Principle Estate Management has rewarded a top science graduate with a full-time position after she excelled when she first worked with them on a temporary contract.
Esme Williams was initially employed at the UK’s fastest growing residential management company for just a fortnight to fill in for an apprentice who was off work after a horse-riding accident.
However, she impressed management at Principle with her sharp analytical skills and was kept on to help in a number of areas, which has now resulted in her new full-time position as a business integration assistant.
Ms Williams, who graduated with a first class Masters with honours in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham, will mainly work with Adam Jones, business integration manager at Principle, whose busy team is currently dealing with 600 units across 20 new sites.
Joe Jobson, a director at Principle, said: “Although Esme only joined us on a temporary basis, she is very bright and puts a good shift in, so has quickly become is a great asset.
“What we’ve seen is how chemistry students learn fantastic analytical skills, which are very transferable to handling the company’s core block management business as well as the residential rented and commercial portfolios.
“Her science degree studies were very intense, so she emerged with a good work ethic and superb organisational skills, enabling her to quickly assess how long a task is likely to take and to constantly reprioritise.
“This is what we have to do in property management all day long, so Esme has become a perfect fit. She’s also a positive influence in the office and is happy to get involved in anything required to keep the wheels turning.”
Mr Jobson added: “As an example, we had two senior people off unwell for a week in our customer services team. Fortunately, a new team member had joined the week before and so we helicoptered Esme in too, and the results were impressive.”
Ms Williams has also been seconded part-time to Stephanie Jobson, who recently joined Principle as business operations manager, reviewing internal and external functions to refine customer services.
Ms Jobson said: “It’s great to have Esme working alongside me on the exciting projects we’re looking at, and she has quickly developed a wide understanding of how the whole business operates, giving her invaluable insight, often at a granular level.
“This experience, together with her transferable skills and enthusiasm, means she can add real value across a number of areas.
“We’re making real progress on reviewing operations which I know will make a positive difference to our staff and customers as we continue to provide excellent property management services.”
Ms Williams, who is the daughter of Principle’s founder and managing director Brett Williams, enjoys running, yoga and healthy eating, along with her main sport of rock climbing. She practices at a local indoor centre, teaches a young climbers’ group and helps with regular paraclimbing sessions.
She said: “I’ve really enjoyed working in various temporary positions at Principle and am delighted to have been appointed full-time.
“There’s obviously not much call for my knowledge of mass spectrometry, one of my favourite areas of chemistry, but there’s plenty to keep me busy and it’s a great feeling making a positive difference to people’s lives.
“We look after their homes or investment properties and this is so important, especially since we’ve all been ‘stuck at home’ so much over the last 18 months.
“The great thing about working in business integration is that you get a really good understanding of the whole property management process.
“I live in an apartment in the Jewellery Quarter, only 10-minutes walk from the office, and lived in a flat in Harborne during my degree, so it’s been quite eye opening to me as a resident seeing and understanding what happens on the other side of the lease.”
Launched in 2018, Principle has since grown from what was virtually a one-man band into what is now more than 35 staff looking after a portfolio of more than 7,500 units in 250-plus developments across the UK.
