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United States: The Continuing Evolution

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:49:13 GMT

As we move further into 2026, fresh from recent travels and conversations, it’s increasingly clear that the market is shifting even faster than many expected.

The challenges firms are facing are becoming more urgent, and the scale of decisions required is growing.

As organisations look ahead to the rest of 2026 and beyond, many are questioning whether they’re making bold enough moves to genuinely change their trajectory. Whether it’s expanding into new geographies, adding service lines, or diversifying industry focus, we continue to work closely with firms as they shape the next phase of their growth.

One of the most consistent themes in recent discussions has been partner integration, specifically, how to do it more effectively. We’re seeing a notable increase in firms building out dedicated teams to manage onboarding and to support the delivery of business plans. There’s also more scrutiny at the business planning stage, not only around viability but on how internal collaboration can support long term success. It’s encouraging to see firms making these investments, because it’s no longer enough to simply hire a partner and expect results. Candidates want to know exactly how they’ll be supported and what structures are in place to help make their move a success. We have been working hard with firms to build out these plans and give comfort on both sides that partners are being set up succeed.

Another major challenge arises when firms enter new geographic markets: attracting the right talent in the early phase, and then sustaining that momentum once the “new office” buzz wears off. Recent openings in markets such as Boston, Texas, and California have brought in some excellent hires. Where we’re increasingly asked to support is the second wave, the stage where firms need to refine their story and articulate the long‑term opportunity so they can continue drawing in top talent once they’re no longer the new entrant.

It still surprises me how resilient the traditional markets remain. New York, Texas, Washington DC, Florida, and California continue to see exceptionally high levels of recruitment. Across Funds, Corporate, Finance and Litigation, there remains a significant shortage of attorneys, particularly in niche areas such as Fund Finance, Securitisation, Renewables, and Antitrust. The result is a familiar picture: strong opportunities for anyone considering a move.

Interest in international talent is also far from slowing. Our time in New York made this clear, though we are seeing visa timelines stretch beyond expectations. Some firms are becoming more cautious as a result, while others are moving earlier to secure Australian and Canadian lawyers ahead of anticipated delays.

Looking ahead, new service lines and industries will be central to growth. We are spending increasing amounts of time discussing opportunities in insurance, data centres, renewable energy and the broader question of how US businesses investing heavily overseas will shape future office locations. The question for many firms is now less about if they should expand into these areas, but where they need a footprint to support clients and retain relationships.

We are still yet to see the full impact of the merger announcements made in recent months. As always, some movement in the market is inevitable, but with that comes opportunity, not only for existing partners, but also for individuals at both partner and associate level who are looking to take advantage of a newly evolving firm and platform.

In‑house hiring across the US also continues to grow. In our key sectors including Sports, Media, Financial Services, Insurance and Life Sciences, we expect 2026 to be an active year as companies strengthen teams nationally. Notably, we’re seeing more roles appear outside the traditional financial hubs, reflecting both geographic diversification and sector‑driven needs.

As always, if you’d like to discuss what we’re seeing in the market, whether you’re exploring a move, tackling broader business challenges, or simply looking to benchmark, please feel free to reach out

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Change and transformation Offshore: The evolving cycle of fiduciary buildouts, sales and reinvention

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:51:38 GMT

Offshore law firms have spent the past two decades oscillating between three models

(1) a tightly integrated platform that houses both legal advice and fiduciary/corporate services, (2) a conscious decision to sit as a standalone law firm, and (3) a separated structure where the fiduciary arm is divested, often to private equity, before the cycle begins anew. That rhythm is quickening again.

Below is a field guide to the market’s recent developments and what they mean for firms now building (or rebuilding) fiduciary capabilities, for partners weighing capital options, and for clients seeking one stop solutions.

Why the cycle exists

From the 1970s onward, many offshore firms bolted on trust, company administration, fund services, and governance capabilities to complement their legal practices. The logic is simple: clients using Cayman, BVI, Jersey, Guernsey, Luxembourg, and related structures often want a seamless solution from formation to ongoing administration. The cross sell is powerful, margins are attractive, and recurring revenues are “sticky.” Periodically, however, fiduciary units become large and capital hungry, creating tension with a partnership’s cash needs and prompting sales or spinouts, typically to private equity (PE). This “build–scale–sell–rebuild” pattern has repeated across the leading brands.

The recent deal tapestry: who sold, who rebuilt, who doubled down

Ogier → Elian → Intertrust
Ogier separated its fiduciary business in a 2014 PE backed management buyout (Electra Partners, now Epiris), valuing the unit at ~£180m. Two years later, the business, rebranded Elian, was sold to Intertrust for £435m, crystallising value and underlining PE’s playbook in the sector.
Appleby → Estera → Ocorian
Appleby’s fiduciary arm completed a Bridgepoint backed carveout and rebranded as Estera in 2016. In 2020, Ocorian (itself the former Bedell Trust after a 2016 MBO backed by Inflexion) merged with Estera, creating a scaled global platform with 1,250 employees across 20+ offices.
Walkers → Intertrust (2012) → Walkers Professional Services (2015) → PE co-investment (2025)
After selling its earlier fiduciary arm to Intertrust, Walkers rebuilt with Walkers Professional Services (WPS) and, in December 2025, agreed a strategic co-investment with Vitruvian Partners to accelerate WPS’s growth, an emblem of the “rebuild with external capital” phase.
Maples Group’s integrated model
Maples Group continues to operate one of the market’s largest integrated law + fiduciary/fund administration platforms across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with legal and nonlegal services delivered under a single brand.
Mourant’s law firm led professional services approach
Mourant has expanded governance services alongside legal advisory in multiple centres, including a CSSF licensed Luxembourg governance platform (2024) and subsequent leadership hires to scale corporate governance capabilities.
Bedell Cristin / Ocorian backstory
Bedell Trust’s 2016 MBO and rebrand as Ocorian, followed by a busy acquisition program, shows how former law firm fiduciary units can thrive independently under PE ownership and then reconsolidate via M&A.

The consolidators’ backdrop: scale, technology and PE dry powder

Outside the law firm ecosystem, global consolidators are racing to scale. The 2023 merger of Vistra and Tricor, valued at ~$6.5bn and creating a 9,000person platform, illustrates the sector’s size and the strategic premium on technology enabled, multijurisdictional coverage. Ratings and sponsor disclosures emphasize synergy capture through 2026.

Private equity interest remains intense. Sector analyses point to 40+ PE backed consolidators, resilient multiples (particularly for fund administration), and a shift toward differentiated platforms that show double digit organic growth, 30%+ EBITDA margins, and strong cash conversion. Recent sponsor activity includes bids for listed administrators and minority stakes in scaled platforms.

Why offshore firms are rebuilding now

Three forces are driving the current “rebuild” leg of the cycle:

Client demand for integrated solutions
Asset managers, private capital sponsors and UHNW families want coordinated legal, entity management, governance, and regulatory support in core hubs, an impetus behind law firm led platforms and law adjacent reinvestments. Walkers’ WPS co-investment and Mourant’s Luxembourg buildout speak to this demand.
Regulatory and reporting complexity
FATF/EU AML developments, substance rules, and fund regulations raise the bar on governance and operations, pushing clients toward scaled providers with credible compliance frameworks, and creating room for law firm anchored offerings.
Attractive market structure
The trust, corporate and fund services market continues to grow (global revenues projected to rise through 2028), with consolidation and technology investment unlocking operating leverage and cross sell.

Tensions when firms sell and how they show up

When a partnership sells its fiduciary arm, it often realizes a substantial one-off gain but loses a stream of recurring, annuity like revenues. That can fuel internal tension, as revenue that once fed partner distributions disappears, and makes later rebuilding more urgent. The sector’s history of carveouts, re-badging’s and subsequent “rebirths” (Ogier/Elian, Appleby/Estera, Bedell/Ocorian, Walkers/WPS) illustrates both the benefits of monetization and the strategic cost of losing the integrated client spine.

What “good” looks like in 2026 for law firm led fiduciary platforms

Corporate governance and funds administration that match legal standards
Build teams and controls that satisfy both regulators and blue-chip clients.
Selective external capital without losing strategic control
Walkers’ co-investment structure with Vitruvian highlights one way to fund expansion in corporate/fund services while keeping the law firm independent and conflicts manageable.
Technology enabled operating models
The largest consolidators (e.g., the Vistra–Tricor platform) are integrating systems for global client onboarding, KYC, regulatory reporting and data analytics. Competing effectively requires targeted systems investments, strong data governance, and program discipline.
Jurisdictional breadth with depth
Client’s value multi hub coverage anchored by consistency and subject matter depth in Cayman, BVI, Jersey, Guernsey, Luxembourg, Ireland, Singapore and the UAE.

Transformation priorities if you’re building (or buying) now

Based on recent transactions and the operating models of scaled players, leadership teams should expect these workstreams on any significant buildout or acquisition program:

Operating model and governance reset
Clarify the relationship between the law partnership and the fiduciary business (service level agreements, conflicts protocols, referral mechanics, and economic sharing).
Regulatory licensing and risk management
Map the licences needed across jurisdictions (e.g., CSSF PFS in Luxembourg) and install a first/second line risk framework spanning AML, sanctions, data protection, and outsourcing.
Data, systems and process integration
Post deal integration in this sector succeeds or fails on unified data models (clients, entities, mandates), workflow tooling, and reporting across funds, corporatesand private client books—mirroring the synergy theses highlighted in consolidator deals.
Commercial model and pricing discipline
Design packages that link legal mandates to administration offerings without coercion, priced for complexity and regulatory intensity. Sector reports show premium multiples for platforms with >30% EBITDA margins and >90% cash conversion, targets that require disciplined pricing and utilization.
People and leadership
Scarce skills, regulated board directors, experienced MLROs, fund accounting leads, and transformation talent, are critical. Walkers’ WPS and Mourant’s governance hiring patterns point to targeted senior appointments that anchor new service lines.
Change portfolio and PMO
Expect a multiyear portfolio: target screening, diligence, migration, client consent, repapering, and platform separation/standup where needed. That cadence is now standard practice across consolidators and law adjacent builds.

A note on law firm/PE tie ups beyond offshore

Onshore experiments remind us how hard it is to package a law firm and a services platform for external investors. UK examples have ranged from contemplated IPOs to private capital interest in diversified “law plus” groups.

Outlook: the next 24 months

More selective selling and smarter rebuilding
Expect fewer wholesale disposals and more nuanced capital structures (minority stakes, co-investments, joint ventures) to fund fiduciary growth without fully severing the legal/fiduciary umbilical cord, akin to Walkers–Vitruvian.
Consolidation wave continues at scale
The Vistra–Tricor merger underscores that scale economics and technology platforms will dominate. Expect further large cap moves and continued buy and builds among midmarket administrators.
Premium on governance and ESG aligned compliance
Jurisdictional reputations, licensing status, and regulator trust will be differentiators in RFPs, reinforced by CSSF and FATF dynamics, and by clients’ own ESG mandates.
Pricing power for demonstrably efficient operators
Investors are rewarding platforms with superior unit economics and integration track records; clients will continue to pay for transparent, tech enabled, cross border delivery.

As always, if you’d like to discuss what we’re seeing in the market, please feel free to reach out.

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Legal Salary Guide

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:26:55 GMT

With over 20 years of experience in the global legal arena, we've provided our clients with access to top legal talent worldwide. Leveraging our extensive industry connections and in-depth expertise, we've curated the most comprehensive salary data and hiring trends for professionals like yourself.

Our 2026 Salary Guide provides an overview of competitive packages and explores the latest hiring trends shaping the landscape of Legal employment in your region.

Get your complimentary copy of the 2026 Salary Guide directly to your inbox by filling in the form below.

By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and accept the Terms and Conditions and understand the Privacy Policy .

How Do Offshore Legal Careers Compare to City Roles?

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:05:36 GMT

Over the past 15 years that Hydrogen has been placing lawyers into offshore jurisdictions, the market has changed significantly. Career success was often linked to working in major financial centres such as London or New York but that view has shifted.

Offshore jurisdictions are becoming increasingly popular, with locations such as Jersey, Guernsey, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands evolving into highly sophisticated financial centres. They combine complex, high-quality legal work with an appealing lifestyle offering.

So how do offshore careers compare with roles in major financial centres?

Progression and Responsibility

In large financial centres such as London and New York, competition is extremely strong and there is a deep pool of talent. Big organisations usually have structured hierarchies with clear but often rigid promotion paths. Teams are typically larger and roles are more specialised. Because of this structure, reaching senior positions can take longer. Professionals often build deep knowledge in a specific area, but gaining wider exposure or leadership responsibility can take time.

Offshore firms often operate differently. Teams are usually smaller and organisational structures are flatter. This means individuals often have more visibility with senior colleagues and greater client contact earlier in their careers. With fewer layers of management, lawyers can take on real responsibility much sooner. This can help people develop leadership skills faster and gain experience across a broader range of work.

The key difference is not necessarily the quality of the work, but the speed and variety of experience professionals can gain.

Quality of Work

In the past, offshore work was sometimes seen as less complex or mainly supportive. This view is now outdated. Modern offshore financial centres play an important role in global finance. They support private equity and venture capital funds, international tax structuring, fund administration and cross-border financial services. The work is highly technical and commercially important.

In large financial centres like London, lawyers may work on high-profile deals and major transactions. However, they may only focus on a small part of the overall transaction because teams are so specialised. Offshore professionals often work on complex structures that involve multiple jurisdictions. Offshore professionals are more likely to be involved in complex, multi-jurisdictional structures and frequently work directly with end clients, enabling them to develop strong client relationships.

Many offshore lawyers see the full lifecycle of transactions, from setting up structures through to ongoing administration and eventual exits. This provides broader exposure and practical experience earlier in a career.

The technical standards at leading offshore firms are high and often comparable to top onshore practices. Offshore firms compete internationally for complex financial work, and the level of work reflects that.

Long-Term Career Development

Working in a major financial centre can carry strong brand recognition, especially when associated with well-known global firms. This can be helpful for professionals aiming for senior roles in multinational organisations. However, offshore careers offer a different type of professional development.

Professionals often gain a wider understanding of how businesses operate. They may also gain earlier exposure to commercial decision-making and closer relationships with senior leaders.Greater client ownership and a better balance between work and lifestyle can also contribute to a well-rounded career experience.

Over time, this combination of technical ability and commercial understanding can create professionals who are both skilled and strategically minded.

Movement between offshore and onshore markets is also becoming more common. Experience gained from key Offshore jurisdictions is often valued by international law firms and wider businesses and we often see lawyers who have trained and practised exclusively offshore successfully transition into leading London law firms.

Rather than limiting opportunities, offshore experience can strengthen long-term career prospects, particularly for those specialising in funds, private wealth and international structuring.

Final Thoughts

The discussion is no longer about which option is “better.” Instead, it is about which path best fits your career goals. If you value working in large organisations with strong global brands and specialised roles, a major financial centre like London may be the right choice. If you are looking for faster responsibility, broader experience and earlier client exposure, offshore jurisdictions can offer significant advantages.

For many professionals, the most effective strategy may be understanding how different environments can support different stages of their career. As financial services continue to become more global, offshore centres are not just alternatives - they are an important part of the international financial system and offer strong long-term career opportunities.

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Key Insights from Oceanology International London 2026: Technology, Data and the Growing Demand for Subsea Talent

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:45:21 GMT

Oceanology International London 2026 brought together leaders, innovators and specialists from across the global subsea and offshore energy sectors.

The event provided a valuable opportunity to explore how technology, investment and workforce dynamics are shaping the future of ocean industries.

Several themes stood out across discussions with organisations operating in subsea engineering, marine technology and offshore energy. From advances in artificial intelligence to significant investment in autonomous underwater vehicles, the pace of technological development is accelerating. At the same time, companies are increasingly recognising that access to specialist talent will play a critical role in delivering projects successfully.

Below are three key insights from this year’s event.

Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Ocean Data Analysis

One of the most prominent topics at Oceanology International was the growing role of artificial intelligence in analysing ocean data.

Subsea surveys, inspection programmes and monitoring systems generate vast volumes of information. Historically, processing and interpreting this data has been time consuming and resource intensive. Advances in AI and machine learning are now enabling organisations to process complex datasets more efficiently and extract deeper insights from the information they collect.

This shift is helping companies improve operational decision making, optimise subsea asset management and enhance environmental monitoring capabilities. As offshore energy projects continue to expand in scale and complexity, the ability to analyse data quickly and accurately will become increasingly important for operators and service providers alike.

Investment in Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Continues to Grow

Another clear trend across the event was the level of investment being directed towards autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) technology.

AUVs are rapidly becoming a critical tool within the subsea industry. These systems support a wide range of activities including seabed mapping, infrastructure inspection and environmental monitoring. As technology continues to evolve, modern AUV platforms are capable of operating for longer durations, collecting higher resolution data and performing more complex missions.

The development of these technologies is closely linked to the growth of offshore energy and marine infrastructure projects. Autonomous systems offer a safer and more efficient way to access environments that are difficult to reach using traditional methods. As the subsea market continues to expand, the role of AUV technology is expected to become even more significant and with it the demand for specialist talent that understand the technology.

The Subsea Industry is Facing an Increasing Talent Challenge

While technology and innovation were central themes at Oceanology International, workforce capability emerged as an equally important topic.

Across subsea survey, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations and geoscience disciplines, many organisations are experiencing growing pressure to secure experienced professionals. Several factors are contributing to this challenge. An ageing workforce within some technical areas, particularly ROV operations, is creating knowledge gaps as experienced professionals retire. At the same time, demand for skilled surveyors, geophysicists, data processors and survey engineers continues to increase as projects progress.

For companies delivering complex offshore projects, the availability of specialist talent will be a defining factor in their ability to scale operations and meet project timelines. Organisations that invest in attracting, developing and retaining experienced professionals will be better positioned to respond to industry growth.

Innovation is Accelerating Across the Subsea Sector

Oceanology highlighted the significant technological progress taking place across subsea and offshore energy industries. Artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and autonomous technologies are transforming how organisations collect, analyse and act on ocean data.

However, technological innovation alone will not determine the pace at which the industry evolves. As projects become more complex and global demand for subsea expertise increases, access to highly skilled professionals will remain critical.

At Hydrogen Group, our renewable energy and subsea specialists work closely with organisations across offshore energy, marine technology and engineering to connect them with the expertise required to deliver complex projects successfully.

If you would like to discuss current market trends or explore how to secure specialist subsea talent, contact our renewables experts Jamie, Rory or Matt.

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Legal Salary Guide 2026

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:28:59 GMT

Our 2026 Salary Guide provides an overview of competitive packages and explores the latest hiring trends shaping the landscape of Legal employment in your region.

Get your complimentary copy of the 2026 Salary Guide directly to your inbox by filling in the form below.

By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and accept the Terms and Conditions and understand the Privacy Policy .

Women in Law: Nisrine EL MIR

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:14:13 GMT

Nisrine EL MIR is a dynamic multi-lingual legal strategist with 25+ years of cross-industry expertise, who drives impactful legal and compliance leadership across the IT, air transport, telecom, and healthcare sectors.

Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, she expertly navigates complex legal landscapes spanning Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa.

Armed with a DEA in International Law from Panthéon Sorbonne Paris I and an Executive PhD in Business Administration from Paris Dauphine University PSL, specializing in organizational risk and legal risk management, Nisrine seamlessly bridges rigorous academic insight with real-world business acumen.

In her current role, Nisrine spearheads risk management and compliance strategies for FUJIFILM’s Middle East and Africa operations, earning acclaim for her visionary leadership, resilience under pressure, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Known as the “steering wheel” in every project, she drives teams to deliver superior quality outcomes while fostering a culture of transparency, trust, and professional integrity.

Her track record includes leading multi-million-dollar negotiations, cultivating cutting-edge compliance training programs, and mentoring legal professionals to become champions of corporate governance. Nisrine's influence extends beyond the boardroom through participation in the alternative dispute resolution forums in the International Chamber of Commerce and distinguished recognition on the Legal 500 GC Power List for three consecutive years now.

Nisrine continues to set exacting standards of legal excellence, consistently transforming challenges into opportunities with a direct, honest, and professionally poised approach

Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

From a young age, I was inspired by my father’s career as a lawyer and dreamed of following in his footsteps. As a teenager, I explored other passions—particularly music, which has always been close to my heart—and even considered pursuing a creative path during my brief “rebellious” phase. However, growing up amidst the harsh realities of civil war in Lebanon deeply shaped my perspective. Witnessing the profound impact of injustice and conflict, I realised that my true calling was to defend fairness, justice, and transparency. When it came time to choose my path, law wasn’t just a career choice—it was a way to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Looking back on your career, what are the key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

“Life is what happens to you while making other plans”. - Allen Saunders

Reflecting on my career journey, there have been numerous defining moments, both empowering and challenging, which have shaped who I am today.

What stands out to me most clearly is that, throughout every high and low, I have always held strong to the fundamental “why” behind my career choice. From the very beginning, I was driven by a deep passion for the legal profession and a commitment to making a meaningful impact through my work. This unwavering purpose has been my north star, giving me the resilience and focus to navigate the complexities of the legal landscape.

Of course, like any career, mine has been shaped by both opportunities and obstacles. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that success in law is about far more than qualifications, diplomas, or long expertise. Yes, those are necessary foundations, but what truly sets you apart and enables you to grow is how you conduct yourself in moments of uncertainty and tension.

I’ve come to understand that clarity of thought in the face of confusion and the ability to remain objectively kind amid conflict are invaluable skills. Over time, these qualities allowed me to become a trusted figure whom colleagues turn to when negotiations reach an impasse or when finding the right way forward feels difficult.

I have been fortunate to receive guidance from outstanding mentors and supportive colleagues whose wisdom and encouragement helped me to develop both personally and professionally. Their belief in me reinforced my confidence and helped me break through barriers that can sometimes seem more daunting for women in law.

Perhaps the most profound challenge I’ve faced, however, has not been in the courtroom or negotiation room but in balancing the demands of a legal career with deeply personal trials. Between 2016 and 2019, my twin boys faced significant health battles; while one was already fighting a serious eating disorder, the other was diagnosed with stage two cancer. I was also doing my PhD and working full-time at the same time. Managing my responsibilities as a mother during that time, while maintaining the presence of mind and focus required by my profession and academic research, tested me immensely. Without the unwavering support of exceptional colleagues, friends, and family, I would not have been able to continue and overcome this difficult period. This experience redefined for me the importance of compassionate work environments and the vital role that support networks play in helping women succeed in demanding careers.

Through all these experiences, I’ve come to appreciate that a legal career, especially for women, does not follow a simple upward trajectory. There are highs and lows, moments of exhilaration and moments of doubt. But viewing one’s career as part of a broader life journey, where priorities shift and evolve rather than remain fixed, makes all the difference. It’s essential to adjust when needed, to carve out time for self-care and family, and to lean on those who provide a solid foundation of trust and support.

Ultimately, I believe the foundation of sustained success is an unshakeable connection to your purpose, combined with integrity, resilience, and kindness. When you keep sight of what fuels you, you can embrace the inevitable autumns in your career as times for renewal, reflection, and revitalisation, creating space for new ideas, insights, and energy to emerge.

For women in law, this perspective is empowering because it acknowledges the whole person rather than just the lawyer. It allows us to create careers that are both successful and sustainable and teaches us to be proud at every stage of the journey.

How do you maintain your voice and influence at the executive table, especially when you may be the only woman in the room?

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear". – Rumi

It’s definitely a challenge, but one I approach with intention and confidence.

For me, it starts with really listening and paying close attention to the dynamics, priorities, and unspoken considerations at the table before I speak. That way, when I do share my legal perspective, it’s focused, relevant, and more likely to resonate with the group.

Understanding the bigger picture and the purpose behind the business's goals is also essential. My goal is to align legal advice with the company’s strategic objectives, all while ensuring transparency and ethical standards are front and centre. That makes my role feel less like just offering legal counsel and more like partnering in the decision-making process.

How I communicate is just as important as what I say. Especially as the only woman in a room full of executives, I’ve learned to be clear and assertive. It’s about striking the right tone so that my contributions are not only heard but genuinely valued.

Preparation plays a massive role, too. I make sure I’m well-informed, armed with facts and insights that back up my recommendations. That credibility gives me confidence and helps others trust and seek out my input.

When you combine all of this listening, purpose-driven insight, clear communication, and strong preparation, you build influence that goes beyond just being “the legal person” in the room. It creates a space where your voice adds real value, helping to navigate complex situations and driving better outcomes. That’s how I’ve maintained my influence and helped shape pivotal decisions throughout my career.

Have you ever felt pressure to “lead like a man”? How has your leadership style evolved to feel more authentically you?

“She remembered who she was, and the game changed.” -Lalah Delia

Honestly, I’ve never seen leadership through a gendered lens for myself. The quote here really encapsulates for me the shift I’ve experienced.

I have always believed that every human being fighting to make this world a better place, be it a woman or a man, is a role model to me. I believe leadership, regardless of gender, is demonstrated in every action, every decision, and every interaction.

Of course, some people around me have expected me to lead in a certain way, especially by showing less understanding in certain situations or by not attending to some personal life obligations; often, that unfortunately meant “leading like a man.” Yet, being empathetic while staying professional and prioritising life over work is an approach that should be adopted regardless of gender. It is a timeless career-life approach. Kindness, professionalism, and integrity are the drivers that guide my leadership style.

Over time, I’ve learned that it’s not about trying to fit into someone else’s mold and expectations but to remain faithful to your convictions. It’s about embracing my own strengths and vulnerabilities and allowing them to guide me through my growth as well as my challenges. Yes, there’s a lot of pressure out there, especially with social media making performance and image so visible and faking perfection, almost to the point of distraction. But staying authentic, focusing on real growth and connection, has been key for me to evolve my leadership style into something I am proud to own.

What do you hope your legacy will be as a lawyer, a leader, and a woman?

“Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people.” - Peter Strople

I love this powerful reminder about what legacy should be, especially when they say, no one will remember everything you did, but everyone will remember how you made them feel!

With more than 25 years in law, much of my career has been spent negotiating in rooms filled with men, often within very traditional cultures. It’s been a journey that demanded not only legal expertise but courage, resilience, and a steadfast belief in my voice, even when it wasn’t the easiest voice to be heard.

When I think about my legacy as a lawyer, I hope to be remembered as more than just someone who solved complex problems. I want to be known as that steady presence, the “steering wheel” as some colleagues call me. I like to be remembered for being the person who brought clarity and a constructive voice to challenging situations, balancing strength with empathy.

As a leader, my hope is to be remembered as someone who opened doors for others, supporting their paths with genuine encouragement and timely guidance. Leadership isn’t just about position; it’s about nurturing others to claim their space and confidence in often intimidating environments.

And as a woman, my legacy means even more. I want to be remembered for earning my place through perseverance, integrity, and respect for others. Raising a family amid demanding professional challenges made the journey even more complex, yet it forged in me a deep appreciation for balance, empathy, and determination.

My story shows that it’s possible to make your voice resonate constructively and authentically, no matter the odds or the traditions that might stand in your way. Ultimately, I want to leave something lasting beyond the cases I’ve worked on or the teams I’ve led, but in the confidence, resilience, and courage I’ve inspired in others to step up, be heard and make a difference.

If you could sit down with your 25-year-old self over coffee, what advice would you give her about navigating the legal world and thriving in it?

“Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.” - Muhammad Ali

When it comes to navigating and thriving in the legal world, here’s the advice I would give her:

Never be intimidated by challenges or people. Trust your intuition, as no one understands your resilience and skills better than you do.
Be grateful for every experience, especially the setbacks. It’s through learning from failures that you find opportunities for growth. Embrace every stumble as a chance to rise stronger.
Surround yourself with good mentors. They will inspire you and guide your journey. When dealing with difficult personalities, remember they only command the space you let them occupy.
Understand what you don’t want as clearly as what you do want. Learning to say no is crucial in shaping your path.
Stay faithful to your convictions. Your principles and behaviors set the boundaries and tone for how others engage with you.
Never stop learning. Keep your curiosity alive and continually build your skills; they give life meaning and keep monotony at bay.
Above all, let gratitude be your guiding star. Don’t waste time questioning why things are happening in a certain way. As long as you keep moving forward, even small steps will eventually lead to monumental changes. Trust your future self just as much as you trust the person you were, because your present self is always evolving.

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AI Is Reshaping Roles. Is It Also Reshaping Your Leadership Pipeline?

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:38:18 GMT

AI Is Reshaping Roles. Is It Also Reshaping Your Leadership Pipeline?

The biggest leadership risk in EMEA life sciences isn’t at the top — it’s in the thinning of future-ready talent below. Headcount plans may look stable, senior leaders remain in place, delivery continues. On the surface, things appear controlled.

But underneath, a quieter question is emerging: where is the next generation of leaders coming from?

Lean teams are changing how leaders are made

Lean hiring has reshaped organisational structures, teams are smaller, roles are broader, expectations are higher.

At the same time, AI and automation are accelerating the removal of many junior and transactional roles. Tasks that once provided early exposure, learning, and progression are increasingly handled by technology. Individually, these changes make sense. Collectively, they create a leadership development gap.

Historically, leadership capability was built through experience. Junior roles provided space to learn, make mistakes, and gradually take on responsibility. As those roles disappear, the traditional leadership pipeline quietly thins.

Life Sciences Insights 2026 Report

Succession planning isn’t enough anymore

Many organisations still rely on static succession plans. Names on a slide. Roles mapped one-for-one. A sense of reassurance that “we have coverage”.

But succession plans assume continuity and today’s operating environment is defined by disruption. What organisations need instead is succession readiness : not only someone who can step into the role title, but someone prepared to lead effectively in a complex, uncertain environment.

That shift requires a different approach to development.

How future-fit organisations are responding

Leading organisations are getting intentional about how leadership capability is built under constraint. They are:

Identifying a small number of future-critical roles and leaders , rather than broad pools
Creating experience-led development , not just training programmes
Using acting roles, cross-functional initiatives, and transformation projects to accelerate exposure
Expecting future leaders to operate beyond fixed role boundaries, earlier in their careers

This approach acknowledges reality. Leadership capability today is shaped less by tenure and more by judgement, adaptability, and resilience.

