Kate Nicholls

Human Resources (HR) Graduate, Corporate HR.
Joined September 2007

Getting a variety of Human Resources experiences

The more I researched TfL, the more I was surprised by the diversity of the projects TfL is involved with, and it was a big attraction for me. Because it has such a wide remit, my day-to-day work changes very rapidly, so since the start of my placement I've worked on projects as diverse as looking at the flexible working provision within TfL and deciding if and how it should be extended; analysing the work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission to see how it will affect TfL; setting up a focus group as part of my team's engagement strategy assessing the use and understanding of our policies; and assessing the impact that the Corporate Manslaughter Act will have. At the moment I'm in the Group Employee Relations and Human Resources Policy team.

Changing flexible working for thousands of TfL employees

The project I've found most interesting so far has been one looking at the flexible working provision within TfL. It's involved a huge amount of research looking at the experiences of other organisations that have introduced flexible working, and the impact that it's had on their business. I attended the annual Workwise Summit - looking at flexible working on a national level, and I have been able to share my knowledge with Railcorp, the Australian version of TfL. With all of this knowledge, I've been involved in creating the business case for extending flexible working provision that, if accepted, will have a marked impact on the lives of our 22,000 employees. Fingers crossed.

Training that's second to none

The career development and training opportunities here are fantastic. TfL are sponsoring me to gain the qualifications necessary to join the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development as well as providing a whole range of in-house courses ranging from Creative Problem Solving to Managing Trade Union Relationships. On top of the formal training opportunities I've found my colleagues extremely helpful in building my knowledge and understanding of their work and very willing to devote their time to answering my questions and involving me in their work.

Helping 22,000 people to keep London moving

TfL employs around 22,000 people. By working in Human Resources you can have a real impact on the well being of those staff, and their ability to do their jobs to the best of their ability. TfL's absolute commitment to equality and diversity within its workforce was something I valued highly as well. This then affects the service that they provide to all Londoners and others that use the transport system. The best thing about working for TfL is definitely being able to get on the bus, or the Tube, and feel that you are playing your part in keeping London moving.