People profile : HR Associate

Name: Alice Chapman

Education: English Degree and Post Graduate CIPD

Position at Red Gate: HR Advisor

Start date: January 2007

First job ever: Does making and selling jewelry at school count?

Before you arrived at Red Gate what did you do?

I started in bookselling then worked in academic science publishing for several years. I then decided on a career change and moved to HR which I really enjoy.

What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?

Because Red Gate is growing fast my job is changing all the time which I love as it keeps me on my toes! I'm a HR generalist so I can work on anything to do with employee issues from new starters to leavers – it changes a lot from day to day!

What do you need to be an HR Advisor?

You need the CIPD qualification at some point in your HR career but experience counts for a lot in HR. You need to be able to understand both people and business and also be up to date with employment law. Liking variety helps too!

Why did you choose Red Gate?

I chose Red Gate because it was different, exciting, relatively informal, dynamic and growing fast. The company culture is fantastic. Red Gate sees its employees as its biggest asset. Everyone is encouraged to do the best work of their lives and we're given the resources we need to do it. I thought it would be really exciting to work in HR in a growing company – and it is!

What are your favourite Red Gate perks?

We have fantastic benefits for a company of our size, such as a generous pension scheme, health and travel insurance and income protection cover. On a day to day basis my favourite thing is definitely the Feel Good Fridge. There's also flexitime, company bonuses, stock option scheme, weekly yoga, no dress code...

What's your most memorable Red Gate experience so far?

It was really exciting finding out we had made the Best Companies awards two years in a row – that's an amazing achievement for us. But the most memorable experience has to be the surprise shopping spree to celebrate a company milestone. The Apple store opened just for us and the directors handed out £300 gift vouchers at the door – you don't get that at your average company!