Tatiana Gratcheva

• Tell us about your job, and what it is you do (for someone who isn’t familiar with your field or industry)?:

As a Lead People Partner at Aon, I work closely with business leaders to form and deliver on segment People Plans. This includes establishing best practice that helps leaders with attracting, developing and growing their talent, in alignment with both, business strategy and Aon’s people priorities.

• What motivates you in your work? What do you love that makes you want to go further?

I’m motivated by an organisation that provides flexibility on how I can do my work. This has always been important to me since my early days working in HR. To be effective in my role, I need flexibility to squeeze in exercise into my daily routine. Whether this is through an extended lunch break here and there, or finishing a little earlier, I can always come back to my work afterwards with more energy/clear head. I find myself to be more effective when I can do this, and I’ve always had the support. I guess I’ve always been trusted to just do this without having to formally ask for it. It means a great deal!

• Can you share with us an overview of your career at organisation? (Tenure, previous roles, major achievements, or projects you’ve worked on etc)

I’ve commenced with Aon as a HR Consultant in July 2012. I was then promoted into a Senior HR Consultant role sometime in 2013 where I had my own small portfolio of clients. I then received another promotion into a HR Business Partner role in 2014, with a larger portfolio. It’s been awesome to receive so much support from my Leaders during my tenure, who gave me interesting projects and exposure that helped me progress. A couple of key projects that I’ve worked on included AonFlex framework which further evolved in 2020 during the pandemic. It was really valuable during the pandemic as we didn’t need to establish flexibility from scratch! Another most recent project was around building an Employee Value Proposition for the Affinity & Digital Client Services business… I’ve just recently organised some videos for our job adverts which will come to life in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait!

• What would you tell someone who wanted to know what it was like working at your organisation?

It’s a great place to work. People are valued and appreciated for all their hard work. It’s a big enough organisation to offer multiple career opportunities, without feeling like you’re lost in a large organisation having to cut through multiple layers of hierarchy. We don’t have that.

• How would you describe the culture and people at your organisation? How does it feel special or different to other places you’ve worked?

That it’s hard to look elsewhere 😊 The Aon culture is like a second family, and not like your regular corporates. It’s less formal. We trust people to deliver and give them opportunities to realise their full potential.

• How have you grown and developed in your organisation (personally & professionally)?

I grown a lot during my 9.5 years of tenure. It’s mainly through the diverse client groups I’ve had the pleasure of working with and also having the opportunity to engage and lead interesting projects.

• How do you work flexibly / What does flexible work look like in your team? (e.g. types of flex, ways of working, team collaboration etc).

I organise my day around key meetings and priorities, and also aim to squeeze in some exercise. If my schedule permits, I may go to a yoga class or a long walk during the day. It might take a little longer than a standard 1 hour break, but this might mean I finish a little later to make up for it. I personally don’t watch the clock, and neither does my manager. I base my day on the output… I also make sure I go into the office on Thursdays as this is our ‘People Org Collaboration Day’. We try to gather on this day to see each other, collaborate/ideate on things and have lunch and after work gatherings to catch up with each other. It’s a really good mix of flexibility.

• What benefits have you experienced personally in being able to work flexibly?

The benefit of having some added flexibility means I can balance my work and personal life a lot better. Having a weekly in-person visit once or twice a week means I can get a good social balance and feel connected to the team. I’d call my working style as hybrid. It’s a life changer.