AI changes the path, not the destination

AI may replace tasks but it doesn’t replace leadership. In fact, as automation increases, the need for leaders who can think critically, navigate ambiguity, and make ethical, evidence-based decisions only grows.

The organisations that thrive through this transition will be those that treat leadership capability as a strategic risk to be managed , not a discretionary investment deferred until “conditions improve”.

Succession readiness isn’t about waiting for the future. It’s about deliberately creating it, even when resources are constrained.

�� Our whitepaper, The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences , explores how HR leaders are protecting leadership pipelines while operating lean — including a practical Organisational Resilience Check to assess your readiness today.

The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences

Access your copy of The New Hiring Equation and the Organisational Resilience Checklist - a practical toolkit to help you hire smarter, strengthen capability, and future-proof your teams in an uncertain market.

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High Volume, Low Signal: Why More Candidates Are Making Hiring Harder

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:34:40 GMT

On paper, today’s life sciences talent market looks favourable.

Application volumes are up, redundancies have increased, AI makes it easier than ever for candidates to tailor CVs to roles. And yet many HR and TA leaders across EMEA are saying the same thing: hiring feels harder, not easier.

When volume stops being helpful

For many roles, hundreds of applications have become the norm. But volume has not brought clarity.

Instead, it has created noise.

AI-enhanced CVs blur differentiation. Screening effort increases. Interviewers struggle to distinguish genuine capability from polished narratives. Decision-making slows, or worse, becomes intuitive rather than evidence-based.

The risk isn’t missing talent. It’s selecting candidates who look right on paper but struggle once inside lean, high-pressure teams.

Life Sciences Insights 2026 Report

Speed isn’t the goal. Clarity is.

In response, many organisations try to accelerate. Shorter timelines. Fewer interview stages. Faster decisions.

But speed without clarity doesn’t reduce risk. It amplifies it.

The organisations hiring most effectively today aren’t the fastest, they’re the most disciplined. They:

Define requirements tightly
Align interviewers on what “good” looks like
Use structured, evidence-led assessment
Reduce ambiguity rather than rushing decisions

In this environment, clarity creates speed , not the other way around.

Why this matters more in lean teams

Lean structures magnify every decision. There’s less tolerance for mis-hires, slower performance recovery, or leadership gaps.

When teams are small and expectations are high, the ability to filter signal from noise becomes a competitive advantage.

That’s why leading HR teams are redesigning hiring processes to prioritise judgement, adaptability, and real-world capability, rather than relying on CV polish or interview confidence alone.

Hiring under pressure is now a leadership issue

This challenge isn’t just about recruitment mechanics. It’s about protecting delivery, culture, and future leadership strength.

In a market full of candidates, the real differentiator is how clearly you know what you’re hiring for.

�� Our whitepaper, The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences , explores how HR leaders are addressing volume, risk, and capability mismatch — and includes a diagnostic checklist to help you assess your own exposure.

The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences

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Lean Hiring Isn’t About Fewer People, It’s About Different Capability

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:27:55 GMT

Across EMEA life sciences, “lean hiring” has become shorthand for restraint. Smaller teams. Slower approvals. Fewer roles. But that interpretation misses the real shift underway.

The organisations navigating uncertainty most effectively aren’t simply hiring less. They’re hiring differently . And the difference lies in capability, not headcount.

The problem with hiring for the past

Many hiring processes are still built for a world that no longer exists. Stable operating models. Clearly bounded roles. Predictable career paths.

Today’s reality looks very different. Teams are leaner, roles are broader, and ambiguity is constant. Yet job descriptions, interview processes, and hiring decisions often remain anchored in historical experience.

The result is a growing capability mismatch. Not a shortage of talent, but a misalignment between what roles now demand and what hiring processes are designed to assess.

In lean teams, this gap surfaces fast. There’s little buffer for slow ramp-up, poor judgement under pressure, or reliance on rigid structures that no longer exist.

Life Sciences Insights 2026 Report

Why capability now outweighs skills

In cost-constrained environments, hiring for technical skill alone is a false economy.

What differentiates high performers today is their ability to:

Operate without certainty
Make decisions with incomplete information
Adapt as priorities shift
Take accountability beyond narrow role boundaries

These capabilities are rarely visible on a CV. And they’re often poorly tested in traditional interviews. Leading organisations are responding by moving from role-based hiring to capability-based hiring. They’re defining what “great” actually looks like in lean, high-pressure environments and assessing explicitly for it.

That means:

Designing roles around outcomes, not tasks
Testing judgement, adaptability, and decision-making
Aligning hiring managers on non-negotiable capabilities

Lean hiring stops being about efficiency and starts becoming a strategic advantage.

The risk of getting it wrong

When every hire carries more weight, the cost of misalignment multiplies. Poor hiring decisions aren’t just inconvenient. They create delivery risk, compliance exposure, and leadership strain.

Which is why lean hiring is no longer an HR process issue. It’s an organisational resilience issue.

�� This is explored in depth in our whitepaper, The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences , including a practical checklist to assess where your hiring approach may be exposed.

The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences

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Rising Legal Star: Neisha Joseph

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:54:12 GMT

Introducing Neisha Joseph

Neisha Joseph is a UK-qualified lawyer and Legal Counsel at Khazna Data Centers - the leading data center developer and operator in the UAE. She has a focus on corporate and project finance. Prior to moving in-house, Neisha spent 4 years at a US law firm in Dubai and trained at an international law firm in London.

We spoke with Neisha Joseph about her journey into law and the experiences that shaped her decision to build her career in the Middle East. From early exposure to finance-driven legal work to advising on complex, large-scale projects, Neisha reflects on the moments that defined her path and continue to influence how she approaches her role today.

Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a lawyer and what led you to pursue your career in the Middle East?

I studied law at university and completed vacation schemes at City law firms, but by the time I graduated I wasn’t convinced that a training contract was the right next step for me. What really captured my interest in my final year was the “Law of Finance” module and it made me start thinking more seriously about roles where legal analysis sits closer to commercial decision-making.

That led me into a ten-week internship in the compliance department of an international investment bank in London, working alongside the equities trading business. I found the environment incredibly dynamic and intellectually stimulating, particularly the way compliance operates at the intersection of law, strategy, and real-world outcomes. I was offered a full-time role and spent the next four years there, where I realised I most enjoyed complex commercial issues, specifically situations where legal judgment directly shaped how the business operated.

After 4 years at the bank, I decided to formalise my legal career and undertook a training contract with an international law firm in London. During my third seat, I applied for an international secondment and was posted to the firm’s Dubai office, working within the project finance team. From day 1, I was thrust into working on a project financing transaction involving the construction of the world’s largest reverse osmosis desalination plant and my experience piqued my interest in continuing on with my legal career in the UAE.

The decision to qualify and build my post-qualification career in the Middle East was very intentional. I was drawn to the scale of project development and the region’s growth ambitions, and I wanted to be in a market where legal work actively enables that growth, particularly in infrastructure and energy. That sense of contributing to long-term, tangible projects which would contribute to the growth of economies in the Middle East is what ultimately anchored me here.

What have been some of the most rewarding moments in your legal career so far, and how have they shaped you professionally?

Some of the most rewarding moments in my career have come from seeing the projects I have worked on move from legal documentation into physical reality. Visiting project sites or seeing completed projects reported in industry publications creates a strong sense of professional satisfaction, because it makes tangible the fact that the work done behind the scenes translates into real-world infrastructure with lasting economic and social impact.

That said, many of the most formative moments in my career have been quieter and less visible. Early on, I found it particularly affirming when clients or internal stakeholders would reach out to me directly for input, signalling that my judgment was trusted rather than simply my technical execution. Those moments marked a shift from being a contributor to being an adviser.

More recently, I have found professional fulfilment in situations that require stepping into ambiguity, where the legal framework is imperfect, the commercial facts are evolving, and there is no textbook solution or precedent to adapt from. Taking ownership in those circumstances, and helping shape a pragmatic path forward, has been instrumental in developing both my confidence and my judgment. Each of those experiences has incrementally strengthened my ability to advise with clarity, perspective and commercial awareness.

Have you ever felt pressure to ‘fit’ a certain image of what a lawyer should be and how do you stay authentic?

When I was at the early stages of my career I felt that there was an unspoken template of what credibility looked like, and I tried to emulate that but it didn’t feel authentic. Of course, there is an element of having to conform to your professional environment and there were some good traits to be adopted from people I respected professionally, however I now think that being true to yourself is a professional asset. People respond well to clarity, calm and integrity far more than performative confidence, so now I focus much more on substance, specifically honing my technical skills, commercial awareness and having the confidence to be honest about what I do and do not know, but proactively working to plug gaps in my skill set whenever I identify them. I found that once I stopped trying so hard to fit a certain image, I had greater mental clarity and it created space to do my best work.

What strategies or mindsets have helped you build credibility and confidence in a competitive environment?

For me, credibility has come from consistency on trying to be incrementally better each day, rather than striving for impressive moments. Of course, I aim to maintain high standards for myself and clients, however I think that credibility is built gradually through being prepared, following through on promises to deliver, pro-active communication and being dependable over time. I’ve also learnt that confidence and ego are separate; and that I don’t need to dominate a room or know the answers to everything to feel confident, instead I believe that it’s much more important to ask the right questions, listen carefully, take sufficient time to think critically about legal risk and proactively solicit and address constructive feedback received from others.

What advice would you give to young women considering a move to the Middle East or looking to advance their legal careers in international markets?

Firstly, I would encourage young women not to underestimate how transferable their skills are. Legal training travels well across jurisdictions; while the context may change, the core analytical, judgment-based skills remain highly relevant. Secondly, curiosity is essential, both in researching a new market from the outside and in engaging with it once you are there. Approaching an international move with openness rather than apprehension allows you to learn from local nuances and cultural differences that ultimately sharpen your perspective as a lawyer.

My final piece of advice is to give yourself permission to evolve. Careers rarely follow a straight line, particularly in international markets. At various points since my move to the Middle East, I questioned whether I was making the “right” decision, but in hindsight, the most meaningful growth came from taking calculated risks and remaining adaptable. International careers tend to reward courage, self-belief, and flexibility, and these are qualities that are built by actively using them.

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Women in Law: Sinead Murphy

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:54:57 GMT

Introducing Sinead Murphy – Global General Counsel, Investment Banking, HSBC

We’re thrilled to feature Sinead Murphy in our Women in Law series. Over her 13 years at HSBC, Sinead has built an extraordinary career by embracing challenges outside her comfort zone and thinking unconventionally. From developing and managing legal functions across the UK to leading teams internationally, she has consistently demonstrated that ambitious lawyers can thrive and progress by taking bold, innovative approaches.

Sinead’s journey is a testament to the power of curiosity, adaptability, and strategic thinking within a large organisation. We chose to interview her not only because of her remarkable professional achievements, but also because her story inspires others to explore new areas and reimagine the path to success.

HSBC Career Journey to Date
• Global General Counsel, Investment Banking
• Global General Counsel, Commercial Banking
• Deputy General Counsel, CMB UK, HSBC UK Bank plc
• Director & Head of Transaction Management, Leveraged and Acquisition Finance
• Director, Transaction Management, Leveraged and Acquisition Finance
• Vice President, Transaction Management, Leveraged and Acquisition Finance

Can you share a bit about why you decided to go into law and what led you to move in-house rather than stay in private practice?

As a teenager I was very interested in politics and human rights. That crystallised into an interest in the law after a lot of reading about a then-famous UK libel trial. I went to university full of intentions to become a human rights barrister and discovered along the way that public law was not for me. After summer vacation schemes in London and New York, I joined Allen & Overy as a trainee, where I then stayed for a further seven years as a lending lawyer. I loved my time in private practice, but I did not want to become a partner. I enjoyed the deals and the intellectual challenge rather than the entrepreneurial side of building my own business. Just as I was putting together my partnership papers as the next logical step, an opportunity arose at HSBC, where I had previously been on secondment. I joined Leveraged and Acquisition Finance in 2012 to do transaction execution in a business rather than legal role. I spent six years in business and legal transactional roles within HSBC’s global bank and then moved into General Counsel roles. I have always enjoyed the breadth and challenge of being in-house, and a General Counsel role brings the opportunity to deal with issues across transactions, clients, financial crime, litigation, digital, tech, and regulatory matters. It also enables you to be part of the leadership of running a business and part of the decision-making as well as being a trusted adviser.

What has been one of the most memorable moments of your legal career so far and why?

In 13 years at HSBC, I have enjoyed a steep career trajectory and have now done six different roles which have provided me with an array of opportunities. Some of my proudest moments have come from investing in and developing team members and seeing them go on to achieve great success. There have been many crises where I have enjoyed being in the trenches with colleagues and really had to solve significant problems. Probably the most memorable time was during the COVID pandemic when I was the head of Legal for HSBC’s Commercial Bank in the UK ring-fenced bank and we provided multiple government lending schemes, culminating in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme which was a huge lending proposition delivered in a week. During that period, we also enabled the entire UK business to adapt all its processes to operate on a fully remote basis, dealt with multiple managerial challenges and had my own personal challenges as I had a two-year-old and four-year-old at home.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Really understanding the business, I am advising and being able to bring a real business lens to legal issues. Having worked in the business, I am always thinking about the client and their needs and bringing things back to client experience. That is an important counterbalance to the risk lens which we need to bring when managing legal issues and guiding our stakeholders through what is today a very complex environment. In terms of career progression, I think focusing on high performance remains the most critical factor. There is a lot of focus today on network and profile and while industry and external views are important, the most crucial point is being excellent at your role. That requires technical ability, but also hard work, real engagement and accountability. It means running at problems and really owning and solving them. That kind of performance and leadership is recognised and appreciated and creates natural career opportunity.

With the world of financial services always changing, what emerging trends or challenges do you foresee shaping legal functions in the banking space in the future?

The obvious answer is AI, in terms of bringing the most change to the shape of legal functions generally and in the banking space. While there are clear shifts in our approach to commoditised work such as contractual construction, review and negotiation, research tasks and so on, there are interesting questions around the role and skills of our lawyers. Everyone needs prompt engineering skills but focus on data strategy and data science will be key to enabling the best results from our AI tools. The role of an in-house lawyer should become much more focused on judgement-based work which I believe will continue to make these roles exciting and broad. The increasing importance of digital assets and their role across markets, payments, tokenised bonds and loans will continue to create a need for building skills in these areas. Finally, increasing complexity in geopolitics and the resulting impacts on trade, capital markets, sanctions and regulatory change will continue to drive the need for in-house counsel to really lean in and partner with business leadership to navigate those challenges more broadly.

What advice would you give to women in the legal space aiming for leadership roles, particularly working mums?

I think it is important to vocalise your ambitions. Talk about where you want your career to go and ensure you are in people’s minds when roles come up or when they are thinking about organisational design. Mentors are great, but sponsors are even better. You need people who will talk about you to others, advocate for you and support you as a great performer. Do not worry about taking parental leave, time off or a career break if that is what you would like to do. Once you are out of the office for more than a few weeks, no one really remembers how long you were out, so make sure you take the opportunities that matter to you. I took the maximum amount of parental leave when I had my two children, 14 months with each, because I really wanted that time with them. I was also promoted both times while I was on maternity leave. I like to share this story as much as possible because it shows that time off is no barrier to career progression. I also believe it is important to show that having more to juggle at home does not mean you cannot keep moving forward in your career. I remember my mother being shocked that after having my second baby, I was yet again taking on a bigger role with more responsibility, more to do and some travel, when she had expected I would be looking to scale back. My view was that balancing a job and a family always needs work, so I thought I may as well face that while in an exciting and challenging role.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more inclusive culture?

This is an area where in addition to having the best intentions, we also must be purposeful and structural to create change. Creating an inclusive culture requires focus on several key areas. First, leadership: modelling inclusive behaviours, prioritising inclusion within strategy and having a senior leader with accountability. Second, careers and people: updating hiring processes and sharing stories of progression. Third, communications and education: celebrating different cultures and milestones, recognising and rewarding inclusive behaviours, providing inclusion training and building empathy. Fourth, culture: fostering a speak-up environment. Finally, partnerships: collaborating with clients and law firms and engaging with the wider community through pro bono activities.

Do you have any recommendations for books, podcasts or other resources that may help or inspire others?

For my day-to-day, I use subscriptions to the Financial Times and The Economist to get a good global perspective. For business, tech and increasingly geopolitics, I listen to the All-In podcast. There is a lot in there that I do not agree with, but the outlook is interesting. On leadership, I like anything by Simon Sinek and, although somewhat outdated now, I found Lean in by Sheryl Sandberg insightful. It includes that great quote: Question, “What can men do to help women advance their careers?” Answer, “Laundry.” I have participated in some leadership training with Elsbeth Johnson which I really enjoyed. She has a great book called Step Up, Step Back which is about leadership and delivering strategic change in an organisation, which is critical. Something like Bossy pants by Tina Fey provides some light relief, but there is good content in there on leadership, self-confidence and taking risks in your career. And finally, if you just want a fantastic read, I recommend Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

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Women in Law: Jennifer Shen

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:54:53 GMT

We’re delighted to feature Jennifer Shen in our Women in Law series.

As Managing Director and European General Counsel at Hayfin Capital, Jennifer plays a key role in supporting the firm’s private credit strategy across Europe. Since joining Hayfin in 2020, she has successfully transitioned into private credit from a different legal background, demonstrating how adaptable and commercially minded lawyers can thrive in fund leadership roles.

Driven by a strong sense of advocacy shaped by her family’s journey, Jennifer brings both rigour and humanity to her leadership. We chose to interview her because her story challenges conventional career paths and shows that stepping into unfamiliar territory (even at senior levels) can be a powerful catalyst for growth, impact and long-term success in the funds space.

Can you share a bit about why you decided to go into law and what led you to move in-house rather than stay in private practice?

My parents sacrificed a lot to seek a better life for their daughters, so I had 3 options: lawyer, doctor or business/engineer type. My older sister is a doctor (a fantastic cardiologist, actually!) so that was taken. *wink* I did not have a knack for engineering but I definitely did for logic and problem-solving, so lawyer it was! This is part of the truth. The other part is my parents came to America with almost nothing and I saw them work ridiculously hard, never treat themselves, and give up a lot while trying to navigate stereotypes and racism. I grew up knowing that I wanted to use my voice to advocate.

At first I was going to become a human rights lawyer or an immigration lawyer. However I decided to do something more corporate because, in all honestly, it paid more. This meant that I could pay off law school and undergrad debt, ensure my parents didn’t feel like they gave up a lot and still be concerned I did not earn enough, and ensure I could support myself and my family. It turns out, I really love working in finance and funds. I love problem solving and trying to find common ground that benefits both my company and the clients/investors.

I could do either private practice or in-house as I am driven by working with people and solving problems. I moved in house because I really enjoy the commercial side of the business and the unique problem solving that ensures legal and risk decisions take into account commercials, operational complexity and practicality.

What has been one of the most memorable moments of your legal career so far—and why?

When I first joined Hayfin, I joined a private credit offsite and had to give a presentation on legal issues and processes the team needed to follow. I knew the materials might be quite dry so I started with a pirate lawyer joke! Who doesn’t love a pirate lawyer joke?! It broke the ice! In all seriousness, I am not sure I have a most memorable moment. What I do have is a bunch of small moments – the joy I get from deals with my colleagues, getting to know investors and finding solutions for very tricky situations.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Building relationships and treating everyone with respect. Whether someone is an investor, junior member of the team, portfolio manager, receptionist, cleaner, etc., I always treat them with respect and give them my time. It often means they do the same. Plus, it is easy to be kind, respectful and responsive. For me success is how I am remembered and this means that hopefully most people will remember me as someone who is kind, respectful and who helped them solve issues.

With the world of financial services always changing, what emerging trends or challenges do you foresee shaping legal functions in this space over the next year?

Everyone is talking about AI. I think it can be really additive to an organisation but will clearly need time to bed in. I am trying to learn as much as I can, but I am hopeful it means that the legal function can focus on value-add judgements and have info at their fingertips to give sound advice.

Many people hesitate to pivot into something unfamiliar, especially at senior levels. What mindset or practical steps helped you navigate that change, and how can others build the confidence to do the same?

Being trained as a lawyer means you have very transferable skills: (a) good logical problem-solving, (b) understand risks, (c) understand first principles, (d) being a quick learner, (e) active listening and (f) being able to take in volumes of information and distil it down to what is important. At first it was daunting moving into funds from my historical equity capital markets practice, but as an in -house lawyer, I had always navigated random issues to solve, so I knew I could do this.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Leaders need to recognise different types of leadership and consider their own stereotypes. Some leaders are more collaborative and show by example. They may not be the loudest, the ones who shout about their achievements, know how to play politics. But instead, that person is someone who genuinely cares about people and they will drive an inclusive culture in an organisation. Every organisation is made up of people so it really does matter.

Leaders should also consider reverse mentoring. Leaders may not realise their blind-spots. Leaders should welcome differing opinions and be concerned if who they favour are those people who only agree with them. Most people will be too nervous to point out blind spots to a senior member of the team, but if such person is specifically meant to do it as their “mentor”, then it makes it easier.

Leaders should learn about different cultures and understand their team members’ own personal challenges and experiences. For example, if due to culture or someone’s life experience, that person hesitates to take the spotlight, then the leader should recognise that rather than saying that person will not be able to present in front of investors, for example. Instead the leader should help that person navigate something that is unfamiliar.

What change do you hope to see for women in the legal industry in the next 10 years?

I still think there are stereotypes that are hard for women to navigate. I do hope that over the next 10 years, with the many resources to help organisations learn about creating and maintaining diverse and inclusive environments, to recognise the contributions of women and minorities and give them a seat at the table. There have been studies that show that gender stereotypes linked to the perceived value of type of work impacts women being in leadership roles and higher paying roles. For example: feedback for men tend to have more adjectives that are task oriented, whereas women get relationship/emotion-focused feedback. More women may participate in workplace diversity/wellness committees for the greater good of the organisation, but this does not lead to promotions or increased pay. Women tend to speak less at meetings and may then be seen as “contributing less”. The main issue with these stereotypes and unconscious bias, is it hurts women’s confidence. Women then may not speak up or pursue leadership opportunities. That is a shame as the women I have worked with have been amazing and are fantastic contributors!

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Are We Growing the Right Leaders?

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:35:07 GMT

Insights from the Hydrogen HR Hub | Life Sciences Community  

Leadership capability across Life Sciences organisations is under pressure, not because leaders are failing, but because the environment they are being asked to navigate has fundamentally changed. Drawing on insights from our most recent Life Sciences HR Hub discussion, we explore what it takes for today’s leaders to thrive, and how organisations can elevate leadership to meet new challenges. 

Why This Question Matters Now  

HR leaders are noticing a convergence of rising ambiguity, accelerated organisational change, and growing pressure on leaders to inspire, stabilise, and deliver simultaneously. Many leaders were developed to manage certainty, not sustained complexity. The reality today demands people-centered approaches that give leaders the clarity and confidence to guide their teams through uncertainty. 

How Leadership Demands Are Shifting

Leadership is no longer just about operational excellence. Today, the most effective leaders excel at systems thinking, storytelling, pattern recognition, and leading without having all the answers. These are the leaders who can navigate complexity, empower their teams, and create a meaningful impact. 

Where Leadership Development Needs to Evolve  

A common pitfall is treating leadership as a skills problem rather than a capacity challenge. Traditional workforce development programmes often assume there’s an unlimited learning appetite, yet not every leader has the resilience, agility, and confidence to operate at today’s levels of complexity. What organisations need is tailored development, designed to help leaders thrive in their specific context. 

The Challenges HR Leaders Face 

Some of the most pressing challenges include: 

Spotting high-potential leaders early 
Assessing capacity for ambiguity 
Supporting long-tenured leaders resistant to change 
Balancing ambition with realism

Addressing these challenges requires trusted partnerships and a strategic approach, so interventions truly elevate both leaders and teams. 

What Makes Leadership Capability Stick?  

The HR Hub highlighted several factors that make a real difference: learning agility, cognitive openness, integrity under pressure, and assessment-led development. Simulation-based tools are especially powerful, giving leaders clarity and confidence about how they respond under pressure. 

A Practical Leadership Imperative  

No single leader can excel at everything. Future-ready leadership relies on complementary leadership teams, deliberate trade-offs, and HR as a strategic partner. Success comes from building leadership capacity that empowers people, elevates teams, and drives meaningful organisational impact. 

Taking the Next Step in Leadership Growth  

Leadership challenges aren’t one-size-fits-all. They can emerge in fast-growing teams, organisations navigating major transformation, or long-established leaders adapting to new ways of working. HR leaders play a critical role in helping organisations identify whether gaps are skills-based or capacity-based, and in designing tailored, people-centred interventions that give leaders across the business the clarity, confidence, and support they need to thrive. 

By approaching leadership development in this way, organisations can bridge the gap between potential and performance, empower leaders to thrive under pressure, and nurture the talent that truly makes a difference, creating leadership teams that are trusted, capable, and future-focused. 

HR Hub members are invited to schedule a confidential conversation with Alex Lawrence and Karina Olivier  to explore their specific leadership reality and possible next steps. Please get in touch  here or click on ‘contact Alex’.

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The hidden cost of outdated talent models

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:06:04 GMT

Organisations across the globe are experiencing the same challenge: traditional talent systems are no longer helping people grow or stay engaged.

Employees want meaningful stretch, leaders want teams that can operate at higher levels of complexity and HR wants space to be strategic. Yet most organisations are still using models that no longer match how people learn, think and thrive.

So, what are the core issues that prevent organisations from building teams that are genuinely future ready, and how can we efficiently evolve processes and strategies to nurture an adaptable fit-for-tomorrow workforce?

The core challenges holding organisations back

Growth feels flat because work is not stretching people

Employees rarely leave due to pay or titles. They leave because the work stops challenging them. Horizontal job expansion does not feel like real growth, so people disengage quickly.

A recent survey by Indeed shows just this; seeking new challenges (18%), lack of recognition (17%), lack of career prospects (16%), having stayed too long in the same role (15%), and feeling underutilized (13%) are among the main reasons employees consider resigning.

High potentials are hidden inside capability-blind systems

Most talent assessments focus on personality rather than cognitive capability. As a result, organisations overlook the strategic thinkers they most want to retain.

Leaders are becoming the bottleneck

Many managers were promoted for operational performance. When complexity rises, they can default to control, certainty and micromanagement. This stifles the teams who want to work with more autonomy and creative stretch.

HR is buried in operations

Small HR teams spend most of their time firefighting. Leadership still expects strategic value, but HR has no protected space to deliver it.

Talent attraction is too generic

Polished job adverts do not reflect the real work. High-quality candidates quickly lose trust when the role does not match the pitch, which drives early churn.

Professional body, CIPD, found 41% of employers reported that new recruits resigned within the first 12 weeks of joining — suggesting early churn is a real and frequent challenge for organisations.

Traditional talent reviews no longer work

The traditional performance vs potential nine-box system does not measure what modern organisations need: complexity handling, stretch willingness and the ability to think across longer horizons.

How organisations can fix these challenges

Introduce a complexity ladder

Shift from a title-based ladder to a complexity-based one. Define growth by the type of problem someone can solve:

Diagnostic problems
System problems
Strategic problems

This becomes a transparent roadmap that helps people understand how they can grow and thrive.

Identify high potentials through observable behaviours

Look for indicators such as ambiguity tolerance, pattern recognition, curiosity and value creation. Give these individuals exposure to senior mentors, strategic problems and short “tours of duty” that build capability rapidly.

Reduce operational load before raising complexity

Remove or cascade operational tasks before increasing cognitive stretch. This prevents burnout and ensures people operate with clarity and confidence.

Rebuild leadership capability around uncertainty

Train leaders to work with ambiguity, coach rather than direct and create thinking space for their teams. When leaders grow, the bottleneck disappears.

Adopt transparent talent attraction

Share the real challenges, expected evolution, working environment and the type of thinker who thrives. Authenticity and clear aspirations attract the right people and intentionally repel the wrong ones.

Replace nine-box reviews with dynamic potential assessments
Measure complexity handling, stretch willingness, time-horizon thinking and cognitive load tolerance. Use this to design personalised development plans that actually work.

Create strategic space for HR

Introduce protected strategic sprints and a minimum-viable approach to talent strategy. Even small changes build long-term capability.

Ready to rethink talent development for a more complex world?

Outdated talent models are costing organisations their best people and future capability. Hydrogen Group helps organisations move beyond generic development and attraction, designing workforce solutions that uncover hidden potential, stretch capability and reduce early churn.

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Women in Law: Roula Khaled

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:33:15 GMT

Introducing Roula Khaled – General Counsel and Head of Ethics and Compliance of Khazna Data Centres

Roula Khaled is the General Counsel and Head of Ethics and Compliance of Khazna Data Centres, a joint venture between G42, MGX and Silver Lake. She oversees legal strategy, corporate governance, compliance frameworks and high-value commercial transactions. She is also a board-facing executive and company secretary, responsible for stakeholder management and board reporting. Roula has over 22 years of experience leading and advising on cross-border and domestic M&A transactions (including acquisitions of data centres and telecom operators), joint ventures, finance deals, restructuring matters and on a wide variety of corporate, commercial and strategic transactions in several jurisdictions including the Gulf Cooperation Council, Asia, Europe and Africa.

Before moving in-house, Roula started her career as a private practice lawyer in Paris, Lebanon and the UAE. Her most recent roles were as a Regional Senior Legal Counsel at IBM, where she worked on technology and consulting deals (including GBS) in the UAE and KSA and as a Regional Senior Counsel at Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, where she handled the corporate, commercial, employment, IP and litigation matters, covering UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon and Egypt. Before that, she spent six years as a Legal Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions at Etisalat working on some of the biggest deals in the region, including the acquisition of Maroc Telecom, the sale of Zantel and Canar, and the merger of Etisalat Lanka with Hutch Lanka.

