Our ‘Day in the Life of’ series will focus on a new team member every month. They’ll discuss their duties, what it’s like to work here, how many teas they drink, and everything else in-between. We hope you enjoy learning more about the people behind the software – one delightful blog at a time! This time we sat down with Olivia Evans, more affectionately referred to as Liv, our Quality & Compliance Senior Assistant. Working alongside Liz, our Head of Quality & Compliance, this dynamic duo ensure we have all of the necessary qualifications and certifications that help our customers trust that we’re able to provide the security and assurance required of our team and software. It’s very impressive stuff, actually. In turn, this allows our customers to continue providing the very vital work they do whilst knowing we’ve got their backs (figuratively speaking, of course. Hands, face, space…). You can read more about Olivia and her fantastic journey below!
What experiences led you to this role in Compliance?
Liv has been with 365 Response for almost 6 years. She started her role as an apprentice within the specialist call handling team right after finishing college. Most of her adult life has been spent with the company, and in that time, she has acquired and then surpassed at least 5 job titles. Naturally, within that time the company has grown exponentially. There have luckily been several opportunities for 365 Response to scale-up and expand. In the year of 2020 alone, we received extensive funding from the Business Growth Fund, received national recognition for our work, thrived despite the pandemic, and gained many wonderful new customers. Reflecting on the start of her journey, Liv shared:
“I started out as an apprentice before progressing into a full-time position as an administrator. It wasn’t until recently that I made the switch over from the eProcure section of the company over to the Compliance side. I loved it over there, but I fancied a change. Something new to challenge me. I’ve always had an interest in HR, so when this opportunity arose, I took it. I used to assist with audits in my team beforehand, so the process wasn’t entirely new. When I first started here, I was fresh out of college. I was a shy girl with low confidence, and now, despite being a work in progress still, I have so much more faith in myself and my abilities. Back then there must have been about 10 of us, and now there’s 60, almost 6 times as many people! It’s been amazing to watch the company grow in the way it has.”
Why 365 Response?
A reliable, resourceful individual with a can-do attitude like no other, it’s no surprise that Liv has progressed onwards so frequently throughout her years. Considering most of Liv’s adult life has been spent learning and growing with the company, we were curious to know what she loved most about working for 365 Response.
“Honestly, a lot of it comes down to the people. Whatever team I’m on, and the wider company in general. There are clearly a lot of opportunities for progression, and it’s really easy to move around and find what areas of the business interest you the most. That freedom to explore is great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a challenging journey at times, but we all do our best to rally together and I love that. I’m close with so many people here, including Liz, and now, after knowing her for 6 years, she’s my mentor. An amazing one at that! Always helpful and on hand to support me. We mesh together so well, and I’m really grateful for that.”
Quality Compliance Moments
Looking after our customers and their data whilst maintaining the highest levels of cybersecurity is at the top of our to-do list. We like to demonstrate this with multiple certifications to widely recognised standards. We do this regularly by testing and assessing our systems. We work closely with CfA (Centre for Assessment) to undergo strict, external reviews of our processes and procedures, along with rigorous auditing to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities. It is our aim to maintain industry standards which is why we continuously maintain our ISO and Cyber Essentials certifications. We provide robust, best in class solutions that offer complete peace of mind for our clients. Having only been part of the Compliance time for a few months, we wondered what some of Liv’s proudest moments were so far.
“There have been so many in such a short space of time. Helping Liz and the wider company retain our certifications, overhauling the entire system onto Sage HR is definitely up there as well. That project was led by myself, so I really had something to call my own, by helping us move from a more manual way of working and embracing the digital – as we should! It was quite difficult to wrap my head around at first, and it was a lot to take on when I first started this role, but I did really enjoy it.”
Plans for 2021 & Beyond
Easy to remember, our ‘ABCD’ company values are our guiding principles, and they encourage every member of 365 Response to contribute to creating valuable and lasting change within the most vulnerable communities. The ‘A’ stands for ‘Always Learning.’ As a fast-growing ‘tech for good’ company, we are all actively encouraged to continue expanding on our knowledge base. That’s part of the reason why we have our very own Research and Development lab! There is always more to learn, and with that new understanding comes fresh and innovative ideas that we can feedback into our award-winning software. It’s evident from Liv’s 365 journey that she has fully embraced the many opportunities available to her that have seen her rise from an apprentice to the weighty title and accompanying responsibility she holds now. Discussing her plans for the future, Liv shared:
“The ultimate goal is to become the go-to for all internal audits. I’d also like to help Liz streamline more policies and procedures, make sure we continue to retain our certifications, and just generally grow within the role. There’s so much to learn, and the audit side of things for things like ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 27001 Security Management System are ongoing tasks throughout the year. Very time consuming and challenging, but incredibly rewarding when we pass!”
Logging Off
Outside of her role in Compliance, Olivia prefers to embrace a much less…regulated approach to her days and evenings off. Think dancing as an elite cheerleader for 16 years and trying new cuisines in between…
“I just like to relax in my spare time! I’m not much of a cook, but I do like to go out for meals locally or in the city. I guess you could call me a bit of a foodie. I used to dance professionally from the age of 4 until the beginning of last year. I absolutely loved it and still miss and support the team from afar, but I think I left at the right time – especially once Covid hit. Mostly, during the week I get the boring stuff done like chores, so that when the weekend hits it’s nothing but pyjamas and chilling. That’s the way to do it.”
Thanks for chatting with me, Liv! You can find out more about our team by keeping up with our regular ‘Day in the Life of’ series, like this one here on Clare Welford, eProcure Operations Team Leader/expert baker.
