Introducing our Balance Network
“Whatever your gender or goals, I believe that you can thrive and grow at LV=. The opportunities, training and guidance are there for the taking, you just have to grab hold of them.”
We put the spotlight on Kirsty Griffiths, our Balance Network Lead whose career at LV= spans almost 25 years. Just as her current role focuses on continuous improvement, Kirsty is always on the lookout for ways that she can develop herself and her career. Having joined LV= as Customer Service Representative, over the years Kirsty has worked her way up as a trainer, team leader and then gradually taking on more responsibilities and becoming a manager.
In her own words, Kirsty is “…always on the lookout to try something new.” Her current role as Service and Transformation Manager sees her helping to foster a culture of “we can be better” through new ways of working. She said: “It’s about making LV= an awesome workplace, full of inspiring learning opportunities.”
We spoke to Kirsty about her role as Balance Network Lead, and why the network plays a pivotal part in the employee experience at LV=.
What is the role of the Balance Network?
I come from a line of strong, supportive females so I’ve always been taught to believe in myself. But I appreciate, however, that not everyone has those strong foundations or understands that we have to carry on the amazing work of the many generations of inspirational women before us. That’s what our Balance network is all about.
We feel passionately that a diverse workplace is beneficial to both the company and everyone working here and we want to support people of all genders to ensure that everyone can thrive at LV=. The Balance Network does this by fostering an equitable culture at all levels at LV=, and by supporting people through the ‘sticking points’ in their lives (both in work and outside) enabling them to live a bigger life, achieve their goals and flourish. We create a safe place to discuss issues, understand the environment we work in and advocate within the business through a ‘gender’ lens.
What sort of initiatives does the network run?
We run lots of different initiatives throughout the year and actively encourage our people to get involved where they can. We create a safe place for discussions on topics such as ‘returning to work from parental leave’, ‘menopause monthly chats’ and ‘lean-in coffee sessions’.
We’re also launching a skills library that can be accessed by our people online on areas such as ‘making an impact’, ‘finding your purpose’ and ‘career journeys.’
What’s been your highlight of working with LV=?
I have had many highlights over the years which have kept me feeling energised and passionate about what I do. It’s seeing the smile on someone’s face when they’ve been successful in getting a new role, it’s watching people realise they have shared experiences, and it’s building a connected network where ‘everyone knows your name’ so that we can break down barriers and make it easier to reach out for assistance.
We blossom with the help of others, and everyone has something unique to bring to the table. Reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, but a strength. When we support each other in a network such as Balance, we can step outside of our comfort zone and make our goals bigger and better; change can be scary, but together we can do anything.
We are always looking for great people to join our business. Take a look at our current vacancies.