At the end of July, we took some of our longest serving employees out to dinner at The Ivy in Chichester, as a way of saying thank you for their years of loyal service and hard work.
They’ve all worked for the STR Group for at least 10 years, so what’s the reason they’ve each dedicated a decade of their working lives to STR? We caught up with some of the attendees to find out…
Kate Daniel, Finance Reporting Analyst, Shared Services
My first impressions of STR were my immediate colleagues, who were welcoming, friendly and helpful. 10 years later, I’m lucky enough to still work with 4 out of 5 of them who were there when I started! Everyone says it, but the main reason I’m still here is the people. STR has also provided me with opportunities and the backing to develop and move roles internally, which has meant I’ve remained challenged within my job.
I’ve had a few favourite moments at STR both in terms of work and socially, but the stand-out moment for me has to be winning Shared Services Person of the Year in 2021.
It’s always nice to be recognised and rewarded, and the meal felt like a real personal touch. Two members of the Board also attended and gave us their time on a Friday evening and made us feel appreciated. It was great to spend time with colleagues who we don’t work directly with and reminisce about the past 10 years.
Charlie Howard, Lead Recruitment Consultant, Insignis
It’s always been clear to me that STR is a great company, even though there have been a lot of changes in the last 10 years, I hope the best are yet to come! All my colleagues I shared the dinner with are lovely, and have always been lovely! It’s very important to be showed recognition and being treated to a lovely posh dinner was a lovely touch, not to mention all the other lovely gifts we received.
My highlights over my time at STR are winning a great account in 2018 and watching it go from strength to strength, and then qualifying for the Alpha Elite trip in 2019. It was one of the best experiences I have ever been part of with STR. It was an amazing trip and we were totally spoilt.
I’m still here after 10 years as I believe the company genuinely has our best interests at heart, a lot of the people I work with are genuinely lovely, and the commission structure is excellent. Plus, Clive would kill me if I left (joking)!
Calum Brown, Lead Recruitment Consultant, Talos Automation
I was quite surprised about the size of the operation when I arrived for my interview almost 10 years ago. It’s crazy to think it has been 10 years – time flies when you’re having fun! There are too many highlights to choose from over the last 10 years, but my most recent top pick would be the High Achievers trip to New York earlier this year.
Recognising and rewarding staff for their efforts is something that STR has always done well; it’s great to be treated and feel appreciated. They make employees feel truly valued. This, along with the a genuine love for the company, my great colleagues and the job itself is the reason I’m still here after all this time.
Tom Settle, Associate Director, Navis Consulting
My first impressions of working at STR were great. Coming from a competitor, I had something to compare it with and knew straight away it was a good place to work. There have been many changes over the 11 years I’ve been here and of course have seen people come and go, so it’s great to meet up with my other long service colleagues. 10 years is a long time, especially in recruitment, so it’s great that the company recognises this and we’re rewarded for our service and loyalty. The meal at The Ivy reminiscing over things that have happened over the years was hilarious and of course the food was amazing.
My top highlights over the last decade were making it onto two High Achievers trips. I was privileged to go to Dubai in 2021 and New York earlier this year. You can’t beat an all-expenses-paid trip abroad to the top destinations in the world!
STR gave me an opportunity to build my career here and nearly 11 years in, I’m still very much enjoying the journey.
Neil Dexter, Associate Director, Navis Consulting
I remember my first day very clearly, and I recall how welcome I was immediately made to feel. It was apparent from the outset that the owners of the business genuinely cared, being very present in the office, regularly taking the time to come and speak with me, see how everything was going and offer their words of wisdom. The culture is that of an extended family, and through the many changes and growth, this culture has been at the centre of everything the company does. It was great to share stories with my long-serving colleagues from our early days at STR; we’re a real diverse mix of personalities but everyone clearly cares about one another and shares all the same values, which is what makes STR such a great place to work.
For me, the last couple of years have been the highlight of my STR career, which I think perfectly demonstrates the value in STR looking after their staff and allowing them to grow both personally and professionally. During that time, I have secured multiple promotions, and am now responsible for leading the Shipping team. I’m extremely proud of this and I’m grateful to STR for the trust and opportunity. This professional journey has also allowed me to travel to amazing places such as Singapore at the start of 2024 as I look to grow the business relations we have in this region.
STR always make a huge amount of effort to make their staff feel valued. The long service dinner is just another example of this, although this felt like an extra special celebration with no expense spared, and what a fantastic night it was!
Join the team!
If STR, with its incredible reward and recognition programme, sounds like the kind of place you’d like to work, the exciting news is that we’re currently recruiting! Contact Iona, our Talent Acquisition Team Leader, on 02392 322308 or email iona@strgroup.co.uk to find out more and get your application started today!
