Staff blog interview: Operations Manager, Hester

Meet Hester, Our Operations Manager

Welcome to the first of our staff blog series. Over the next month we will share a series of interviews with the team members at Dignity, to learn who we are and why we do what we do. Hester is about to move into a full time counselling role so we are on the search for a new member of the team. Read on to hear the advice she has for anyone looking to apply.

What's your role at Dignity? 

Operations manager - I organise and send out the stock to the schools and businesses we partner with.

What's the favourite part of your job?

 Reading the impact reports, and seeing the boxes piled up awaiting pick up by the courier. 

What does Dignity mean to you?

Dignity is the right to give and receive respect, no matter what 

What's been the hardest/funniest thing to happen to you during your time at Dignity?

 I have had some curious moments when spotted surrounded by an avalanche of tampons and pads in our storage unit.. 

Why do you think businesses should have Dignity at their workplace? 

It is a tangible demonstration of care for female employees that businesses can make, and a way of making a huge difference within the community 

How can we make periods more normal? 

By making sanitary items free to school students 

What do you do outside of Dignity? 

I am working towards my full membership with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors, and I spend much of the rest of my time in the kitchen, cooking for family and friends. 

Who do you admire?

This could be an infinite list! But let’s start with Jacinta and Miranda - they live and work by their values of fairness, compassion and opportunity. They have worked incredibly hard to push their vision of what Dignity could become and supported a lot of girls and women along the way 

What is a quote you live by? 

My Dad told me to try and see the best in people. Ii think his words have served me well.

What would be advice to yourself 5 years ago?

Breathe, and trust everything will be okay 

What makes now the best time to move on from this role and what skills do you recommend new person has?

I have loved being a part of the dignity journey, but it’s time for me to turn my focus to my counselling practice. The new member of the Dignity family should be energetic and passionate to the cause, have a head for organisation, logistics and arithmetic, while being handy with a stanley knife and not shy of heavy lifting…