Sorcha Hyatt

I first became aware of Motability Operations (MO) when I was looking to relocate from London to Bristol and whilst job-hunting I came across the role of Customer Service Advisor. From there I did some research into the company and two key messages came across very clearly; customers are at the heart of everything the company does, and the company believes in investing in it’s employees.

When I joined the company nearly 13 years ago, I worked as a Customer Service Advisor. This role gave me the opportunity to speak directly to our customers every day and really see first hand what a hugely positive impact the company has on their lives.

Since then, I’ve worked for several years as a Management Information (MI) Analyst, and I am now an MI Product Specialist within the Vehicle Remarketing department.

What I enjoy most about working at MO is the people and the genuine customer focus. MO has always done a brilliant job of recruiting people who are passionate about the company values, who are willing to go the extra mile for their colleagues and customers, and who make even tough days feel a little easier just by being themselves! It is also no surprise to me that it is easy to find colleagues who can easily beat my 13 years at the company!

It is only in the last 3 years that I first suspected, and eventually was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism. Through MO I was able to easily access a Work Needs Assessment which included screening for ADHD and Autism. From there I was given an in-depth report detailing the strengths and challenges I have as a result of my neurodiverse conditions. I was also given a list of recommendations for ways to help support me at work and I was offered 1-2-1 coaching with an ADHD specialist coach. The 1-2-1 coaching taught me several techniques for managing my workload and my time more effectively – from there I was able to find what worked best for me.

As a result of the recommendations, I was given a noise cancelling, wireless headset which has made a huge difference as it allows me to manage my ability to focus as and when I need to, which can be challenging for someone with ADHD.

The ease of access to support is something I am truly grateful for. There was no need to jump through hoops or fight my corner to get the help I needed. I asked for help and the company was happy to invest the time and money into providing me with the support I needed.

Since then, I have had nothing but support from my manager, my colleagues and our Disability Network Group. I now have the tools I need to manage my challenges, so that I focus on doing the things that I excel at and enjoy within my role.

Discovering my neurodiverse conditions has helped me to understand why I find things challenging that most people find very easy. But I no longer feel shame about it. I’m proud of who I am and what I managed to achieve before my diagnosis and what I plan to achieve in the next few years.

I now focus on my strengths which include my ability to hyperfocus on tasks and get a few days’ worth of work done in a few hours, my ability to find solutions to complex problems, my ability to think outside the box and use my creativity to come up with new ideas.

Without my disability, I wouldn’t be me, and with the help and support of MO I’ve been able to become more authentically me than ever before and I wouldn’t ever want to change that.

The advice I would give to someone thinking of applying to MO is that I would say that all the good things you hear about the company are 100% true and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend MO as a great place to work!