Sarah Jones, Administration Manager at Key2, has won a competition run by recruitment specialist Hays, recognising her efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hays Shout Out competition set out to reward and recognise admin staff who have taken on extra responsibilities to support their organisations during the pandemic. Employers were invited to nominate their chosen employee and a shortlist was created from all nominations.
Sarah was chosen as the winner by Roddy Adair, Director of Hays Office Support, and has been awarded a prize of £250 in vouchers.
Sarah has been working at Key2 for over a decade and was nominated for the award by her line manager, Abi Wilson. Her nomination spoke of Sarah’s ability to embrace change and uncertainty, going above and beyond her remit to support her team and handling additional pressures brought on by the pandemic.
Abi Wilson, Head of HR at Key2, spoke of her nomination: “I’ve been working with Sarah for nearly 12 years and she is quite literally my right-hand woman. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her. The admin team and function has experienced a lot of changes over the last few years, but Sarah has got on with it despite the uncertainty and has gone above and beyond to support where she needed to.
“During the pandemic, additional responsibilities have been put on Sarah to deal with the Health and Safety aspects, given that she had also recently become a Health and Safety Lead. Along with this she also took on the role as Mental Health Lead for Head Office. All of this while doing her day job, supporting her team, dealing with the same anxieties we have all felt over this time and coping with a bereavement. Key2 is very lucky to have her and I think she is worth her weight in gold.”
Speaking of her achievement, Sarah said: “I was really surprised and thrilled to hear that I had been nominated and won this award. I have been working at Key2 for over 10 years and have seen the organisation grow and change but throughout that time Key2 has never lost sight of its ethos to support and really care for their staff’s wellbeing and development.
“My Line Manager Abi and the Senior Leadership Team are always approachable, encouraging and supportive. This year has been a challenge for everyone and I couldn’t have dealt with all the ups and downs without a great team behind me.”
Roddy Adair, Director of Hays Office Support and judge of the competition, added: “We offer our warmest congratulations to Sarah on her achievement. It was tough to choose just one winner out of the high calibre of nominations we received, but Sarah stood out to us and we’re proud to present her with this award.
Over the last six months the support function of any organisation has become more crucial than ever. Through this award, we wanted to reward and recognise the unsung members of admin teams who often work behind the scenes, carrying out tasks that sometimes go unnoticed. Congratulations again to Sarah and to all the office staff who are taking on huge amounts of responsibility to support their organisations in these challenging times.”
