skills
Types of key activity Demonstrate your brand and the value you add to Verastar
Learning that you’ll take away You’ll be able to build your internal network at a senior level and increase awareness of key business functions

 

Business Mentors

You are assigned an experienced business mentor who will be able to give you the extra support you need. Your mentor is there to help you with all aspects of the programme, from connecting you with other employees to being a friendly face around the business.

Skills that you'll develop Softs skills, resilience & reliability
Types of key activity Build a strong relationship with your mentor to seek advice and take initiative by being open about your development
Learning that you’ll take away You’ll sharpen core skills and help understand your career options at Verastar

 

Having a mentor has proven to be a successful resource for those on the programme. Read one of our mentor case studies below.

Emma Groves

I started in September 2016 and
I am a Solicitor at Verastar

 

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What inspired you to take an interest in becoming a mentor?

I volunteered to become a mentor as I believe it’s important to support new colleagues in the business. We have nearly 350 people working in our head office, so I wanted to be a point of contact for our graduates. My role means that I come into contact with people from all over the business, so I can really help connect graduates to key stakeholders and help them navigate Verastar more effectively.

 

How do you approach being a mentor?

I believe the mentor-mentee relationship is a two-way street – graduates have great, new ideas and they are a resource that we should be tapping into. Our graduates spend time in several departments which means they’re well placed to understand what’s going on across the whole business and how that impacts all of us. My mentee is often able to tell me about new initiatives that have been implemented - it’s great!

 

Do you think your relationship with your mentee has positively impacted their performance?

I hope that I’m able to act as a sounding board for my mentee. We catch-up about once a month. Sometimes this is simply to see how they are getting on, check that their work-load is manageable and that they’re getting the support they need. Other times it will be to discuss a piece of work they’re doing and to provide some feedback.

 

What advice would you give a future graduate?

Learn as much as you possibly can about our business in the first six months of the Graduate Management Programme! This learning is invaluable when considering business strategy during the final six months of the scheme. I encourage you to share your ideas and listen carefully to feedback. Our graduates are the managers of the future – we support them to be the best they can be!

emma

Meet our Graduates

Graduate Programme Recruitment Process

The Verastar Graduate Programme Recruitment Process aims to create a positive recruitment and selection experience for everyone involved.

Graduate Management Trainee – Role Profile

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