Octopus Power is made up of 1000+ incredible folks engaged on stuff you’d by no means anticipate, all pushing arduous in the direction of a shared aim: driving the worldwide inexperienced vitality revolution. In our Highlight collection, we’ll introduce you to a few of the good folks behind the scenes.
Immediately we’re speaking to Kerry, Head of Social Media who works remotely from Stonehaven, Scotland heading up Octopus’ crack crew of social media whizzes. She makes positive clients who chat to us on Twitter, Fb, Instagram (and mainly wherever else on-line) have a stellar expertise.
So Kerry, how would you describe your self and your position in a number of sentences?
I’m Head of Social Media, particularly centered on main our great Group Managers. On the coronary heart of it, the Group Administration crew exists to take care of our vitality clients who like to make use of social media to get in contact. We ensure we get again to everybody, that our response is private to them and actually real. It’s a very different (and good) job.
No two days are the identical (which I really like) and I might be answering clients on Twitter one minute, having a Google Hangout with a member of the crew to debate an account the subsequent, after which engaged on crew growth proper after that. My goal is to have groups and crew members who love their job as a lot as I do and who enjoyment of impacting our clients’ lives for the higher.
How did you come to hitch Octopus?
I learn up on the corporate and valued their ethics surrounding inexperienced vitality and their excessive objectives for customer support. The truth that they have been a tech firm working within the vitality area excited me – no extra outdated techniques or ready months (or ever) for a small replace! This mixed with the truth that they valued open, trustworthy and ‘human’ conversations meant I knew I may carry my love of serving to folks and fixing issues to the crew and assist be a part of the change.
In a broader sense, I used to be a instructor in a earlier life, went on to have 4 youngsters after which wanted to vary my profession to go well with what I needed out of life (being round extra and never being restricted to highschool phrases and occasions). I re-trained as a Social Media Supervisor and labored for numerous shoppers in several sectors. Octopus have been pretty new after they have been seeking to develop their distant crew to help clients exterior of ‘regular’ working hours. I began working half time after which after a yr (these tentacles have been too robust…) I went full time and commenced to handle my very own crew of 20 superb folks within the Group Administration crew. I’m now Head of Social Media.
What’s it like working at Octopus?
Working at Octopus is exclusive. I’ve by no means labored for such an attention-grabbing, quick paced, human firm. The most effective issues is the flexibility to work flexibly. Fortunately Octopus does not see changing into a mother or father as the tip. We’ve many, dad and mom who work right here, carving out their very own profession similtaneously caring for his or her youngsters, and the group administration crew is considered one of many locations the place mums like me have began by working part-time, night, and weekend cowl, and at the moment are unfold throughout the enterprise and main groups of our personal. It means we can provide our all to our work at occasions that go well with us.
You actually do get again what you give. It’s not a simple position in any respect however the folks and the help from throughout the entire enterprise is unbeatable and makes it such an gratifying place to work. It’s not a spot to work if you happen to like stability in your position, we alter quick, and sometimes. This enables for the problem, selection and progress that I worth. I joined them searching for a ‘job’ that labored and now can’t ever see me leaving, now I’ve such an excellent profession.
What’s it been like constructing the group crew and the way we do social media care at Octopus in a different way?
As we construct the crew, we’re pushed by the need to provide our clients what they need. Because the enterprise grew so did our social media following. Increasingly more clients, or potential clients, needed to talk to us through Fb and Twitter. That grew to become an excessive amount of for one individual to handle so we determined to construct a devoted crew. We now have an ever-growing group who focus primarily on public feedback whereas one other crew picks up personal messages. Everyone is educated following Octopus’ profitable mannequin, the place they begin by studying every part they will in regards to the vitality trade. We don’t have departments, which implies the Group Supervisor who picks up your question on Twitter will know as a lot as if you happen to e mail or name us. They’ll then repair most account points on the market after which some. This implies we will reply to each question that comes via actually shortly.
Why are we totally different? Our totally devoted, tremendous quick crew is ready to assist clients each day from 8am to 10pm. We learn each single remark and genuinely need to assist everybody that comes via to us through social media. In addition they have an incredible sense of humour!
Why did you resolve to work in vitality and sustainability?
I knew nothing in regards to the vitality trade and had by no means even learn a meter earlier than I joined Octopus. With the ability to work for a corporation that needed to make vitality greener, cheaper and use tech to empower clients me. To have a job that makes a distinction to our world, feeds my mind and is tremendous versatile is a win win. In a short time Octopus Power has managed to turn out to be part of my soul.
Your most memorable day at work?
There are days once I handle to choose up the best tweet on the proper time – I’m at all times impressed by how humorous and intelligent our clients might be. You shortly begin to get a really feel for the ‘regulars’ they usually at all times make coming into work each day a pleasure.
One other memorable day at work was once we had our Household Dinner and Former US Vice-President and Inexperienced Pioneer Al Gore despatched us a private message saying how proud he was with what we have been doing. It was fairly emotional and actually solidified that we’re actually going to vary the world.
What are you trying ahead to?
In March I utilized for an area within the ‘Wonderful If Advocate Awards’ which is recognising 100 people who find themselves proactively taking motion in profession growth … and I obtained via! I’ll quickly begin a totally funded 12-month studying programme with Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis (who wrote ‘The Squiggly Profession’, protecting development, function and private model. I’ll be working with them on ensuring everybody could be a learner and a instructor, prioritizing skills over titles and serving to folks discover profession potentialities!
One thing you won’t know in regards to the Group Administration crew…?
Soo a lot – they’re all superb in my eyes. They by no means fail to amaze me on the pace with which they assist our clients, and one another.
The camaraderie is a pleasure and I really feel happy with them each single day for the quantity of ardour they’ve for his or her position. We’ve a crew channel the place they share superb buyer suggestions for one another (they do love a public shout out on Twitter) and the quantity of help they offer one another makes the crew actually treasured, particularly once we’re all working remotely.
Time for a fast hearth spherical! What’s probably the most difficult a part of your job?
I undoubtedly nonetheless get ‘the concern’ when coping with unreasonable/abusive folks on Twitter.
What’s the most effective a part of your job?
When clients take the time to return again and say how a lot you could have helped them.
No means! That is really considered one of my favorite songs! “Love Is All Round” by Moist Moist Moist. These tech guys are good…
Any private stuff. Uncommon abilities/hobbies?
I stay close to the seaside in Scotland and like to paddleboard.
Folks utilizing ‘naked’ as an alternative of ‘bear’, listening to folks eat, tomato sauce on macaroni cheese, leaving empty bathroom roll tubes within the rest room, strolling previous issues on the backside of the steps, the scale of chocolate bars these days, leaving lights on, lateness, associate watching the subsequent a part of a field set with out you… is that sufficient????
Do you could have an uncommon talent?
Preserving my 4 energetic boys alive every day OR I can really use my indicators when driving. I feel it’s a uncommon talent these days.
What’s a social trigger you care about?
Since having youngsters I’ve undoubtedly turn out to be extra centered on how we will influence our surroundings. Wanting on the modifications we will make to what we use and the way and being much less wasteful at house is a begin. In work I’m an enormous advocate of utilizing tech to assist folks use vitality extra effectively. Serving to buyer to vary their vitality habits contributes massively to our mission of working in the direction of a low carbon society. I really like discussing this with our clients and like it much more after they come again to inform me their outcomes. I’m so excited to see us change the world as we proceed our mission globally.
Favorite place on this planet?
And eventually, what’s a random truth you like?
The hashtag image (#) is technically referred to as an octothorpe!
