PROPERTY
Teamwork : Maria Azam is pleased to be part of VAS Valuation Group
TEAM
PLAYER
Having that ‘ spark ’ is the key for VAS Valuation Group employee
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
There ’ s no “ I ” in team , they say – and at VAS Valuation Group , TEAM stands for “ Together Everyone Achieves More ”.
But for one of its more recent team members , joining the Middlesbrough-based property valuation and panel management specialists was a close-run thing .
Maria Azam was taken on through the Government ’ s now closed Kickstart scheme , which provided funding for employers to take on 16-24 year-olds .
Maria was only just eligible , signing up weeks before her 25th birthday . But for both her and VAS Group , it ’ s proved a perfect match .
It ’ s also an example of how VAS takes on people from all backgrounds , and in a variety of ways – but always with the emphasis on “ will this person be a good team member ?”
Graham Moore , Managing Director of the group ’ s VAS Panel section , explained : “ We ’ re open to people from all backgrounds and sectors . We do get a lot of people from a retail background , it ’ s the personality that ’ s the important bit , not ‘ can you do the job ?’ because we provide the training .”
As with many VAS employees initially , Maria admits she had little idea what the group actually did . After all , the world of property valuation , quality control and report collation is quite a sea change from her previous job as manager of Brow Revolution in Middlesbrough ’ s former TopShop .
Born and raised in Linthorpe , former MacMillan Academy student Maria was one year into a computing degree at Teesside University when her brow bar opportunity surfaced .
It was a role she loved , but when Covid hit and she found herself on furlough , it forced a rethink .
Maria drew up a checklist of her strengths , and the sort of jobs that might suit her . And that , in a nutshell , is how her VAS role came about – especially after a friend recommended Kickstart to her .
However , Maria , 25 , a facilities executive with VAS Panel , admits it ’ s been quite a learning curve .
She said : “ I had no idea about property valuation and panel management . When I came in for the initial interview , it was more about them telling me what they did !
“ But the training is amazing . By the time it ’ s over , you know exactly what you ’ re doing .”
Maria ’ s been with VAS since October and is now on a full-time contract . And like everyone at Stephenson House – VAS Group ’ s buzzing HQ on Riverside Park – she ’ s part of a close-knit team .
She added : “ It was described to me as being like a family at the interview . I don ’ t think I understood what that meant until I started working here , but they ’ re a great bunch of people .
“ There ’ s quite a lot of progression here too – that ’ s one of the things I was really interested in .
“ I ’ ve seen it with my own eyes . It ’ s an incentive to try your best and work hard .
“ But it ’ s such a lovely environment . I ’ m not sure why it works so well , it just does . A lot of us come from a retail or sales background , which is good when it comes to dealing with people . We ’ re often on the phone to bankers , applicants and valuers .”
And just to keep her hand in , Maria ’ s skills from her previous job still come in handy .
She smiled : “ I do a few of the girls ’ brows after work !”
With more than 1,000 valuations carried out monthly , and the 31-strong team set to expand further , VAS Group continues to grow .
And Maria ’ s obvious enjoyment of her role is exactly what the firm looks for in potential employees .
Graham explained : “ For them to come into this environment and get a grasp of it , fair play to them . To come from a retail background to talking about multi-millionpound valuations , it ’ s like , ‘ wow , how do you do it ’?
“ But it ’ s that personal spark – if you ’ ve got that , you can talk to anybody .”
For more about potentially working at VAS Group , email info @ vas-group . co . uk
98 | Tees Business