Roula is a Lebanese-qualified lawyer. She has a Degree in Law from the Saint Joseph University in Beirut, an MA in Internal and International Business Law from the French affiliate of the Lebanese University (Filière Francophone de Droit), and a certificate in the Essentials of Business from the American University of Beirut.

Alongside her executive role, Roula is a faculty member at the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances and she regularly speaks on legal innovation, risk mitigation and corporate strategy at industry panels and legal forums.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

Initially, I wanted to become a litigation lawyer. That was driven by my passion to defend classmates in unjust situations and to advocate for human rights. With time, I wanted a job that meets my passion for logic and analysis (learnt as part of my mathematical and experimental sciences baccalaureate) and the rule of Law. Hence, I had a big interest in the legal corporate field. The analytical detailed thinking, the commercial acumen and the negotiation skills it requires made me want to continue as a corporate and M&A lawyer whether in private practice or in-house.

Looking back on your career, what are the key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

Looking back on my twenty-two years of experience in both legal private practice and in-house roles, I can clearly see the moments that propelled me forward and those that held me back. The key factors that helped me grow include having great mentors who offered support, honest feedback, and opened doors to new opportunities; starting from the very bottom and resisting the urge to rush into senior positions; and making the transition from private practice to in-house work, where I learned to make commercial judgments rather than relying solely on legal analysis. Working across different areas of the legal field and participating in major cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the telecom and technology sectors gave me invaluable exposure, as did learning how to navigate organisational politics. Ultimately, building a highly capable and high-performing legal department that now leads on the UAE’s digital front has been one of my most significant achievements.

At the same time, I recognise the moments that hindered my progress. Early in my career, I was overly risk-averse, but over time I learned the importance of managing risk rather than trying to eliminate it entirely. I also struggled with trusting and delegating, often taking ownership of everything myself, before learning to empower others by giving them the space and trust to deliver. Finally, I was once intimidated by the idea that I needed to understand every technical detail of the industries I supported—something that proved unnecessary, as legal skills are largely transferable, with only minor nuances depending on the level of regulation within each sector.

How do you maintain your voice and influence at the executive table, especially when you may be the only woman in the room?

Influence depends on credibility. Hence, when I speak , I try to speak as a business leader not just as a lawyer. I tie my points to commercial impact versus risk exposure. I always prepare thoroughly in order to build confidence through data, context and clarity. I spend time understanding the executives’ priorities, challenges and communication styles. I also work on building strong relationships outside the room and on understanding the world of others. In relation to being the only woman in the room, I see it as a strategic advantage. It offers a different perspective that improves decision making. Women have empathy and that creates an environment where people feel seen and heard, leading to higher levels of engagement and productivity.

Have you ever felt pressure to “lead like a man”? How has your leadership style evolved to feel more authentically you?

I don’t believe leadership has a gender. I lead as a capable professional- not as a man, not as a woman. I believe in authenticity, clarity and purpose. I am assertive, collaborative and do my best to be effective. I, also, take very seriously the career path of the lawyers that report to me. Hence, I invest much of my time in mentoring them. Building confidence and trust versus accountability are essential for any leadership to succeed and for any team to grow. I always remind myself to lead by example.

What do you hope your legacy will be as a lawyer, a leader, and a woman?

Firstly, as a lawyer, I hope I will be remembered as someone who always fought injustice, inequality and unfairness and who defended the supremacy of Law. That, I, also, always believed in knowledge, hard work, dedication and commitment. Secondly, as a leader, that I lead with care, empathy and fairness and succeeded to build a solid legal department that is playing a vital role in the digital transformation of the UAE.

Finally, as a woman, I hope I will be seen as someone who stood for her values, no matter the hardship and mentored others to do the same. That I did everything I can to break stereotypes by emphasizing passion, resilience and authenticity. Most importantly that I have helped and empowered other women and was a good daughter and wife.

If you could sit down with your 25-year-old self over coffee, what advice would you give her about navigating the legal world and thriving in it?

I would mention to her a phrase mentioned in a book I am reading lately: “Don’t try to perfect the journey- instead make it interesting”.

It is important that we don’t fall in the trap of perfectionism and to know how to pick our battles. To hustle when needed but to also know when to back off.

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Women in Law: Tabitha Jenkins

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:45:42 GMT

Introducing Tabitha Jenkins – Head of EMEA Enterprise Legal Team, Worldpay

We’re delighted to feature Tabitha Jenkins in our Women in Law series. Tabitha joined Worldpay in 2015, making the bold move from the world of banking and finance at Macfarlanes into a commercial-focused role, a baptism of fire that she has since turned into a remarkable success story. Today, she leads a large, high-performing team of commercial and regulatory lawyers across the region, from paralegals through to senior counsel.

Her impact extends well beyond the legal function: she is a Training Principal for the SRA’s in-house qualification programme, a regular speaker at internal and customer-facing conferences, and a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. In particular, Tabitha has been instrumental in opening up conversations within Worldpay around supporting families and fertility journeys, an area where her leadership has created space for greater understanding and support.

We chose to interview Tabitha not only because of her outstanding professional achievements, but also because of the meaningful difference she makes within her team and across the business. Her journey is a powerful example of resilience, leadership, and the importance of championing inclusion in the legal profession.

Can you share a bit about why you decided to go into law and what led you to move in-house rather than stay in private practice?

Back in the 90s there was a hit TV sitcom called Ally McBeal. Admittedly, the legal plot lines were tenuous, but the protagonist sauntered around sky rise offices wearing short skirt suits and I figured that was something I'd be pretty good at doing too. By 18 years old, I had a keen interest in English language, winning arguments and making money, so I picked a highly vocational degree in Accounting and Law with the hope this would stand me in good stead for a corporate future. I qualified into leveraged finance and worked for a number of years at CMS and MacFarlanes, but it was my secondments (at Value Retail, National Australia Bank, Intu and RBS) that really started to shape my future as an in-house lawyer. I realised that private practice and in-house lawyers required very different skill sets; whilst a strong understanding of the law is critical for both, an in-house lawyer also needs highly developed people skills as an internal diplomat, interpreter and manager.

What has been one of the most memorable moments of your legal career so far - and why?

Worldpay hosts an annual sales conference where we invite hundreds of customers to a three-day extravaganza in a swanky hotel to showcase our payments products, our people, and to have a bit of fun along the way. I was scheduled as a speaker on legal and regulatory updates, 'GULP'. Imposter syndrome was running high! Fortunately, an experienced colleague gave me some top advice to tell a story.

The day came, the entrance music marked my arrival, and I stepped up to the stage. I smiled, cracked a joke and then proceeded to take the audience on a journey through legal trends in AI, likening the capable but volatile technology to my toddler son (whom we lovingly moniker "Captain Chaos"). My hard work, killer slide deck and relaxed presentation style really paid off and I loved every second on stage. That experience was probably the transition point in my career from a lawyer to a leader.

What’s the one factor that has helped you most in your career?

Building relationships. You can be the best lawyer in the world, but your advice will fall on deaf ears unless you have established trust, collaboration and geniality with your colleagues and counterparts. My success is very little to do with talent and everything to do with surrounding myself with brilliant people that share my aspirational goals and optimistic disposition.

What advice would you give to women in the legal space aiming for leadership roles, particularly working mums?

Life certainly has a sense of humour; you reach a pivotal point in your career at the exact same time that your personal life is tied up with caregiving responsibilities for young children and/or aging parents. Traditionally the thought track has been that this somehow inhibits our potential as female leaders.

However, in my experience, both as a working Mum and as the head of a large team, it’s these busy women that make the most extraordinary colleagues. They are organised and efficient, highly empathetic, can multi-task like a pro and are ruthless at prioritisation. If an organisation treats its working families right (such as enhanced parental leave, return to work coaching and a progressive approach to flexible hours), these women become loyal employees, and their acquired knowledge and skill is retained within the business for years to come.

So rather than setting your career back, it’s actually your greatest asset. Leverage it!

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think enables women to progress?

Organisations are jammed full of bright, talented women that have remarkable potential but lack confidence in their own abilities. This is surprisingly simple to fix. Firstly, leaders should consistently celebrate good work when they see it, shout it from the rooftops “THIS WOMAN WAS AWESOME TODAY!”. Sincere words of encouragement have a huge impact on how content a woman is at work, which in turn bolsters self belief and accelerates high quality output.

Secondly, establish a robust internal mentoring network - this should include male allies and two-way relationships. Now I’m on track for my professional goals I’m seeking guidance from reverse mentors (by which I mean someone in the early years of their career) to help me to have a “less stress, more yes” mindset. Somehow this included buying a pair of rollerskates at the age of 39!

You’ve been open about your journey with IVF for your two children. What have you learned about navigating fertility in the workplace?

Infertility affects around 1 in 6 people globally - with those affected typically of working age. This is not just a personal issue, but a workforce matter that can remain invisible unless we create space for open, compassionate conversations. I tell my story to empower those thinking about their future family or on the fertility journey to know that they are supported.

At my girls high school it was drilled into me that if I so much as looked at the boys across the road, I would get pregnant immediately. It was, therefore, somewhat of a surprise when I got married, requested “one baby please” and none was forthcoming. I was working long hours in private practice and doing punishing sessions in the gym at weekends - a biological nightmare for procreation.

I moved to Worldpay and made lifestyle improvements, but it became clear that fertility treatment was our only way forward. This presented a conundrum - I was new to a role and in those pre-Covid times expected full time in the office. IVF is an awesome technology and a privilege, but it’s all-consuming with frequent appointments, financial stress and hormonal volatility. I had two options: (1) avoid “tipping off” my employers, but damage my credibility with unaccountable absences and unreliability; or (2) accept my vulnerability and tell the truth. Although scary, option (2) was by far the best outcome. Afterall, my boss was human, with a family of his own. He valued my honesty and supported my journey, particularly when we had emotional setbacks. He trusted that I would continue to work hard, just on an adapted schedule, and he wholeheartedly celebrated my success when - at last - I was expecting my baby girl.

What advancements do you hope to see for women in the legal industry in the next 10 years?

The advance of legal technology is great news for the industry as a whole, but particularly epic for women.

Firstly, the gift of time: a reduction in hours spent doing research tasks, due diligence or basic administration means more valuable work can be achieved in the working day and your evenings are liberated - leading to a healthier, happier workforce.

Secondly, the gift of information: traditionally, knowledge has been in the hands of a few gatekeepers, often men, that could make or break your career depending on how much of their time they made available to pass that information on. With the plethora of online tools, webinars and academies, its never been easy to upskill yourself, at a time that suits you. Power to the people!

What simple tips do you have for success:

Be decisive. A bad decision is preferable to no decision.
Fail fast, fix fast. If you are open to admitting your mistakes and correcting them with speed, then you can free yourself of the stresses of perfection.
Find your unique selling point - the funkier the better. Have you been cultivating a sourdough starter named Bob, or spent the summer upcycling cabinets? Put this on your CV and give the interviewer a hook to know the real you (that’s the best bit!).

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Seven million clean energy skilled workers missing by 2030. Will your projects survive the shortage?

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:41:40 GMT

The clean energy race is on. Are you ahead of it, or already falling behind?

Every day your competitors are snapping up the engineers, technicians and project managers you need to hit deadlines. By 2030, the world will be short by seven million skilled workers  in renewables, nuclear, hydrogen and power. That’s not a prediction, it’s already showing up in stalled projects, spiralling labour costs and missed revenue targets.

The reality you’re up against:

Pay is up, skills are not   – 48% of renewables professionals got a raise in 2025, but shortages haven’t eased
Wind’s looming gap  – 212,000 new technicians needed by 2028; 40% must come from outside the industry
Solar falling short   – Needs 48% more workers by 2033, but growth is tracking at just 22%
Untapped talent  – 90% of oil & gas workers have transferable skills for nuclear, yet most go unused without targeted training
Demand outpacing supply  – Global renewable jobs jumped from 13.7M in 2022 to 16.2M in 2023, but the UK still faces a 200,000-worker shortfall by 2030
Green skills gap widening  – Job postings needing green skills grew 9% annually (2018–2023) while the talent pool grew just 5% a year

This is the moment to decide: keep battling for the same candidates in an arms race you can’t win, or rethink how you build, move and retain talent.

At Hydrogen Group, we deliver outcome-based project teams that hit your milestones without adding headcount. We do it faster, at lower cost, and with more transparency than you thought was possible.

Breaking down the talent gap: 4 core drivers

Growth outruns training  – Projects launch today, but apprenticeships and certifications take years
Readiness over potential  – Many employers want “industry-ready” hires, overlooking transferable skills (90% of oil & gas talent could shift to nuclear)
Ageing workforce and remote sites  – Retirements and hard-to-reach project locations limit candidate pools
Training bottlenecks  – Long qualification times slow supply; modernised, fast-track programmes are critical

Where the talent crunch bites hardest

Demand is greatest in the technologies leading the transition. Here’s where the biggest gaps lie:

Offshore wind: The Global Wind Workforce Outlook predicts a 6-8% global shortfall of wind technicians by 2028 , meaning 212,000 new recruits must be hired and more than 532,000 technicians will be needed overall

Solar: The U.S. solar industry employed 279,447 workers in 2023 , but the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects only 22% growth by 2033 , far below the 48% growth needed . Developers estimate the industry could use a 30% increase in headcount just to clear backlogs

Hydrogen: Green‑hydrogen projects require engineers, welders and project managers. Initiatives like Houston’s hydrogen workforce programme shows how regional partnerships can build tailored training and match skills to demand

Nuclear: Mega‑projects such as Hinkley  Point  C, Sizewell  C and Rolls‑Royce’s SMR in the UK will intensify demand for cleared welders and engineers. The UK’s South West nuclear workforce has tripled from 8,500 in 2014 to over 27,000 in 2025, and over 90% of oil‑and‑gas workers have medium‑to‑high transferability into nuclear roles

Why Statement of Work (SOW) works when time and talent are against you

At Hydrogen Group, we don’t just supply people,  we deliver outcomes .

Our  Statement of Work (SOW)  is an outcome-based delivery model for specialist projects. Instead of hiring individuals, you engage a team to deliver a defined scope, and we own every milestone, quality check, and outcome. You get top-tier talent, without adding permanent headcount. Hit every milestone, on time and on budget.

Move from scope to squad in  4–5 weeks
Saves you  40–45%   compared to traditional consultancies
Gives you total visibility, control, and accountability

SOW benefits in the renewables boom

Our five-stage playbook, built for zero drama delivery

Scope and define  – milestones, timelines, deliverables, reporting, success metrics
Mobilise  – deploy proven, vetted, and project-ready specialists, with temp-to-perm options
Delivery oversight  – welfare, performance, quality, issue management
Reporting and admin  – budget control, realtime timesheets, knowledge share
Close and learn  – seamless off boarding, IP handover, “wash-up” review

This is about  people, process and technology   working together so you can focus on outcomes.

Why Hydrogen Group? Here’s what makes us different

At Hydrogen  Group, we’re more than recruiters. We’re a globally interconnected partner that combines local talent expertise with world-class workforce solutions and the beautiful basics of recruitment.

Our differentiators include:

Centre of Excellence:   Strategic firepower from market intelligence, technology, implementation, talent marketing, compliance, and more. Giving you structure, rigour, and insight at every stage of the SOW lifecycle
Global collaboration:   Connecting people, insights, and delivery across 67 countries for true cross-border agility
Diversity led:   Led by a female CEO, we champion diversity in all workforce solutions
Integrated end-to-end delivery :  From one-off hires to complex SOW programmes, we’re with you every step
Proven and trusted delivery partner:   27 years of global delivery, 500+ active clients, and measurable success stories

Our cultural DNA –  Client Centricity ,  Push Thinking ,  All In ,  Own It ,  Open Up ,  Listen First , informs every interaction we have.

Act now. Deliver more. Win the race to Net Zero.

The skills you need are in short supply and getting scarcer every quarter. Those who lock in talent and capability now will be the ones still delivering on time and on budget in five years’ time.

Make the move now

Book a 20 minute planning call now
Submit the below form with “SOW READY” in your message to fast track scoping

Let’s build the team that will power a cleaner, more resilient world, starting with your next project .

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Strategic Talent Delivery in Life Sciences: Why SOW is the model of the future

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:21:29 GMT

An evolving talent challenge in Life Sciences

The life sciences sector is evolving at pace but internal hiring strategies are not keeping up.

For HR, procurement and programme leaders, the talent challenge is intensifying. Niche skills are harder to secure, hiring cycles are dragging, and expectations to deliver faster, leaner, and in full compliance continue to grow. Traditional hiring models such as permanent, contingent or consultancy often lack the precision, speed and flexibility this environment demands.

Statement of Work (SOW) is emerging as the answer. It is not just a procurement solution, but a strategic workforce tool. In life sciences, it enables smarter, faster access to specialist expertise with defined outcomes, within budget and in full compliance.

What is SOW and why should workforce leaders care?

SOW is a delivery-led engagement model that shifts the focus from resourcing individuals to delivering results. Projects are scoped and agreed with clear deliverables, fixed timelines and pre-approved budgets.

For organisations navigating complex, regulated programmes such as early-phase trials or HTA submissions, this model provides faster deployment, tighter compliance and greater financial control.

In a sector where programme slippage, resource bottlenecks and audit risks are all too common, SOW is not a workaround. It is a competitive advantage.

Why life sciences needs new talent models now

Organisations across the UK and Europe are under pressure from multiple angles:

Severe skill shortages in clinical operations, regulatory affairs and data science
78 plus day time-to-hire averages slowing project timelines and resource onboarding
Increased programme complexity across decentralised trials, digital health and pharmacovigilance
Headcount restrictions driven by investor caution and tighter capital planning
Greater regulatory scrutiny around labour classification and employment law compliance

Five ways SOW solves these challenges

1. Speed to deploy
SOW enables project teams to scope, engage and mobilise talent within weeks. This is critical for time-bound clinical and regulatory milestones.

2. Access to rare skills
Whether it is digital biomarker development, market access narrative building or regulatory response preparation, SOW allows you to bypass internal delays and directly access hard-to-find expertise.

3. Compliance confidence
SOW protects your organisation from IR35 and worker classification risks by focusing on deliverables rather than labour inputs.

4. Financial control
No unexpected time and materials overrun. With scoped deliverables and fixed fees, SOW provides the cost certainty CFOs demand.

5. Scalable resource strategy
From single-country trials to global product launches, SOW offers scalable and repeatable engagement models without disrupting existing headcount frameworks.

Where SOW delivers most impact in life sciences

Clinical trial start-ups Fast deployment of CRAs, start-up specialists and site activation teams under fixed scopes
Regulatory writing and submissions Ownership of full submission packages across MHRA, EMA and FDA markets
Quality system remediation Rapid QMS upgrades and inspection-readiness programmes
Bioinformatics and AI data science Engaging AI and machine learning talent for fast-turnaround insights on large-scale trial datasets
Market access and HTA strategy Delivering evidence packages and reimbursement strategy across target geographies

Why Hydrogen Group?

At Hydrogen Group, we have partnered with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical, biotech and MedTech companies to deliver time-sensitive programmes through SOW.

What sets us apart:

A sector-specialist team
A proven delivery framework
Full compliance alignment
Advisory support to help HR, procurement and operations leaders design high-performing SOW engagements from scoping to delivery

"We have worked with the team for a number of years and see them as a valued partner. They provide excellent professional service to a number of different functions within our business and we trust them to continue doing so. Their team has been great at understanding our business needs and translating them into a reliable recruitment service that is representative of the organisation. I certainly recommend Hydrogen as a staffing partner."
Global Pharmaceutical Group

Want to understand ho w S OW works in practice?

Download our SOW brochure

Ready to unlock faster and more compliant programme delivery?

If you are facing delays in hiring, difficulty accessing critical skills or pressure to deliver with less, now is the time to rethink how you engage external expertise.

We are helping life sciences organisations:

Accelerate project timelines without expanding permanent headcount
Engage hard-to-find talent in a compliant and outcome-based way
Adapt their workforce model to match the speed of innovation

Let’s discuss how SOW could transform your next programme

Contact our Life Sciences team today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation and explore how Hydrogen can support your goals.

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Cell and Gene Therapy: The Talent Challenge Defining the Next Decade

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:59:22 GMT

The Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) sector is booming. Market forecasts are extraordinary. Regulators are moving faster than ever. Demand for specialized manufacturing has never been higher.

The sector faces a hard truth: no matter how quickly facilities are built or how advanced the equipment becomes, nothing runs without the right people.

At Hydrogen Group, we see this reality every day across our global life sciences network. The fact is simple: you cannot scale what you cannot staff.

The Market is ready. The Workforce is not.

The global CGT manufacturing market is projected to reach $106 billion by 2033, with a 26.7% compound annual growth rate
The ATMP CDMO market is expected to grow from $5.65 billion in 2023 to over $26 billion by 2032
CDMOs already handle manufacturing for 90% of advanced therapy developers

But the available talent is not keeping up:

Over half of manufacturers report critical workforce shortages, more than double the rate from three years ago
In the United Kingdom, the CGT workforce has doubled since 2019 but will still fall short by nearly 4,000 roles by 2028
In the United States, even during market slowdowns and layoffs, biotech unemployment sits at only 2.8%. That is not a surplus. It is a precision skills gap

Facilities are expanding, but capacity is sitting idle

CDMOs are investing heavily in new cleanrooms and facilities. But without the right staff, much of that capacity cannot be fully utilized.

35% of CDMOs report minor constraints, while 20% report moderate to significant capacity limitations
Some new sites are opening but running reduced shifts because they cannot hire operators or quality specialists fast enough

At Hydrogen Group, we understand this is more than a hiring challenge. It is a serious business risk.

Hiring t akes too long . Training takes even longer.

Average time to fill a CGT role is between 52 and 60 days
For PhDs, the time to reach productivity is 6 to 12 months
For many technical roles, it is 1 to 2 years
GMP training alone can cost around $125,000 per employee

Turnover only adds to the challenge. In some advanced therapy companies, 30 to 40% of key positions turn over each year.

The Talent Bottleneck Is slowing down growth

Upstream and downstream process experts, viral vector scientists, QA/QC, regulatory affairs, and aseptic processing specialists are all in short supply.

CDMOs face additional strain because their staff must manage multiple client programs, each with different requirements, documentation, and timelines.

You cannot simply 'Pay Your Way Out'

While salaries are rising, compensation alone is not solving the problem.

Equity and bonus components are lagging
Work-life balance influences 70% of job decisions
43% of resignations in life sciences are tied to lack of remote options
Only 27% of manufacturing employees feel a sense of belonging

Simply increasing pay will not address the root issues.

A Strategic, People-First Solution

At Hydrogen Group, we believe in going beyond transactional hiring. Here is where forward-looking companies are focusing their efforts:

Broaden your talent pipeline

Rethink degree requirements
Build partnerships with universities, community colleges, and technical programs
Launch apprenticeships and internal academies

Accelerate workforce readiness

Invest in modular and simulation-based training
Crosstrain teams to build resilience

Make retention a priority

Promote from within
Offer clear career pathways
Address burnout and mental health proactively

Offer flexibility where possible

Flexible shift scheduling
Remote work options for documentation-heavy roles
Sabbatical and leave programs

Embrace automation in a thoughtful way

Automate processes where practical
Upskill teams to work effectively alongside new technologies

The Bottom Line

If you cannot staff it, you cannot scale it. Your workforce is not just a HR issue. It is the foundation of your growth and competitive advantage.

At Hydrogen Group, we are ready to help you build, train, and retain the talent needed to drive cell and gene therapy forward.

Do not let staffing shortages limit your progress. Reach out to our Life Sciences Specialists today and let us help you build the workforce your future depends on. Contact us now.

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Project RPO, SOW, and MSP: choosing the right workforce strategy for your business

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:18:46 GMT

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, marked by skills shortages, digital transformation, and heightened regulatory pressures, organisations must rethink traditional hiring models

Flexible workforce strategies such as  Project RPO,  Statement of Work (SOW) , and  Managed Service Provider (MSP) of fer scalable, compliant, and cost-effective solutions. But how do you know which is right for your business?

Whether your organisation operates in Legal, Life Sciences, Technology, Utilities, Renewables, HR, or Business Transformation, understanding the nuances between these models is essential to crafting a future-ready workforce strategy.

Project RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing)

Project RPO is designed for organisations facing short-term, high-volume, or project-specific hiring needs. Unlike enterprise RPO, which covers an organisation’s full recruitment function,  Project RPO offers focused, time-bound recruitment delivery , ideal for business-critical initiatives requiring agility.

Best suited for:

Expanding into new service lines
Handling regulatory-driven projects
Launching new products or clinical trials
Entering new markets quickly

Example (Life Sciences):
A biotech company needed 50 clinical research associates in six weeks to support a multi-city vaccine trial. Through Hydrogen Group’s Project RPO, we sourced, interviewed, and onboarded qualified specialists, delivering within regulatory timelines to support an urgent public health mission.

Statement of Work (SOW)

An SOW is an  outcome-based workforce solution , where responsibility for project delivery, including time, cost, and quality, is contractually defined. Unlike traditional staffing, SOW engagements are about achieving agreed deliverables, not just supplying talent.

Best suited for:

Digital transformation programmes
Regulatory compliance and legal reviews
Infrastructure upgrades in utilities
Renewable energy construction and commissioning

Example (Utilities):
A utilities provider engaged Hydrogen Group under an SOW to deliver a smart metering infrastructure rollout. We managed procurement, delivery, and field engineering, ensuring strict milestone adherence and cost control through transparent reporting.

Example (Legal):
A global law firm required GDPR compliance reviews across multiple jurisdictions. Hydrogen Group scoped and delivered the SOW, deploying a multilingual legal team to complete audits, training, and reporting across the UK, France, and Germany.

Managed Service Provider (MSP)

An MSP provides  end-to-end management of your contingent workforce , including temporary workers, contractors, and agency staff. MSPs offer a single point of contact for supplier governance, compliance, and workforce analytics for visibility and control.

Best suited for:

Complex contractor populations across multiple functions
Cost control and risk mitigation
Multi-region or cross-border hiring

Example (Commercial):
A multinational sales company operating in Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong implemented Hydrogen Group’s MSP to standardise agency use, reduce off-payroll risk, and centralise contingent data. The result: significant cost savings and enhanced supplier performance.

Example (Renewables):
A wind farm operator deployed Hydrogen Group’s MSP to manage all contingent workers across sites in the US. The approach delivered legal compliance, consistent onboarding, and streamlined safety training across borders.

At a glance: comparing your options

Common mistakes to avoid

Even with a strong workforce strategy, missteps can cost time, money, and trust. Here are a few common pitfalls we help clients avoid:

Misclassifying staffing as SOW:   using SOW purely for headcount can lead to compliance risk and project inefficiency. SOW must be outcome-based
Overcomplicating supplier chains without an MSP:   too many vendors without governance increases costs and risk
Using RPO when an ongoing, scalable solution like MSP is needed:   RPO suits short-term hiring; long-term needs may justify a more robust model

Avoiding these missteps ensures your workforce solution aligns with both business goals and operational realities.

Choosing your strategy

Every workforce model serves a distinct business need. Ask yourself:

Do you require rapid, project-based hiring for a specific initiative? →  Project RPO
Are deliverables, specialist expertise, and project timelines your priority? →  SOW
Do you need long-term control over your contractor workforce, compliance, and cost? →  MSP

In some cases, a  hybrid approach   may be ideal, for example, using Project RPO for a fast scale-up while deploying an MSP for ongoing workforce governance, or blending SOW teams into a transformation initiative managed via MSP.

Partnering for long-term success

Hydrogen Group delivers trusted, bespoke workforce solutions tailored to your sector. Our consultative, data-driven approach helps you navigate regulatory complexity, talent scarcity, and shifting market demands, whether you’re scaling at speed, managing cross-border operations, or delivering critical projects.

Ready to transform your workforce strategy?

Contact Hydrogen Group to explore the best-fit solution for your business needs.

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Doing More with Less – The GC Challenge of 2025

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:49:38 GMT

As we move through 2025, the Middle East has cemented its status as a critical growth engine for global business. Yet behind this accelerating expansion lies a complex challenge for general counsels (GCs): delivering ever greater value with ever fewer resources. From shifting geopolitical dynamics to the rise of artificial intelligence and expanding internal demands, the GC’s role in the region is becoming not only more essential but also more stretched than ever before.

The Push into Complex Markets

One of the most telling signs of this new era is the return of investment interest in previously off-limits markets. Iraq, long considered too volatile for foreign direct investment, is now attracting serious attention, especially from industries such as hospitality, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. But as companies move into these high-risk and high-reward jurisdictions, the demand for legal oversight rises sharply.

Russia is another example. With selected global firms and investors cautiously re-entering the market under limited exemptions or parallel structures, the need for sophisticated legal guidance has surged. The political sensitivities, exposure to sanctions and regulatory uncertainty make this one of the most difficult environments to manage. GCs must balance commercial opportunities with legal and reputational risks, often under considerable pressure and with little room for error.

Legal Landscape in Flux

Adding to the operational challenges is the fast-changing legal ecosystem across the region. Artificial intelligence is reshaping everything from contract management to compliance monitoring, while data privacy laws continue to evolve and diverge. GCs are expected not just to respond but to lead these changes, guiding their organisations to stay ahead of regulatory developments and technological trends.

This leadership role requires GCs to adopt new technologies, build digital literacy and drive transformation, often without the support of large in-house legal or operations teams.

Rethinking External Counsel

With fewer internal resources, external legal support is becoming increasingly important. While global law firms were once the preferred choice for complex work, regional firms are gaining ground by offering more relevant local insight, practical advice and a deeper understanding of jurisdiction-specific nuances.

It has been observed that some large international firms may be taking a one size fits all approach, offering advice that lacks the precision or adaptability needed for regional markets. In contrast, local and regional firms are proving their worth by combining technical expertise with cultural understanding, and by aligning more closely with the pace and realities of doing business in the Middle East.

