An Inside Look into Everyday Life in our Digital Teams

So, Bethany, what led you to joining Yorkshire Building Society?

I was pretty young when I joined the organisation (20!) and I knew a couple of people that had come here and had a really positive experience. I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do with my career at that age, but knew that I wanted to work for an organisation that valued its people and their ambitions. I wanted to work somewhere that rewarded hard work with opportunity – and that’s definitely what I’ve experienced throughout my 12 years here!

You’ve been here a while now, what’s your career journey been like during that time?

I joined pretty much straight out of a short stint at uni, but I didn’t actually start in Digital. I started out in our call centre, taking inbound mortgage servicing queries, then moved over into our retail network, where I spent the next 4 years progressing through different roles (Customer Representative, Customer Consultant, Branch Management Trainee, and Branch Manager). I then took a sideways step to be a Development Manager out in our agency network – helping our agencies grow their Yorkshire Building Society business and be a really positive representation of our brand out in the local community.

After a couple of years here, I went back to the retail network as an Area Manager for our North-West branches. I then took my biggest career leap and moved over to Digital as a Product Owner, which is where I am today!

So whilst the bulk of my career was out in retail, I’d say I’ve had lots of opportunity in my 12 years to develop a breadth of transferable skills. And these skills have had a huge impact on my success in my current role – stakeholder management/engagement (both internal and external), risk management, coaching & leadership, project management… the list goes on!

I’ve always been quite an ambitious individual and my career progression has always been important to me, so I’ve been very lucky to have some incredible leaders and mentors throughout my time here, and not just through direct line management.

And now that you’re in Digital, what does your day to day look like?

A typical day will usually involve a variety of different meetings with people from across the business – it could be some of the regular scrum ceremonies with the people in my squad, sharing my product roadmap with wider stakeholders, or having some 121 time with my team of Analysts (on top of my Product Owner role I am also a People Manager for our Digital Analysts). In between sessions like these you can find me looking at a range of data/insights for the customer journeys I’m responsible for, maybe testing out new development that is being built or prioritising future work that I want us to look at.

What do you love most about your role?

There’s probably two things. Firstly (and it’s a cliché!) is the people around me that I get to work with. I’m surrounded by a really diverse and supportive community of people here at Yorkshire Building Society – there’s so much to learn from people’s different expertise that I constantly feel like I’m learning something new! Secondly, it’s the ability to have a really positive impact on our customer’s digital experiences. It’s through the work that my team and I deliver that we can drive real positive change to some of our digital journeys, and being able to see this come to life is incredibly rewarding.

What would you say is your biggest achievement?

I’ve fairly recently transitioned onto a brand new squad, looking after a product that’s brand new to me, in a brand new way of working. It felt like a big leap at the time and it was definitely a big step outside of my comfort zone, but I feel like I’ve learnt so much. And I know I’ll be able to take those skills and that learning with me, wherever my career takes me. It's been great to have such extensive support from my management and the people around me – it empowered me to make the move and feel like I could succeed

Where do you see your future at Yorkshire Building Society?

I’d love to think I’ll be here for another 12 years! I’ve had such a positive experience during my time here and I’d love to continue to progress into a more senior role… watch this space!

And what would you say to anyone thinking about applying for a role in Digital at Yorkshire Building Society?

I’d highly recommend it – it’s fast paced, it’s challenging, but it's also so exciting. There’s so much opportunity here to make a real difference to our customers’ experience with us. And you’d be surrounded by so much knowledge, expertise, and support – it’s a great place to be!

"When you start a career in Digital at Yorkshire Building Society, you’ll be part of a team that’s driving digital ideas that everyone can access. And that means a workplace that’s full of big thinking, innovation, and support – not only to help you bring those ideas to life, but to reach your full potential in your career." - Bethany Pitts, Digital Product Owner