Profile: Maureen Parrington, Consumerlink

MAUREEN PARRINGTON
Call centre Supervisor
Consumerlink

Number of years in role:  6 - 7 years

Number of staff / seats:  20 - 45

What do you do?
Basically set up a shift, which requires obtaining staff to go to field to fulfill the job, allocating the required number of interviewers based on a hit rate. They have a specific time frame to do the volume required. I have to audit the interviewers both on a monitor and on the telephone to ensure they are working to the job brief and maintaining the internal standards set within the company. I have to manage rosters and keep the Project Managers informed on our progress.

Describe a typical workday. 
Starts at 7.30am and I must clear all voicemail, login and clear all emails. I then must check the quotas as to where they are standing. I then check the numbers to see if I have enough suitable people on the shift, which starts at 9.00am. I am always there to discuss any concerns.

What results are expected in your position?
I must finish my projects to the deadline date. It must be financially profitable and if not, I must explain why. This also includes accountability of staff skill suitability and management.

How did you get here? What has been your career path?
I started as an interviewer with the company when they had just started doing 6 hours a week. I basically just drifted into it after not working for 20 years. During that time technologies advanced and so I wanted to enter back into the workforce gently, and I slowly got up to speed. Originally I worked at Air New Zealand for 10 years.   My role was involved in Flight Operations for the Flight Deck Crew. I have always been very good with figures and had a lot of commonsense.

What's your career highlight?
Meeting people and having fantastic and interesting conversations. I have a very stable pool of people. I believe that is due to my empathy and communication.

What's the most unusual thing that's happened to you at work? 
We called a random number and it answered in the elevator phone.

What's the best and worst thing about your job?
Best thing: Meeting a wide variety of people and mixing with them.
Worst thing: Having to tell staff there is no work available. Also having to take disciplinary action with staff, I am not comfortable with that at all.

How important is it to plan your career? Have you?
I didn’t plan mine, it evolved. But I do think that today it is very important.

What did you want to be when you grew up? 
A Short-Hand Typist, nothing fantastic.   I was taught to always have a job.

What is your dream job?
To work as a Ranger working with wildlife, concentrating on their conservation.

What is the most important factor in a successful career?
Versatility, taking every opportunity that comes along as one thing always leads to another.

Any tips on how to get and stay ahead?
Be prepared to always listen and learn.

How do you maintain balance between your work and personal life?
I have a very strong family. I actually had a heart attack 6 years ago, however my family have kept me strong and  young.

How do you encourage loyalty with your staff and clients?
I like to make them feel like they  belong, that they are part of the result. I am able to read   them well on a daily basis and treat them like friends.

What are the important qualities required to be a good manager?
I believe you must be a great listener, be polite but firm, and be able to delegate.

What do you think the biggest issue in your field is - and what should be done about it?
Having consistent work available. We need to target possible clients more and heighten our  market awareness.

If you could invite five people, living or dead to dinner, who would they be?
My father who has passed away, what a great catch up that would be. My school teacher – Miss Clough and my friends Coral and Lesley.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? And who do you admire the most?
My Third form teacher as she prepared us for exams, she taught us respect in the workplace, commonsense will always get you through and set me up with a great work ethic.

I admire my daughter the most in the world as she has had to do things that I personally could not do.

What or who are you incapable of working without?
Well I don’t think that there is anything I cannot go without, I believe that you are capable of working through all hitches, except a power failure.

What do you think employees want from their employer? And what does your company do for its staff that you feel is different from what other companies provide?
I believe employees want recognition for value given and that is usually in the form of a monetary remuneration - something tangible. They want to be treated fairly, and so that means give and take from both sides. Currently we will provide a morning tea to staff monthly to show our appreciation.