Behind the scenes in the office with Joan.

Joan Kyriakides joined Home Minders in an administrative role in 2015 and was delighted when she was promoted to Office Manager three years later, in recognition of the contribution she made (and makes) to the business. She is responsible for the smooth running of the office and that covers every aspect of what everyone needs to do their job:

“I manage the processes, procedures and documentation that support the team and help them perform their duties efficiently. It’s a mixture of being well organised, problem solving and building strong relationships with everyone.

“I’m also part of the induction process for new members of staff. When someone arrives it’s up to me to make sure that everything is in place on day one, so they can get straight into their job and hit the ground running!”

A key responsibility is overseeing DocuSign, the electronic portal that Home Minders uses for all its contracts with proprietors and tenancy agreements.

“This is a crucial part of the business and it’s my job to keep on top of all our new contracts and renewals, ensuring that I get everything signed off electronically at the right time and then uploaded onto our systems.

“Another example of what I do is renewing our kitemarks and accreditations. At the moment, I am in the process of applying for our renewal of Safeagent, the UK’s leading quality standard for lettings and management businesses."

But, as Joan says, “it’s a varied role because when the phone rings you never know what the issue might be, from a boiler breaking down to tenants locking themselves out of their property.” Whilst she may not be booking the contractors it’s up to Joan to organise and sign out keys and she must always know who has keys to which properties. Joan is also responsible for making sure that information on all the available properties is regularly sent to the person responsible for Home Minders’ social media communications.

GDPR is also part of Joan’s remit, as she explains, “GDPR gives individuals the right to ask organisations to delete their personal data so it’s important that we store and use data in the correct way. In practical terms this means asking our tenants if they are happy for us to pass on their contact details to contractors going into their properties for repair or maintenance work. Most people do not find this to be a concern, but some do.”

Joan has over 30 years’ experience in administration and customer service and is a firm believer that longevity and continuity make for the best results. “Our Managing Director, Paul Ruocco, has great leadership qualities that brings out the best in us all. He sets a great work example, is interested in developing his staff, encouraging innovation and is always friendly and approachable. We work hard and Paul makes sure that we also have a good office social life, so I am pleased to work closely with him in arranging these events.

“I’ve recently moved to a four-day week so I can fulfil my family commitments, which is another example of how Paul looks after and keeps his staff.

“When it comes to three words to best describe me and my role, I think they would be: professional, organised and a team player.”