Jemma Kelsall

Jemma Kelsall 

Tell us about your career journey so far 

I come from an Occupational Psychology background. I have a master’s degree in occupational psychology, and I am a member of the British Psychological Society. After graduating, I worked for another people consultancy as a Business Psychologist working with various clients including the Big Four and FTSE 100 companies.

I started at Cogito over a year ago as a Clients Insights Specialist. I knew from my interview that Cogito was the place for me. Everyone was so passionate about what they do and where they want the business to get to. I was also very impressed by the interactive dashboards produced by Cogito. I love using research to make evidence-based recommendations which positively impact people at work and dashboards are a great way to visualise that research.

What does a typical day look like? 

Within my role there is a lot of variation, however, no day goes by without working with data*. A typical day might include producing surveys, dashboards or reports for clients or internal stakeholders and carrying out desk-based research. My role enables me to produce meaningful and tailored insights for our clients.

(*and lots and lots of Excel spreadsheets)

What do you enjoy about the role? 

I enjoy the variety of projects that I get to be part of as well as working with all the departments and service streams across Cogito. I like to see the bigger picture of the work we do as well as work within the detail of data.

Not only do I like the work element, but I also enjoy that the variety of work allows me to work with everyone across Cogito. We have a great working dynamic which creates a lot of innovation and support. We are also friends outside of work and can often be found having a few drinks together.

What does it feel like to work at Cogito? 

There are many benefits to working for a small but rapidly growing business. I get great exposure by working with many parts of the business and I know all of my colleagues well. This creates a supportive and safe environment that values ideas and contributions from everyone. There is a genuinely nice feeling when working in the office. It’s great to catch up with people even though there are often way too many snacks floating around and nobody can decide on a radio station.

We have quarterly whole business meetings which are always a great occasion and an opportunity to catch up with those who work remotely or are seconded. We get to see what everyone has been up to and see the growth trajectory that Cogito is on. I feel like Cogito is a great place to grow and learn as there are always opportunities as well as supportive colleagues and management who place a great emphasis on development.