Rosemary Gallagher considers the many roles available at a funeral director’s office
Funeral directors play a crucial role in helping people navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and the sector can also offer worthwhile and fulfilling careers.
There are a range of roles available in the profession, according to William Purves Funeral Directors, a fifth-generation family-owned and run Scottish business.
As well as a funeral director, there are many other roles involved that people might not have considered before – or even been aware of.
Colin Brown, director and chief culture officer at William Purves in Edinburgh, says: “There are several roles available such as funeral director, funeral arranger, operative/driver, embalmer, and administrator. Or, in some companies, roles such as monumental mason, pre-paid plan seller, marketing, finance, or HR.”
It can often seem difficult for someone without any connection to a funeral director to enter the industry. Smaller funeral homes rarely have vacancies so can be harder to access. Some larger businesses will advertise for positions and sometimes, but not exclusively, candidates will start in an operative role, then work up to a funeral director role.
Colin explains that the role of a funeral director varies greatly, but in its simplest form, they are there to build relationships with clients when arranging a funeral. This is achieved by meeting with the bereaved, listening to their wishes, and guiding them through the funeral process.
He adds, ‘It involves a great deal of interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.’
While Colin does not have access to industry-wide data, at William Purves, he reports an increase in younger people showing interest in his field.
For example, his firm currently has five staff members aged 18 to 25 and eight under 30. And 19 other staff joined the operation between the ages of 18 to 25.
In terms of entry into the sector, Colin says: “There are a few different ways people enter the profession. In smaller funeral director businesses, it may be a son or daughter of the owner who initially comes in for work experience, then joins the business full-time.”
Alternatively, people may be selected for a specific role, knowing their attributes would be well-suited to that position.
There is generally no need for previous experience or qualifications, as full training would be done in-house and for specific roles, we would recruit based on their interpersonal skills rather than education/qualifications.
While William Purves does not yet offer apprenticeships, it is looking at developing a program where individuals would commit to a period of time exploring all aspects of the firm, with the hope they are able to stay on in a role best suited to them.
In addition to in-house training, Colin says William Purves actively encourages all its funeral directors to study towards a Diploma in Funeral Directing through the National Association of Funeral Directors.
“There is no specific requirement for a funeral director to be qualified, but we see this as a great way to invest in the funeral directors so they are well-equipped to do the job,” he concludes.