Delivering results: Meet the rising star of the new admin team

Lauren joined us in 2022 amid a big staff changeover in the admin team personnel and has taken Carparison by storm. 

Coming to us from a stint working for one of the UK’s biggest pub franchises, she’s been affectionately nicknamed the 'queen of admin' for her meteoric ascension and outstanding delivery record.  

Lauren was awarded our Rising Star Award in December 2022 and is currently ranked #1 on our fantastic admin team’s leaderboard for Q1. With International Women's day this month, we asked her to sit down with us to reflect on her Carparison journey so far. 

This is your first role in the automotive industry – what are you currently enjoying about it?

This actually my first office or ‘professional’ job since leaving university and I’m really enjoying the structure that comes with a process-driven role. As a Sales Admin agent, my day is very task-driven and when volume is high, it feels really productive. 

I also really enjoy the team aspect – feeling like a useful and contributing member of a well-oiled machine and achieving Carparison’s objectives together. Everyone I work with is really fun and we have a good laugh.

This is probably a small, silly thing but I also really enjoy the personal freedom that exists in an office job, as opposed to working in hospitality. I can take my full break without being rushed – and I don’t have to ask if I can take a toilet break! 

What are the challenges you’ve faced working as Sales Administrator?

I would say the biggest challenge is communication. Carparison is essentially the middleman between our customers and our funder or dealer partners. We’re the customer-facing agent, but often we’re passing along information that’s out of our control, or having to work with a process that isn’t ours. 

It’s complex and challenging at times, especially if it’s an occasion where things don’t run as smoothly as we’d wish. If there’s an issue with accessing finance documents, or a delivery date isn’t available (just as some examples), we’ll be doing the work to appease customers and resolve it.

The admin team is almost exclusively female and we talk to a lot of different people every day – whether that’s a dealer contact, customers, or finance companies. 

And the kind of reaction or attitude I get can be completely different to what my male colleagues experience from the same person. It’s not necessarily happening a lot, but it is something I find difficult. 

What are your personal aspiration within the business and where would you like to see yourself in a year’s time?

To be honest, I feel like a bit of a late bloomer. I’m still working out what I want to do and what I’m interested in – I feel like I spent my first six months here just learning what the job really entailed and getting to grips with it. 

It’s my first office job and I’ve discovered that I really enjoy an administrative-based role because it gives my working day a structure that I thrive on. I like the feeling that comes with optimum productivity. 

Ultimately, I know what I want is to progress within the business, but I’m not sure which direction my career with Carparison is going to go yet. I’d like to explore different aspects and departments to find out what suits my strength.

What changes would you like to see in the industry to encourage more women to get into the motor trade?

It’s a complex question. My mum works in the automotive industry, so a lot of my perspective comes from her experience as well as my own. 

I think some roles in the motor trade have historically attracted particular personalities  –  and that’s stifled conversations about change. Whether or not you buy into the stereotypes, there is a public perception of what the car industry is like and maybe that puts women off. 

On the flip side, Carparison is really good at recruiting the right people and having that mix of personalities does make it more open and accessible. I do think being a young business, there’s been an effort to shed that stereotypical image that comes with dealerships – and you can see that when you look at our leadership. 

As a woman, I’d definitely feel more comfortable to report an issue to CCJ (Charlotte Channing-Jones, Head of Sales) or Kate (Champion, Sales Admin Manager) because I know they’d take me seriously.

I do think women don’t speak up enough about the small microaggressions we face in the workplace, simply because we’re so used to being shut down over the big ones. Maybe that’s something we need to work on too. 

Should more women join the motor industry?

Yes, but as with any industry I think the workplace and the role has to be the right fit. If you find the workplace environment toxic, why would you stay?

Male or female – if you want to join the motor trade, I’d look for the new and upcoming businesses that are just starting up. 

Rather than changing a work culture where people have been entrenched in the business for decades, you can play a part in creating the kind of environment you’d like to see and building it from the ground up.