How do you keep Monarch’s 2,800-strong workforce in the loop when it comes to the company’s news, announcements, social and charitable initiatives and much more? One thing is certain – it’s no easy task! But my colleague Hannah, Internal Communications & Intranet Manager, seems to have cracked it.
Read more about what she gets up to in her day-to-day job, and how making a difference is a huge motivation for her.
Hi Hannah! Let’s get to know you a little bit better: tell me something interesting about you!
I grew up in Watford which is North of London. I went to Lancaster University and studied Marketing. I was (and potentially still am) quite geeky and did a lot of work experience in the holidays whilst at University which included working in the Press Office for James Caan (from Dragon’s Den).
If your best friend described you in three words, they would say…
Bubbly, ambitious, busy-bee
When did your passion for travel start?
I am a firm believer that life is not meant to be lived in one place. My first trip was to the seaside at 6 weeks old. I go on holiday as much as I can. That doesn’t always mean I go abroad but I like to travel, road trips, flights, long bus rides, long train rides, I really enjoy them.
Why did you choose to work in PR & Communications?
I get to be officially nosey, for a job! Internal Communications is all about keeping people in the loop, keeping employees engaged and using creative methods of supporting employees to reach business targets. Therefore, I need to know what is going on and I get to ask lots of questions.
What made you want to work for Monarch?
Travel and writing are passions of mine. Travel has always appealed to me. More often than not, people look forward to their holiday all year round. There’s the planning, the saving-up, the excitement of choosing accommodation and then there’s the flight itself- getting you to where you want to be. I like going to work and being part of that for customers.
How long have you been working for Monarch?
2 years. That is a lot of Monarch weekend flights, I can tell you!
What does your day-to-day job consist of?
My job is a real mixture of creativity. There are no two days the same.
Recently, I have been working on the first of our internal newspapers. “The Monarch News” is filled with business articles, flight competitions, snippets from different departments around the business and highlights the long-term strategy for Monarch.
I manage our intranet from a technical and design perspective (there are 2500 users) so it’s a lot of training with colleagues to add news stories, designing and video creation.
I also work daily with the wider PR & Communications team to contribute to the wider engagement strategy and aim to improve joined-up marketing and external PR & communications to the business.
What are some of the challenges of the job?
My role is to make sure that all employees feel in the loop. There’s so much going on across the business, everything from new routes to new contracts for Monarch Engineering, new holiday packages to employee fundraising, new commercial targets to Cabin Crew going the extra mile for customers – sometimes it’s hard to capture everything.
What gives you the most satisfaction in the job?
We’ve just launched our long-term strategy and I feel genuinely excited to be a part of the new Monarch going forward. We’ve set our vision out in a framework which is called “True North”.
The framework will be our long term vision and act as a roadmap for the future of the company. My team and I have been involved with a lot of work to ensure that each and every one of our employees could input in to the framework, understand it, can apply it to their role and more importantly feel they can get behind it.
I feel excited to play a part in the story which is unfolding for Monarch, my job is so varied.
What keeps you motivated to enjoy your job?
Work really isn’t so bad when you like what you do, believe you’re making a difference and get to work with a great bunch of people. We recently did a female version for the campaign “Movember” and it’s just one example of how enthusiastic the team at Monarch is!
What do you love the most about it?
Being a busy-bee, mainly. I am part of a busy team managing and developing an ambitious communication, intranet and engagement plan. Nothing can beat the feeling that you’re making a difference and in my job I like that I work with different people, at all levels.
What are some of your proudest achievements?
I am assuming you don’t mean my 100 metres swimming badge!
I’d say:
I recently saved enough to buy my first house
The hard work which went into my Marketing degree
I travelled Thailand & Cambodia which took real planning and saving
Cheesy as it may sound, I’m really proud of my job and that Monarch invest in their people to help them grow within the company. In 2 years I’ve moved up through 2 roles within the Communications team
Any advice for those thinking or pursuing a career similar to yours?
Work hard and be nice to people, that sums it up. I think it’s easy to be fixated on where you want to be in the future so I’d say to people that you need to be open to new opportunities, say “yes”, put yourself forward, listen to those around you, keep it simple, even if something doesn’t fit in your career plan it doesn’t mean you can’t learn from it.
For communications specifically I’d say it’s about listening. Asking for feedback, making sure you know your audience is crucial and being creative helps! We have a dispersed workforce at Monarch so it’s about knowing how best to send information.
On Monarch’s scheduled network, which is your favourite destination and why?
I can’t choose! Rome or Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik is a new favourite for me after I went recently for a long weekend with my mum. The weather was superb, the food was great and the fact it has history and a beach means it suited us! I even managed to get her on a jet ski…
Rome is an amazing place! Rome is beautiful, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the views, the history and the pasta! I’d recommend it as a city break as it’s so easy to get around as most of it is walking distance. Plus there’s ice-cream on every corner.
Are you interested in a career in communications at Monarch like Hannah? Don’t forget to check out our new careers portal!