Meet the team

How did the opportunity to join the Cala sales team arise for you?

Joy: I was contacted by a recruitment agent who shared details of the sales role opportunity. It seemed like a great match for my skills and working for a company like Cala really appealed to me as they have a great reputation here in Aberdeen.

Jo: I was working for another housebuilder when I came across the vacancy. I had always admired Cala as they’re known for building really gorgeous homes in good locations here in Aberdeen. I knew they had a great track record as an employer too, so I decided to apply.

How long have you been there?

Joy: I have been part of the Cala Homes team for seven and a half years.

Jo: I have been with the company for just over a year, I joined in September 2021.

What skills have you learned in your role?

Joy: I came from a sales background but was new to the housebuilding and construction sector when first joining. My sales and customer service skills have been developed hugely – the training and mentoring I’ve received has helped me to tailor my approach to our business and the customers we deal with. We’re a very close team here so I’ve also been able to draw from the expertise and experience of my sales colleagues. The role has built my technical and construction knowledge, which is a whole new world for me, and the legal and financial knowledge I’ve learned has been invaluable – working closely with teams who specialise in those areas has been so helpful.  

Jo: The role has provided me with the opportunity to continue to develop my customer service skills, something you can always work at as you come across new challenges.

Sustainability is a huge focus at Cala, both in how we build our homes and how the business is run, so my knowledge in this area has really grown and been developed to allow me to explain key elements of our homes to our customers. For example, it’s been important to understand new technologies in housebuilding, particularly in terms of reducing carbon such as the introduction of air source heat pumps in our homes.

Have you transferred over skills from previous roles? If so, in what ways have you managed to do this?

Joy: I came from a luxury retail background therefore lots of the skills I learned during my time working in the sector have been useful, particularly communication, customer service, negotiation, resilience in changeable situations, and establishing fantastic customer relationships.

Both of these roles involved representing the company and being the face that the customer sees so it has been very important to approach my interactions with them in a similar way.

Jo: I already had six years’ experience working as part of a sales team for a housebuilder so I’ve been able to transfer over lots of skills and knowledge of the industry. What I have done is take those skills and knowledge and adapt them to the Cala way of working, ensuring the customer experience is excellent throughout their journey to homeownership. There’s a real focus on development and ongoing training here at Cala, whether it’s on the job, learning from others, or more formal training, so my skills are building every day.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced working in a sales role?

Joy: As the main point of contact for the customer, it’s my job to collate all the information they need from our various teams across technical, commercial, site, land and customer service and communicate it back to them. This can be challenging at times but also very rewarding and means I have the opportunity to build relationships with our customers and take them on their journey from their initial enquiry to getting the keys to their new home.

Jo: The pandemic had a massive impact on our role. For a long time, instead of being able to see customers in person and show them our lovely showhomes and available plots, we had to use online virtual tours and discuss everything over video calls or the phone. This made it more challenging to build relationships with customers but there have been definite positives to come from it, mainly that our new ways of working offer so much flexibility for customers – we can meet them in person and show them round our showhomes and plots in pre-booked appointments but can still do video calls if that’s more convenient.  

How would you describe the culture of working at Cala?

Joy: The culture at Cala is supportive, focused, passionate, and driven. Having been part of the team for such a long time, I’ve seen the company evolve and mark huge milestones including our brand refresh early this year. I’ve also seen things like sustainability become a huge part of our business, not just in our homes, but in how our offices and teams work too. Wellbeing is another area that has become a focus – there’s a real sense that everyone is looked after, from the benefits and working arrangements we have to things like supporting positive mental health.

Jo: Cala has a great culture, all departments gel really well and are so committed and passionate. Cala is forward-thinking and adaptive, and everyone is supported to really be themselves at work – there’s a real feeling of inclusivity and improvement. The benefits we receive contribute to the positive culture, too – it’s good to feel looked after through things like our bonus scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, ULEV scheme, health insurance, good holiday entitlement and smarter working arrangements.  

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Joy: Handing over the keys to excited new homeowners is a real highlight, especially after being with the customer on their journey and being a key person they turn to for advice along the way.

I also enjoy the fast-paced environment of the sales office, the variety of tasks within the role – no two days are ever the same! The supportive management team we have and the opportunities we have to develop through training and learning from other areas of the business definitely makes the job enjoyable.

It’s also an interesting role from the perspective that you’re not in the same place forever. As one development comes to an end, another launches and provides a new challenge to get stuck into with its own location, community and mix of housetypes.

Jo: The job satisfaction, being the person to hand over the client’s keys on their entry date is a great feeling! You share every moment of excitement with them. It’s also great to be part of a company that gives back to the communities we build in – we often have partnerships with local schools, community groups, small businesses and charities which is wonderful to be part of.

Future plans?

Joy: I’d like to continue to grow my career at Cala as the company itself continues to grow. Jo and I were both recently promoted from Sales Consultants to Senior Sales Consultants, a milestone in our careers we’ve both really proud of.

In Aberdeen we have some amazing, landmark developments and are actively looking for more land to turn into new communities, so there are always new opportunities on the horizon – that’s a great feeling.

Jo: I see myself continuing my career at Cala. No day, week or month is the same! You never stop learning in a sales role which makes it all the more exciting.

For more information about working at Cala and the current vacancies page.