A Broader and Busier Remit

Within organisations, the GC’s responsibilities continue to expand. Legal leaders are now involved in a wide range of internal matters including HR grievances, bonus disputes and the increasingly complex issues around hybrid working arrangements. This expanding scope adds to the already significant pressures facing in-house legal teams.

At the same time, the geographical scope of the role is widening. For many organisations, the definition of the Middle East now includes India and North Africa, broadening the territory without necessarily increasing team size or budgets. GCs must manage this growing footprint while maintaining consistency, compliance and strategic alignment across diverse legal systems.

The Real Constraint: Finding Time

Among all the challenges GCs face in 2025, perhaps the most significant is the simplest: time. With competing demands pulling in every direction; board expectations, commercial priorities, regulatory updates, HR issues, contract negotiations, and technology adoption—finding enough time to do any one task properly is becoming increasingly difficult.

Many GCs report spending their days in back-to-back meetings, constantly switching between reactive problem-solving and strategic decision-making, leaving little space for proactive planning or focused legal thinking. In practice, this time crunch is often the biggest bottleneck to adding value. Even the best GC strategies and intentions can be undermined if there simply are not enough hours in the day.

Effectively managing time through delegation, smart use of technology, or carving out protected thinking space has become a critical skill in its own right. Without it, the risk is not just burnout, but missed opportunities and compounding legal exposure.

Government Projects and Strategic Influence

In key jurisdictions such as the United Arab Emirates, particularly Abu Dhabi, government-linked projects remain central to many companies' operations. These often require complex legal structuring, regulatory engagement and a nuanced understanding of public sector expectations. GCs are no longer just supporting these initiatives, they are helping to shape them from the outset.

The Role of the Legal Community

While GCs face increasing demands with limited resources, one of the unique strengths of the UAE is the supportive legal community. There is a real sense of collaboration and peer exchange. Through more intimate gatherings hosted in Dubai, a consistent theme has emerged: legal leaders find real value in spaces where they can openly share experiences, exchange insights across industries and support one another through the region’s evolving legal landscape.

This sense of community is not just a comfort, it is a strategic asset in helping GCs meet today’s demands.

Conclusion: Leadership in Lean Times

The general counsel of 2025 in the Middle East is no longer just a legal adviser. They are a strategist, innovator and cross-border problem solver. They are expected to provide clarity in complex markets, manage risk across a growing geography and lead transformational change, all while operating with leaner teams, tighter budgets and not enough hours in the day.

Success will depend on the ability to prioritise effectively, embrace new technologies, build strong relationships with the right external partners and stay connected to a vibrant and supportive legal community. For those who can rise to the occasion, this period offers not only significant challenges but also the opportunity to redefine the role of the GC for a new era of growth in the region.

Interested in learning more? Talk to our Head of In-house Legal in The Middle East & APAC, Pooja Mahbubani , today!

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Empowering Women in the workplace: A conversation with Sasha Mauu

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 08:12:18 GMT

Sarah Kay Recruitment Consultant at Hydrogen Group had the pleasure of interviewing Sasha Mauu , former Talent Acquisition Specialist at Woolworths and founder of Omna Coaching , a platform dedicated to empowering women to thrive in their careers and beyond.

Sasha has been a key contact for us at Hydrogen Group, and while she’s just wrapped up her role at Woolworths, she continues to be a champion for workplace equality and a valued supporter of our work as a recruitment partner.

In our conversation, Sasha opened up about:

The inspiration behind starting her own business
The practical challenges women still face in the workplace
How employers can better support women at all career stages
Advice for women navigating self-doubt or lack of support
Her personal growth journey, and what keeps her motivated

We're proud to collaborate with professionals like Sasha who are creating meaningful change in the world of work.

Watch this 3-minute video snippet where Sasha shares her thoughts on the biggest barriers women face in the workplace and what can be done to break them down.

Get in touch to find out how Sarah can support you to thrive in a changing world!

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How SOW solutions drive project success

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Mon, 19 May 2025 10:07:19 GMT

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, finding the right contract talent quickly is critical for project success. However, many organisations struggle with tight deadlines, evolving skill requirements, and managing contingent talent efficiently.

This is where SOW (Statement of Work) solutions come in, providing flexible, scalable, and highly effective contractor hiring support.

What is an SOW Solution?

SOW solutions allow businesses to outsource specific parts of the contractor hiring process, such as search, selection, onboarding, and compliance, without losing control over project execution. This approach offers the same high standards as full RPO but is designed for short-term, project-specific hiring needs.

Why choose SOW solutions with Hydrogen Group?

Hydrogen Group is a global specialist in contractor hiring across Technology, Legal, Life Sciences, Financial Services, Business Transformation, and Utilities. Our SOW solutions are designed to support businesses in these sectors by addressing their unique hiring challenges.

Faster hiring, reduced bottlenecks
65% of businesses rely on contingent workers for project success. Hydrogen Group’s SOW solutions reduce time-to-fill by up to 50%, ensuring your projects stay on track and avoid costly delays.
Cost control and efficiency
Hiring delays cost companies an average of £500 per vacant position per day. Our SOW solutions reduce these costs by accelerating the recruitment process and eliminating the expenses associated with full-time employee benefits.
Compliance and risk management
With 58% of HR leaders reporting capacity challenges, staying compliant can be a major risk. Hydrogen Group’s SOW solutions ensure proper contractor classification and minimise financial liability, reducing the risk of costly fines and project disruptions.
Scalability without sacrificing quality
When your project demands surge, SOW solutions provide instant scalability without compromising on talent quality. This flexibility ensures you always have the right people in place to drive project success.

Real-world impact

Consider this: Energy Company X lost £10 million due to contractor delays, while Technology Firm Y saw a 45% increase in project costs due to onboarding inefficiencies. Our SOW solutions are designed to prevent these costly mistakes, ensuring your projects run smoothly and profitably.

Ready to rethink your project-based hiring strategy?

Take the first step toward smarter contractor hiring. Download our comprehensive SOW solutions brochure today to explore how we can help you drive efficiency, cost savings, and project success.

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How Project RPO can solve your biggest recruitment challenges

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Mon, 12 May 2025 10:30:53 GMT

In today’s fast-paced business environment, securing top permanent talent quickly is a critical factor for project success. Yet, many organisations struggle with tight timelines, high-volume hiring needs, and rapidly shifting skill requirements. This is where Project RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) comes into play, offering a flexible, scalable, and highly effective approach to project-based hiring.

What is Project RPO?

Project RPO is a specialised recruitment solution designed for businesses facing volume growth, project-based hiring, or high-demand activity. It provides the same high standards and expertise as a full RPO model but is tailored to deliver flexible support when you need it most. It allows you to outsource specific parts of the recruitment process, such as search, selection, or onboarding, without losing control over your overall talent strategy.

Why choose Project RPO?

Faster hiring, reduced bottlenecks
78% of companies struggle to hire permanent employees quickly enough to meet project deadlines. Delays in filling critical roles can disrupt project timelines, reduce workforce efficiency, and impact revenue. Project RPO cuts time-to-fill by up to 50%, ensuring your projects launch on time and stay on track.
Scalability without sacrificing quality
When your hiring needs surge, traditional internal teams can struggle to keep up. Project RPO provides instant scalability, tapping into deep talent networks to match the right skills to your project demands, without compromising on quality. This flexibility helps you avoid the risks of rushed hiring decisions that can lead to costly turnover.
Cost control and efficiency
Unfilled roles come with a heavy price tag. Glassdoor estimates that hiring delays cost companies an average of £500 per vacant position per day. Project RPO reduces these costs by accelerating the recruitment process and minimising early attrition rates. Companies using outsourced hiring solutions can cut recruitment costs by up to 45%.
Enhanced candidate experience
Top talent expects a seamless, professional hiring process. Project RPO partners ensure your candidates have a positive experience, enhancing your employer brand and improving long-term retention. This means you can attract the best in the industry and reduce the risk of losing top candidates to competitors.
Long-term workforce stability
Outsourcing your project hiring can reduce turnover rates by 40% and increase employee retention by 20%. This stability is crucial for businesses looking to drive sustained project success without the constant churn of poorly matched hires.

Real-world impact

Consider this: a major tech company lost £2 million in revenue due to hiring delays, while an engineering firm faced a 50% higher turnover rate because they could not secure the right talent in time. Project RPO is designed to prevent these costly mistakes, providing the right people at the right time for your critical projects.

Ready to rethink your project-based hiring strategy?

Take the first step towards smarter hiring with a 90-minute consultation to assess your needs and develop a tailored solution that keeps you ahead of the competition. Connect with us today to explore how Project RPO can drive efficiency, cost savings, and long-term success for your business.

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The rise of skills-based hiring: a smarter way to build future-ready teams

Wed, 07 May 2025 09:32:19 GMT

As the world of work continues to evolve at pace, employers are increasingly rethinking how they identify and hire top talent. Traditional hiring models, long reliant on degrees, job titles, and years of experience, are no longer delivering the results modern businesses need. In their place, skills-based hiring is gaining real traction, and it’s easy to see why.

Why are employers shifting to skills-first?

With a growing demand for digital capabilities, critical thinking, and adaptability, there’s an urgent need for recruitment strategies that go beyond credentials. According to recent data:

92% of employers are currently facing skills gaps within their workforce
Skills-based approaches allow businesses to tap into talent pools up to 6.1 times larger , especially among underrepresented or non-traditional candidates (LinkedIn Economic Graph)
Hiring for skills over qualifications can lead to a 9% increase in employee retention , as well as faster promotion rates (Boston Consulting Group)

This approach not only broadens the candidate pipeline, but helps businesses future-proof their teams by aligning hiring strategies with real-world needs.

What are the benefits?

Moving to a skills-based model doesn’t just make sense, it makes an impact.

Wider access to diverse talent : by removing rigid degree requirements, employers open the door to candidates from varied backgrounds and career paths
Better hiring accuracy : employers that have embraced skills-first methods report fewer mis-hires and more confident hiring decisions
Improved organisational agility : skills-focused teams are better equipped to adapt to change and keep pace with new technologies

Making the shift

Adopting a skills-based hiring model involves more than rewriting job descriptions. It’s a mindset change:

Clearly define the skills needed : Get specific about what success looks like in the role
Rethink assessments : Use competency-based interviews, technical tasks, and real-world simulations
Upskill your hiring managers : Equip them with the tools and training to recognise potential beyond a CV
Commit to continuous improvement : Use data to evaluate what’s working and refine your process over time

A progressive future for hiring

At Hydrogen Group, we work with organisations that are reimagining how to attract and retain top talent. A skills-first approach isn’t just a trend, it’s a strategic move that enables our clients to build stronger, more agile teams.

If your business is looking to overcome hiring challenges, improve retention, and increase workforce diversity, skills-based hiring could be the key .

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AI in Workforce Management

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:25:22 GMT

How AI is reshaping workforce management and how we can help you stay ahead

Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t the future of workforce management, it’s happening right now. From faster hiring to smarter workforce planning, AI is transforming the way organisations approach talent acquisition and workforce strategy.

At Hydrogen Group, we believe that adopting innovative technology isn’t about staying current, it’s about gaining a competitive advantage. Drawing on the latest insights from SIA, APSCo, Gartner, Deloitte, and the World Economic Forum (WEF), we explore how AI is reshaping recruitment, and how our solutions, through our Statement of Work (SOW) and Project RPO, can help you make the most of it.

Where AI stands today: high awareness, high expectations

Awareness around AI is sky-high, and for good reason. According to Gartner’s 2024 HR Technology Trends:

89% of HR and Talent Acquisition leaders are aware of AI’s role in hiring
62% have already implemented at least one AI-based recruitment tool

Confidence in its potential is strong, with 71% of leaders believing AI will improve hiring processes (Deloitte, 2024). That said, 44% have concerns about bias, showing that trust and transparency must be front and centre.

We help organisations take a measured approach: embracing innovation while ensuring ethics, fairness, and accountability remain central to their hiring strategies.

Where AI delivers value and how to maximise it

The smartest organisations aren’t rushing into AI, they’re introducing it where it delivers the greatest return, particularly:

Screening and shortlisting candidates ( 58% )
Candidate engagement and onboarding ( 36% )

And they’re seeing results:

67% report faster time-to-hire
52% notice better candidate quality
43% see a stronger candidate experience

Through our solutions, we work with clients to integrate AI into hiring processes strategically, whether that’s via a flexible Project RPO model that enhances your team’s capability, or through a structured SOW agreement that guarantees defined outcomes with measurable success.

The future is clear: AI will be core to workforce planning

If you’re not thinking about AI in your workforce strategy now, you soon will be:

83% of HR leaders plan to boost AI investment in the next 12–24 months
76% see AI as central to future workforce planning (Deloitte, 2024)

Key areas where AI is already making a real impact include:

Smarter candidate screening and matching
Engaging candidates more effectively
Reducing bias and improving DE&I outcomes
Hiring at pace without compromising quality
Delivering recruitment cost savings

We don't just help you implement AI, we help you do it thoughtfully, transparently, and with the goal of building a stronger, more diverse, and more resilient workforce.

AI and DE&I: a new opportunity, if done right

AI can open doors for diversity, equity, and inclusion but only if used responsibly. Gartner reports:

79% of organisations believe AI can boost DE&I outcomes
But 29% remain cautious about the risk of bias

We embed ethical considerations into every AI-enabled workforce project we deliver. Our focus is on helping organisations use AI to promote fairness, transparency, and inclusivity at every stage of the hiring journey.

Why Hydrogen Group?

Hydrogen Group exists to help organisations hire better, faster, and smarter in a changing world. We enable you to thrive in a changing world.

Through our Project RPO and SOW services, we enable businesses to:

Deploy AI strategically in hiring and workforce planning
Drive efficiencies while improving candidate experiences
Enhance DE&I through responsible AI use
Scale recruitment without losing the vital human connection

Whether you’re launching a new hiring project, scaling up rapidly, or future-proofing your workforce strategy, we’re here to help you do it right.

Ready to build a smarter workforce?

The future of workforce management is already here.

Partner with us to leverage AI in a way that is strategic, ethical, and aligned to your business goals.

Get in touch today to find out how our SOW and Project RPO models can help you turn AI into your next competitive advantage.

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Women in Law: Maria Scanlan

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 08:54:50 GMT

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

Maria is a dual qualified (England and Wales, New Zealand) senior in-house lawyer, with over 20 years of post-qualification experience gained both in-house (including blue-chip FTSE100 companies) and in top-ranked teams in leading international law firms.

She is currently a Legal Director at Crescent Petroleum, the first and largest private upstream oil and gas company in the region. Before coming to the Middle East, Maria was a Head of Legal at the Royal Bank of Scotland in the UK, where she led a 37-strong legal team.

Maria is a member of the Board of Directors and Board Secretary for the Association of Corporate Counsel Middle East and North Africa, sits on the Board of the Chief Legal Officers UAE Membership Network at Winmark, is a Non-Executive director in a UK community interest company, and a Trustee for a UK-registered charity. She also holds an Executive Education Certificate in Corporate Governance from INSEAD, sits as an independent arbitrator, and is a CEDR-accredited mediator.

Maria is a purpose- and values-driven leader and a firm believer that DE&I results in more powerful and better decision-making in the workplace and society at large.

Tell us about your career progression to date:

I started off my career as a lawyer in one of New Zealand’s top law firms over 22 years ago, which provided me with excellent training and a solid foundation for my professional life. I was then incredibly fortunate to work for the New Zealand diplomatic corps, which exposed me to the fascinating world of international law, foreign affairs and trade. I will never forget speaking at the WTO representing my country, in front of an assembly of over 180 ambassadors from all over the world, and working directly for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade on key issues on the international agenda. Having caught the “bug” for international law, I then pursued my Masters in Law at the University of Oxford, furthering my desire to practise as an international lawyer in the city of London, which I subsequently did for well over a decade. Once I had children, I made the move in-house and worked as a Head of Legal in one of the largest banks in the UK. Five years ago, my family and I made the move to the UAE, where I started my current position in one of the first and largest privately-held energy companies in the region. I have loved the vast experience that my legal career has given me both in private practice and in-house, as well as in the public service.

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

I think being brave enough to step outside my comfort zone and enjoying a challenge has served me well throughout my career. I have also been lucky to have mentors/sponsors who have been my greatest cheerleaders, nurtured my professional growth and advocated for my advancement. I would encourage everyone to find those individuals who see your talent and potential, and who will back you up throughout your career. As a female lawyer, I have also always been extremely fortunate to have a “tribe” of fellow women lawyers around me who have supported me throughout and acted as a wise sounding board.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

It is a constant juggling act! Over the years, I have come to understand that work-life balance can be bit of a myth – sometimes work takes over life, and that’s to be expected in a legal career. However, it’s also about making the most of life outside of work whenever you can, and being clear on your priorities. As a working mum, my focus is to spend as much time as possible outside of work with my family, and squeeze in a little bit of time to nurture the soul, whether that be by spending time with friends or through self-care.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to thrive?

Many organisations have specialised leadership programmes for women, which helps spot early leadership talent and provides women with guided coaching and mentoring throughout their careers. Unconscious bias training for everyone is also really helpful to identify blind spots when it comes to diversity and inclusion. There are also some great organisations who provide wonderful support to women during big life transitions (e.g. coming back from maternity leave, etc).

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

There is now plenty of empirical evidence showing that diversity leads to better decision-making and avoids organisations falling prey to “groupthink” – this also has a positive impact on the organisation’s bottom line, as organisations which make diversity a priority have been proven to outperform their peers. Ultimately, organisations that value diversity and inclusion will have better employee retention, and will also be able to attract more talent (in particular, the younger generations who place absolutely critical importance on diversity and inclusion in choosing their employers).

What do you think the legal industry can do to improve diversity & inclusion?

We need to ensure we continue to build on the great work that has been done to date in this space, and improve on the existing practices. We are already seeing improvements on diversity and inclusion policies regarding gender equality, maternity leave, anti-discrimination, to name a few, but there is always room for improvement across all areas of inclusion.

Is there anything you are doing to help emerging female leaders (within organisations/in general)?

Throughout my career, I have been a mentor to young female lawyers, and have regularly participated in and led female-led networking groups. I am currently a founding member of Playbook (a female focussed leadership programme in the Middle East), am a member of the Eagle Club for female GCs and senior leaders in the UK, and am a member of the Women in Law group in the Middle East. My passion for gender equality dates back to my education in an all-girls secondary school in New Zealand, where we never saw our gender as an obstacle for pursuing our dreams. It is my hope that this philosophy will one day become ubiquitous across society as a whole, and that my daughter and her peers will live in a more equitable and inclusive world.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in your industry now?

Grab every opportunity that comes your way with enthusiasm and dedication; align yourself to people whose leadership style you admire and learn from them whilst seeking to make your own mark in the world; remember to say “yes” to a challenge even if you feel like saying “no”; find yourself a sponsor/mentor who believes in you and will be your greatest cheerleader; and nurture a good sense of humour - it will sustain you through the inevitable challenges during the journey.

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How AI and Data are Transforming the Legal Sector

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:33:39 GMT

There’s a quiet revolution happening in the legal sector, and AI and data are powering it.

For an industry known for its risk aversion and love of tradition, the pace of change is actually amazing. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that what we’re seeing today in LegalTech feels a lot like what happened in FinTech over the past decade. A total reimagining of processes, talent, and business models, with technology at the heart.

For me, and for my clients, this is about more than innovation for innovation’s sake. It’s about survival. It’s about efficiency. And, most excitingly, it’s about making legal services more accessible, more affordable, and maybe even more fair, for everyone. But let’s break it down. What’s actually changing, and what does it mean for law firms, tech teams and the future of the profession?

Research and Information Access

Once upon a time, legal research meant armies of junior associates combing through mountains of case law, working 15-hour days just to surface the right precedents. Today, AI-powered research tools can scan entire libraries of case law, legislation and commentary in seconds. Summarising, ranking, and even flagging risks and opportunities. It’s fast, it’s efficient, and as long as the data sources are trusted, it’s often more accurate than tired human eyes can be at 3am.

Automation and Case Analysis

Some firms are even feeding live case information into AI systems and asking for a first draft opinion on how strong the case is and what angles to explore. This is no longer science fiction; it’s happening. AI isn’t replacing lawyers here, but it’s acting like an insanely well-read paralegal on steroids, giving legal teams a head start they could only have dreamt of a few years ago.

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)

Remember when COVID forced the courts online? That shift to virtual hearings and digital-first case management didn’t go away. In fact, ODR platforms are now clearing backlogs faster and cheaper than ever before. For lower-value disputes, this tech-led approach is reducing the need for expensive hearings, cutting out logistics costs, and making the whole process more accessible. It’s still evolving, but the efficiency gains are real.

eDiscovery and Data Management

Litigation lives and dies by the discovery process. That’s the legal exchange of evidence and data between parties. In 2025, investigative discovery is 90% digital: emails, WhatsApp messages, social posts, cloud documents, phone records. AI can ingest, tag, and surface evidence faster than any team of paralegals ever could. It also spots patterns humans might miss, subtle connections between emails, hidden timestamps, even language patterns that might indicate intent.

Smart Contracts and Blockchain

While still emerging, the future of automated, completely secure, unbreakable contracts built on blockchain is super exciting. Imagine a contract that executes itself when conditions are met, and can’t be altered, disputed, or lost. It’s perfect for property law, supply chain, or finance deals, and could eliminate so much of the friction (and cost) from contract law.

Of course, none of this comes without risk. And this is where law firms can’t afford to just adopt tech blindly.

How to combat risk?

Trust and Accuracy

You have to ask yourself if the AI is drawing from verified, up-to-date data. One bad input, one outdated precedent, and the whole case could be compromised. We want AI that is led by human thought, not an amalgamation of AI content.

Bias and Fairness

If the training data reflects historical biases (and let’s face it, much of the legal system’s history does), will AI reinforce or even amplify those inequalities?

Over-reliance and Skills Gaps

If junior lawyers stop doing the groundwork, how will they develop the instincts and judgment needed to become tomorrow’s partners? How do we replicate that learning curve for juniors coming up the ranks?

And the scariest part? If firms start treating AI like an oracle rather than a tool, human oversight disappears. No algorithm can read body language in court like a jury can or sense the sincerity of a witness. That human element, the emotional intelligence of seasoned lawyers and judges, is something tech can support, but never truly replace.

But I do believe LegalTech could become the next FinTech. A booming sector that not only attracts brilliant technologists, but also genuinely transforms how an entire industry operates. When FinTech exploded, banks stopped being seen as dull, slow-moving institutions. They became innovation labs, attracting some of the best coders, product designers, and data scientists around.

Legal firms have that same chance right now. The most forward-thinking firms aren’t just adopting Legal Tech tools, they’re doubling down and building their own. They’re hiring Chief Technology Officers, standing up product teams, and even commercialising their own tech platforms to sell to competitors. That’s a complete mindset shift.

What Does This Mean for Legal Tech Leaders?

If you’re reading this and you’re the CIO, CTO or Head of Technology inside a law firm, this is your moment. You’re not just running IT anymore; you’re shaping the future of your firm. Your partners need you to be the expert voice that says, ‘This isn’t hype, it’s happening. Ignoring it isn’t an option; it’s not going away.’

The firms that embrace LegalTech will be the ones that attract the best talent and win the most clients in the future.

And that’s exactly why I’m passionate about helping legal tech leaders navigate this shift. Through my work, my network, and my podcast, I want to help demystify the tech, highlight the risks, and showcase the real opportunities, so that you can have confident, credible conversations with your partners about why this matters and what to do next.

I think the future is bright for those that embrace it.

LegalTech won’t just make law firms more efficient, it could make justice itself more accessible. For anyone who’s ever tried to buy a house, fight a divorce, or challenge an unfair contract, that’s a future worth investing in.

And for the law firms who lead the charge? You won’t just be adopting tech, you’ll be defining the future of your profession.

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Preparing for Generation Beta: The future of STEM talent retention

pgstats@gmail.com (Sophy Moyes) — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 11:50:05 GMT

As the STEM sector continues to grow at a rapid pace, businesses are facing increasing challenges attracting and retaining top talent.

Enter Generation Beta, born as of 2025, the generation who are expected to be even more tech-savvy, connected, and value-driven than their Millennial, Gen Z and Gen Alpha predecessors.

The question for STEM-focused employers is: How do we retain these future innovators in an increasingly competitive job market?

Below are examples of how STEM organisations can adapt to attract and retain top talent, from Millennials to the future Gen Betas, in ways that align with their unique expectations and career goals:

1. Offer Personalised Career Development and Skill Growth

One of the defining features of Generation Beta will be their thirst for constant learning and skill development. STEM fields, by nature, are constantly evolving. To retain the best talent, companies must not only offer opportunities for learning, but ensure that these opportunities are personalised to the individual’s career path and passions.

Retention Tip: Build a culture of continuous learning by offering tailored paths and development programs. Encourage employees to pursue certifications, advanced degrees, and specialised skills in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, or quantum computing. Create an environment where upskilling and reskilling are not only encouraged but expected, keeping employees on the cutting edge of the industry.

2. Embrace Remote and Hybrid Work for STEM Professionals

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to remote work, and many STEM workers, particularly in fields like software engineering, data science, and digital design, have found they can perform their roles effectively from home. Generation Beta, accustomed to digital collaboration and flexibility, will expect this trend to continue throughout their careers.

Retention Tip: Offer flexible working arrangements that allow STEM professionals to work remotely or in a hybrid capacity. Provide the tools and technology they need to collaborate seamlessly, whether they’re working from a home office or a coworking space. Flexibility isn’t just about location - it’s also about time. Allow your employees to structure their days around their peak productivity hours, rather than adhering to a rigid 9-to-5 schedule.

3. Prioritise Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in STEM Fields

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical in STEM, where underrepresentation of women and minorities has long been an issue. Gen Beta will likely be more diverse and socially conscious than previous generations, and they’ll want to work for companies that prioritise DEI, not just in their hiring practices, but in every facet of their organisational culture.

Retention Tip: Make DEI a cornerstone of your STEM organisation’s culture. Create initiatives to recruit, retain, and promote underrepresented groups in tech and STEM roles. Offer mentorship programs for diverse employees and make sure that leadership reflects the diversity of the teams they manage. Gen Beta will appreciate companies that genuinely develop a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity.

4. Provide Meaningful Work-Life Balance and Mental Health Support

Burnout in the STEM field is not a new problem, but it’s an issue that Gen Beta will be particularly sensitive to. They have grown up in a world where mental health conversations are more open, and they are more likely to prioritise a healthy work-life balance. STEM companies that neglect these aspects of employee well-being may find it harder to retain top talent.

Retention Tip: Offer mental health resources such as therapy services, stress management workshops, and mental health days off. Encourage a culture where taking time for personal well-being is seen as essential to long-term career success. Create an environment that promotes flexibility, especially for employees juggling demanding project deadlines or complex problem-solving tasks.

5. Cultivate a Purpose-Driven STEM Culture

STEM professionals, especially younger generations, want to know that their work is making an impact. Whether it’s developing sustainable technologies, advancing medical research, or creating new ways to connect the world, purpose-driven innovation is a key driver for talent retention in the STEM sector.

Retention Tip: Align your STEM projects with clear, meaningful societal goals. Highlight how your company's research, product development, or technological advancements are contributing to solving global challenges such as climate change, healthcare access, or educational inequality. A strong company mission that resonates with Gen Beta’s values will inspire loyalty and engagement.

The STEM landscape is evolving rapidly, and so too are the expectations of the next generation of workers. Generation Beta will be more tech-savvy, value-driven, and flexible in their approach to work, and STEM companies that can adapt to these changes will have a distinct advantage in attracting and retaining the top talent of tomorrow.

By embracing personalised career development, leveraging technology, adopting a purpose-driven culture, and offering flexibility and mental health support, businesses can ensure that they remain a destination for Gen Beta talent. The future of STEM is bright, and it’s up to us to create environments where the next generation of innovators can thrive.

Interested in learning more about how to attract and retain more top talent in STEM? Talk to our Client Services Consultant in Tech, Amy Glynn , today!

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Women in Law: Anna Szyndler

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:07:12 GMT

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

Anna is a partner in the Herbert Smith Freehills LLP corporate practice in Dubai specializing in mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and investments with particular focus on the Middle East. Anna is regularly involved in award winning and other high-profile transactions in the region that span a number of sectors. In addition to executing transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors, Anna advises on digital infrastructure and TMT transactions. Anna studied law and obtained her master's in law from the University of Warsaw in 2005 and subsequently moved to the UK to pursue her career in law in London. She re-qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2013. She spent over 13 years working for two US law firms in the City of London before moving to Dubai and joining Herbert Smith Freehills in 2018 as a senior associate. Anna was first promoted to of Counsel in 2023 and elevated to partner in May 2024. Anna is frequently commanded by her clients for her exceptionally pragmatic approach to transactions, enabling them to navigate complex legal challenges with ease.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

I didn’t always know I wanted to be a lawyer. In fact, I considered other paths. At one point at a very young age, I even thought about joining the army – I admired the discipline and resilience it required, and honestly, some of those skills would be helpful in law, too! While I had considered pursuing an MBA immediately after completing my master's degree, I ultimately chose to move countries and requalify in the UK, believing that this path would provide me with the most meaningful opportunities to advance my career.

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

There have been many key moments, both positive and challenging, that have shaped where I am today. Early on, studying law in two different languages and legal systems and requalifying in a very competitive market in London was a significant hurdle and achievement, that taught me the value of determination, hard work and persistence. Ultimately, moving firms to prove myself further and eventually relocating to Dubai to accelerate my career were key decisions that allowed me to challenge myself in new ways and grow. On the flip side, there were times when I faced doubts about whether I belonged in certain rooms, especially being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry. But each obstacle has made me more determined and shaped my leadership style. Each of these steps has been part of my evolution, and over the years I have learned that resilience and adaptability are key to navigating any obstacle. My promotion to of Counsel and then Partner earlier this year were major milestones, and currently, I am the only female partner in the office, which is something I am incredibly proud of. Having said all that, I know I wouldn't have been able to achieve all this without the support of amazing colleagues and mentors along the way.

