Afternoon Tea!

On Friday I was invited along to afternoon tea with several colleagues from Tesco. Our store Manager Jay had sent out an invite to each of us, thanking us for all our hard work. I had got to know Jay a while back, when we both attended the 'Food Cycle Tesco Takeover' a month or so ago. As a person, I find him approachable and easy to talk too, attributes every Manager should have, but from my years of experience, these are two qualities rarely seen. I was delighted to take Jay up on his offer and find out a little more about him, the store and my place within it!

At this point I wanted to say a word or two about my employer. I have been working at Tesco Fratton for nearly six months now and am thoroughly enjoying my time here. To be honest, I had never thought about working for a supermarket before, but am glad I took the opportunity when it presented itself. Unlike other employers, Tesco hire their staff for who they are, their personality and the character they exhibit, not the qualifications they have attained or the years of experience they have under their belt. For those reasons alone, they are indeed a breath of fresh air. Every other company I have worked for in the past, had initially placed difficult conditions on any position offered; Tesco's interview process however, ensures everyone, from whatever background, race or sexuality, enjoys equal access to employment opportunities; for that I am truly grateful. I may well have qualifications coming out of my ears, but I have never worked in a supermarket before!

Anyone who knows me, understands just how hard I am working at the moment; employed by Tesco, the Newcome Arms, Cancer Research and writing a column for a magazine. I am also a full time professional blogger and when I get the time practice Chirology, or Palm Reading. My days and nights are always busy and I rarely sit down long enough to chill. So when someone invites you along for a chat, in order to get to know you, for no other reason than they have an interest in people, it really does make a big difference. Being appreciated by ones boss and generally acknowledged for ones efforts isn't something I am used too, but under the circumstances I was delighted to accept the approval.

Tesco have amazed me in many ways; the people I work with on a daily basis are friendly and welcoming and the shop itself has a community feel about it, unusual for such a large supermarket. Apart from the benefits of working for such a large organisation, Tesco itself does a lot for the neighbourhood it serves, donating money to good causes and undertaking activities to raise funds for those who need it most. This is a company I am proud to work for and one that goes over and above its remit to give a little back. Many other large multinationals should follow where Tesco leads.

I am sure I can speak for the three of us who sat down with Jay on Friday afternoon, when I say how much we valued his interest in us as people. We are really just doing our jobs as employees but have been recognised for our efforts in a positive way. We may well have just sat down and had a chat and a cup of tea, but we were also able to tell someone who matters a bit about our life and our future aspirations. As individuals we all have opinions we want to share, so from that point of view, it's fantastic when someone actually wants to listen. Jay listened, we spoke and all of us enjoyed a truly productive, thought provoking and satisfying hour in each others company!