Introducing our new #Databoss series, all about our employees at Red Flag Alert. Throughout this series, we want to showcase our incredible team here at Red Flag Alert, celebrate their achievements, and examine the journys our employees go on. We also hope to give potential future talent an idea of what it’s like to work inside the #DataHQ!
Hannah is one of our brilliant Account Managers here at Red Flag Alert. She joined us as a Customer Success Manager at the end of September 2022 before transitioning into her new role a few months ago.
How did you first become interested in working in your current field, and what’s been your journey to Red Flag Alert?
I studied contemporary dance for my bachelor's and master's. I studied in the Netherlands, Scotland, and London, and graduated from a conservatoire there.
Then I went to do my master's in a touring company based out of Salford. Just before I started at Red Flag Alert, I finished the tour which was a lot of fun.
I thought a lot about my passions and realised I found this interesting – I wanted to know more about businesses in the UK and what troubles they face on a day-to-day basis. I learnt a lot and then got a job as a Customer Success Manager at Red Flag Alert.
What’s one piece of advice you’d like people to take from your journey?
I’ve found there are so many different factors, such as communication style and networking, that are transferable skills from what I’ve done previously that I can apply to my current role.
Those people applying who may not be from a business background, think about all the transferable skills you have. Knowing how to talk and relate to people is incredibly valuable, as it’s something many people find challenging.
It's been an interesting journey. After university, there’s an expectation to go into a specific role post-education. Don't be constricted by that, don't think: ‘Oh, I've done this degree, so I must work in this role’.
For some, it's expected that you go into what you learn. My advice would be? Break the norm and do what you want to do – immerse yourself in different industries.
At the end of the day, you can do what you want to do, not what someone else tells you what you should do!
How would you describe yourself in three words?
What do you enjoy most about working at our company?
I would say I enjoy the people the most within Red Flag Alert.
I think we are quite a collaborative team of people, not necessarily just in the Customer Service and Account Management team but throughout the sales team, and marketing. We have open conversations and are very clear and concise in what we say to each other.
Working collaboratively is important in every industry that you work in, but especially here. Understanding what a client's necessities are, and then being able to kind of shed light throughout the business is quite important.
Any favourite moments or experiences you can share?
I think my favourite moments are talking to clients.
I really enjoy my client base. I like to be involved in their businesses, understanding exactly what they do to and working out how we can slot in and help.
Sometimes that means calling a client to check in, not just about the work side of things, but also about daily life. You'll have different instances where someone's gone on holiday, and those little things are the most interesting for me because they factor into their day-to-day life.
So, it's not just about business. At the end of the day, it's about relationships.
What approach do you take when talking to clients?
My approach is probably a bit different from the rest of the team. I'm very much a people person in the sense that I love talking to people. I think a business relationship is a business relationship, but at the end of the day, I think there's more to a business relationship than just metrics and reviews.
The client get to know you more, and you get to know them more in their frustrations, even if it's external to what you do, and hopefully offer them solutions.
Who inspires you?
There's the inspiration that I have for artists and different philosophers. But within this business, I think the senior leadership team inspires me quite a lot, through their understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
Outside of this, I'm very much active in the political space to understand what is going on in the economic climate.
I would say Martin Luther King is a huge inspiration. I’m also a big Obama supporter.
I love Michelle Obama; I think she's great. She's very inspiring as an independent woman. Yes, she's married and was someone who was technically behind Barak, but she stood alone and did so much for America at that time as well, and she still does.
How do you keep up with the trends in your industry?
I'm a big news reader, so I'll kind of educate myself using that. I love the public sector, so I watch a lot of the news to better understand that. There’s also so much on LinkedIn at this moment in time.
I've done a lot of courses in account management, and customer success, and I’ve found throwing yourself into the deep end is the best way to learn.
Coming from where I do, in Ireland, I just wanted to know everything I could. There are so many places in Manchester that you can find those courses and opportunities.
Another thing I would say is don't just educate yourself on one factor. I go to marketing events because I think it's important for me to understand what the Marketing team does, same for Sales or Tech. Throw yourself into it and immerse yourself.
What guidance would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career in your field? Any insights or lessons you’ve learned along the way?
I think that probably my perception is very different from someone else's since I come from a contemporary dance background.
Be open-minded. I think for myself. When I decided to come to Red Flag Alert, I didn’t know that much. But I do know that every day is a learning day, especially working here – you're going to learn new things every day.
I've done extra stuff outside of work since joining. It’s important to educate yourself on different topics, different matters of the economy, but also be yourself.
At the end of the day, you’ll have to be yourself into this business, you'll have to migrate into that sense of learning and being open to that.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? Are you continuing to dance?
Yes, still dancing on the side which is fun. It relieves the stress of a nine-to-five to come home and think ‘Okay cool, I’m going to train’.
I like going to the gym and training, performing, and dancing. I also really enjoy networking – that’s a big one.