Do you believe there’s a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, and has it changed?

I do believe the glass ceiling still exists in many industries, including law, though progress is being made. I have experienced certain challenges in my career, but I have not faced prejudice based on my gender; I’ve always thought of myself simply as a lawyer, focusing on being the best I can be. Today, we’re seeing more women in leadership roles, and I am proud to be among them. Yet, women still encounter less visible challenges, whether in the form of bias, societal expectations, or balancing family life with a demanding career. While strides have been made, there’s more to be done. Through evolving recruitment practices, mentorship, diversity initiatives, and challenging outdated norms, we can create further change. I’m encouraged by the support women offer each other, and that keeps me hopeful that the glass ceiling will continue to crack.

What do you think the legal industry can do to improve diversity & inclusion?

The legal industry has made progress, but there’s still room for improvement. First and foremost, we need more than just diversity in numbers—we need inclusion at every level, where everyone’s voice is heard and valued. This can be achieved through better representation in leadership positions and by ensuring that recruitment practices are truly inclusive. Broaden recruitment criteria to include candidates with diverse life and career experiences will create a more inclusive environment and enrich teams with new perspectives. Mentorship and sponsorship programs for underrepresented groups can make a huge difference in retaining diverse talent. The industry also needs to focus on creating a supportive environment where people can bring their authentic selves to work without fear of judgment. As part of my new role, I make it a priority to champion diversity and inclusion, and I encourage others to do the same.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in your industry now?

My advice to those starting their legal careers is that hard work is essential, but in today’s world, it’s also crucial to be resilient, proactive and open-minded. The legal world is evolving, so it’s crucial to stay alert to change and seek out opportunities, even if they’re outside your comfort zone. Your career may not be a straight line, it may have twists and turns, but each step, whether a success or a setback, adds to your growth. The most successful lawyers are often the ones who are authentic and have taken unique paths to get where they are. Success is as much about resilience and adaptability as it is about effort. Focus on building core skills and surround yourself with a network that supports and challenges you. And, most importantly, stay true to your values and who you are.

From women in STEM: A 6-step guide to inspiring and attracting more women to the industry

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:20:05 GMT

Innovation thrives on diverse perspectives. Yet, women still hold only 27% of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) jobs , despite them making up nearly half of the workforce. That’s a massive gap, and if your business isn't working to close it, you're missing out on untapped potential, fresh ideas and a stronger competitive edge.

But don’t worry – we’re here to help! We’ve been catching up with inspiring women in the STEM and diversity and inclusion space, asking them that one question the STEM industry has grappled with since its foundation – what can businesses be doing to attract more females into the sector?

So here it is, a guide for women in STEM – by women in women in STEM.

Sure, we’ve come a long way (back in 1970, only 8% of STEM roles were held by women), but progress has slowed, and serious challenges remain. Women in STEM earn only 74% of what men in similar roles do, and many face roadblocks like pay gaps, fewer leadership opportunities and unconscious bias.

As progress in closing the gender gap has slowed, businesses must take decisive action to attract and retain more women in STEM roles to foster a more inclusive and innovative environment. It’s time for businesses to step up.

So, without further ado, here’s what women in STEM say are vital for attracting more females to the industry:

1. “Implement female mentors”

Attracting female talent is only half the battle - keeping them engaged and helping them grow is just as important.

Racing TV Sports Presenter and Women in Tech advocate, Sophie Brown, says, “I would encourage businesses to implement mentors, but also encourage women to find external mentors too. While an internal mentor can give you confidence and leadership skills, there is serious value in having an external mentor, giving you more freedom to explore advice with zero bias ” .

“More female mentors in the STEM space means creating a warmer and more welcoming environment for women entering the industry. I had to go out and find mentors for myself when I first started out, but now there are incredible mentorship programmes available to businesses”.

Sophie is also known for her appearance on the Channel 4 show, Married at First Sight , where she stood up to body shaming contestants and spoke out about the misogynistic side of fame.

“As females in the industry, we need to speak up more about our experiences and anecdotes,” Sophie says. “More visibility of inspiring women in STEM will encourage others to take the leap and explore.”

It’s clear that implementing mentorship programs for women is essential for businesses to give females a voice, support their career growth, and foster a more inclusive and innovative workforce. Businesses should also work harder to highlight the success of female colleagues to inspire others into the industry.

2. “Rethink your culture”

Justine Craston, former Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Practitioner at Dojo , says her number one piece of advice to businesses is to, “be VERY intentional about how you are driving ‘Inclusion’ in your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices ” .

Building a more inclusive workplace in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics sector doesn’t happen by accident. It takes active work. Justine maintains this starts by curating a culture of psychological safety. “Be curious”, Justine says. “It’s much better to ask about an employee’s experience than to avoid the subject… It never hurts to give someone the opportunity to be listened to”.

Businesses that actively support diverse voices will attract, retain and inspire female talent. Justine also suggests working with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to “drive belonging and inclusion”, as well as being a great platform to connect and share experiences.

3. “Redesign ‘flexibility’ and parental benefits”

Biased hiring processes often unintentionally deter women. Flexible work options like remote roles or flexible hours can make a big difference for women balancing career and family.

Joan Iwuoha, Product Manager at HNG Tech , says, “Mothers in STEM are constantly juggling work alongside family. To accommodate them, businesses should have options like flexible work hours and remote work ”.

Companies including Next , Morgan Stanley and Toyota even have on-site nurseries charging competitive rates, some via a salary sacrifice scheme. This work benefit is currently extremely rare, despite 71% of working mothers having children under 4.

Joan says that on-site childcare “takes away the stress from mothers in STEM and will encourage more females who plan to have a family into STEM roles ” .

4. “Build a clear pathway for growth and leadership”

Women are more likely to pursue STEM careers if they can see themselves succeeding. Promoting and celebrating female leaders - both inside and outside your company - creates visible proof that the future of STEM is diverse.

Former Client Operations Manager in the SaaS world, Luciana Alemanno-Frankson, says, “Many women look for opportunities where they see a strong possibility of progression, mentorship and leadership development. It’s not just about hiring more women, but ensuring they have the tools and support to thrive and grow within the organisatio n” .

Authentic role models are bound to inspire current employees and the next generation of female innovators. Luciana says on the topic, “Providing access to female role models in senior positions and ensuring diverse voices are actively included in decision making can be a strong draw for women considering a career in STEM ” .

By creating an environment where growth and leadership are accessible, companies can create a lasting impact, empowering women to envision and achieve long-term success in STEM fields

5. “Close the pay gap”

Women in STEM make around $66,200 annually compared to men’s $90,000 in the US, and in the UK, on average, females in STEM earn around 19% (or £12,000) less than men.

Presenter, Sophie Brown, says on the subject, "For businesses, transparency from senior leadership is important so that everyone knows where they stand, and more conversations around salary negotiations and instilling confidence need to be had. To female candidates – know your worth and schedule in a pay review as soon as you accept the role to make sure it’s solidified in. Your salary is your livelihood – it should never be underestimated!”

Empowering women to advocate for their worth begins with a culture of transparency and support. When businesses actively promote equal pay opportunities and encourage open conversations about compensation, they create an environment where every woman feels valued and confident in asking for what she deserves.

6. “Inspire future generations”

“It’s our responsibility to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha by showcasing pathways to fulfilling STEM careers ” , says female Director at an IT talent solutions firm. “We need to create workplaces that align with their values, making STEM roles more attractive and relevant to their priorities.”

If businesses want more women in STEM, they should start at the source. Partnering with schools and universities to support scholarships and internships will help to target young women. Sponsoring coding boot camps, summer programmes or apprenticeships can also build excitement about STEM careers early on.

She also points out that, “Commitment to change needs to start from the top. Businesses need to ensure representation at all levels of leadership in order to inspire young women entering the STEM workforce.

Lily Spokes and Clara Schmitz, from IT Services and Consulting business Pace Integration , agreed, stating that their "number one piece of advice to businesses is to hire more women into leadership positions. Having great role models will inspire future generations into STEM.”

So, there you have it. The talent gap in STEM is real - and closing it is more crucial than ever for businesses that want to be industry leaders. Creating an inclusive workplace, addressing pay gaps, and investing in the development of female talent aren’t just the right things to do - they’re smart business decisions.

Now’s the time to lead the change. What will your business do to enable women to thrive in STEM?

Interested in learning more about how to attract more women in STEM? Talk to our Client Services Consultant in Tech, Amy Glynn today!

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References:

Home of Technology News

Pew Research Center

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/01/women-making-gains-in-stem-occupations-but-still-underrepresented.html

https://www.stemwomen.com/job-market-for-women-in-stem

https://yulife.com/blog/top-10-companies-for-childcare-and-working-parents/

https://www.aauw.org/resources/article/fast-facts-working-moms/

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/familiesandthelabourmarketengland/2021#:~:text=4.,employment%20than%20full%2Dtime%20employment .

Building an Engaging Culture for Remote STEM Workers: Tackling the 36% disconnection challenge

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:14:06 GMT

In a world where remote work is the norm, especially within STEM industries, keeping employees engaged isn’t as simple as adding more communication tools. If you’re relying on Slack or Teams to be the sole solution to engagement, you’re missing the bigger picture.

What truly drives engagement is the culture you build - a culture where employees feel valued, motivated, and genuinely connected, no matter where they're working.

We’re here to show you how a strong People function, strategic use of platforms, a compelling value proposition, and effective performance measures all come together to create that culture.

Let’s get into it!

Building relationships

Your People team is at the heart of creating an engaging culture, but this doesn’t mean just ticking boxes with routine check-ins. Instead, it’s about creating experiences that make remote workers feel like they’re part of something bigger.

Learning and development: L&D programs should inspire, not just exist to fill a quota. STEM professionals thrive when they’re learning new skills and tackling challenges that stretch their abilities. By offering opportunities to upskill and engage in meaningful projects, you’re investing in their growth and showing them they’re valued. This is crucial - especially as 84% of remote workers report that remote work makes them happier - largely due to the flexibility and autonomy it offers .
The power of flexibility: For many remote workers, having control over their work environment boosts productivity. Senior Digital Business Analyst, Adam Ash, shares, “I have my home office set up exactly how I need it for me, to be the most productive I can be. I am free from distractions. I can make lunch for me and my wife, enjoy it in the garden with our dog, and reset properly ahead of the afternoon. It also allows me to work an extra hour or two when needed, without feeling like I should be charging my clients for the time.” For professionals like Adam, flexible working arrangements not only enhance productivity but also improve work-life balance and client relationships.
Human connection: Virtual coffee chats might sound a bit cliché, but when designed thoughtfully, these interactions can become moments of genuine connection. Dean Jennings, Head of Talent at Hydrogen Group, says, “There is so much online that can bring a team together – virtual team escape rooms can be really cost effective! As tech advances, it’s getting easier to have individuals working seamlessly together. I’ve even seen a few VR headsets in the workplace!”
Avoiding communication overload: Relying solely on communication tools like Teams or Slack isn’t the answer to building engagement. Just because people are “always available” doesn’t mean they feel connected. In fact, 48% of remote workers have reported working longer hours, which can easily lead to burnout if not managed well. The focus should be on creating a space where people feel free to share ideas, get involved in decision-making, and know their well-being matters.
Structured check-ins: Consistent, purposeful check-ins can keep remote teams aligned and motivated. Life Science Consultant, Danniella Roche , says, “We have regular catch ups over Teams to kick off the week, a mid-week ‘health check’, and a Friday ‘wrap-up’. This enables us to have more touch points with one another and ensure we’re all working towards a common goal. We also have Teams channels to share market intel, leads and wins, which enables us to collaborate.”

Leveraging platforms properly

Yes, digital platforms are crucial for remote work, but they need to be used with intention. Tools like Slack, Teams, or Zoom are great for facilitating communication, but they’re not a magic fix for engagement. If these tools aren’t integrated into a bigger strategy, they can end up being a source of digital fatigue rather than connection.

Transparency and recognition: Project management tools like Trello or Asana can help remote workers see how their contributions tie into larger projects, giving them a sense of ownership and progress. This is particularly important when considering that only 36% of remote workers are fully engaged, making transparency and recognition crucial for improving engagement levels.
Inclusive celebrations: Dean Jennings , Head of TA at Hydrogen, suggests, “Ensuring there’s no difference in recognition wherever workers choose to work from is key. Promotions, competitions and shout outs should always be multi-channel and celebrated in the same manner. If you do have something happening in the office, make sure you can stream it and get your remote workers involved!”
Learning opportunities: STEM employees crave opportunities to grow, so offering access to courses on platforms like Coursera, or hosting internal webinars, can make a huge difference. Chloe Lam-Moores, Manager at Hydrogen Group, says, “I believe that remote workers could perhaps benefit from further training on how to be effective when working remotely, which could be as simple as identifying all of the tools and platforms that are available to them.”

Important: Even though platforms can help collaboration, don’t assume that adding more tools equals more engagement. It’s about using these platforms to create a sense of shared purpose and achievement, rather than just piling on more ‘pings’.

Employer Value Proposition: A culture that goes beyond perks

When it comes to remote work, your employer value proposition matters more than ever. It’s about answering the question: ‘Why would someone choose to work for your company over any other when they can work from anywhere? ’ . It’s not just about the pay cheque. Remote employees have options, and they’ll go where they feel inspired and valued. In fact, 50% of job seekers would be willing to take a pay cut for the opportunity to work remotely.

Figure out what sets you apart: STEM businesses should highlight unique opportunities, like access to cutting-edge projects or a strong commitment to social responsibility. Supporting mental health, professional development, and flexibility should be core to your culture.
Accommodate unique needs: Practical support, like a home office budget or adjusted work hours, can make a big difference. Workers like Patricia Washburn, a Multi-Platform Editor, exemplify that remote work can be a necessity, not just a perk: “If I cannot work from home, I cannot work.” Others, like Kevin Parkings, a Senior Java Developer, emphasise that remote work makes living in certain locations possible.
Career progression: People need to see a path forward, even from a distance. Being open about growth opportunities can keep them engaged. A higher salary can only go so far; it’s the promise of being part of a culture where they can envision a future and make an impact that keeps employees around.

Performance measures – trust and impact

How you measure performance says a lot about your culture. If your approach to remote work is to track hours or logins, you’re missing the point. People want to be judged on the impact they have, not the time they spend online. Shifting to output-based metrics - like focusing on the quality of work and the results delivered - makes all the difference.

Adopt goals and KPIs: For STEM workers solving complex problems, KPIs create a sense of purpose and alignment. It helps them see how their work ties into the broader mission and keeps them motivated.

Regular feedback: Regular feedback sessions help remote workers feel recognised and track their progress. And remember, building trust is key - using monitoring software to track every keystroke doesn’t build trust - it breaks it. It sends the message that you don’t believe in your employees’ ability to manage their own work.

Trust o ver surveillance : This is particularly relevant given that low employee engagement costs the global economy $8.9 trillion. Focusing on trust and impact can turn this trend around, driving a more engaged and effective remote workforce.

Bringing it all together

So, what’s t he bottom line? Engagement doesn’t come from more tools or stricter performance measures. It comes from a culture where people feel like they belong, are encouraged to grow, and can see how their work makes a difference. People teams, smart platforms, a strong value proposition and fair performance measures all contribute to this, but it’s the culture you create that will keep people engaged - no matter where they’re working from.

In STEM industries, where innovation is everything, this kind of culture isn’t just nice to have - it’s a competitive advantage. It’s about creating a workplace where people don’t just show up but feel excited to bring their best. When your employees are truly engaged, they’re not just part of the team - they’re driving it forward.

Interested in learning more about how to keep remote workers engaged?

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Women in Law: Michelle Nelson

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 09:41:33 GMT

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

Michelle is a partner in the Reed Smith LLP Energy and Natural Resources practice. She is a specialist arbitration lawyer with over 25 years of experience. Her practice focuses on the Middle East, advising on major oil, gas and construction and infrastructure disputes.

Michelle represents clients in arbitration proceedings under the major international and regional arbitration rules including the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, DIAC and ADCCAC seated in Paris, London, Geneva, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman. Michelle acts for a variety of employers, contractors, consultants and subcontractors, and has advised on a wide range of projects including airports, process and power plants, roads, commercial and residential premises.

Michelle is a qualified Solicitor Advocate and undertakes her own advocacy in her arbitration practice. She also has rights of audience before the DIFC Courts. Michelle sits as an Arbitrator in relation to regional disputes and has been appointed as arbitrator by both regional and international institutions including the ICC, LCIA and DIAC in respect of commercial and construction related disputes seated in the UAE and Oman.

Michelle regularly speaks and writes on construction and international arbitration issues. She is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers Global for UAE Construction Disputes and is listed in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for Construction in the UAE in recognition of constant praise by clients for continued excellence. She has also been named a Global Elite Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal. Michelle was shortlisted for Construction Lawyer of the Year and UAE Lawyer of the Year at the Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards 2024.

Clients have commented in Chambers Global, UAE 2024:

“Michelle Nelson stands out as an exceptional lawyer with a unique blend of extensive legal knowledge and astute business sense. Her capacity to navigate intricate legal issues with clarity and her knack for explaining complex legal concepts plainly make her a standout in her field.”

“She has an incredible level of knowledge of the issues across various technical fields. She also understands the importance of timely communication and a team-based approach.” “Her ingenuity and savviness, combined with her affable and respectful personality, have made her a long-time ally for her clients.”

Tell us about your career progression to date?

I obtained a Law Degree (LLB) from Bristol University in 1995 and then a Diploma in Legal Practice in 1996. Following graduation, I started a training contract with Masons (now Pinsent Masons) in their London office in 1996. There were 8 of us in our trainee intake – 4 women and 4 men. I spent my 2-year training contract doing seat rotations across different departments. It quickly became very clear to me that I wanted to be a disputes lawyer and, rather surprisingly, a construction disputes lawyer. I qualified into the construction disputes team in Masons’ London office and began working on a range of large high profile international construction and energy, and infrastructure arbitrations. In the first few years of my career, I travelled extensively for both client meetings and hearings, spending time in locations such as Paris, Singapore and Lebanon amongst others.

I was promoted to Senior Associate in 2004 and then relocated to Dubai in 2005 as part of the founding team for the then Masons’ Dubai office. We built up a diverse team of talented lawyers and quickly became well-known for construction disputes in the region, and were fortunate to work on some of the best high profile regional disputes. I was promoted to Partner in 2007, the same year as I took 6 months maternity leave for my first daughter. I then took another 6 months maternity leave in 2010 when my second daughter was born. In 2018 I left Pinsent Masons and moved across to Reed Smith to head up and grow their Construction Disputes practice. Again, we built up a team of talented lawyers and quickly became a tier one practice with a reputation for excellence - again being fortunate to work for some amazing clients on important and high profile matters.

As of today, I have been practicing as a specialist construction disputes lawyer for over 25 years, almost 20 of which have been in the Middle East. I am ranked in Band 1 by Chambers Global for UAE Construction Disputes and am the only woman listed in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for Construction in the UAE in recognition of constant praise by clients for continued excellence. I have also been named a Global Elite Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal for construction. Most recently, I was shortlisted for Construction Lawyer of the Year and UAE Lawyer of the Year at the Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards 2024.

Describe the culture of Reed Smith in three words?

Inclusive, empowering and respectful.

In your experience, what has been the most significant change for women in the legal field over the last 10 years?

I believe that over the past decade, the legal profession and legal employers have made significant strides in creating an environment that supports women in balancing their advancing careers with family and other commitments. The necessity for remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated this progress. The widespread adoption of remote and flexible working arrangements has demonstrated that, when managed correctly and balanced appropriately, these practices do not negatively impact work, productivity, or team engagement. This realization has been particularly beneficial for women in the legal profession.

Moreover, the increased use of virtual meeting platforms for both meetings and hearings has highlighted the advantages of remote working. It has underscored the importance of reducing unnecessary time wastage and has provided better control over scheduling. These changes have fostered a more flexible work culture, enabling women with additional commitments to feel more confident in requesting the flexibility they need. This, in turn, supports the intersection of their personal and professional lives and helps them manage the competing demands they face more effectively.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

The creation of a more diverse and inclusive culture starts with recruitment, particularly at graduate level. Policies and procedures and indeed assumptions in terms of recruitment need to recognise and cater for a broad spectrum of routes into the legal profession and the benefits of extended diversity. The recruitment policies and criteria which tend to naturally favour particular kinds of graduates from particular universities does not promote a diverse recruitment policy. By changing these policies, it would assist in changing the pool of candidates from grass-roots level. Beyond this, ensuring that practices and policies are in place to support and include diverse talent is also really important.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and organisations?

The benefits of diverse teams and organisations are immense. Having worked in the Middle East for almost 20 years amongst a diverse team of individuals from different cultures, background and experiences, I constantly see firsthand the benefits of a diverse team and organisation. Benefits include a range of different perspectives, skillsets and life experiences which can generate new ideas and ways to solve problems. In addition, I also believe that diverse teams and organisations are more creative and bold, and not afraid to try new approaches.

Do you have any advice for working parents and how to progress and succeed?

When you are a working parent, it is far too easy to believe that you are not doing either job well! Be honest and kind to yourself and don’t try to be superwoman (or superman). It is not necessary to do everything and it is important to prioritise what really needs focus and identify the non-negotiables. Never apologise for having family commitments outside the office. Recognise that there are different phases in your career / family life combo which require priority and take them into account in your journey. Create and maintain a support system around you to help but also which understands the challenges faced. Having likeminded people around you to share the highs and lows also makes a big difference in my experience.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in your industry now?

Today there are far more safeguards in place to make it easier for young women to succeed in the legal profession. Having role models and mentors at all stages of your career is really important. Chose them carefully however! Remember to be yourself and enjoy the journey - because it is a great one!

Career Milestones, Challenges, and the Future of Law in the Middle East: An Interview with Mohammad Abandah

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:38:06 GMT

Navigating a successful career in the legal profession, Mohammad Abandah has demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a strategic understanding of both law and business. In this blog, we explore his journey from a rigorous start in private practice to ascending to leadership roles within major multinational companies across the Middle East. We'll delve into the key milestones that shaped his progression, the challenges he overcame, and his vision for the future of legal services in this dynamic region. Mohammad's experiences offer valuable insights for both aspiring lawyers and seasoned professionals looking to advance their careers.

Can you share your career trajectory and the key milestones that paved the way for your progression to a leadership position within the legal profession?

After completing my university studies, I was fortunate to start a hard two-year training period, simultaneously in the legal department of a major bank and at a law firm. This demanding schedule (often exceeding 12 hours of work daily) accelerated my professional development, allowing me to acquire skills at a much faster rate than my peers. As a result, I passed the Bar certification with the highest marks ever recorded in the history of the Bar Association.

This achievement led to an immediate offer from one of the largest law firms in Jordan, where I began my career as a junior lawyer. Over the next 12 years, I advanced steadily, eventually becoming a partner in 2010, responsible for leading the banking department and dispute resolution within the firm.

In 2012, I transitioned to an in-house role as the Head of Legal for the GCC Region for a multinational insurance company based in Dubai, UAE. This shift was essential to understand business strategy development and the critical importance of integrating legal requirements with business objectives to ensure sustainable growth and protect corporate interests. My time in-house improved my interpersonal, negotiation, problem-solving and relationship management skills.

In 2021, I took on the role of Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for the Middle East Region at another multinational company with diverse business lines of financial services. This position has tested my leadership abilities in ways I hadn’t anticipated, particularly due to the complex dynamics and difficult personalities I’ve encountered. This experience has allowed me to deepen my expertise in managing difficult legal and compliance matters across multiple jurisdictions and to lead in demanding environments.

In your journey, what obstacles or setbacks did you are encounter, and how did you navigate these challenges to continue advancing in your career?

When reflecting on my career journey, I believe one of the biggest challenges I have faced was when I transitioned from private practice to an in-house role. Shifting from a purely legal focus to a business-oriented approach required me to quickly adapt and develop new skills in strategic thinking, business oriented negotiations and decision making in addition to learning new ways of relationship management.

Another big challenge was linked to my ability to navigate challenging environments and work with individuals whose values may not always align with mine, which could be common in some situations and what I have learned is that you will need always, as a lawyer, to remember mastering integrity and upholding the highest ethical standards despite what the business or the management might think or want. Such challenges taught me resilience, adaptability and the importance of understanding the business, changing the way of thinking to adapt to new environments, but always without losing the legal and moral compass.

How do you envision the role of technology shaping the future of legal services in the Middle East and what innovations do you believe will have the greatest impact on the industry?

We can agree that the Middle East in general is witnessing a significant transformation and legal professionals increasingly recognize the importance of technological integration. I believe that several innovations are expected to have a profound impact on the legal industry such as research technology which is enhancing the efficiency of legal research by providing access to region-specific regulations and legislative information in multiple languages.

Collaboration and communication tools are also facilitating better work and collaboration among legal teams, external counsels, stakeholders and clients.

The AI and machine learning have also started to be integrated in many legal services and are expected to revolutionize many areas such as contracts management, drafting and revision, compliance monitoring and identification of legal risks and opportunities.

I strongly believe that the future of legal services in the Middle East will see greater reliance on technology to meet evolving client demands and regulatory requirements. The Middle East for sure will benefit from the ongoing digital transformation and the legal sector will be part of that fast changing environment.

Can you share the unique challenges and opportunities that lawyers face in the Middle East region compared to other parts of the world?

The Middle East countries have diverse legal frameworks, special cultural and different business practices. One of the primary challenges in the Middle East is the ability of navigating the complex legal landscape with a big mix of local laws and regulations that despite the similarities they are vary (sometimes significantly) between the individual countries within the region. This requires a deep understanding of both the legal systems and the cultural contexts in which they operate. This means handling a particular matter in one country might require a different handling in another country. Also, the speed of regulatory developments and race for introducing and updating the regulations in the Middle East requires lawyers and legal professionals to invest massive amounts of time and efforts to keep up to the speed when covering multiple countries within the Middle East.

At the same time understanding the local culture in the Middle East is critical because trust and relationships are essential and often take precedence over formal arrangements. Lawyers must be skilled in building strong relationships with all stakeholders (including regulators, business partners and clients) which involves not only legal expertise but also cultural sensitivity and the ability to negotiate and communicate effectively in a way that resonates with local customs and values.

In terms of opportunities, as everyone can see the Middle East region witnessing ongoing growth, focus on economic diversification and investments in new sectors which will allow lawyers who can navigate these complexities and build strong, trust-based relationships to be well-positioned and to take advantage of the Middle East growth.

As a successful lawyer, we would love to know what makes you thrive?

I really enjoy the opportunities to solve complex legal challenges and make a meaningful impact for my clients or on the organization I work for. Analyzing complicated legal issues, being able to contribute to strategies and business goals and finding solutions that not only address legal concerns but also contribute to the broader success of the company is something I really enjoy. I also find great satisfaction in working with diverse teams, mentoring younger lawyers and developing strong partnerships with stakeholders. The trust and respect that comes from these relationships are incredibly rewarding and fuel the motivation to continue delivering exceptional results.

Lastly, continuous learning is essential to my growth and success, that is because the legal landscape is constantly evolving in the Middle East and staying ahead of changes requires a commitment to ongoing education and professional development. This pursuit of knowledge keeps me engaged, adaptable and prepared to tackle new challenges and helps me to continue to excel in my career and to, hopefully, make a lasting impact.

How do you see the role of women in the legal profession evolving in the Middle East, and what support can male counterparts provide?

It is clear that the role of women in the legal profession in the Middle East is evolving quickly. We can see more women entering the field both in-house and in private practice and we are seeing more and more women advancing to leadership positions. This progress is an evidence of the growing recognition of women’s capabilities and the value of diverse perspectives in the legal industry. However, there is still more work to be done to achieve true gender equality.

Creating an inclusive environment that supports and empowers women at every stage of their careers is essential and not only leadership has the duty to change but also male counterparts at each level have a crucial role to play in this evolution by offering support through mentoring and sponsoring female colleagues, advocating for their inclusion in high-profile matters and leadership opportunities among other things. Some countries and companies are doing better than others but the collective efforts of everyone is needed to drive better change. The good news is the fact that governments and officials across all the Middle East are paying attention and pushing to break down barriers to create more inclusive, equitable, and reflective of the diverse talent within the region.

What advice would you offer to aspiring lawyers who aim to progress to leadership positions?

First of all the need to build a strong foundation in legal knowledge by taking the time to master the core areas of laws and regulations in the Middle East and always trying to be thorough, diligent and always strive for excellence in our legal work. As a legal professional, integrity is the cornerstone and upholding the highest ethical standards in all dealings is a must. Our reputation as trustworthy and ethical lawyers is one of our greatest assets to advance in our careers.

Within the in-house community it is also crucial to shift from a purely legal perspective to a broader, business-oriented mindset by understanding how legal advice impact the organization’s goals and we need to learn how to link and align the legal advice to business objectives by building and maintaining strong understanding through relationships with business colleagues, clients and any other stakeholders.

Also, as I have mentioned before, the legal landscape in the Middle East keeps evolving and staying ahead requires a commitment to lifelong learning. Keeping up with legal developments, exploring new areas of the law and seeking out opportunities to enhance your skills through formal education, certifications, networking and practical experiences is another way to ensure progressing to the leadership positions.

The last thing I would say here is the ability to understand that the path to leadership will inevitably involve challenges and setbacks and how you respond to these difficulties will define your career. Having the required resilience, remaining adaptable in the face of change and interacting with these challenges as opportunities for growth will allow lawyers to succeed and grow.

How do you see the legal industry in the Middle East evolving over the next five years?

