Outside of work, family is at the heart of Nicola's life. She is married to her husband, David, they enjoy a busy life with their young son, Brodie. Her son is undoubtedly her greatest personal achievement, and she feels incredibly fortunate to be his mum.
Interestingly, before finding her passion in HR, Nicola once considered a very different career path – she thought about becoming a bus driver when she was younger. She's also a big fan of Disney films and is currently engaged in the relatable challenge of introducing Brodie to classic animations over his current favourites.
Nicola also has a soft spot for breakfast, even enjoying it for dinner sometimes! Her go-to is cereal with berries and yoghurt, though she admits to indulging in pancakes with bacon and maple syrup as a treat. While her priority is currently her family, Nicola hopes to return to running in the future.
Nicola's first job was as a kitchen porter, and after finishing school and university, she started her career as a Training Administrator at an accounting firm. When she joined Nicol of Skene, she had no industry-specific experience but brought valuable skills in Health and Safety and training organisation, along with experience in an office environment and teamwork. She recalls it being a steep learning curve in the beginning! She highly values the advice: "It costs nothing to be nice and also treat others how I would like to be treated!"
Over her 15 years at Nicol of Skene, Nicola has held several important roles, starting as maternity cover in contracts administration in the old office. She then progressed to Office Manager, followed by Assistant to the MD and Directors, and finally into her current position as HR Manager. She has enjoyed every aspect of her career so far! with many memorable moments, All contributing to the strong 'family feel' of the workplace
Based in our main office, Nicola finds the variety of her daily tasks the most enjoyable aspect of her role. She is in contact with everyone across the company, providing crucial support to both employees and the business. Her responsibilities include supporting employees and the company, ensuring wellbeing checks, supporting the team with training, and answering staff queries on a wide range of topics, even including IT support. The most rewarding part of her job is that feeling of having made a difference to someone’s day.
A fun fact about Nicola is her past involvement in a highland dancing group that represented Scotland at an international festival in China for four years.
From all of us at Nicol of Skene, we extend our sincere gratitude to Nicola for her incredible dedication, hard work, and positive spirit over the past 15 years. She is a truly valued member of our team, and we look forward to many more years working together! Here's to Nicola – a vital part of the Nicol of Skene family! 🎉