September’s team of the month is our Upper Floor Administration team.
September’s team of the month is one of our crazy, and colourful Administration teams. The team are located on the top floor of our main Princes House office, and if you hadn’t seen them, you will have definitely heard them! The teams are managed by Simon & Leanne and are made up of 3 additional staff members including; Tim, Sandra & finally Ella.
Our third team of the month are most definitely our wildest team, whether it be group dress ups (see the attached collection of photos) mini karaoke sessions in the office or pulling the greatest pranks – this admin team is not short of character to say the least. This interviewer had a blast getting to grips with the inner workings of this team, and I am sure you will have a blast reading!
1) How do you start your working day?
The team had a lot of mixed answers, Sandra said that she started her morning ‘with a cup of coffee!’, which seemed to be something she shared with both Tim & Simon. Leanne said she liked to great the morning and say ‘Happy [insert day of the week]’ she also said that Ella ‘turns up and smashes up the office’
2) What’s your biggest work pet peeve?
Once again, this team also brought up and unanimously decided that the dirty kitchen was the greatest pet peeve, with everyone chiming in with their own tale of dirty dishes, messy people, or sponges covered in porridge oats which made it look like smallpox!
3) Which member of the team would you call in an emergency?
Tim – ‘I’d call my work mum Sandra’ who seemed very proud about this fact.
Ella – ‘I’d call Leanne, I don’t dare say anyone else’, Leanne beamed brightly with slightly menacing eyes… just call Leanne!
Leanne – ‘I’d phone Simon’ much to Simon’s dismay, ‘oh yay… lucky me’.
4) Which member of the team has the messiest desk?
Everyone voted Simon who became very defensive of this matter.
Simon – ‘look, look it’s not messy, you’re not looking properly. Are we talking desk or filing trays because these are two different matters. I think its Leanne not me’
Leanne – ‘mine isn’t mess its organised chaos’.
5) Which member of the team comes in the smartest dressed?
Everyone voted Tim, except Tim who voted for Simon.
Simon said ‘Tim and I are on par, except Tim’s thinner than me so his shirts fit better. Sandra chimed in again ‘see, he’s getting defensive again’ Leanne agreed this.
Simon looked at Leanne ‘shush messy desk’. Leanne, ‘everyone voted you kid, stop getting so defensive’.
Both men were dressed exceptionally well so I had to agree they were very smart.
6) Which member of the team is the joker?
Leanne again was voted unanimously but not in summer months because of her allergies it makes her ‘moody’ which wasn’t met with the best reception as the pollen count was rather high this day.
As a helper in her pranks, and also have been on the receiving end of them I can confirm that she is the true joker of the group, and I will never see Christmas the same way because of her… let’s just leave that there…
7) Which member of the team will avoid meetings at any costs?
Sandra and Ella were voted, but more emphasis was put on Ella who always seems to disappear as soon as a meeting crops up. Simon said to Ella ‘I can’t imagine you wanting a meeting with people from work. In fact, just with other people’. No one could disagree this fact.
Although all members of the team did make it for the interview so maybe there is hope for them all yet.
8) Which member of the team has the most snacks?
Unanimously Leanne was voted on this one. She brings in snacks, has snacks stashed in cupboards, drawers etc. Leanne said that she doesn’t share with Simon as he ‘snaffles them in his drawer’ Simon retorted on this matter claiming he had shared with others, and Sandra piqued up and crushed this with ‘defensive again!’ – this seemed to be a common theme throughout the interview.
9) Which member of the team moans the most?
Sandra without a moment of hesitation ‘Leanne!’ – Tim was in agreement and quickly followed by voting for Leanne. Leanne did try and defend herself… kind of… ‘what are we classifying as moaning? Also, I will kill you Sandra’. Simon said, ‘it is you’ and then mimicking Leanne ‘I’m dying – I want to die’.
10) Which member of the team is the most accident prone?
Leanne and Simon voted Sandra, Sandra tried to reject this, but Simon gave the example of ‘you pulled the tap off’. Sandra looked to me hurt and said, ‘they didn’t even care – water everywhere and they just watched’, Leanne chimed in ‘I got the buckets!’, Simon followed with ‘I did eventually help’.
Tim sat laughing throughout the recollection of the story, Sandra turns to me again ‘Yes, and Tim just sat there laughing’ which caused Tim to laugh harder. Poor Sandra!
11) Which member of the team brings in the best lunch?
Everyone voted Sandra. Her lunches always smell incredible, this interviewer does miss her old seating arrangement where she could see Sandra’s food every day. I will have to start making special trips just to catch a glimpse of what she has prepared!
12) Who are your personal heroes?
Leanne ‘Harry Potter, because he saved us all’ I didn’t really have the heart to tell her that he was a work of fiction and even so wouldn’t have ‘saved us all’. Sandra broke the silence by voting for herself as her personal hero, to which Simon replied, ‘I’d rather be – I just go it alone – than having a 9-year-old fictional boy as my personal hero’. He’s not quite nine but I do get your point Simon!