With the positive projected growth for the Middle East countries will continue to diversify their economies which will bring further demand for legal expertise in emerging sectors such as technology, renewable energy, healthcare and financial services. My guess is that legal professionals with specialized knowledge in these areas will be in high demand, and the legal profession will need to adapt to the complexities of these evolving industries. We will also see that the adoption of technology in the legal sector will be accelerating and legal tech will play a crucial role in streamlining processes, improving efficiency and enhancing access to legal services. For that; lawyers who embrace these technologies will be better positioned to meet the changing needs of clients and remain competitive in the market.

I strongly believe that the region will continue to update its legal and regulatory frameworks and there will be increased focus on compliance, data protection and corporate governance. This will create opportunities for legal professionals to advise on new regulations and help businesses navigate complex compliance landscapes. Also environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are becoming increasingly important in the Middle East especially that the governments and the companies are committing to sustainability goals and legal professionals will play a critical role in advising on ESG-related issues, including compliance with environmental regulations, corporate social responsibility and sustainable business practices.

Overall, lawyers who are proactive in adapting to these trends and embracing technological tools, understanding new regulatory landscapes and committing to sustainability and diversity will be well-positioned to thrive in the evolving legal landscape of the Middle East. The way I see it; the combination of economic diversification, technological integration, and regulatory reform presents a unique opportunity for legal professionals to expand their practices and make a bigger impact in the companies.

Gender biased algorithms and replacing human interaction: A deep dive into the ethical considerations of using AI in your recruitment process.

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:59:50 GMT

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, AI has emerged as a powerful tool in recruitment, with 70% of businesses now using AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) to find and hire talent. Despite research showing that using AI sources candidates 75% quicker than conventional techniques, there are huge concerns across the industry about its ethics. From gender-biased algorithms to removing the human touch, we’re unpicking the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to using AI in your hiring process – and sharing our best practices when it comes to keeping things ethical. Let’s dig in!

The Good: Where and why businesses are turning to AI for hiring

The three most common ways of using AI in hiring is for CV screening, candidate sourcing, and using chatbots for initial interactions - but the list goes on, to interview scheduling, skills assessments and onboarding. Hiring teams are reaping the benefits, with AI enabling them to quickly sift through large volumes of applications, identify top candidates, expand their talent pools and find passive candidates, significantly reducing business’ time-to-hire. We’ve seen that where AI is used well, is for mundane tasks, saving employers time to focus on enhancing good, old, human interaction.

CV screening

Generative AI has significantly shifted the industry, with its ability to scan large volumes of CVs and match candidates to roles based on skills rather than just job titles. Tools like Canditech and HireVue promise to refine the selection processes through extracting key information from CVs and matching them with available job descriptions. Where hiring teams would otherwise need to manually review each application, these tools sift through CVs automatically and highlight the most suitable candidate for the position.

Candidate sourcing

Businesses are also using AI-driven candidate sourcing tools to identify and reach out to potential candidates more efficiently, enabling them to manage a larger talent pool without getting bogged down in administrative work. LinkedIn Recruiter now includes AI functions such as AI-Assisted Search and AI-Assisted Messages to help users target the right people and create personalised messages for their initial outreach. AI-Assisted Messages uses AI to draw on profile information provided by the candidate and combines it with the job requirements, saving hiring teams hours of time skimming LinkedIn profiles to gather insight.

Chatbots

Using chatbots for initial candidate interactions has been a contentious topic among industry leaders and has its obvious downfalls – mainly, its lack of personalisation and not being able to deal with complex issues. However, with many candidates searching for roles in the evening having worked at their current roles all day, an evening AI chatbot answering queries while your workforce is offline could ultimately booster your customer experience. Automated responses can also be used to avoid candidate ‘ghosting’, although if this is an existing problem, we’d probably advise to take a look at the root cause! Where chatbots take a turn for the worse, is when businesses continue the AI interactions into the first rounds of interviews – we’ll get to that travesty shortly…

The Bad: Where to be cautious

Gender-biased algorithms

One of the main ethical issues when it comes to using AI in the hiring process is its risk of reinforcing existing biases. Afterall, AI only generates the information it’s trained on, meaning that the input data can directly influence the decision-making in algorithms. The difference in the gender pay gap in STEM industries for example is still at around a 30%, and interestingly, women account for less than 25% of AI specialists. Because this information originally accentuates gender biases in the STEM industry, there is a risk that AI algorithms will replicate these biases in decision making.

A well-known example of this is when Amazon used automated CV screening, which used CV samples from candidates over a 10-year period to train its recruitment model. The model picked up historical patterns by analysing language patterns on CVs, and, due to the previous underrepresentation of women, began associating male candidates with the language commonly found on CVs of successful employments. On the other hand, CVs that included language often associated with women were dismissed by the algorithm. A more recent example is Carnegie Mellon University’s research, which found that Google Ads exhibited gender discrimination, showing males better paying jobs than female job seekers.

Brookings Institution’s Aylin Caliskan argues that AI algorithms, “need to be transparently standardised, audited and regulated […] Trustworthy AI would require companies and agencies to meet standards, and pass the evaluations of third-party quality and fairness checks before employing AI in decision-making”.

More and more businesses who use AI are adopting audit mechanisms as a step towards regulating AI biases. Out of interest, we reached out to PreScreenAI , a platform designed for AI-powered job interviews to ask how they avoid gender-bias. They commented, “[our] software has its own mechanism for avoiding [gender bias] and a specific methodology to test that.” However, Erica Sweeney from Business Insider points out that over 80% of companies using AI hiring tools lack proper oversight mechanisms to prevent biases […and] without rigorous auditing and regulation, these biases could become deeply embedded in AI-driven hiring practices.”

It's clear that careful oversight is essential to ensure AI doesn’t perpetuate the same old biases. Despite many platforms promising to enable a more diverse and inclusive hiring process, businesses should be extremely wary of biased AI algorithms.

Data privacy

Another issue businesses should consider is how their AI-powered processes are using and collecting candidate data. Businesses using Open AI (or similar) to generate and automate candidate interactions should be wary of the kind of data they’re feeding into their system. If businesses are inputting private data such as email addresses and names, then being transparent with candidates about how their data is being used is crucial.

The Ugly: Replacing essential human interactions

With 68% of jobseekers saying they want to be engaged with at least 1-2x per week, you can see why many hiring teams are cutting corners and automating their interactions. Platforms like Zapier allow you to use Chat GPT 4 to automate workflows such as candidate sourcing, assessments and scheduling, saving hiring managers hours of time. Where this turns ugly however, is when AI starts to seep into the workflows where personalisation and real human interaction is essential.

We’ve seen some businesses use AI platforms to assess candidates based on their tone of voice, buzz words they use and even their head movements. Some platforms also provide the functionality to carry out first stage interviews with an AI avatar. When we asked our network how they’d feel if their first stage interview was with an AI bot, over 80% said they would hate it. One respondent commented, “if I receive a request to do a 1-way interview with AI, I ignore it and drop out of the interview process. Companies which use [AI interviews] expect candidates to invest time preparing for such ‘interviews’ yet demonstrate they are unwilling to invest time themselves.”

In the end, while AI can significantly boost efficiency in recruitment by automating routine tasks, it’s crucial not to let technology replace the personal touch that candidates value. The backlash against AI-driven interviews and impersonal assessments underscores the need for a balanced approach. Businesses should harness AI's strengths to streamline processes but remain committed to genuine, human interaction where it matters most.

Using AI ethically: our best practices

There’s a common phrase quickly making its way around the industry, which is that HR won’t be replaced by AI. HR will be replaced by humans who are using AI to their advantage.

To harness the benefits of AI in your hiring process while maintaining ethical standards, check out our Ethical AI: Best Practices:

1. Balance automation with personal touch

Use AI to streamline tasks such as candidate sourcing, but ONLY to enable more time to focus on real human interactions.

If you’re struggling to figure out which of your processes to automate, try noting

down your core workflows. Ask yourself how much time you spend on the activity, how frequently the activity needs to be completed, and assess whether it can be automated or not while keeping candidate experience at the forefront.

2. Make candidate experiences engaging and respectful

Avoid over-reliance on AI for tasks where personal interaction is essential. Chatbots and auto-responses are good way of acknowledging queries and initial interactions, especially if a candidate needs support during offline hours. However, don’t over-use AI for things like first stage interviews, where employer/candidate connection is key to a good customer experience and ensuring a good cultural fit.

3. Be wary of biased algorithms

If you’re using AI for things like targeting candidates, initial screenings, and assessments, be extremely wary of gender biased algorithms and ensure your AI platforms use ethical AI practices such as establishing processes to test for and mitigate bias and investing in bias research.

4. Prioritise data privacy

Be transparent about how candidate data is collected and used. Ensure that all data handling practices comply with privacy regulations and inform candidates about how their information is being processed.

5. And last but not least, MAINTAIN HUMAN OVERSIGHT!

AI should support, not replace, human judgment. Use AI-generated insights as a tool to aid decision-making, but rely on human expertise for final decisions and to provide that oh-so-important personal touch in candidate interactions.

Useful links and references

Women in Law: Radwa Elsaman

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:08:20 GMT

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

With over 15 years of experience as a bi-lingual attorney, Radwa Elsaman has made her mark in corporate commercial law, compliance, and regulatory affairs. She has collaborated with top law firms like DLA Piper and Dentons, and advised global entities, including the World Bank and USAID, on complex legal matters. Radwa also teaches at Cornell Law School and actively supports female leaders, sharing her expertise through initiatives and courses focused on empowering women in the legal profession and beyond.

Tell us about your career progression to date.

Throughout my 15-year career as a bar-admitted bi-lingual attorney, I have specialized in corporate commercial law, compliance, and regulatory affairs. I've had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed law firms, including DLA Piper and Dentons, and in-house teams in the fields of oil and gas, telecommunication, and retail, overseeing complex corporate transactions, and providing strategic counsel on a wide spectrum of legal matters.

My expertise extends to advising international organizations and governments – including the World Bank Group, the European Investment Bank, the USAID, the IDLO, among others, on regulatory frameworks, policy drafting, legal restructuring initiatives, and government support.

I also expand my impact through teaching law with Cornell University School of Law, one of the Ivy League in the USA, designing courses tailored to American lawyers on Middle Eastern Laws.

Armed with a Master's and PhD in law from the Washington College of Law in DC, and being bi-lingual my scholarly contributions have been published in prestigious law journals and recognized by leading publishers such as Cambridge, the American Bar Association, and Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

There have been several pivotal moments that both propelled and challenged my progression. A key moment was joining a prestigious law firm early on, where I had the opportunity to work on high-profile corporate transactions and gain invaluable experience in commercial law. I remember being trusted with leading highly sophisticated transactions, a role typically reserved for partners, even while I was still an associate.

Another turning point was being selected by the World Bank Group in Washington DC to lead a project that resulted in changing the applicable law in the chosen territory. This experience deepened my understanding of international policy, which has been instrumental in my subsequent advisory roles with governments and international organizations, crowned with being assigned the honorary position of country representative at the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) to have a say in drafting model laws and international conventions.

Hindered moments include being stereotyped as a female lawyer and perceived as less assertive or capable sometimes. This requires putting in double the efforts compared to men, sometimes. However, as lawyers, we need to be receptive to our clients' thoughts and feelings and focus on how well we can serve them. Over time, clients concentrate on the achievements and professional support provided. Once they reach this level of trust, they see you not as male or female but as a capable lawyer who meets their needs.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

In my early career, I was not allowed to join the judiciary, for example, despite my top academic standing. Now, I've had the privilege to train judges and lawyers.

In private practice, I remember being assigned the “General Counsel” position for an international company, leading a team of over 15 male lawyers. The challenge was significant, and some of these lawyers were particularly difficult to manage. That moment made me realize how hard it can be for female lawyers to reach and succeed in leading positions in the field.

However, I am still grateful to all experiences, both positive and challenging, since they have shaped my career trajectory, reinforcing my commitment to advancing in the legal profession and contributing to the development of law and policy on a global scale.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organizations?

Diversity brings numerous advantages to the table. Incorporating experiences and cultures from different backgrounds help generate innovative solutions that might not have been considered otherwise- as diversity in teams encourages more thorough analysis and consideration of different options. This can lead to better decision-making outcomes.

Diversity adds variety of skills and perspectives, which helps bring new business opportunities. A diverse workforce can better understand and cater to the needs of diverse client bases, particularly in the private sector.

Beyond operational benefits, fostering diversity improves employee engagement and retention, as individuals feel valued for their contributions in an inclusive workplace.

Economic wise, diversity enhances productivity by leveraging the full potential of a society's workforce, including women who contribute equally alongside men.

Are there any specific challenges in terms of achieving a better gender diversity within the legal industry?

Well, the positive aspect is that women comprise around 1/2 of law students at law schools. However, the proportional retention of women in the legal profession has not exhibited a corresponding growth. Though the count of women occupying significant leadership roles has nearly doubling over the past 15 years, there is still room for improvement. Lack of mentorship and sponsorship for young lawyers is sometimes challenging. Gender stereo types is also a common challenge based on experience.

Moreover, certain legal specialties, such as criminal defense, may be more male dominated, presenting additional barriers for women to enter and advance.

You have worked in (Egypt, US and Saudi); did you notice any differences in terms of culture and how did it affect your management style?

Combining experience from both Eastern and Western contexts has enriched my professional profile and expanded my network to a global scale. I have had the privilege of working with clients from diverse fields as well as from the private sector, international organizations, and governments. This global exposure has enabled me to provide the highest quality of legal support, for which I am truly grateful.

Overall, the foundations of a professional working environment are generally similar worldwide, particularly in business law, however, in the Middle East, cultural values such as respect for hierarchy and the importance of relationships have influenced my management style to emphasize consensus-building and maintaining strong personal connections with colleagues and clients. This approach fosters trust and cooperation, crucial for effective teamwork and client relations. In the US, there's often a flatter organizational structure, which supports a more flexible management approach. Adapting to these cultural nuances has enhanced my ability to lead effectively in diverse environments.

Additionally, working in the Middle East necessitated a deep understanding of Sharia compliance, which influenced legal, business, and management practices.

Mentioning Saudi Arabia, I would remiss if I do not mention that I am particularly excited about the legal market there, where substantial advancements in the business landscape are creating opportunities across sectors like finance, infrastructure, and technology, driven by ongoing regulatory reforms and a rapidly expanding market. Notably, I have observed and supported the advancement of women in Saudi Arabia, which has been a significant and positive cultural shift.

Is there anything you are doing to empower female leaders?

Absolutely, the bigger picture is to harness the full potential of our society's workforce to bolster the economy. Particularly, our work as business lawyers, primarily facilitates doing business, enhances economic growth, and promotes investment. This makes me always keen to participate in initiatives, panels, and the like that help female lawyers to progress.

For instance, I served as a member at the American Association of University Women; a national organization in Washington DC that supports women in the fields of education and mid-career progression, founded in 1881. We support various programs and fellowships for women and girls, aiming to advance education, and empower women to achieve their full professional potential.

I also serve as a jury at LexisNexis Middle East Women in Law Awards - a prestigious initiative celebrating women's achievements and innovations in legal practice in the MENA region.

Lately, I was recommended by Cornell Law School’s management to design and teach a course on “Women in Business Law and International Trade”, which is taught at Cornell as one of the very few courses of its kind addressed to international lawyers who are keen to learn about women empowerment in fields.

My support for female leaders extends beyond the legal field to my clients as well. I educate female clients about relevant laws, governmental incentive schemes, financial inclusion, and other essential topics. This comprehensive support has proven to be instrumental in their progress and empowerment.

What advice do you have for young women on business development and networking?

My advice would be to focus on developing strong educational and professional expertise, and always maintain a thirst for knowledge and learning. Also, to actively participate in industry events, seminars, and networking groups to expand their professional network. Seeking mentors who can provide guidance and support as they navigate their career path is also important. Finally, not being afraid to promote their skills and accomplishments, and always be open to learning from others.

To read more from our Women in Law series, click here.

How to prepare for career-driven Gen Z as they become one-third of the workforce by 2025

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:09:45 GMT

Digital Natives’, Gen Z, have a whole new set of preferences employers need to be aware of. New data is dispelling some of the common stereotypes – notably, that they are definitely not ‘lazy’, but in fact the generation most likely to describe themselves as career-focused.

With the average tenure of Gen Z now at 2 years and 2 months, businesses need to work harder than ever to attract and retain younger talent. After all, they’re our future leaders – let’s set them up for success!

Here are 4 things your business can be doing now:

1. Embracing the adoption of AI to meet Gen Z expectations

Gen Z is the least likely of all generations to be fearful of AI, with over 50% using Chat GPT in the workplace. 23% feel it’s appropriate to use AI for workplace emails, and 20% feel it’s appropriate to use AI for job applications, demonstrating Gen Zs dependence on AI and trust in its abilities.

Businesses need to meet Gen Z’s expectations of AI in the workplace and use it to their advantage. Consumer research Firm GWI points out, “Millennials brought a wealth of internet experience with them into the workplace, now Gen Z are doing the same with AI. There’s an opportunity here for companies to hire AI-natives who can use the technology in creative ways for their business.”

Implementing AI doesn’t need to be complicated. Hydrogen’s Associate Director of Technology, Scott McCormick says, “To attract and retain Gen Z talent, businesses should embrace AI by integrating it into daily operations and offering training on AI tools. Starting with user-friendly AI platforms can empower companies to meet Gen Z's tech-savvy expectations and drive innovation.”

2. Define clear career pathways to reduce anxiety

According to Cigna International Health’s recent survey, 91% of 18-24-year-olds report feeling stressed at work. This is believed to be down to the fact that they entered the workforce post-Covid, meaning that many Gen Zers were not used to corporate social interactions having completed their degrees in isolation. Economic downturns are also causing career anxiety for younger generations entering the workforce, with redundancy cases rising globally.

Defining clear pathways for Gen Z will likely reduce anxieties around job loss and provide direction, aligning their goals with actionable steps. Career pathways can help all employees visualise their future growth and keep them feeling motivated to succeed. Hydrogen’s Senior Business Development Manager in the US, Marina Hart, says on the matter, “Gen Z grew up amid unprecedented technological advances, economic uncertainty and political unrest in many parts of the world[…] they value the clarity of expectations.”

3. Move your marketing to the right social media platforms

It’s no surprise that the generation most likely to use Instagram and Tik Tok is Gen Z. This prospect has rushed businesses to start up their own Tik Tok and Instagram accounts, scrambling for edgy, short-form video content. However, it might surprise some that YouTube is the most-used platform for Gen Z, with 80% spending their time on the app. This presents opportunities for businesses to create their own YouTube content, allowing for longer, more informative videos. The platform offers sponsored features, an effective algorithm and precise audience targeting.

Businesses will also be interested to know that X and Facebook are among the least popular platforms for Gen Z. Therefore, if companies hope to target younger talent, they might consider moving their social media marketing efforts over to Gen Zs most used platforms.

4. Implement targeted incentives to retain talent

Out of all the generations, Gen Z is the most prone to experiencing mental health illnesses, with one in three 18–24-year-olds reporting symptoms of depression or anxiety. Therefore, businesses which offer wellness programmes, such as mental health support, are likely to appeal to the younger generation.

More than a half of Gen Zers prefer a hybrid set up, and 38% reported that one of the biggest barriers to finding their dream job is businesses requiring five days a week in the office. CIPD offer great advice on how to plan and support effective hybrid working to companies considering improving their flexibility options.

Travel incentives like team holidays and social experiences are also likely to appeal to Gen Z, especially with travel influencers taking Tik Tok and Instagram by storm. However, because Gen Zs aren’t generally at their peak earning age, businesses have a great opportunity to inspire new talent with travel incentives that they might otherwise not be able to afford.

Hydrogen’s Head of TA, Dean Jennings, says, “It's important to ensure that incentives are inclusive. The next generation coming through our doors are ultra-marathon runners, semi-professional athletes and avid campaigners for a better world. They have a completely different grasp of what they want to do with their time. Whilst there is a place for boozy incentives, it is no longer the "go to" for a lot of individuals joining the workforce and they are craving something much more intellectually stimulating". This points towards businesses also offering educational incentives such as training and development programmes.

Interested in learning more about generational preferences at work? Read our recent blog on how to work alongside different communication styles and work life expectations - and bridge the digital divide: ‘FIVE generations side-by-side: How to thrive in a multi-generational workplace’ https://www.hydrogengroup.com/five-generations-side-by-side-how-to-thrive-in-a-multi-generational-workplace

This article was made possible by:

GWI: The New Age of Gen Z

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/03/whats-up-with-generation-z

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/17/gen-z-travel-trends-travel-often-save-money-and-seek-adventure-.html

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230215-are-gen-z-the-most-stressed-generation-in-the-workplace

https://later.com/blog/gen-z-social-media-usage/

https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/guides/planning-hybrid-working/

Women in Law: Ravi Gill

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:13:36 GMT

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

Kicking off our series is Ravi Gill, a UK-qualified lawyer specialising in Real Estate Law, with extensive general commercial experience. She boasts over 25 years as a Real Estate Lawyer in both the UK and UAE, and more than a decade of experience in Board Secretarial roles. Her diverse career spans in-house and private practice appointments, working across all aspects and divisions of the business. Stay tuned as we dive into her journey, expertise, and the unique insights she brings to the legal profession.

Tell us about your career progression to date.

I qualified as a solicitor of England and Wales in 1997 in the UK and joined Hammonds (now known as Squire Patton Boggs ) in London in their commercial property department for 5 years. A close friend of mine had moved to Dubai around that time on a finance project for the Dubai Government and I decided to visit her in 2002. I was astounded at the number of cranes throughout the city and the sense that something big was about to happen, particularly from my perspective working in the real estate sector. My friend suggested that I should apply to Emaar Properties at the time, and I did. Dubai had not been on my radar at all, and I was very much on the private practice trajectory of working my way up in a law firm through to partnership, but Dubai had different plans for me. Emaar flew me over for an interview and before I knew it, I had been offered the job of Senior Legal Counsel. I have held 4 different positions within Dubai over the last 20 years and am currently a Senior Vice President of Legal with the DIFC Authority , where I have been based for the last nearly 9 years.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Being open to learning. I believe if you have this one attribute you can navigate whatever life throws at you in terms of career and most other issues we face in life. This includes adaptability in terms of always being open and willing to learn the needs of a business as it grows, evolves and innovates including the laws and regulations in the industries and region in which the business operates. This learning then allows you to understand and advise on what is being aimed at from a commercial perspective, and what is achievable or best practice from a regulatory perspective.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

On the face of it, no. Especially not in this region where women’s achievements are encouraged and celebrated by His Highness, the ruler of Dubai. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention that I have encountered some level of unconscious bias in terms of gender in certain workplaces. From my perspective, I will always base my worth in an organisation on what I am providing to a business in terms of skills and experience rather than my gender. I am confident in my abilities and feel a duty towards younger women coming into the workplace to try and dismantle such biases.

In your experience, what has been the most significant change for women in the legal field over the last 5 years?

I am seeing more and more women CLO’s and partners in law firms, which makes me extremely proud. Women are often pressurised into playing small and I am glad to see a shedding for a lot of women of what can often feel like imposter syndrome.

How important is it to have other women visible at management level?

Extremely! It tells you a lot about an organization and its culture in my view. Paying lip service to diversity and making it a part of your story as a business are two very different animals. I would advise young women entering into organisations to ask for details on the structures of the teams they are joining to get a gauge of the level of diversity being employed - not just in terms of gender diversity.

What do you think the legal industry can do to improve diversity and inclusion?

The people who have the power to recruit should have regular training on diversity and inclusion to ensure they are picking the right candidates for their organisations. There should also be learning provided around how non-diversity directly affects the bottom line of a business. Legal teams within listed companies will now be subject to the same ESG guidelines applicable to the rest of the company and such information is often made available to shareholders upon their request.

What are some of the obstacles you foresee for future generations of women, and is there anything we can do about them?

I do see some women struggling when they are rushed back to work too soon after giving birth or being made to feel that they are suddenly not as worthy as they were before childbirth. I think some younger generations of women who wish to pursue their careers may feel that having children is no longer a viable option to them depending on the economies they live in. Organisations should seek to retain female talent through more flexible work practices and assist in providing whatever maternity support is needed.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in your industry now?

I think it’s important for all genders to stay ahead of the curve in their industries. Stay up to date with the latest tools, innovations and changes within your field of work. Above all, don't ever let a male colleague make you feel that you are lesser than simply because of your gender. Believe in yourself, make use of your learning and experience and conduct yourself with compassion and professionalism at all times. Be confident that you are always bringing something of worth to the table!

I also advise connecting with strong female leaders in law or other industries to mentor and guide you through your career path and journey. I have always found that there is much wisdom to be gleaned from the experience of those who have forged their paths before you.

To read more from our Women in Law series, click here.

FIVE generations side-by-side: How to thrive in a multi-generational workplace

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 12:29:24 GMT

For the first time in history, five distinct generations are working side-by-side. That’s Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation all under one roof. While to some this might sound like a nightmarish family reunion at the office, this combination brings about unique benefits that aren't being talked about enough.

While generational diversity in the workplace creates a rich mashup of experiences and work styles, it also presents challenges that organisations need to navigate in order to create a harmonious and productive workplace. This starts with understanding the unique needs of each generation.

So, let’s meet them.

1. Silent Generation (Born 1928-1945)

Key characteristics: Known for their strong work ethic, discipline and loyalty
Typical work style: Prefer face-to-face communication and structured environments
Biggest impact: Their wealth of experience and historical knowledge

2. Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)

Key characteristics: Competitive, goal-oriented, team-focused
Typical work style: Value hierarchical structures and in-person meetings
Biggest impact: Their commitment and experience, long-term strategic planning and ensuring organisational stability

3. Generation X (Born 1965-1980)

Key characteristics: Independent, resourceful, skeptical of authority
Typical work style: Favour flexibility, work-life balance, and digital communication
Biggest impact: Being a bridge between older and younger generations, promoting adaptability

4. Millennials (Born 1981-1996)

Key characteristics: Tech-savvy, collaborative, purpose-driven
Typical work style: Prefer collaborative workspaces, digital communication, meaningful work
Biggest impact: Their enthusiasm for technology and social responsibility drives organisational change/modernisation

5. Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

Key characteristics: Digital natives, pragmatic, entrepreneurial
Typical work style: Expect flexible working conditions, value diversity, quick feedback
Biggest impact: Bringing fresh perspectives and digital expertise, crucial for future-proofing businesses

There you have it... but how can businesses ensure each generation’s needs are met at the same time as encouraging cross-generational collaboration?

We’ve tried to break it down:

Why it’s good:

Each generation brings unique experiences and viewpoints. This means organisations can drive creativity and innovation. Different problem-solving approaches and ideas can lead to more robust solutions.
Older generations can impart valuable knowledge and mentorship to younger employees. This fosters a culture of continuous learning. This exchange of skills can help maintain knowledge and develop future leaders.
Organisations that embrace generational diversity are better equipped to adapt to change. The blend of wisdom, knowledge and innovation can help organisations better navigate market shifts and technological advancements.

Why it can be bad... and how to fix it:

There are lots of reasons why employees might feel a divide between generations. Here are some common challenges and suggested solutions:

4 key takeaways for employers:

Catering to the needs of five whole generations isn’t an easy feat... and we're not leaving you in the lurch. Here are four key takeaways to help each generation thrive in a changing world:

- Foster inclusive leadership

Train leaders to understand and appreciate generational differences. Inclusive leadership that leverages diversity can create a more productive workforce.

- Encourage cross-generational teams

Create opportunities for employees of different ages to work together. Cross-generational teams can enhance mutual understanding and break down. stereotypes

- Promote continuous learning

Develop programs that encourage learning and skill development. By supporting career growth at every stage, organisations can maintain a motivated workforce.

- Celebrate diversity

Recognise and celebrate the contributions of all generations. Highlighting success stories and achievements can help foster a culture of respect and appreciation

Five generations in the workplace is a remarkable opportunity for organisations to thrive through diversity. With so much to learn from one another, the key is to let each voice be heard. Diverse perspectives will always drive success in this ever-changing world of work.

Are you finding your work environment challenging? We’d love to hear from you. Contact marketingsupport@hydrogengroup.com

References:
https://www.employerflexible.com/insights/generational-differences-in-work-styles/

https://www.purdueglobal.edu/education-partnerships/generational-workforce-differences-infographic/

Hydrogen Group and Argyll Scott appoint Joel Forrester as Global Managing Director - Client Services

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 08:42:03 GMT

10 July, 2024 - Hydrogen Group and Argyll Scott appoint Joel Forrester as Global Managing Director - Client Services.

Joel brings a wealth of experience to the role, having demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence in client services over his career. His dynamic approach and dedication to growth and development in teams make him a perfect fit for Hydrogen Group's ambitious future.

On the new role, Joel commented: “I am so excited to be joining Hydrogen Group. I have already met many of the truly fantastic people here, who are passionate about providing a world-class service to our clients and candidates alike. The golden thread that is clear to see is the work ethic and desire to evolve as people and teams. This energy and belief in the future is infectious, and I have no doubt this will be the foundation of our future success.”

He added: “The first connections I had with Hydrogen Group provided an accurate steer. The team is innovative, passionate, diverse, forward-thinking, and authentic, which is reflective of the strong and inclusive culture here. This is embodied by Hayley, our CEO – whose inspiration filters down through all levels, layers, and regions of the business. I believe fully in the direction of Hydrogen Group and I am excited to have a lot of fun along our journey over the coming years as we continue to thrive in an ever-changing world.”

CEO Hayley Still commented: "Joel’s arrival marks an exciting chapter for Hydrogen Group. His expertise and forward-thinking mindset are precisely what we need to elevate our client services to new heights. When we started our discussions, it was clear that Joel’s innovative attitude was aligned with our vision for the future.

His passion for cultivating a vibrant, collaborative environment will be instrumental in driving our growth. We are thrilled to have Joel on board and look forward to the dynamic impact he will undoubtedly bring."

Contact Information

For more information, please contact: marketingsupport@hydrogengroup.com

About Hydrogen Group

Hydrogen Group is a global recruitment agency dedicated to helping organisations find the best talent in the life sciences, legal, engineering, business transformation, and technology sectors. Our mission is to enable people to thrive in a changing world through innovative recruitment solutions and exceptional service.

