Rob's Journey - EOC Recruitment Specialist

Rob Hazell is a recruitment specialist for our emergency operations centres (EOC) who has been with the Trust for three years.

Having been made redundant from a previous line of work during the pandemic, I joined the Trust as an emergency call handler in 2020, as I wanted to do something that made a difference. I really enjoyed working as part of a team, day in, day out in the control room and sharing both the highs and lows together. I made friends for life, and it was great as it made me realise the importance of looking after yourself; both mentally and physically. Im definitely more aware of taking risks with my health now - life is precious.

I was doing well in the emergency operations centre (EOC) but felt that my strengths and skillset could be better utilised elsewhere in the Trust. I felt I could give more value within the recruitment and retention area, due to my experience. Through good retention, we can ultimately provide a stronger service for our patients by retaining highly skilled members of staff. In 2021, I got the opportunity to move into a secondment as the regional recruitment lead for call handlers. This role involved forming part of the recruitment retention plan and ultimately increasing the number of call handlers within the Trust.

Following this, I applied for my current role as regional recruitment lead for EOC. I particularly enjoy that I get to work both autonomously and as part of a team, whilst also out in the community engaging with potential applicants. Its great being able to talk about the benefits of working for EEAST, while being able to use my own experience as an example. One of the best things about talking to potential candidates is telling them that they dont necessarily need a clinical qualification to join the Trust. I love being able to procure brilliant people to work for EEAST.

One of the challenges I have faced along the way was when I first joined, as I had to adjust to a completely different working environment. Going from private sector to public sector, there is a noticeable difference in their ways of working.

Im proud to work as part of the EEAST team as we all have one common goal and work as a supportive team, making coming to work a pleasant experience. If you want it to be, this organisation can provide you with a career for life, whether you want to stay in the same role or move around and explore new avenues. Either way, it will be a rewarding career. Not every job at EEAST is suitable for everybody, but there is a job for everyone here.