The best thing about my job is that I get to support and help my colleagues
The best thing about my job is that I get to support and help my colleagues, says Patrik Törmä, who works as Second Line Support at SEB’s Life & Pension Customer Centre in Sundsvall. Here, he talks about his career journey within the bank and explains what makes his role so rewarding.
After ten years in the clothing industry, Patrik Törmä decided to change direction and try something new. In 2009, he applied to SEB Life & Pension in Sundsvall, where the bank’s customer centre for pension and insurance is located. The office has about 60 employees divided into five teams: Private, Corporate, Brokers, Sales and Skills Support.
– Like all new hires, I started in Incoming Private, where private customers call for help with savings and insurance. Along with other newcomers, I received three weeks of training – there was a lot of new information to take in, and I actually considered quitting after just two weeks. What made me stay, however, was how interesting it was to learn everything. Pension, insurance, and funds were not things I was familiar with before. But most importantly, it was the colleagues here in Sundsvall who made me feel welcomed, and who are also the reason why I’m still here today.
Just two years later, Patrik had the opportunity to work with incoming calls from corporate customers and has over the years also worked with relocations and internal sales support. For the past three years, he has had the role of Second Line Support within Skills Support – an area that has attracted him since he started at SEB 15 years ago.
The role of Second Line Support
– Even when I first began working in Incoming Private, I was open about wanting to work in Skills Support in the future. It took a while to get here, but my previous experiences from my other assignments within SEB Life & Pension have been very valuable in my current role. As Second Line Support, I work with supporting the entire customer centre. There are a total of four of us working with Skills Support, and it is to us that employees call when they are stuck and need help with a customer case or have questions regarding our products. The types of questions customers call in with can vary greatly, so we need broad knowledge from many different situations to support our colleagues. In addition to supporting them in daily tasks, we are also responsible for training new employees and conducting their introductory training.
What is the best and most challenging part of the job?
– The best thing about my job is that I get to support and help my colleagues. Training new employees is also definitely one of the most fun parts. You get to contribute to a welcoming feeling and create security by saying, “We are here to help you when it gets tough”. I myself remember what it’s like being new, and it’s not entirely easy. So it’s very rewarding to be able to provide the right support by offering help or just sharing my own journey within the bank.
– Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to manage everything, especially since there are only four of us working in Skills Support. We want to be as proactive as possible and already have answers to everything before the customer calls us, which can be a challenge. However, within the team, we support each other as much as possible, and I am very grateful for that. I think we should be very proud of the work we do.
How would you describe the culture at SEB?
– Something that distinguishes the culture at SEB is openness. We are not just colleagues but also friends, and therefore we dare to bring things to the surface. One should not be afraid to ask for help or reveal their lack of knowledge by admitting that there is something they are unsure about. I think this is very important and makes you enjoy your job much more.