Happy 1 year work anniversary to our Head of Learning and Development, Zane Priekule!
At Bright Purple, we care deeply about supporting our team and ensuring they feel confident in their roles with the proper ongoing training and development.
Our managers do a fantastic job of training their teams. However, as the business continues to grow, we knew it was important to bring in a dedicated team member for this position to support our recruiters at all levels and stages of their careers. Enter Zane!
For the past year, Zane has been developing our internal training programs to ensure that Bright Purple remains first-class for learning and continuous development and continues to attract the best people to join our business. Thank you for all your hard work!
Zane Priekule, a 360 recruiter who moved to become a trainer for a fast-growing tech recruiting firm.
We asked Zane about her experiences, the challenges of setting up an Learning and Development function, and highlights during the first year at Bright Purple
Tell us about your experience from a 360 recruiter to becoming the Head of Learning and Development
I’ve had 6.5 years of experience in recruitment. During my early years, I was working on temporary generalist vacancies for a large global recruitment company. I then joined a UK-based specialist recruitment agency which made me fall in love with the IT industry.
Whilst I was working as a 360 recruiter in IT, I also “took under my wing” some of the new team members and supported them in their roles. That is when I realised my potential at transferring my knowledge into training others. As much as I enjoyed the diversity of my 360 recruiter role, I was longing to develop new skills, especially the ones that would allow me to train other people.
When I started looking for my next career move, I got introduced to Bright Purple’s friendly team and as we discussed opportunities that I could have within their business, the CEO Nick Price expressed his desire to establish a strong Learning and Development function to support their existing talent and to let them accelerate their career within the organisation. My passion for training, recruitment, and processes aligned perfectly with the vision of Learning and Development within Bright Purple, and here I am one year later.
Why did you want the change of direction?
I wanted to change the direction of my career because I had just become a mum and I needed a job where I could comfortably work part-time hours; allowing me the flexibility to spend time with my family whilst working.
Bright Purple was extremely accommodating and understanding of my situation, and we agreed on the days and hours that would suit my family life. In addition, I was also looking for opportunities to expand my career beyond recruitment, and HR has always been on my mind. I especially enjoyed the coaching and professional support role and luck was on my side when this opportunity arose.
What do you hope to achieve through the change in direction?
I’ve always had a passion for learning and this role has given me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and look at recruitment from a different perspective. Having the experience of being a 360 recruiter has helped me to recognise issues and develop specific training materials for the Bright Purple team.
During my early years as a 360 recruiter, I remember facing many hurdles that took me a while to find solutions. However, I can now pass on my experience to other people and save everyone time. I am also much more empathetic toward my team as I have worked as a 360 recruiter and therefore my advice comes from understanding instead of demanding them.
What have been the challenges of setting up an L&D function at Bright Purple?
The challenge of switching roles from a 360 recruiter to becoming the Head of Learning and Development is creating training materials using my own knowledge and personal experience.
Bright Purple created an entirely new role for me, which is Head of Learning and Development. I was stepping into a new role, with no previous training materials to build on. When I joined Bright Purple, I didn’t have much confidence and I had to start from square one – building relationships with the team, understanding Bright Purple as a business, learning the best ways to communicate the new processes and training, and earning credibility and respect from everyone.
What have been your highlights during the first year at Bright Purple?
The highlights of my first year at Bright Purple is the progress we have made together by implementing new processes, organising training material, and launching a structured onboarding journey. I am also proud of establishing regular workshops, lunch & learn sessions, and masterclasses to ensure that our people always get the latest information about the IT sector.
What are your plans for L&D at Bright Purple?
I love my role and the people I work with. I have lots of plans and visions of how I want to strengthen the Learning and Development practice at Bright Purple. I am currently enrolled in a CIPD course in Learning and Development to gain more knowledge of modern ways of coaching people, and I look forward to applying the theoretical knowledge in my upcoming strategies. I am also working towards digitalising some of the training for the remote team – they will be able to access structured learning materials and complete them in their own time. I am very excited to see how I can develop the different skills of our talented people to make sure that they can achieve their long-term career goals.
Lunch and Learn session
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