How has the staff member exceeded the expectations of their role and gone beyond the normal call of duty?
I would like to nominate Jo Rendall for NUSW Staff Member of the Year. Jo is our Customer Service Coordinator here at Cardiff University Students’ Union but that job title does not explain half of what she does and how much impact she has on students here at Cardiff.
Joanna is one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of working with, always with a smile on her face and the students are at the heart of everything she does. She deals with all complaints regarding the Students’ Union and the manner that she deals with these is impeccable, making both student and public feel at ease and giving the Union a great reputation when it comes to looking after those we work for.
When Joanna joined the organisation, the role of Customer Service Coordinator was brand new so she has spent her time developing systems and taking on new challenges to ensure that we have an effective customer service system and standards.
Fostering collaboration with students and staff members
However, the thing I really want to talk about is Joanna’s work with our Welcome Crew which she takes a lead on during the Freshers’ Week period.
During this period you could not help but notice the hoards of helpers in their bright orange t-shirts around campus, helping people move into halls and most importantly in and around the Students’ Union building as people were enrolling and collecting student cards.
These volunteers make Freshers’ Week possible, putting students at ease as they move into their new environment and making sure everyone gets where they need to go. The way they operated during the 10 days was amazing to watch and they would have helped nearly 10,000 new students arriving in Cardiff.
To organise this Joanna worked with University Departments as well as training, and nurturing the Welcome Crew whilst ensuring that the union also benefited from their presence at all times during this crazy period.
The effect of Joanna's work
Joanna motivates the student volunteers who are part of the Welcome Crew and has been approachable all throughout creating a social network for them all to meet and mingle as well as a support network available to students who spend hours and hours making Cardiff University students feel welcome. This is all due to the care and support Joanna gives them. This great relationship with the student volunteers is what I think makes them so successful and why Joanna should be Staff Member of the Year. Her example should be used to show how to motivate, inspire and lead students to help others, making everyone smile all day long just like Joanna.