Employees gain confidence and reap career rewards, says Toby Knight
I joined AMG as a loss adjuster in March 2002 and I realised from day one that this isn't a company which would expect me to stay in the same role year after year. It was apparent that if I put the hard work in, there were clear rewards from a career point of view.
In the past I had worked in positions where I could simply not see any future beyond my current job. I had completed my ACII qualification and therefore was looking for a company where succession planning wasn't just a management phrase.
From the outset I was encouraged to proceed further with my professional qualifications and immediately commenced my Cila exams. I was supported throughout, developing my technical expertise further through case surgeries, quality management processes and in-house technical training courses.
I am due to attend the final interview this month, as the last part of the accreditation process to complete the qualification.
The structure of AMG as an organisation means that there are numerous specialist units to aspire to as a progressive loss adjuster.
For me, the main choice was whether to pursue a technical route to major loss and the specialist adjusting unit, or management. I opted for management, as I had a strong desire to lead a team and run one of the company's regional offices.
Having made my choice clear to my manager, I was then supported and nurtured towards that path.
In June 2004, the opportunity arose for me to apply for the regional manager position within my current office. I was successful.
During my five-month induction from support manager to regional manager I was allocated a mentor and was also coached on a one-to-one basis by various partners who headed up the different units within the organisation.
These included operations, the specialist adjusting unit, the special investigation unit, HR, facilities and our supply chain organisations SPRN and QCRN.
This coaching was invaluable. It helped my understanding of the big picture, company strategy and goals.
I am a more confident leader, having worked and been promoted through the ranks of the company and feel my team values the fact that I understand the challenges at the 'coal face'.
My background means they know I am not asking them to do anything I had not done.
My current role is easily the most challenging and rewarding position of my career, due to the clear focus of the organisation and the way my team pulls together to achieve our goals.
The success of my office - and the company as a whole - can be attributed to the commitment to training and a dedicated team approach.
- Toby Knight is regional manager at AMG.
