IMI has a well-established graduate programme that has recruited a broad talent range for many decades. Current CEO Roy Twite is among many who joined our company as graduates, enjoying fulfilling and successful careers as engineers and in various roles across the organisation.

The programme is designed to provide graduate entrants with responsibility and hands-on experience from the very start. IMI believes in nurturing emerging talent and developing its graduates so that they become an integral part of the company’s future success. Joining the programme means winning access to a range of career development opportunities, crucial experience, and professional connections within the company and beyond.

In the latest of our Day in the Life interviews, we met with HR graduate Natalie Andrews to discuss her experience of the graduate programme and learn more about her role.

Natalie’s Career at a Glance

• Based in Lakeside, Birmingham UK
• One Year at IMI
• BA (Hons) Psychology, Nottingham Trent University

How do you normally start your working day?

My main aim in the morning is not to be rushed. I like to make sure I wake up with enough time to have a relaxed morning, getting ready before leaving for the office. Once I am up, the first thing I do is go downstairs and say good morning to my dog. I have a gorgeous brown bearded collie called Murphy who is always very excited in the mornings, so he always gets my day off to a really lovely start. I then go back upstairs to brush my teeth, do my skincare, put some makeup on and get dressed, as getting fully ready for the day always makes me feel more prepared. Then, before I leave the house, I have a cup of tea with my mum to talk about our plans for the day before heading to work.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

It’s quite hard to say what a typical day looks like for me. All my days are really varied, and no two days are the same. I would say that is part of the magic of my role and what I do. Every day being different gives me a real sense of the breadth of HR and allows me to experience and learn what it takes to be a well-rounded HR professional. I would describe myself as a people person, which is not something they teach you at university!

A large proportion of my time is spent networking with employees all over the company and the world, discussing global recruitment projects which contribute to the growth of the company. Something really exciting I have been working on recently is a re-design of the graduate project. We have developed a journey map to guide graduates through their placement and ensure they all get a similar experience at IMI.

I also do a lot of global facilitating, answering different people and employee engagement questions. I am fortunate enough to have visited multiple sites across the company and have a supportive global network around me, which enables me to answer these questions.

Tell us about a particularly interesting day you had at work recently.

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Ghent in Belgium to take part in the global grad event. I work in a central HR role based at IMI HQ and have largely communicated with graduates in my area of the business by email. So, for me, it was really great to meet them all in person. It was also lovely to meet graduates from the other sectors who I haven’t had the chance to work with yet and widen my network across IMI further. One day at the event which really stood out to me was when we were able to have a Q and A with Roy, Liz, Dan, and Phil. This was a great opportunity to find out more about the business from an executive perspective, including the current achievements, priorities, and strategy for IMI. It was also great to get some hints and tips on how to succeed in the graduate programme – especially from Roy, our CEO, who started as an IMI Graduate.

What do you enjoy the most about your role in HR?

What I enjoy the most about working in HR is the fact that it is all about the people. We are able to help people every day both in their personal and professional lives. That could be through their development, growth, training, wellbeing support or making their lives a little easier. I also love that every day in HR is different – I am learning something new, meeting new people and experiencing new challenges.

What do you find most interesting about working at IMI?

What I find most interesting about working at IMI is the people – which is great when you work in HR! I love that IMI is a global company because I get to meet and work with so many people from different backgrounds and cultures. I have found this really interesting as I have been able to learn about cultures which I would never have had exposure to otherwise. A passion of mine is Inclusion and Diversity and that has been a main priority for IMI recently. It has been great to be involved in some I and D projects.

What is your top tip for graduates who will shortly join IMI’s graduate scheme?

I have two main top tips that I would give to graduates starting the IMI programme. The first is that everything takes time. IMI is a massive company that works in lots of different markets, so don’t be afraid if you get a bit confused or don’t know everything about the markets you are working in straight away. The great thing about the graduate programme is that the only thing IMI expects of you is to learn and to grow, not to have loads of knowledge and experience, as the company knows you won’t have long finished your studies. My next tip, and probably the most important, is to say yes to as many opportunities as you can. There are so many different projects at IMI, and the best way to learn is by being directly involved. Not every project may be for you, and that’s OK. However, if an opportunity to work at a different site or in a different market presents itself, it will benefit you so much in terms of professional and personal growth by expanding your business knowledge and your network.

Can you tell us anything interesting about your location in the UK?

I am based at IMI’s HQ at Lakeside which is in Birmingham in the UK. I have lived in Birmingham all my life, so I am a bit biased when I say I think it is a very interesting place. Something really cool that happened in Birmingham recently was the Commonwealth Games. This brought so much excitement and tourism to the city. We had a big bull made as the mascot which was named Ozzy after Ozzy Osbourne, who is a Brummie, and the city was so colourful and busy while the games were on. I was lucky enough to be able to go and watch some athletics while the games were in Birmingham including the men’s 200m and women’s 100m finals so that was an exciting time to be living in the city!

And finally, how do you typically end your day?

At the end of a working day, I like to make sure my emails are at the lowest they can be and any urgent ones that have come in have been answered. I then write myself a to do list of things I need to get done the next day. This helps me prioritise, which I have found makes me less stressed because I have a clear plan of what I need to do and when. I then ask my colleagues the important question of what they are going to have for dinner or if they have any nice evening plans before driving home.

When I get home, I am greeted by my lovely dog Murphy again. I have recently joined a gym, so if I am feeling super energetic, I do try and drag myself there. My mum and I always have dinner together and chat about what we have done in the day. I love a good book, so I try and read for at least an hour a night before going to sleep. Then I’m ready to do it all again the next day!