Posted by on March 30, 2023 under Careers Advice
You don’t have to look far in the Partnership to find Partners who have been with us for 10+ years.
For many, the Partnership has given them the support and guidance to get the most out of their careers, meaning they haven’t had to look anywhere else!
For others, it’s our benefits and culture that have captured their hearts, sometimes unexpectedly after only intending to be here for a short while! Oh, and let’s not forget that once a Partner has 25-years continuous service, they qualify for 6-months PAID leave!
We recently caught up with some of our long service Partners so they could share all of the reasons why they remain loyal to the Partnership and why it continues to be a great place to work.
“13-years ago I joined Partnership as a Graduate Trainee which has provided me with a wide range of experiences. I have worked in shops, Head Office, played a part in our democracy, been elected onto the Partnership Board and most recently been part of a team which has won nationwide awards.
The support and encouragement I have received throughout my career has been brilliant. I feel proud to work for a business which continues to invest in me and I’m excited for the future here!”
“When I joined the Partnership on the IT Graduate scheme in 1997, I never envisaged still being here some 26-years later. As my Partnership career progressed though, I found myself on a work journey that was simultaneously varied, challenging, supportive and nurturing, which meant that, as the years rolled on, I never felt like I was just stuck in the same place.
I’ve been immensely fortunate to have worked with so many wonderful colleagues, many of whom I consider as friends, and on numerous memorable and rewarding projects.
Then, as a wonderful bonus last summer, having been in the Partnership for 25-years, I was rewarded with the gift of long-leave (6-months paid leave). No other company that I know of offers such a generous benefit. I feel equally proud to have reached that milestone and grateful to the Partnership for providing an environment where I wanted to stay for that duration.
I’m now back from my long-leave feeling so blessed to have been able to have that time off, to spend quality time with my children and to take a much needed breather from the stresses of being a working single mother. I think the surprising number of people who reach long-leave is testament to the Partnership as an employer of distinction and I’m pretty sure that had I started my career at any other company as a twinkle-eyed graduate all those years ago, I wouldn’t have stayed as long as I’ve been here.”
“I’ve worked in the Partnership for 10-years but recently joined the Commercial team within Waitrose. The flexibility that I’ve been given whilst in this role has made a huge difference to both my work and personal life and my mental health has improved massively. As a single parent, I’ve been able to continue to do the school runs and make up the time at the end of my shift – there’s not many companies I believe that would allow this and makes the Partnership a great place to work.”
“I started working at the Partnership 10-years ago and have covered a variety of roles. My current role involves establishing the strategic framework for data development for FCMS which is the end-to-end inventory system for our Customer Fulfilment Centres. I’ve been part of the development team for this project for over 3 years now!
This role enabled me to learn how to write code and as a woman, I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to tap into the tech side of my role where my skills primarily lie.
The data industry as a whole is beginning to open up more for women and I’m glad to say this is true of data opportunities across the Partnership. As illustrative from my experience, testing the waters in a data role sparked my interest and that was 2-years ago, so I’d highly recommend any women to do the same if this area is of interest!”
“I’ve been a Partner for 30-years. I started in our shops, working in numerous departments and in management roles. The variety was great! When I had my children I was ready for a change, so I moved to our contact centre where I’ve now been for 15-years.
Initially, progression was not important to me. I wanted to focus on my children as a solo parent and carer to them. The Partnership allowed me the flexibility I needed and, after time, I became a Team Manager which is a role I absolutely love as it allows me to support and develop others.
Working condensed hours has also allowed me to focus on my development too. I completed a Level 5 CIPD Personnel Qualification recently, which has helped me become a better manager and Partner.
I have completed a paid charity secondment (Golden Jubilee Trust) with an autism charity and I’ve gone on to form an autism charity where I’m a trustee. The Partnership has supported my career growth with a coach, and with several work experience opportunities.”
“During my 17-years with the Partnership, I have been supported at every turn. From flexible working which allowed me to be a volunteer performer at the 2022 London Olympics (Suffragette!) to bereavement support during the loss of my father. The Partnership have always treated me as a person, not just a number and I have loved my time with the business and the roles and experiences it has given me.”
“I joined the Partnership 23-years ago, after having worked for 20 years since leaving school in my family run business of Wholesale Fruit Importers……so technically in my late 30’s this became my first job…in an “employee” sense!
I took on a part-time role with Food Service at Waitrose intending to stay 6-months or so. But, I found the Partnership such a great fit, especially in terms of co-ownership and empowerment, that I am still here today. 3-years ago I took on the role as my branch’s Forum Representative and have thrown myself feet first into our Democracy and discovered it is my passion. I consider it to be an honour to represent 500+ Partners in the wider business community, so that their voices are heard at the highest level.
As a non-management Partner and with the unwavering support of my Branch Manager, I have been involved with many projects, and exposed to different experiences beyond which I could ever have imagined, and I love the vibrancy of the role and the fact that no two working days are the same!”
“I joined the Partnership over 15-years ago whilst still at school as a weekend job and I quickly began to appreciate the Partnership values and how inclusive the business was.
I felt I could add real value in managerial positions and so, 7-years ago, I began my development and leadership career path. Throughout my progression, I’ve always felt incredibly supported with countless opportunities to continue pushing myself. Which has ultimately led me to my current role as Branch Manager.
I’m really enjoying the challenge and experience the role comes with. I know I am contributing to shaping our business and feel very proud of all we’ve achieved as a team so far.
Everyone has the opportunity to develop in the Partnership and, as co-owners, we all have a responsibly to ensure our business thrives, whatever our job title.
I’m incredible proud to be a Partner and to be supporting and developing other Partners on their own progression journeys.”
“I have been a Partner for 23-years this year and have had the privilege of working within 3 different divisions of the Partnership.
The Partnership offers truly diverse and exciting opportunities for Partners to build and use their skills in food retail, non food retail, Distribution, finance, recruitment – the list goes on. I started my career in food retail, working part time as a Training Coordinator in Waitrose, as I bought up my children.
When my children became more independent and I wanted to focus on building a career for myself, I moved to John Lewis branches, where I worked in a variety of roles including Selling Section Manager and Learning and Development Coach.
When my personal circumstances changed again I was able to take advantage of the Partnership’s career diversity and I joined John Lewis Distribution and the Magna Park Campus. What other business offers this level of opportunity?
I am now looking forward to qualifying for 6-months paid leave when I reach the milestone of being a Partner for 25-years. Yet more opportunities await me then and I am planning on travelling and broadening those horizons!”
Start your journey with us today and help in our mission to build a happier world. Browse through our careers website to find out more about working in the Partnership and view our latest opportunities.
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