New joiners to the National Lottery team
With a busy recruitment market at the moment and a huge amount of competition for talent, we wanted to share some stories of our newest joiners to explore what attracted them to the Gambling Commission as an employer and how they are finding their new roles.
Posted 15 October 2021 by People Services
With a busy recruitment market at the moment and a huge amount of competition for talent, we wanted to share some stories of our newest joiners to explore what attracted them to the Gambling Commission as an employer and how they are finding their new roles.
As a small regulator with a large remit (we regulate both the Gambling Industry and the National Lottery) our work is both interesting and sometimes fairly specialised but we are really open to people with transferable skills and a genuine interest in what we do. Joining our National Lottery team means playing your part in shaping and regulating a national institution - an institution responsible for delivering over £38bn in returns to good causes since its inception - at a particularly exciting time.
The team ensures that players are protected, that the National Lottery is run well and that the amount of money that the National Lottery raises for good causes is maximised. It’s a broad remit and one which means you can bring fresh ideas to unique challenges, drawing on the Commission’s wide-ranging expertise to maintain the National Lottery’s position as a source of both public pride and public good.
Today we are sharing the experiences of two of our newest team members Neil Clarke who joined the Commission in March 2021 whose role is Maximisation Manager within the 3rd National Lottery team and Glen Foulks who joined us at the start of 2021 and is currently working as an Assistant Licensing Manager in the 3rd National Lottery team.
What attracted you the Commission in the first place?
Neil:
I was attracted to the role by the thought of working for an organisation which was not solely profit driven. This is especially true within the maximisation team which has the primary aim of ensuring that the returns to good causes from the National Lottery are as high as possible. Consequently, you feel like you are contributing to society in a positive way which is especially important give the times we are currently living in.
Glen:
I was attracted to the Commission after finishing university as it appeared to be a versatile work environment and a great introduction into the working world. There were many opportunities for professional development and learning. In the National Lottery team, the nature of the work, where everyone was working towards a universal goal appealed to me – regulating the lottery in a healthy way to maximise returns to good causes and to protect players from gambling harm.
Is flexible working important to you?
Neil:
Although not a major driver to me, the ability to have flexible working hours has been a pleasant surprise. I’ve found flexible working hours to have a two-fold benefit, firstly I found it’s improved my efficiency as it improves motivation and allows you to work when your focus is greatest and secondly, it certainly helps to improve you work / life balance which has been especially important whilst working solely from home. I know from ‘new starters’ within our team the seemingly flexible nature of the working environment and ‘grown-up’ way of working where relationships are built on trust has had a really positive impact.
Glen:
For me personally, flexible working hasn’t been too much of an issue. However, the ability to work from home and the office has been something I had enjoyed taking advantage of especially when my commute was longer at the start of the year. The Gambling Commission has been very accommodating to everyone’s personal preferences in this sense, but it has been nice to see people beginning to return to office life.
Did the benefits play a role in why you applied?
Neil:
Yes, especially the pension scheme which is very generous and not always the case in today’s job market. In addition, to the financial benefits there is a lot to admire about the culture within the Commission and how it cares for its employees.
Glen:
Though as a fresh graduate it seemed like an eternity away, the Civil Service Pension scheme was factored into my considerations as this was far larger contribution by the employer than other roles I was considering. This alongside widely available coaching and professional training and development opportunities and a very conveniently placed office encouraged me to join the Gambling Commission.
Now you have been with us for a few months is that job what you expected?
Neil:
Generally, the job is what I expected which is largely attributed to the thorough application process.
Glen:
The job I am currently doing is slightly different the one advertised to me in the job interview – and this has been a benefit to me. This is testament to my previous point about the Commission being a versatile environment, there are many different opportunities, and I was introduced to roles within my team that played to my strengths and abilities. The work environment has been incredibly friendly and welcoming as a new starter to office work.
For more information on the Civil Service Pension please see Civil Service Pensions: Contribution Rates (opens in a new tab)
If you are interested in joining the Gambling Commission either in our National Lottery team or any other area please email recruitment@gamblingcommission.gov.uk for an initial chat.