Joining the H.C. Bonum team in January 2020 was a dream come true. After completing my National Youth Service Corps program in October 2019, I did not want to get just any job, anywhere. I wanted work that mattered; that improved the quality of human lives and businesses in practical ways. Starting my career as a Junior Consultant and learning more about performance consulting, I found that it was everything I wanted. It is work that fills your heart and your pocket.
At H.C. Bonum, we like to think of our customers as our friends. Everyone likes to support their friends and so, we are constantly thinking up fresh, creative ways to help our customers (read as friends) do and achieve more. And this was also something that I wanted in my job. I believe that all stakeholders, big or small, internal or external, are human beings first and should be seen and treated that way. I wanted a job with an organisation that catered to its customers, put them at the heart of its operations and builds long lasting relationships with them.
Starting my career could have been a very daunting experience in an industry I did not know much about, especially at a time when the world is in the grip of a global pandemic. Communicating with team members at work can be challenging but doing it remotely is even more complex. Fortunately, I had some amazing help in navigating the social side of the H.C. Bonum enterprise, in the form of my Insights Discovery Profile, which was an important part of my onboarding experience.
Insights Discovery is simply a psychometric tool that analyses human behaviour and categorizes personalities into four colour energies, each with its own distinct features and preferences. The Insights Discovery Personal Profile is a 17-page document that describes in accurate detail my personal style, psychological preferences, strengths, weaknesses and much more.
Here are three profound ways in which the understanding of my preferences through my profile has helped me hit my stride in the past eight months as a new recruit:
1. Increased My Self-Awareness- The wise Sage Socrates said, “Man Know Thyself”. Prior to joining the H.C. Bonum team and receiving my Insights Discovery Personality Profile, I had an idea of some of my preferences, but I could not always explain the reasons for them. Getting my profile and reading all that information about me certainly improved my confidence in myself and in my job. The profile highlighted my career related strengths and possible limitations, and how I can manage them. It is important to remember that your profile describes you, it does not define you. It was helpful that it suggested specific ways I can develop and improve myself. So, learning more about myself has helped to improve my overall personal effectiveness.
2. Enhanced My Adaptability And Collaborative Skills- Every human is as unique as a snowflake. Insights Discovery breaks down the nitty gritty of each individual’s personality in simple, easy to read and memorable profiles. Knowing the preferences and personalities of my supervisors and colleagues helped me to understand and interact with them better. Insights Discovery made me understand that my leading Colour Energy is Cool Blue and that is why I am analytical, methodical, and painstaking. While this is a strength, it sometimes makes it difficult for me to work under pressure or tight deadlines because I tend to over analyse and seek perfection. My Team Lead leads with Cool Blue too so it is a breeze to work with her because I can understand and relate to her preference for accuracy and objectivity with all tasks.
3. Empowered Me To Discover My Genius- H.C. Bonum’s business operations comprise Sales, Accounts Management, Operations, Marketing and Business Services. I was assigned to the marketing squad, and this was where I discovered my love for Digital Marketing, Branding, and Corporate Communications. While working on the squad’s deliverables, I leveraged the analytical and objective side of my Cool Blue energy as well as the creative side of my Sunshine Yellow energy. This was a bit challenging at first, but it made a huge difference overtime. Without knowing it, I was maximising my strength and developing my weakness. When the squads were disbanded and new teams established, I was ecstatic to be kept in the Marketing function and given the responsibility of being the creative brain in the team. I would not have achieved so much had Insights Discovery not encouraged me to stretch myself.
It has only been eight months and my Insights Discovery Profile has transformed my performance and helped me to quickly hit my stride as a new entrant into the workforce. I cannot wait to see all the more ways Insights Discovery will support me in developing and succeeding in my career in the coming months and years.
- Chinelo Eneh
Junior Consultant
H.C. Bonum