Diane Bindley is proof you can work your way up in a profession.

Twenty-one years ago, when Diane joined Yorkshire Water, she was fielding calls on the company’s switchboard, dealing with customer queries and requests.

Eager to progress, she switched to work in the company’s admin department, mainly inputting data. Her progression to a personnel role, conducting interviews and liaising with managers, prepared her for the senior post she is in today.

Eight years ago, Diane became human resources manager for Yorkshire Water’s IT department. She is also HR manager of the company’s call centre, Loop Customer Management.

Based at the main office in Halifax Road, Bradford, Diane says her remit is focusing on people strategies.

“The whole ethos of HR is people management, making sure people policies suit the business and our people, and getting the best out of our people,” she says.

As manager of the company’s HR department, Diane is in charge of 300 staff.

“We develop and look after and maintain all the systems within Yorkshire Water,” she says.

Her role with Loop involves looking after the 660 staff working with the customer service side of the business. Billing customers and collecting income are some of the things they deal with.

She says she enjoys the variety of her job, with every day seeming different.

“There are always new challenges. Working for Yorkshire Water. I’ve had so many opportunities to develop and grow, and I just love it. I absolutely love working with people in the organisation,” says Diane.

She adds that she also gains job satisfaction from helping people develop, coaching them and seeing them move on in their careers.

There are rewards... in 2005, Diane received the Volunteer of the Year award from Business in the Community for her fundraising work at Yorkshire Water and her role as chairman of Special Needs Objective Outreach Project, a Bradford-based charity providing services for children and young adults who have disabilities or complex needs.

Before joining Yorkshire Water, Diane followed her family into catering. Her first job was on a youth training programme at Marks & Spencer’s staff restaurant. She progressed from there to help set up a coffee shop in Boots.

Then she had a change of direction. She spotted an advert for an administration job with Yorkshire Water, but was offered a receptionist’s role instead, which led to the position she is in today and which she clearly relishes.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is the professional body for those involved in the management and development of people.

For more information about a role in HR, visit the CIDP website at cipd.co.uk or call (020) 86126200.

You can also visit Yorkshire Water’s website for career opportunities – go to yorkshirewater.com.