In his first position at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Ryan says he “tried a bit of everything”. One of his main roles was working with the catering department, focusing on quality and service delivery.
He remembers his initial impressions when he joined, “The first thing I noticed was how passionate the team were about the job and how dedicated they were to the patients. They put quality first because diet is so crucial to wellbeing and recovery. It made me realise that what we do has a direct, and very real, effect on people’s lives.”
Discovering a passion for people opens up career paths
In his most recent placement in healthcare sales, Ryan was impressed by the company’s pursuit of accounts that support quality deliverables, which are essential to high standards of patient care. “ISS puts the patient front and centre, regardless of the contract,” he explains. “And we always recommend the best solution—not just the one that’s most efficient or cost-effective.”
He has seen first-hand how ISS teamwork makes a difference, and his experience has taught him that whatever his role may call for, he is encouraged to act with integrity in all his work.
Now Ryan is looking forward to fulfilling his aim of working across account acquisition, mobilisation and delivery. He proudly notes that ISS’s drive to deliver social value is an increasingly important influence on his career choices.
“When I’m talking to my friends (apart from explaining at every given opportunity what facilities management is!) I don’t just tell them who I’m working for or where I’m going to be based,” he says, “I tell them that I’m helping support the NHS, or I’m going to be helping a client drive down their emissions, or I talk about the work we’re doing in the local community.”
Ryan is keen to get involved in other ISS initiatives, such as JointForces@ISS or to act as a buddy to one of the new colleagues joining the UK Management Trainee Programme. He is confident that he can now access a real range of career paths.
“When I joined the company, my five-year plan was to lead operations on a portfolio of accounts. I never thought the commercial side of things would be for me. But, after some time spent in healthcare sales… well, I would never say never!”
“What’s important to me is that I feel proud to wear the ISS lanyard. And as long as I feel that way, I will be looking forward to my future at the company.”
