Celebrating Life in the RAF Reserves from an Inzpire Perspective
21 Jun 23
BlogISR ExpertsCareersInzpire Culture
To mark Reserves Day, we hear from Philip Johnston-Davis, who since leaving the Royal Air Force as a full timer in 2018, has been a member of the RAF Reserves. This vital role enables him to stay in touch with his former colleagues, while continuing to serve in a modest way, alongside his full-time position within our RPAS and ISR (Remote Piloted Air Systems and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaisance) Division.
In the second part of our Q&A with Philip - you can read part one here - he shares how the two roles align and how, with the support of Inzpire, he’s achieved a work life balance that’s right for him.
Philip is a senior ISR expert at Inzpire
Please can you tell us a little bit about your reservist duties and how Inzpire supports you in this role?
As it happens, I’m writing this blog post during a spell of reservist duty! I’m in Germany where I’m currently taking part in a NATO exercise focusing on interoperability for apps and processes for intelligence and ISR management. It may sound a bit dry but it’s a great way to be able to mark Reserves Day! I’m working with a range of NATO nations and counterparts which means many stories and experiences are being exchanged.
More generally, I also command one of the RAF’s three reserve intelligence squadrons headquartered at RAF Waddington as a part-time volunteer reserve. It’s a balance between typical leadership duties; keeping myself current with changes in military thinking and tactics; and supporting projects within ISR planning and operations that are appropriate to the amount of time I can commit, while still having time for family and sport!
I’m able to take part in activities like this alongside my regular counterparts because Inzpire is a Gold Award holder in the MOD’s Employee Recognition Scheme and allows team members to take additional paid reservist leave. It’s just one of the ways the company demonstrates its commitment to current reservists, the veteran community, and their families.
How do your skills and experiences in the Reserves align with your day job at Inzpire?
You may hear people refer to the ‘Whole Force’, a phrase often used to encompass the uniformed, civil service and defence companies working together in support of defence outputs. Inzpire is made up of roughly 80% ex-serving personnel and there is a strong RAF Reserves cohort within that portion. The learning and experience I gain at Inzpire supports my role in the Reserves and vice versa. This, to me, is an excellent example of the mutual benefits of the Whole Force and of defence companies employing reservists. This ‘double hatting’ also exposes me to current thinking among my regular and reservist counterparts and, just as importantly, the amazingly diverse range of skills and expertise from civilian backgrounds.
What are your other hobbies and interests outside of work?
My main hobby is orienteering, the sport that combines accurate map reading and navigation with running through the terrain. I run for our local Lincoln Orienteering Group as well as representing the RAF in my reservist capacity.
I also enjoy gardening and planting things we can eat. This gives me a reason to take my screen breaks with a quick cup of coffee and a couple of minutes of weeding or watering during the day. I find that helps me to digest information and organise my thoughts before returning to the keyboard. Apart from that I really enjoy travelling, whether overseas or in the UK, along with my love for languages.
Philip’s hobby is orienteering, where he represents the RAF at inter-service level
How does the workplace culture at Inzpire help you to maintain your other commitments and achieve a work life balance?
I think the most important aspects of Inzpire’s workplace culture are the incredible sense of team and the commitment to balance tasks with resource. I don’t think a day goes by without someone chiming in on our Teams chat to ask if anyone needs a hand with anything, or just to share some colour from beyond the immediate task. It is meant genuinely, and we don’t begrudge piling on to a problem or working late together to meet a deadline. It also means we’re not afraid to ask for help - which makes for a better product for the customer too!
This culture is really helped by policies that support flexible working and individual wellbeing. For example, Iast year I benefitted from a company scheme to provide office furniture for home workers. I’d been considering converting to a standing desk for some time and took the plunge. As a result, I genuinely feel more alert (particularly after lunch!) and able to concentrate. It’s helping with my recovery after hard runs too. Overall, there is a strong emphasis on wellbeing and health across the company. Everyone recognises the importance of being healthy in body and mind and being ready to support other team members if they need it.
Perhaps the best aspect for me, is being able to choose where I work if there are no immediate requirements within a project to be face-to-face. So long as I have an internet connection and can charge my phone and laptop, I can work remotely and use this flexibility to travel, and everyone is happy as long as duties are carried out.
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