Ella also took the vanity approach and said ‘myself, I’m the only one in my own heart’ – good for you girl – sounds again like it’s better than choosing a fictional wizard.
Tim gave a more realistic answer with ‘Marcello Bielsha, as he took Leeds to premier league’, I’m sure all Leeds fans reading this will agree.
13) Do you have any hidden talents?
Ella – multi-instrumentalist (guitar)
Sandra – drunk karaoke
I dread to think what would have been the other talents suggested but thankfully we swiftly moved on!
14) Who would play you in a film of your life?
Simon, ‘I think Gemma Collins for Leanne’
Leanne, ‘I’m going with Claudia Schiffer – she’s fit like me’ – all that is needed to be said is wow.
Simon, ‘Sean Bean because he’s quite northern he’ll do – plus he’s manly like me’ – whatever helps you to sleep at night Simon, I’m sure most of us would have suggested Sean Bean to play you because he’s ‘quite’ northern…
Sandra, ‘Megan Markle – because I know how she feels, a misunderstood princess in a foreign country’ – with Sandra’s Polish Royal Family background it is no wonder she feels so lost and misunderstood in the Oakwood Kingdom, we wish you well Princess Sandra.
Tim said, ‘Danny Dyer’ – which I think completely fits with his cheeky chappy attitude and strong accent, just not quite cockney…
Ella, ‘Hayley Kiyoko’, however she did back track on this and decided that ‘I’m just too unique for someone to play me’, I wish we all had such confidence.
15) What’s the most exciting part of your job?
‘GOING HOME!’
‘Lunch Breaks’
‘Did someone mention bank holidays? Then those’
‘ oooooh… Annual Leave’
‘ I rather like pay day’
16) Do you have a claim to fame, if so what?
Sandra – polish royal family
Leanne – bought her house from Alan Bennett
Ella – related to Dick Turpins Gregory gang, Campbell clan murderers, and Cherokee Indians
17) What’s your idea of a perfect day?
Leanne’s ideal day was to be child free with friends. Ella took a laxer approach and suggested in bed
Simon, ‘going to the pub, or beach, or beach with pub and all my housework has been done’. Tim’s was also pub but with football.
Sandra our resident explorer said hers would be walking around a new city exploring sites, having mini city breaks.
18) What three words would your colleagues use to describe you?
Leanne:
Within a second Simon said ‘crazy’, which was met with agreement and giggles, even Leanne couldn’t deny it. Sandra followed this up with ‘Loud & over-excited’.
As Leanne stated, they described her as an overly excitable dog who spends the day doing zoomies around the office and yapping… oh yes, rather accurate then! (sorry Leanne!)
Simon:
Sandra bluntly said ‘Stressy’ and Leanne suggested ‘Perfectionist’ to which Sandra chimed in and stated ‘apart from his desk!’ to which Simon retorted that he had the most files which is why.
Ella then chimed in and said ‘the 3rd word is defensive’ to which Simon once again tried to defend the comment. I think they all hit the nail on the head on this one.
Sandra:
Simon shouted ‘also loud’ which was met with disapproving and fake shocked faces from Sandra, I don’t think you can deny this one.
Leanne followed this up with ‘Bossy’, and Tim smoothed the whole thing out by saying ‘Caring’. Sandra, ‘You see I’m bossy because I care’ she said loudly…
Tim:
Sandra, ‘what can I say about him, well he’s brutally honest’, Simon chimed in ‘and reliable’. All agreed and could only speak positively about Tim.
Tim, ‘I’m a Saint’. Ella interjected ‘more like Switzerland’.
Ella:
Leanne ‘she’s dry – as in with her sense of humour, oh god, I mean because she is funny… you know and giggly… let’s just go with that’
Simon took a slight pause after and then followed it up with ‘dead silent.’ Which speaks volumes!
19) What is your signature dance move at company parties?
Ella as the resident silent member of the group does a dance move known as the ‘introvert’ which apparently just means sat in the corner and not joining in, I cant imagine her team will let her get away with that at the next Christmas party!
Simon says that he loves steps and can’t get enough of ‘5,6,7,8’ although I feel he was aiming this at his interviewers attempt at doing this a few years ago – don’t worry Simon I will make sure to get you up for all the dance numbers, Macarena anyone?
Leanne followed this up by proceeding to show me the ‘Wig Wam Bam’ and how it was her superior dance… I’ll save the verdict after others have viewed her wonderous moves…
Tim & Sandra both claimed to not be the strongest dancers, with Tim saying he ‘doesn’t dance’ and Sandra saying she flails around like a ‘Jellyfish’.
20) What would you say to anyone wanting to apply to Oakwood Solicitors?
Leanne & Sandra said that at Oakwood we ‘work hard & play harder’, and Simon finished the interview off with ‘Come join the crazy family!’
Thank you!
Thank you to our third team of the month! I hope you enjoyed your treats and have worn the crown with the grace and decorum that we all know you will have…, stay tuned for our next team of the month!