LGBTQ+ Allyship in the Workplace: A Global Analysis

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:14:36 GMT

You may have noticed us sharing polls across our network recently around LGBTQ+ recruitment practices... and our results are now in! With insights analysed from over 1430 LinkedIn users, we're excited to bring you a benchmarking guide alongside resources to help support the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.

44% believe that providing inclusive healthcare benefits is the most important factor to making an organistation more attractive to LGBTQ+ candidates.

This means offering medical and wellness services that meet the unique needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. This doesn’t just mean providing non-discriminatory access to things like maternity, paternity or adoption leave, which by law is a minimum. It means providing access to care which caters for every individual. This could be anything from tapping into training networks to ensure respectful communication, offering sexual and reproductive health services tailored to LGBTQ+ needs, or access to gender-affirming care. 26% of our network believed that providing support for transitioning employees was the most important factor, further emphasising the critical role healthcare inclusivity plays in making an organisation more appealing to LGBTQ+ candidates. We also received comments and questions around the need for separate benefits, opening the conversation around equity vs equality, and how standard employee benefits can overlook the needs of LGBTQ+ employees.

More than a third of LGBTQ+ candidates looking for work are worried about being discriminated against due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Outwardly showing your support through the inclusivity of your company benefits can help alleviate concerns around being accepted in the workplace as well as show your allyship towards the LGBTQ+ community.

75% of our network do not work in companies that have specific initiatives to recruit LGBTQ+ talent.

Even though our network agrees that factors like healthcare benefits and supporting transitioning employees should be high on the agenda, approximately 150 of 200 votes admitted that their organisations do not have specific initiatives to attract LGBTQ+ talent. This proves that some businesses have a long way to go towards championing allyship. We also received comments on this poll reflecting different perspectives, such as “Isn’t this discriminatory?”, in reference to businesses having initiatives specifically to recruit LGBTQ+ talent. This is a common misconception and draws back to the theme of equity over equality. Equality refers to individuals or groups having the same rights. Equity, however, recognises that each person is different and therefore needs specific treatment to reach an equal outcome.

Another comment we received on the poll was, “Leave your personal life at home”. Again, this is a misconception and to create a true sense of belonging at work, employees need to be able to bring their full selves to work and feel accepted.

13% answered that their businesses had multiple initiatives to attract LGBTQ+ candidates, which seems low. However, it would be interesting to see if this figure increases year on year (stay tuned), as LGBTQ+ allyship becomes increasingly higher on the agenda for businesses looking to elevate their work culture.

Listening is the best way to support LGBTQ+ coworkers

On allyship, we asked our network, “How have you supported your LGBTQ+ coworkers?” The most popular form of support was “listening actively.” Active listening is a crucial communication skill in which the listener must be acutely aware of the speaker's needs and underlying messages before providing feedback, rather than passing judgment or simply listening to intervene. It sounds simple, but it’s difficult to master, and the poll responses show an understanding that listening is key when building an environment of belonging for the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace. If you're curious about how to improve active listening skills at work, Mit Human Resources provides Key Tips for Active Listening.

30% of our network said “inclusive language” was the most important way to support LGBTQ+ employees, whilst 26% answered, “challenge discrimination”. In a constantly changing world, using inclusive language and challenging discrimination helps build an environment of respect and acceptance. Academy To Innovate HR offers practical tips on how to use inclusive language: A Guide to Using LGBTQ Inclusive Language in the Workplace. A Great Place to Work also provide simple and effective tips to challenging discrimination in the workplace: 5 Powerful Ways to Support LGBTQ+ Employees in the Workplace.

Bridging the gap

The data reveals some crucial insights, but largely that most businesses lack specific LGBTQ+ initiatives, despite the fact there is growing recognition from candidates of their importance. To bridge this gap, companies should:

Implement inclusive hiring practices: Use gender-neutral language, diverse interview panels, and create a welcoming recruitment environment
Use blind CV screening: Remove identifying information from resumes to reduce bias and focus on skills and qualifications
Provide training on unconscious bias: Unconscious bias is associations we hold outside our conscious awareness and control. Educate hiring managers on recognising and mitigating unconscious biases that affect decision-making
Create support networks and resources: Establish employee resource groups (ERGs) and offer mentorship and inclusive health benefits
Demonstrate allyship: Partner with LGBTQ+ organisations to reach a wider pool of diverse candidates, participate in Pride events, and support LGBTQ+ charities
Measure progress in recruiting and retaining LGBTQ+ candidates with specific KPIs.

By implementing these strategies, companies can create a more inclusive and supportive environment, attracting and retaining diverse LGBTQ+ candidates. If we were to give you one key takeaway, it would be to keep the conversation going. Talk to employees, talk to candidates, and continue to champion allyship.

Hydrogen Group appoints Charlie Sell as new EMEA Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 10:31:49 GMT

4 June, 2024 - Hydrogen Group is excited to announce the appointment of Charlie Sell as its new EMEA Chief Operating Officer (COO).

With 18 years in the industry, Charlie has a wealth of experience from start-ups to £100m+ revenues, international expansion, MBOs and M&A. Most recently, Charlie was Group MD of Majar Group, a global recruitment and talent transformation consultancy, and Board Director across their portfolio of brands. As an original member of Arrows Group (which later merged to become Majar Group), he led the international plan and helped grow the group to a peak turnover of £127m with offices across three continents.

CEO Hayley Still commented: "From my first meeting with Charlie, it was evident that we shared the same values and vision for the industry, along with a strong ambition to build a thriving business. As conversations progressed, it became clear that Charlie's experience aligned perfectly with our high-growth areas and development opportunities. Additionally, working with individuals who are down-to-earth, committed, focused, driven, and have a sense of humour is right at the top of my wish list, and Charlie embodies all these qualities!"

On joining the business, Charlie commented: "I have known Hydrogen throughout my career and have always admired the groups' ambition, success and culture. I am excited to join the business as COO to help drive the strategy and growth across all sectors within EMEA. There is a great leadership team, inclusive culture and inspirational CEO who truly believes in enabling our people to thrive in a changing world."

Contact Information

For more information, please contact: marketingsupport@hydrogengroup.com

About Hydrogen Group

Navigating the Depths: Insights from the World's Toughest Row

Tue, 21 May 2024 11:10:06 GMT

The World's Toughest Row isn't just about physical endurance; it's a journey that tests the limits of resilience, teamwork, and adaptability. In a recent conversation with the Tidewaves who conquered this challenge, their reflections provided insights into the preparation, sacrifices, and lessons learned along the way.

Push thinking: How did you mentally and physically prepare for the World's Toughest Row? How did that mindset help overcome other challenges during the journey?

“I think there was quite a lot of preparation that was, in some ways, harder than the physicality of the row itself. [Motivated by] looking at our long-term goal and seeing that it would be worth it in the end.” Robyn Hart-Winks

“To follow off on Robyn's point, all those hours had to be completed and even though it felt a drag and it was, you know our whole summer was spent doing those training hours at the same time you would think, this is probably going to save my life if I come into you know if we get into a sticky situation. I remember thinking even though I didn't want to pay attention or I felt that my brain was switching off, I was like actually, this is either my life or the other two.” Jordan Cole-Hossain

"The life-or-death thing doesn't necessarily translate into daily life. But there are lots of ways to cheat yourself; you suffer if you don't put in the work.” Robyn Hart-Wicks

Listen first: Could you share an example of when effective communication led to strategic decisions or overcoming obstacles?

“After we capsized, and it was quite a shock and we moved on quite quickly [until] Robyn vocalised “How much more of this can we take? You know, being battered.” I think her vocalising it made us all reflect on what just happened.” Louise Cox

“The whole row, we were all pretty good at sharing how we were feeling at various points, and we were quite lucky that generally, we didn't have those low moments. At the same time, so in that example, Louise talked about, I would say that was my lowest point. I'm all out of toughness. I'm lucky that I did this course with two of my best friends. There wasn't any option to not be open with your feelings.” Robyn Hart-Wicks “We saw the importance of just taking 5 or 10 minutes with your team to check in how everyone's doing, see what's on the agenda for the day and what your goals are. I do think the days that we let that slip, it was clear.”

“I think the other thing that I've realised is free and it's quite universal is having a sense of humour. It's such a simple medicine and it can range from such just a simple joke, which can be ridiculous. A lot of the things that we said while we were on land would have been just embarrassing and crude, but it works at that moment to take you out of yourself and take you out of your fear." Jordan Cole-Hossain

All In: What was your biggest sacrifice, individually and as a team, when going all in for the journey?

“There were a lot of financial sacrifices and all of these things in the lead-up to the campaign, but we're hugely privileged that we were able to even able to make that start line. It's quite hard to say "sacrifices" when it's a choice. But I think in terms of the smaller things on the boat, it was the little luxuries like hot cups of tea. Now I'm back at work, I must honestly drink about 10 cups of tea a day. ” Robyn Hart-Wicks

“We were so seasick, and we didn't have the energy. We barely drank water. We were just exhausted. It's wild when you think about it.” Louise Cox

Open up: What was your biggest challenge individually during the row, particularly when it came to opening up?

“I have two things that I struggle with. I struggled with the lack of sleep, and I always thought I was quite an easygoing person in terms of sleep. I also learned as well that I bottle things up a lot more than I thought. I thought my communication was pretty good, perhaps it's not as good as I thought it was when under real pressure.” Louise Cox “I feel I can do anything now. Honestly having been through that, when I had a gym class at lunchtime today, I was like, I can do this.”

“I think I found it difficult not knowing what was wrong with me and it's so strange. I felt like a toddler. Sometimes you are hungry, or you think that eating would solve your problem... [or] maybe you were too damp, maybe you were too cold [or] too hot, or maybe you had had too much caffeine. Everything was complicated, and everything felt high stakes. There was nowhere to put that energy as well. Introspection was quite a lot of work. So that was tough, it's helped me back on land now kind of dissecting myself and figuring it out.” Jordan Cole-Hossain

Own it: Reflecting on your journey, was there a time when each team member took ownership of a situation or role? If so, how did that sense of ownership drive the team forward?

“Through different points in the row, we all had to take ownership of different things. Being able to be flexible and adaptable to the different roles we were gonna take on. If someone didn't make water through the desalinator, we [don't] get drinking water. So, it was the roles were kind of roles that initially we were set, but then the jobs within those roles kind of became collective.” Louise Cox

“[For example] I was in charge of the water maker, but as we crossed time zones it made sense for Jordan to take on that role because of our shift pattern. Jordan had to take on an extra job.” Robyn Hart-Wicks

“I think that made us quite a dynamic team - there's just no choice. If you're too rigid with your structure you're going to get a horrible awakening. When you're at the mercy of nature, you have no choice but to adapt and I think as well that that's another really good example of when our communication was really strong.” Louise Cox

What has been your biggest takeaway from the challenge, both personally and in applying it to your everyday life?

"Celebrating the small wins. There are moments now when I brush my teeth and I'm like oh my God. Brushing your teeth is so good. There are other moments where I do take the time, drinking tea now, or find, buying a chocolate bar in the shop and it's not crushed and it's not melted and it's just perfect. I really hope that I can continue to take forward as just celebrating the small wins taking joy in those little moment.” Robyn Hart-Winks

“It’s given me a lot of confidence that I can do anything. Nothing will ever, ever be as hard as getting up after a 1/2-hour nap for a 2:00 AM shift on my own. I cannot believe I did that. Recently I was applying for a job, and I called my dad [and said] I'm not sure if I'm qualified for this job. He said you weren't qualified to row across the ocean and that didn't stop you, did it? I [replied], Oh my God, yes, that's so true .” Lousie Cox

“It's made me realise that you just have to work everything out as you go along. Everyone's kind of just winging it and I think that also applies in jobs too. The best way of learning is on your feet, isn't it? You can only really get that experience by having it. There's a real slowness and deliberateness to my life now. Being in nature for six weeks straight has given me a real perspective. I've come out like Bambi on ice.” Jordan Cole-Hossain

Their inspiring journey proves that every challenge offers opportunities for growth and success.

Spotlight on Saudi: Middle East legal market and salary update

sophymoyes@hydrogengroup.com (Sophy Moyes) — Fri, 03 May 2024 10:04:24 GMT

This exclusive webinar delved into the latest findings from our comprehensive salary survey, spotlighting the dynamic legal landscape of Saudi Arabia. While our recent focus has been on the UAE, we shone a light on the diversity of opportunities emerging in Saudi demands.

We explored:

A comprehensive overview of the current market landscape, highlighting key trends and developments shaping the industry in the Middle East.

Valuable insights into the latest salary trends prevalent in the Middle East job market for the year 2024, and how they impact professionals across various sectors.

The compensation landscape within law firms and in-house legal departments in Saudi Arabia, examining salary benchmarks, factors influencing pay, and emerging trends.

The nuances of compensation packages offered to Saudi nationals versus expatriates, exploring disparities, considerations, and strategies for equitable remuneration practices.

The standard benefit packages being offered in the Middle East job market, including perks, allowances, and additional incentives that are becoming increasingly prevalent.

You can view this webinar on-demand from your computer, tablet or mobile phone.

This discussion was tailored specifically to partners and HR professionals within legal practice, as well as legal hiring managers and HR business partners for lawyers operating within the Financial Services (FS) and Industrial & Commercial (I&C) sectors in the Middle East.

"2025 and Beyond" Question and Answer session

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:49:35 GMT

Our webinar 2025 and Beyond: Why Your Hiring, Learning, and Culture Need to Evolve brought together thought leaders Enrique Rubio (Hacking HR), Lisa Skinner Källström (Teamtailor), and Hydrogen Group’s Dean Jennings and Michelle Miller. The conversation explored strategies used to tackle the challenges of the future workforce, shift organisational cultures towards lasting partnerships, and ensure teams are equipped for the age of artificial intelligence.

_

The Q&A box was brimming! Our webinar offered participants the chance to consult our HR experts on addressing shifts in the people and culture realm as we approach 2024 and beyond. Interesting questions were raised, and we compiled them all to seek and reached out to our experts to get some definitive answers.

For a recap on the webinar, check out our blog Navigating the Future: Insights from our Webinar "2025 and Beyond"

So, here we are. Your questions - answered! -

How can companies make people feel more secure in their jobs? Is it just a matter of increasing communication?

Lisa suggested a shift towards a more sustainable approach. 'In recent years, we have seen many companies experience massive growth, and the need to get great talent onboard - hence offering extremely generous compensation packages. Unfortunately, many have now faced layoffs, and while the compensation and benefit strategies are not the sole reasons, I would like to propose a more sustainable approach for the future. [Increase benefits as the company grows, and as business results allow, we can increase pension levels or similar benefits – and discuss it internally! Open dialogue about results, investment choices, and their rationale fosters a sense of involvement among team members and signals the company's commitment to a sustainable direction.]'

Dean echoed concerns about job security in today's volatile economy and advises, 'In today's uncertain economic climate, job security is a concern. However, by becoming indispensable and embracing tools like AI, individuals can enhance their value to employers, securing their positions for the future.

Apart from using Chat GPT, what other tasks can be automated with AI?

Lisa commented, ‘We’ve mentioned a few examples already, but I would look at all the systems your company allows you to use and question your suppliers on what features are or will be based on AI. For example, many applicant tracking systems allow the opportunity for AI to summarise CVs for an easy overview, generate interview questions and suggest more personalised replies to rejected candidates based on their CVs. Also, the opportunity for AI to transcribe an interview is an amazing tool which allows the interviewer to solely focus on listening and talking to a candidate as opposed to taking notes. As always, AI in these types of systems is not designed to make the decisions for a recruiter or business - but serve as an assistant to save time and work more efficiently.’

Dean added, ‘There are far too many to list. The AI directory https://aitoolsdirectory.com/ does a really good job of showcasing what does what and where you can find it.’

What is the impact of AI on employee engagement and how can HR teams use AI to promote engagement? Also, what precautions should professionals take when using AI?

Dean offered his perspective by stating that ‘engagement and AI may seem contradictory, but there's a clear benefit when HR uses AI to streamline admin tasks, freeing up time for vital human interaction. Tools like Koios, for instance, offer Acoustic AI, helping HR understand team and individual personalities better, for more tailored approaches. Professionals must approach AI implementation carefully, ensuring ethical use to maintain trust and transparency in the workplace.’

How can we make sure our services stay personalised while using AI?

Dean responded, ‘By leveraging AI to handle time-consuming tasks. The best thing about AI is that you get to choose what it does and what it doesn’t. If you feel strongly about human interaction to enable personalisation, you don’t have to let go of that – just embrace AI to make those interactions better. Get it to strip data in the background for you, or to type up your notes and actions as you have the conversations. The possibilities are endless, and they can be tailored to your needs.’

Within your businesses, have you experienced any resistance to the adoption of AI? How have you handled these objections?

Dean responded, ‘A lot of the resistance I have seen has either been a fear of trying or a fear of being caught. There seems to be a negative connotation with AI, that if you get it to do something for you, are you cheating? The answer is a resounding no, you are working with the tools available to make yourself more productive for your organisation. Robot proof recruiter, if you haven’t read it, you should. Especially if you are a recruiter or if recruitment is part of your job role. I’ll spare you the details, but it is an amazing read that showcases the fact you can never take the people part out of recruitment - you’ll always be able to provide a better level of service than a robot (at least for now) and you need to focus on the parts of the process where human interaction is at its most vital and automate/utilise AI to get back time in your day to improve that social element of the process.’

Do you feel Employee Resource Groups will be on the rise with the future generation of workers?

Dean replied, ‘A truly hybrid workplace cannot function effectively without the right technology in place. That doesn’t even need to be AI. For employees to feel a sense of belonging in a workplace, there should be a seamless experience that goes beyond just having teams up on 1 laptop in a room full of 30 people. Again, this will only advance with time ... my eutopia is to have my whole team (who are based in the UK + Thailand) sat around a virtual desk, on a beach with an interactive whiteboard we can utilise in real time via virtual and augmented reality. You may laugh now, but in the next couple of years, VR and AR tech will be the staple of hybrid working and teams coming together around the globe. This doesn’t take away from the in-person experience and nor do I think it should. It should be a tool that compliments real-time working solutions.’

How can we support older generation employees in the changing landscape?

Dean offered his perspective, ‘AI is truly remarkable. It embodies the futuristic vision many of us had as children—computers and programs taking on tasks for us. For those uneasy about it, I believe it's a matter of not fully comprehending it or lacking the skills to use it effectively. AI has quietly become a part of the workplace, and many are still navigating its intricacies. The focus should be on empowering employees to leverage AI to enhance productivity and value to the organisation. Those who resist or fail to adapt won't be replaced by AI but by individuals who embrace change and view AI as a tool for greater contribution.’

How can we safeguard against the risk of AI stifling creativity in the workplace?

Lisa said, ‘I would say the opposite, if we use AI for the more regular and routine tasks then we will have more time to use to be creative! For example, instead of spending hours on creating a presentation for an important project - let AI do this creating for you and spend the time on how you want to engage with your audience instead. Using ChatGPT to find easy tasks that I would previously have spent a lot of time on has been a big change in how I work and allows me find space in the day.’

Is there a regional divide across different parts of the world? Are Europeans more prone to appreciate safety/job security than Americans?

Lisa commented, ‘My thoughts are that globally we have been through a lot in recent years, covid affected everyone regardless of location. After that, we had war in Europe for the first time in many years which had major effects on the economy, which I believe has made people appreciate job safety even more and value this in choosing their next employer. However, in some parts of Europe employees are still very protected by labour laws etc so I believe it is different from America where it is more common to have short notice period and less resistance from employers to terminate an employment.’

Expanding on the key themes discussed in our webinar, we're thrilled to introduce our Thrive Guide – a practical roadmap for building a thriving workplace.

Within the Thrive Guide, discover actionable strategies to enhance employee engagement, foster diversity and inclusion, and implement flexible working models. Discover practical solutions to enhance workplace productivity and satisfaction.

As our expert Dean Jennings emphasises, 'adapting to evolving workplace dynamics requires strategic initiatives.' This sentiment is echoed by other industry leaders in our webinar. In the Thrive Guide, these insights converge to offer practical solutions, providing a roadmap for organisations navigating change.

Revolutionise your workplace. Download the Thrive Guide now!

What Is the Thrive Guide and Why Do You Need It?

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 04:46:57 GMT

The modern workplace is transforming. It’s driving more innovation and resilience and is more committed to creating inspiring work environments than ever before.

But how do we ensure employees thrive and maintain top talent in our workplace?

To address this question, we sent out our Thrive Quiz to hundreds of employees worldwide - and now, we're excited to reveal our insights.

At Hydrogen and Argyll Scott, our purpose is to enable everyone to thrive in our changing world. Defining what thriving looks and feels like can be challenging, which is why we developed the Thrive Quiz in collaboration with well-being training partner Haptivate. The quiz, comprising 40 questions across 12 key drivers, provides participants with a 'Thrive Score' and practical solutions for personal development.

We invited businesses across the globe to take part so that they could better understand their workforce and get tailored support for their most common challenges. Over 200 global employees have benefited so far, gaining a deeper understanding of their triggers and soothers.

Our Thrive Guide, drawing from anonymised quiz data and created with industry expert insights, is more than a white paper; it's a practical roadmap for establishing workplaces where everyone can thrive.

View the Thrive Guide now

Are you curious about changes in the workplace that are shaking up job markets? Keep reading!

Beyond the 9-5...

Before the pandemic, workplace culture thrived on face-to-face interaction. Post-pandemic, with the worldwide adoption of hybrid working, the great challenge became balancing the desire for flexibility. Everyone understands the phrase "flexible" differently. People loved the freedom that came with remote work, suddenly having the ability to create their perfect working environment. Our Thrive Guide emphasised that organisations must define their flexibility expectations for employees and future talent, as inflexibility may lead to attrition, with AIHR reporting that 67% of workers prefer a hybrid work setup.

Finding purpose post-pandemic

As we know, purpose sets a precedent for an organisation's culture. A recent study by Glassdoor demonstrated that 75% of those asked would consider a company's culture before taking a job, so organisations really can‘t afford to miss the mark when it comes to showcasing their mission and values. Interestingly, however, a staggering 46% of Thrive Quiz respondents were neutral or disagreed that their organisation serves a meaningful purpose. It's clear some companies underestimate the impact of purpose on productivity, profit and customer loyalty, and need to make more effort to embed their purpose into the every day lives of employees

The rise of strategic career development

There's a growing enthusiasm among employees for continuous learning and a need for strategic career growth provided by their employers. This shift has companies focusing on professional growth as a vital business strategy to attract and retain top talent. The People and Culture platform, Culture Amp, reports that the top two consistently emerging key influencers of global engagement are leadership and learning and development. Recognising that a third of employees prioritise professional development, business leaders must emphasise L&D as a driver for employee commitment.

The diversity imperative

The evolution from Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) to the more recent DEIB imperative is not surprising. Verna Myers, an expert in DEI, succinctly puts it, "Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance." However, not all organisations have caught up with DEIB, and many employees still feel the impact of workplace exclusion. In our Thrive Quiz, 1 in 5 participants strongly disagreed that they had good friends at work, and only half agreed they had sufficient opportunities to socialise with colleagues. Workplace loneliness is still prevalent. Quality social interactions with colleagues are vital for boosting employee engagement. Addressing this issue requires effective management and interventions to foster a more inclusive workplace where individuals can meaningfully contribute and thrive.

Thriving in 2024

Unlock the key to thriving in an ever-changing world with our Thrive Guide. Dive into industry trends and discover key recommendations in our report to navigate this new talent landscape.

Women in Law: Holly Sara

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 05:11:40 GMT

The views and opinions set forth herein are the personal views or opinions of the author; they do not necessarily reflect views or opinions of the law firm with which she is associated.

Holly Sara is a Partner in the Global Disputes Practice at Jones Day, in the Sydney Office.

Jones Day has a history of more than 125 years and a culture of client service and professionalism based on explicit shared values. These values include providing pro bono legal services, building diversity in our profession, and supporting outreach efforts around the world.

Tell us about your career progression to date.

I studied Law and Biotechnology degrees at university and was awarded the University Medal in both. For a time, I thought I might become a transactional IP or patent lawyer but, by chance, happened to rotate through the commercial litigation department during one of my summer clerkships at a large firm. I loved everything about litigation – the variety of clients and matters, the adrenaline rush of being in court, and the difficult issues that needed to be worked through, often under pressure – and never looked back! I’ve been a litigator ever since and with Jones Day from 2013, where I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some of Australia’s most significant and high-profile disputes and regulatory matters.

What do you like best about working at Jones Day?

Jones Day truly embodies its One Firm Worldwide® ethos. I have worked with lawyers, paralegals and support staff in more than 30 of our 42 offices worldwide and in every case my experience has been exactly the same – nothing is ever too much trouble, everybody delivers client service to the same excellent standard, and collaboration across offices is always seamless. In addition, we are privileged to have a workplace where everyone is exceptionally talented and dedicated, and truly collegiate. It’s something that has been acknowledged by our clients many times – including by one leading General Counsel who told us she had never seen a team of external lawyers work as well together as the Jones Day team.

Do you have a mentor/role model in your career? What’s the value in having a mentor or being a mentor?

I have had a number of really important mentors, both male and female, throughout my career, and I still do today. They are invaluable. A good mentor will help you build up your skillset, put you forward for roles or opportunities that you might not otherwise be aware of or considered for, and push you to move outside of your comfort zone. They also have, through years of experience, great wisdom about life’s opportunities and challenges and can offer perspectives which are sometimes difficult to see for yourself.

Do you have any advice for working parents on how to progress and succeed?

I have two young children and I know firsthand that it takes a village to successfully manage a full-time legal career and being a parent. Never be afraid to ask for help or speak to your colleagues about how they are managing things. You may learn some new tips or tricks from people who have been there before you. Try, as best you can and particularly after returning from a period of parental leave, to let go of any self-doubt. Yes, life has changed, but you are still the same person you were before, with the same skills and talents – and, in fact, you’re probably even more efficient than you were before!

How important is it to have other women visible at management level?

In my view, it’s extremely important. Women need to be able to see that an organisation’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is not just given lip service, but that it is reflected in practice. Seeing diversity at management level is inspiring and motivating, and gives people confidence that they too can hold those positions one day, regardless of their gender or background. At Jones Day, women are visible leaders – 15 of 42 offices are led by women; women hold four regional leadership positions, as Partner-in-Charge of Europe and M&A practice leaders for the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia. Women comprise almost a third of our partnership and lead a third of our Firmwide practice groups. The Firm’s hiring partner, pro bono partner, Partner-in-Charge of Diversity, Inclusion and Advancement, and Global Community Service partner are women. Almost 40 percent of the Firm’s Partnership Committee (which advises the Managing Partner on admissions to the partnership and partnership compensation) are women, and a little over 40% of the Advisory Committee are also women. Women leaders are easy to find here, and I have always been impressed by that fact.

In your experience, what are the benefits of more diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Simply put, in my view, they perform better than less diverse teams and organisations. Diverse teams and organisations have the benefit of people with different backgrounds, talents and relationships, all of which means they can access and take into account different perspectives in undertaking their work. In my experience, they can also better relate to and understand their clients, who will inevitably have a variety of backgrounds among their own teams.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

The key thing is putting a stated commitment to diversity into practice. That can be big things, like ensuring diversity in management and leadership positions as I mentioned above, and putting in place committees to identify and implement initiatives (such as our Australian Jones Day Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement Committee with members from all four Australian offices), but also in the day-to-day things. One example of the latter is recognising that people might participate in meetings in different ways and making sure that everyone is empowered to participate and lead, for example, by giving people who might be less confident to speak up or interrupt others an opportunity to contribute to a discussion and rotating the role of chair.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in your industry now?

The future looks really bright. More women than ever are joining the legal profession and rising to leadership positions. Both women and men are routinely taking extended periods of parental leave, which means that there is an enhanced understanding of the challenges unique to being a working parent. More organisations are committed to truly enhancing diversity and inclusion. It is a great time for women to enter the profession especially here at Jones Day.

For more Women in Law interviews, please click here .

Navigating the Future: Insights from our Webinar "2025 and Beyond"

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:20:53 GMT

In a dynamic digital landscape, the demands on businesses are constantly evolving. Last week, our webinar, 2025 and Beyond: Why Your Hiring, Learning, and Culture Need to Evolve, brought together thought leaders, Enrique Rubio (Hacking HR), Lisa Skinner Källström (Teamtailor), Dean Jennings and Michelle Miller, as they delved into strategies to tackle the challenges of the future workforce, shift organisational cultures towards enduring partnerships, and future-proof teams in the era of artificial intelligence.

What We Learned:

1. On Achievement:

Employees aren’t just seeking personal success; they're deeply invested in the success of their organisations. Our speakers encouraged leaders to enhance communication about the pivotal role individual employees play in the overall success of the business. Aligning personal and company goals emerged as a key strategy.

2. On Promises:

Transparent communication is paramount. Our panel discussed the importance of leaders being forthright about what they can and cannot offer. Ensuring that promises are realistic and in alignment with both employee and company objectives is crucial. This approach fosters trust and reinforces a positive employer-employee, adult-to-adult relationship.

3. On Leadership:

Our industry experts discussed the distinction between being a high-performing individual contributor and an effective manager. The discussion emphasised the need for distinct career paths catering to both roles. Identifying and nurturing leadership qualities emerged as vital, acknowledging that not every ‘top performer’ is naturally equipped to lead and inspire others.

4. On AI:

Dispelling common fears, the experts unanimously agreed: humans will never be replaced by AI. Rather, individuals who adeptly leverage AI tools will replace those who do not. The message was clear: organisations should embrace technology as a means to streamline processes, freeing up valuable time for tasks that require the unique capabilities of humans.

Need a Recap?

If you missed the live session, fear not! The webinar is available on demand. Click here to watch the full video and gain valuable insights into evolving your hiring strategies, cultivating a transformative culture, and preparing your team for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the ever-changing landscape of work. Don't just adapt; lead the change.

