Staff Spotlight – Stephen Brady
Here at Connect Childcare, each and every one of us is passionate about the Early Years (EY) sector and about developing management software that improves the lives of children, globally.
In order to shine the spotlight on our wonderful team, we’ve created an employee Q&A series – enabling our readers to better get to know the people behind the scenes.
First up to kick off our series, we have Stephen Brady, our head of customer support.
- Tell us about your role at Connect Childcare in one paragraph:
I’ve been at Connect for six years now. I first joined as customer support team leader in 2014 and have worked my way up to be the head of the department. In a nutshell, our team oversees receiving, managing and resolving inbound queries – collaborating with other departments along the way. We have a strong focus on quality over quantity, so we ensure that customer tickets are resolved fully before moving on to the next one.
- Describe the culture and ethos at Connect in three words:
Warm, friendly and upskilling – the firm loves to develop its people.
- What’s your favourite feature in Connect’s software suite?
For me, it’s ParentZone. As a dad-of-six myself, this is the feature I really appreciate. It’s a way to see what your child is doing at nursery while you’re at work – from the pictures they’ve drawn to what they’ve eaten and what activities they’ve done, it’s that part of it which I love.
- What role does technology play in the future of the EY sector?
A huge role. EdTech is now bigger than ever – in terms of usage and popularity – because of the home-schooling that’s taken place throughout the pandemic. And this will only continue.
The next generation is very digitally savvy, everything is done online through electronic devices – mobile phones, tablets and computers – and this is the ‘norm’. As a result, more parents will expect this kind of insight to be available at their fingertips, so nurseries will need to integrate it into their operations to meet demand and evolve their proposition.
- Share an interesting fact about yourself that many people may not know:
I’m a drummer, and I used to be in a signed band – called r.y.a.n – in fact, I’ve been in bands since I was 14.
- How would your colleagues describe you in one emoji?
😂 – I ’m a bit of a joker and try to provide some comedy element at work. Whether they’re laughing at or with me, I don’t mind, as long as there are smiles!
- When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had a few things, it was between an electronic engineer, a primary school teacher or a manager. And here I am today working in an Early Years tech company, managing a department – spooky stuff!
- And as a youngster, what was your favourite children’s book?
The Worst Kids in the World, by Barbara Robinson. I used to read it over and over again.
- Investing in nursery management software is a big decision for childcare providers – why do you think they choose Connect?
It’s comprehensive and helps to manage all different areas of a nursery.
For example, we have three products; Connect Childcare is the management system for the back or head office, allowing for easier billing and reporting, iConnect is on practitioners’ tablets, allowing them to take registers, record observations and take pictures, and ParentZone is the engagement and communication tool that promotes child development in the home.
I know I’m biased, but it really does do it all.
- Finally, what is one of your hopes for Connect over the coming year?
I’d love the company to go global – the thought of looking after customer hubs in different countries is a really exciting one.
If you’d like to receive more news and updates from the Connect Childcare team, why not head over to our Twitter page or connect with us on LinkedIn?!
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About the Author
Marketing Lead at Connect Childcare
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