September’s Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Isimeme Egbuniwe, Head of Recruitment at our Trust, who has been chosen as our Employee of the Month for September 2023.
Meera Nair, Chief People Officer, explained why she nominated her: "Isi has proven time and time again what an inspiring colleague and team leader she is. This nomination is because of the 'Get Started in Health' programme, a project she has been leading on for nearly two years. Working in partnership with the Prince's Trust, divisional managers at various levels, and other workforce functions, has resulted in the appointment of over 200 young people from our local communities into roles as Healthcare Assistants and Pharmacy Assistants to improve patient care.
“The programme has given these new recruits a taster of working in the NHS. The partnership and her leadership has been flagged by the Prince's Trust on multiple occasions as an exemplar of good practice which has resulted previously in Isi meeting with Prince Charles, their funding of recruiters to support our campaigns and most recently a visit by the Secretary of State for Health in August 2023.
“This was the first ever visit by a Secretary of State to the Trust and most striking of all, the Prince's Trust brought NHS recruits from Trusts across the country to the visit that they wanted us and Isi to host.
“Although Isi will want to share the honour with many of her peers and I know that many colleagues in the Trust contribute to all the work we do. I’m certain that her delivery-focused approach and collaborative working style, while maintaining pace and quality, have led to a record number of appointments and smooth onboarding into teams. Isi and her team maintain contact with each successful candidate every couple of days to make sure that they are informed about where their application is, and know that their appointment is important to us.
“Isi's commitment to recruiting well has been demonstrated over and over again. Despite the massive recruitment campaigns we have run, our time to hire remains the best in London for over 3 years. This has meant that we fill vacancies faster, making our wards and teams safer for our patients.”
Mike Bell, Chair, and Ben Travis, Chief Executive at the Trust, congratulated Isi and presented her with her certificate at the Trust Board meeting yesterday at University Hospital Lewisham. Isi was later presented with a fruit basket, generously donated by Hasan who runs the fruit stall at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
A shocked Isi said: “It was a lovely surprise to find out that I was the Employee of the Month. To receive the certificate at the board meeting was such an honour and I am really pleased. Thank you! Receiving this means a lot, and working with our fantastic teams and colleagues makes it easier to constantly strive for excellence.”
Conrad Maramba, Head of Security and Local Security Management Specialist who chaired this month’s judging panel commented: "Isi has made an exceptional contribution to the Trust. In addition to successfully placing over 200 young people from our local communities into crucial NHS roles, her remarkable leadership in recruitment has won her recognition and praise from the Secretary of State for Health and the Prince’s Trust. Isi's impact is a testament to her remarkable dedication and leadership skills.”