Click here to watch the webinar on-demand

A Look Back at The Changing Landscape of Legal Hiring in 2023

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 05:26:35 GMT

The legal job market has witnessed significant shifts in 2023, with some unique challenges and changes compared to previous years. This blog explores the evolving landscape of legal hiring, the impact of artificial intelligence, and what we can expect in the coming months – taken from our in-depth Market Overview. You can download the full report here .

High Demand for Niche Skillsets

The legal field is no stranger to the ebb and flow of demand for specific skillsets. In 2023, lawyers with experience in areas like capital markets, derivatives, funds, banking and finance, as well as corporate and regulatory expertise, have been in great demand. This demand primarily stems from in-house legal teams within the financial services sector, where specialised knowledge is crucial.

However, what's noteworthy is that while there’s still a high demand for these skillsets, there has been a decline in hiring compared to the previous year. The first half of 2023 saw a 35% decrease in job listings within the financial services sector compared to the second half of 2022. Several factors contribute to this decline, including the economic climate, cost-cutting measures such as hiring freezes, and fewer transactions due to market conditions.

Despite the decline in job listings, some financial organisations have benefited from this situation. With reduced competition for top legal talent, they’ve found it easier to attract strong candidates. Notably, there has been an increase in excellent candidates moving from top-tier law firms within private practice to in-house roles.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a game-changer in the legal industry, significantly affecting the way lawyers work. AI technology is being employed to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as legal research and document review. This shift is freeing up lawyers' time and allowing them to focus on higher-level tasks, ultimately enhancing their effectiveness.

Reasoning and generation are two key areas where AI is making inroads in the legal profession. Reasoning involves using AI to analyse vast amounts of legal data, statutes, and case law to provide lawyers with relevant information and precedents. It helps in sifting through extensive data quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, generative AI has been utilised to summarise legislation and legal documents, albeit with some challenges like occasional inaccuracies.

While AI has immense potential, it also raises questions about job security and the potential privacy risks associated with handling sensitive legal information. The legal industry is working on developing specialised in-house teams to harness AI's capabilities effectively and safely.

Outlook for 2023/2024

Looking ahead, we can expect a shift in the legal hiring landscape. As the market gradually recovers, there will likely be an increase in job listings. The slowdown in hiring from private practice due to a drop in transaction volume is expected to reverse, leading to higher demand for banking and finance lawyers.

Moreover, regulatory lawyers will continue to be sought after as financial regulations evolve. The market is projected to see more job listings as organizations resume hiring to replace attrition following periods of hiring freezes.

In conclusion, the legal hiring landscape in 2023 has presented a mix of challenges and opportunities. Niche skillsets remain valuable, and AI is becoming an integral part of legal work. Adapting to these changes will be key for legal professionals looking to thrive in this evolving landscape. As we move into 2024, the legal job market promises to continue its transformation, offering both exciting prospects and challenges for lawyers and organisations alike.

For more in-depth analysis of key trends download our Market Insights for Legal In-House Financial Services here: https://www2.hydrogengroup.com/legal-ih-marketoverview

Hydrogen & Argyll Scott to Sponsor All Female Trio Taking on The World’s Toughest Row

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 05:35:35 GMT

Hydrogen and Argyll Scott are proud to be sponsoring the formidable trio, The Tidewaves , as they embark on their mission to be the fastest, all-female rowing team to take on the World’s Toughest Row across the Atlantic!

Robyn Hart-Winks , Louise Cox , and Jordan Cole-Hossain will take on this challenge, rowing 3,000 miles from San Sebastian de La Gomera in Spain to Antigua in the Caribbean. They are aiming to be the fastest female trio to complete the challenge and hope to inspire the next generation of young athletes, championing access to sport for young people.

The Tidewaves have first-hand experience of the benefits of being involved in sports from a young age and passionately believe that all children should have access to sport and the life lessons it teaches. The Chief Medical Officers of the UK stated that;

"if physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat”

Aside from the physical benefits, sport at an early age helps ingrain invaluable life skills such as teamwork, dedication, discipline, and accountability – all which bond together to foster a winning mindset.

It signalled a perfect partnership for Hydrogen and Argyll Scott to support the Tidewaves, given the firm’s dedication to understanding how mindset drives performance . The group specialise in truly understanding people and uncovering what it takes to bring out their personal best, and champion those who challenge themselves and push their thinking and performance to the next level.

Hayley Still , Hydrogen & Argyll Scott’s CEO is a firm believer in physical activity playing a crucial role in keeping both mind and body healthy. Having grown up in a sporting household, Still herself pursued competitive gymnastics in her youth. Talking of how this has translated into her adult life she stated;

“Sport and physical activity in childhood helps set patterns for life. It provides lessons to understand what your challenges are and what you need to do to meet those challenges. It helps you build the routine and habits that you need for physical and mental prep to get to where you need to be.”

The three London-based women will row across the Atlantic Ocean unsupported in December 2023, and their mission will have them face a gruelling rowing schedule of 2 hours on the oars, 1 hour off, day and night for up to 60 days. They will face extreme conditions including hunger, severe dehydration, exposure to the sun, body sores, up to 40 ft waves, and even shark-spotting.

Over the next 8 weeks the Tidewaves will not only be investing time into their physical fitness. They will also need to mentally prepared to develop a mindset that will get them through the aptly named, World’s Toughest Row.

The team members of the Tidewaves all have different motivations, soothers and triggers that push them in different ways towards their common goal. In a mission to advocate for inclusive access to sports, the Tidewaves will be fundraising for three key charities: SportsAid Scotland , London Youth Rowing and Access Sports .

You can learn more about The Tidewaves and donate here .

“I thrive by making a positive impact.” Free Thrive Quiz to help you discover your team’s drivers

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 06:26:46 GMT

With September ranking as one of the hottest months for employees to embark on a job search, measuring your team’s engagement is crucial. Take action now and boost productivity, improve job satisfaction and enhance employee retention.

In a fast-paced world of deadlines and demands, knowing for sure whether your team members are truly thriving, both in their professional and personal lives, can be a challenge.

Enter our new Thrive Quiz, a new tool that aims to help you discover your team’s potential, understand their motivations and equip you with tools to support them on their journey to success and happiness.

The Thrive Quiz’s tested methodology analyses team member’s answers to carefully designed questions anchored around 12 key drivers that influence work and home life, from work-life balance and autonomy at work, to having a sense of purpose and fostering close relationships.

To get started, click the link below to generate an individual quiz link to send around to your team. You will then receive a personalised report that highlights the biggest drivers that fuel your team's performance and the areas where they might require more support.

Generate your unique Thrive Quiz link

We’ve already gained valuable insight into what makes our own team members thrive. By understanding what motivates them and what challenges they face, we’ve been able to better tailor our support to ensure they continue to thrive.

The Focused Life: 5 ways to Stop Procrastinating and Start Thriving

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 06:37:27 GMT

If you've ever found yourself caught in a swirling tide of distractions or struggling to muster the motivation to tackle important tasks, you're not alone. The battle against procrastination is one that many of us face. In fact, a recent study carried out by Darius Foroux revealed that a whopping 80% of average workforces procrastinate between 1 and 4 hours a day.

In the digital era, maintaining focus has become an elusive skill. The constant barrage of notifications, clickbait and the temptation of endless scrolling can lead us astray. So, how can we stay focussed? How can we maximise our time at work so that we still have time to enjoy the things that make us happy?

We’re on a mission to enable you to thrive in a changing world . This means acknowledging the things that hinder you and discovering the positive drivers that move you forward.

But, where to start? “What makes you thrive?”: It’s a big question. Below you’ll find our ultimate guide to figuring out your key drivers and avoiding that all-too-familiar procrastination slump.

1 . Embrace the Power of Flow

Flow is the state of mind where you’re operating at your absolute best. You might be so deeply engrossed in your work that time seems to slip away, or so in the zone that the coffee you brewed an hour ago remains untouched. The state of flow is essentially the opposite of procrastination, a place where productivity knows no bounds. Sounds pretty dreamy doesn't it?

Unlocking this complete state of immersion involves mastering four key principles:

1: Choose an activity you’re currently finding challenging but that matches your skill level
2: Make sure the activity holds personal meaning and significance
3: Find an uninterrupted block of time (ideally between 1h30-2hs) to dedicate the activity to
4: Drown out the distractions. Try muting your phone or turning your emails to Do Not Disturb!

Follow these concepts and you might just be surprised at the quality of your work and how satisfied you feel after completing it!

2 . Try Time Boxing

In a study by Harvard Business Review it was found that out of 100 productivity hacks, Timeboxing was considered most useful.

Timeboxing is a similar concept to Flow in that you blockout time in your day to work on a certain project. Essentially, rather than writing an overwhelming to-do list, you add your tasks to a calendar and assign a certain amount of time to each one.

Timeboxing has many advantages. It’s visual, acts as a record of work you’ve completed, and can actually save you time. By assigning a set amount of time to a task, you’ll likely find that you’re driven to finish the task in time. Whereas assign a whole afternoon, a day, a week… you can guess how long it’s likely to take.

3 . Guide yourself towards success through goal-setting.

An important aspect of staying focused and defeating procrastination is setting clear and achievable goals. Effective goal-setting can guide you towards success and give you the motivation to persist even in challenging times.

When setting goals, make sure they’re specific and clear. Breaking your goals down into smaller steps can help make your goals feel more achievable, and celebrating each milestone will keep you on track.

4. Reserve time for fun

It’s important to remember that embracing fun and enjoyment is equally essential in boosting your productivity. In a recent Indeed report, it was found that burnout at work has increased by 52% over the past year. Balancing work with leisure not only prevents burnout but also recharges your mental batteries, making you’re more effective when you return to tasks.

5 . Take our new Thrive Quiz

Kickstart your journey by completing our new Thrive Quiz , designed to reveal how you can stay focussed and live your best life, in and outside of work.

We’ve partnered up with Haptivate to design a carefully crafted questionnaire that generates an instant report detailing where you currently are in your journey and positive actions to take forward. It’s that easy.

This article was brought to you by multiple breaks, x2 Timeboxing sessions and getting into the zone with Flow. And with that, let’s say a final farewell to procrastination and embrace the power of focus!

From Inclusion to Belonging

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 06:45:42 GMT

Two years ago, I wrote a piece on the journey from Diversity to Inclusion with a list of actions that can help move the dial forward, as individuals and organisations. Since then, Diversity & Inclusion (or DEIB) have moved on a little, but the earlier Tech mass layoffs may suggest otherwise. Some might have seen D&I as a one-and-done that you can easily embed and walk away with pride, which sadly isn’t the case. In today’s ever-changing world, D&I will likely remain an ongoing journey, where we go from Diversity to Inclusion and Inclusion to Belonging.

When it comes to inclusion, simply making the effort to include someone doesn’t quite cut it, instead, it’s about making people feel that they’re being included. Failing to identify the difference will likely lead to the eventual demise of the journey to inclusion, even if intentions were good. It’s important to keep in mind that everybody’s different (this is where the diversity part comes in), and not everyone wants to be included in the same way. While giving voice to the voiceless is usually a good way to empower minorities, pushing them onto the pedestal might not be the way to go.

Ultimately, it’s about showing that you care, not because everyone else is doing it and you feel compelled to follow, but that you genuinely concern about the subject and want to do something about it. Have an open mind and be willing to have those conversations. Be there, show up, and lend your voice.

While some would distinguish inclusion as the effort a company/group makes and belonging as how the individual feels from those efforts, I’m inclined to look at this in a slightly different way, particularly around the nuances of the two words.

Include (v): to make part of whole or set
Belong (v): to feel happy or comfortable in a situation

Just like how you can have diversity without inclusion, it’s also possible for someone to feel included but not belong. To better illustrate this, imagine a large group setting where everyone else shares similar traits different from yours (this can be a combination of race, gender, age, etc.), despite how accommodating the group might be, it’s likely the sense of belonging won’t come easy. We often hear people talk about imposter syndrome, which also partly attributes to a low sense of belonging or self-assurance because they can’t see people like them in senior ranks or positions of success.

At this point, you might’ve already caught on, that the lack of belonging is oftentimes a result of the lack of diversity, regardless of whether inclusion measures are in place. That being said, it’s also important to keep in mind that there can be a plethora of other reasons one might fail to foster belonging, aside from purely looking at their diversity.

Taking Disney as an example, their popularity among the queer community (myself included) can be seen in both official and unofficial pride events across parks worldwide. However, there’s barely any queer representation in their productions, except maybe a few queer-coded characters that are often villains or sidekicks. While do see a gradual shift in recent years (yes I’m talking about Strange World), the lack of visible representation never really posed a hurdle in their belonging journey. Instead, through story-telling and world sculpting, they created worlds where people can feel that they belong, where they can momentarily forget about everyday struggles, and just be who they are and have a good time. This goes to show that diversity isn’t always a prerequisite to belonging, although having a diverse representation will make the journey a lot easier.

Another critical element to belonging is the notion of “enabling”. People need a place where they are enabled to perform their best, where they can feel empowered and are free to be themselves. Therefore, it’s important to try and be an “enabler” where you provide others with the space and tools necessary for them to thrive. Again, this is different from one individual to the next, so take the time to understand what works best for each, find good common ground, and adjust accordingly. Compromises will have to be made, but what matters most is to show that you care, are willing to listen and are trying your best to accommodate wherever possible.

Trying to make waves in the sea of Diversity & Inclusion is never easy, especially within a constantly changing landscape. However, with the right intentions, an open mind, a willingness to learn, and the desire to make a difference, you’ll see yourself making progress on the D&I journey in no time.

Do you have any tips on how we can better move from Diversity to Inclusion and Inclusion to Belonging? I’d love to hear them!

Why we’re asking: ‘what makes you thrive’?

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 06:55:26 GMT

This month sees us launch our new purpose: Enabling You to Thrive in a Changing World. Like any campaign worth its salt, this tagline isn’t something we landed on overnight. Our purpose captures the reason why Hydrogen and Argyll Scott exists and our vision for what we want to change in the world.

Where we’re coming from

In the 16 years I’ve been with Hydrogen Group, I’ve worked with people from all over the business. This perspective is proving to be a real asset in my role as CEO, and has helped shape my vision for the organisation as we move into the next stage of our evolution.

But who I am outside of work has also played a huge role, as it does and should for all of us.

I grew up in a household where the understanding of sacrifice in the pursuit of success was a central concept. Between them, my parents attended 10 Olympic Games spanning four decades, in their capacity as National Coach for Women’s Gymnastics and BBC Commentator for Gymnastics. As a serious gymnast myself, I learnt skills which have stood me in great stead for the world of work. These include concentration, focus, mental resilience and awareness, but also the importance of relationships (here between me and my coach), routine, structure, progression and planning (the list goes on)!

Finally, I had that incredible feeling of happiness coming from the pride I felt when I achieved the goals I had worked tirelessly to achieve from an early age. To me, that is the feeling of thriving. It could have been from winning a competition, but it could also have been learning a new move or finally staying on the beam for a full routine!

When I was asked to be CEO, I was on maternity leave. I know my previous contributions to our culture and work style played a big part in our founder Ian Temple’s decision to offer me the role. Before the pandemic, we were already offering our people the choice to define their workstyles, which seemed ‘out there’ to some at the time. For example, we introduced ‘I own my time’ to allow our teams to work when and where they felt most productive, which had a hugely positive impact on team morale.

Being a sector entirely focused on people, it has always seemed strange to me that organisations have largely avoided tapping into how their people feel, think and behave. At Hydrogen Group, we don’t want people turning up because they have to. We want them there because they feel inspired, happy and motivated to succeed; that looks entirely different based on who you are talking to. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a place for performance indicators, but it’s what you do with them and how you use them that we’re working on.

Giving people choices

I strongly believe if you treat people like adults and give them autonomy and responsibility – they will respond accordingly, and most of the time, positively. It’s about enabling people to thrive and giving them space to keep making the right choices for themselves and our business.

It’s not up to us to make people thrive; it’s about giving our people everything they need to enable themselves to do – and this all comes down to an individual’s preferences, passions, and priorities. When empowering people to be the best versions of themselves, I believe in prevention rather than cure. Wellness days won’t improve someone’s life in the long term; we need to go deeper. I want my teams to understand what makes them tick and conversely, when they’re not doing so great, what they can do to get back to a good place.

Speaking from my own experience, I’m in a new role with an 18-month baby so I have to be mindful and deliberate about how I go about my daily tasks. Visiting our city-based office two days a week allows me to balance my roles, so that I can give my best to the business and my family. I have a clear system to keep me organised; I prep and plan, and am ruthless with where I spend my time to ensure I stay ‘in control’. That sense of stability works well for me, but may look different for someone else at a different stage of their life/career. Having that choice is crucial to success.

I love that our teams don’t have to ‘choose’ between work and home life. If going for a walk during the day or after a difficult call helps you re-gather your focus, why shouldn’t you be able to do that? It takes a huge amount of pressure off when home and work life can co-exist. And if our people are thriving, so will our business.

Changing our language

Historically, success has come down to how you are seen by other people. Do you wear a suit? Do you travel internationally? Do you have a prestigious title? I want people to understand what success looks like for them. To that end, a big part of this project has been changing the language around how we are feeling beyond, “I’m fine.” We encourage people to track how they are progressing on their journey at any given moment (what we call our thrive-o-meter!).

It goes without saying that inclusivity is a crucial part of this conversation. We also ask people to identify their triggers. For instance, what barriers are preventing them from thriving? Is it isolation, family pressures or even a colleague relationship that isn’t working out? We then talk about soothers to get back to a place of thriving – from getting out in nature to dedicated play time with their children. If you understand your own triggers and soothers, you can plan better, work better, and feel better.

Why it’s important to ‘enable’ people, rather than prescribe

From the first day of school, our children spend most of their lives having to make decisions for themselves. To me, loving my son is giving him the support and tools to recognise what makes him happy, what success looks like, and the confidence to go for it. I don’t think my team should be any different.

We must prepare our children for the world they are going to live in; not the world we live in. The same applies to the Gen Z-ers entering the workforce. We’re seeing more recognition now for the soft skills people possess – not just whether they have a degree or can spell. This is where our purpose really kicks in.

Our role is to enable people with the right tools and support, rather than do things for them. This isn’t a soft or fluffy proposition, and we’re already seeing great results. From a business perspective, it is a no-brainer. If we can get 20% more productivity from our colleagues, simply by giving them the time and space to think about themselves and realising that one size doesn’t fit all – why wouldn’t we?

A changing world

To speak to the second part of our new purpose, the world is changing. This is only going to accelerate over the next 10 years, driven by issues like climate change, AI and geopolitical shifts.

By having a focus on our purpose, why we are here and the impact we want to create, we can deliver more. As a business, an employee, or a candidate – we must re-evaluate what makes us thrive all the time. We’re working to understand what our clients and candidates need to thrive in their individual roles and in their wider businesses.

For candidates, this means really understanding what they’re looking for in their next role that will light that spark. What do they want to achieve in life? What’s important to them, and what does their working environment need to look like to support this?

For clients, we’re getting under the skin of their business to understand the kind of people they need to help them succeed. For example, if the role they’re trying to fill needs someone in the office five days a week, we won’t put forward candidates we feel perform better in a hybrid role. Instead, we’ll look for great candidates who thrive being in an office environment. It’s about putting the people and their values first, and going beyond transactional partnerships to enable long-term success.

I’d like to leave you with a simple thought. Imagine a world where every person knew what they needed to do in order to thrive in life. Imagine every business knew what they needed to help their people succeed. Imagine if we all understood our triggers and soothers. We’d have better mental resilience and stronger relationships with our friends and family. The world would be a happier place.

I’d love to hear what you think about this – please share your thoughts with the #TalentVoices hashtag.

For more articles about working at Hydrogen, please click here .

Women in Law: Jacqueline Chan

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:06:38 GMT

Jacqueline Chan is a partner in Milbank’s Singapore office .

Milbank LLP is a leading international law firm that provides top quality innovative legal services to clients around the world. Founded in New York over 150 years ago, Milbank has offices in Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, São Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, DC.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

My father is an excellent lawyer, and I grew up with an awareness of the legal fraternity around me. When started, like most young lawyers I thought my natural home would be that of litigation. However, my journey took a different turn after I found myself drawn to the world of cross-border finance. I realised that I love dealing with international deals and working on complex negotiations, so after joining Milbank’s Hong Kong office as an associate working on international corporate finance transactions, I never looked back! I continue to be extremely motivated by my chosen area of practice.

What are the top three words you’d use to describe the culture at Milbank?

I have been at Milbank for almost 21 years and I can safely say that there must be something unique at Milbank which has made me dedicate so much of my time here. I would describe the culture at Milbank to be People-Driven, Collaborative, and characterised by Excellence.

In your experience, what has been the most significant change for women in the legal field over the last 5 years?

There has been an increased focus on the promotion of women within the legal fraternity, and the language of the importance of gender diversity and representation is now common to all fields. We are now seeing a larger number of women leaders in international law firms and across practice areas, and it is now unusual to see all-male boards or even panels at conferences. Given that law schools are usually comprised of close to 50% women (and sometimes more), the increased participation and representation of women in high-profile leadership positions within law firms is something that is finally coming due.

How important is it to have other women visible at the management level?

I personally feel it is incredibly important to have women visible and represented at all levels of management. Having women in leadership positions provides positive role models for other women in the organisation, which can help to inspire and encourage more women to pursue leadership roles. Also, having women in management positions can help to ensure that the needs and perspectives of women are taken into consideration in decision-making processes. Hopefully, we will soon be at a stage when it will be uncomfortable and unusual to not have women present at all levels of management.

What difference have you seen in the way of working since COVID?

My work life pre-COVID times was characterised by a significant amount of travel. When COVID hit, life changed abruptly and I stayed home for around 18 months, which was the longest stretch of non-travel since I started work around 20 years ago.

During COVID, people adjusted to life without face-to-face meetings, and deal execution adjusted accordingly. Now that the world has adjusted to COVID, we are seeing things go back to pre-COVID practices, including a preference for face-to-face meetings. I do think that the way we work, including having time together with colleagues in the office, will largely return to pre-COVID practices, albeit with some flexibility given the increased tools for communication such as Zoom and the like.

What difference have you seen in the way of working since COVID?

I think it would be helpful to address unconscious bias in the workplace as unconscious bias can affect hiring and promotion decisions, and it is important to address this as much as possible. Active mentorship and sponsorship will be invaluable to help women and other diverse candidates advance their careers. I also believe that it would be beneficial for workplaces to be aware of the work-life balance challenges that women face, and provide conscious support to women who need it. Finally, it is important to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives and to set measurable goals which can be tracked and regularly updated to make sure that meaningful progress is being made.

What advice would you give to your younger self just starting out in law?

Work hard and be persistent: The legal industry is challenging and competitive, so it is important to be prepared to work hard and be persistent in your pursuit of success. Stay focused on your goals, and don't let setbacks discourage you.
Build a strong network: Networking is an essential part of any career, but it is particularly important in the legal industry. Try to connect with other professionals in your field, attend industry events, and join professional associations to build your network.
Seek out mentors: Finding a mentor can be invaluable as you navigate your way through the legal industry. Look for someone who has experience in your field and who can offer guidance and support as you develop your career.
Be open to learning: The legal industry is constantly evolving, so it is important to stay up to date with the latest trends and developments. Be open to learning new skills and taking on new challenges to stay ahead of the curve.
Be confident and assertive: It can be challenging for young women to establish themselves in the legal industry, but confidence and assertiveness can go a long way. Believe in yourself and your abilities, and don't be afraid to speak up and take on leadership roles.
Maintain a work-life balance: The legal industry is demanding, but it is important to maintain a work-life balance that suits you to avoid burnout. Make time for hobbies, friends, and family to ensure that you are taking care of yourself both professionally and personally.

For more Women in Law interviews, please click here .

APAC Market Update - Australia Overview

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 07:41:54 GMT

“ It’s Not all Doom and Gloom”

As we prepare to batten down the financial hatches in 2023, it’s worth taking a moment to see the bigger backdrop. That life is simply returning to a new normal, and one that is infinitely more desirable than the one that came before it.

Our national unemployment – at about a half century low – would be appreciably higher, had the federal government not stepped in during the pandemic, with the historic Job Keeper program and subsidies for faltering businesses. Had this not happened, interest rates would have remained at historic, near-zero per cent lows, not only continuing to push share markets valuations to dangerous highs, but also pushing home ownership even further beyond the reach of younger generations. Let me know your thoughts on how we can help develop your talent pool. Who knows what 2023 will bring- but as we begin to close out 2022, just remember: things could have turned out a lot worse.

Software Engineering : Businesses transitioning from on-prem to cloud platforms has continued to be at the forefront of our Software Engineering engagements with AWS still the dominant services of choice. The volume & complexity of applications being moved to the cloud on our projects has continued to increase, for example, the Investments sector has begun to embrace cloud more widely.

Automation : IT teams have been automating large sections of their core infrastructure to free up time & investment to focus on actual engineering. From devices at home to applications at scale, automation has been a key focus of 2022 in Australia with professional services like the legal and finance industries being especially disrupted.

Quality Assurance : The Australian QA market has seen a huge increase in the demand for Test Engineers with digital (web and mobile) experience. Usage of apps and websites has increased, especially following the switch to remote working. As a result, digital project spend has increased and so has the demand for people with these skillsets.

Cyber : Following the recent Optus cyber-attacks that received widespread media and political coverage, we are seeing a reaction from most tech teams to combat this. With a significant rise in fines for being non-compliant, top-tier organisations are launching multimillion dollar programs to improve their cyber and vulnerability services. The use of AI/ML has increased significantly in this space as well. Many threats are now responded to automatically, which has eased the responsibility on cybersecurity teams.

If you’re curious for more insights into the Australia Tech market or are considering the option to pursue a Tech career in Australia, don’t hesitate to reach out to us:

Ed Garnsey – edgarnsey@hydrogengroup.com / +61 (0)2 9152 8618 (AU)

Legal In-House Financial Services 2022 Market Overview

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 07:51:01 GMT

T he in-house financial services market continued to flourish in 2022, with hiring slowing down slightly at the beginning of Q4. As we saw in 2021, this year proved to be a strongly candidate-led market, a huge contrast to the years pre-pandemic, where in-house clients often had the upper hand when it came to selecting top quality lawyers and particularly those looking to move in-house from private practice.

As mentioned in our Legal In-House Financial Services 2022 Market Overview, the majority of law firms have continued to rapidly increase salaries in recent years, with US firms leading the way and Magic and Silver circle firms following suit, the discrepancy between private practice and in-house salaries began to widen even more in 2021/22 than in previous years.

In this Market Overview, we provide insight on the hiring trends we have witnessed in 2022, with respect to our clients’ demands for certain types of lawyers and at what level, as well as noticeable areas of interest for candidates. We have also laid out our most up-to-date salaries and bonuses benchmarking guide.

If there is anything you would like to discuss further or if you require assistance with any of your hiring needs, please get in touch and we would be pleased to help

Requalifying as a lawyer in the US

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:25:59 GMT

Regardless of industry sector, a new job involving a relocation is typically an exciting, but demanding time. Whether it’s to facilitate a step up the career ladder, to move for a change of lifestyle, or borne out of necessity, relocating can be a huge challenge. When you add legal qualifications into the mix, it’s no wonder that the first question we get asked by US attorneys considering an interstate move or foreign-trained lawyers coming from abroad is about the rules for requalification.

For US lawyers, a new position, out of state, can mean moving into a new specialist sector, as well as lifestyle and financial changes. For lawyers seeking an international move to the US, there are often even bigger financial and lifestyle incentives for both in-house and private practice roles. The good news is that in the US there is only one category of lawyer, and these are licensed and regulated individually by each state. (As is stands, only Arizona allows paralegals to provide legal advice.) Thanks to this simplicity, there are several states where you can practice law without having to the retake the bar, thanks to admission on motion based on reciprocity.

Reciprocity means that a state allows attorneys from other states whom they consider reciprocal to be admitted without sitting the bar exam, though it is not always a two-way street. Below, we highlight the differing qualification rules for the most popular states in terms of relocation.

For international attorneys, despite the common assumption, you do not have to sit the US bar exam before joining a firm here. Typically, you would be required to sit the relevant bar exam in your first year. In most states, if you have practiced law for a certain amount of time, or have had the relative education, then you will be able to sit the bar. Florida is an exception in that it only allows attorneys who have sat a US JD the right to sit their state bar exam.

Qualification rules:

New York:

Based on Admission on Motion/Reciprocity: at least one jurisdiction where the attorney is admitted must similarly admit New York attorneys without examination.

States not reciprocal: CA, NV, LA, AL, FL, SC, RI, DE, MD, HI

Attorneys must have actively practiced law for five or more of the preceding seven years of the application.

For foreign-trained attorneys: In general, those with a three-year on-site undergraduate law degree from most common law countries may be eligible to take the bar examination.

California:

To be admitted to the CA bar, you must sit the CA bar. There is unfortunately no way around it. CA does not have reciprocity with any other state.

Attorneys must have actively practiced law for four or more of the preceding seven years.

For foreign-trained attorneys: if you are a qualified lawyer in your home jurisdiction, you can sit the California bar exam. You still have some other requirements to fulfil, but your foreign license is a shortcut in the application process.

District of Columbia:

DC works based on admission on motion. Any attorney who meets the necessary requirements is eligible to apply for admission. DC is not based on reciprocity.

Attorneys may be eligible if they are admitted in any state or territory of the United States for five years or more immediately preceding the application.

For foreign-trained attorneys: in general, those with a three-year on-site undergraduate law degree from most common law countries may be eligible to take the bar examination.

The D.C. Bar offers a “special legal consultant” status for a foreign-educated lawyer who has been admitted to practice in another country and is at least 26 years of age.

Texas:

In Texas, the process is called Texas Admission Without Examination. Anyone who meets the requirements can apply for admission.

Attorneys must have actively practiced law for five or more of the preceding seven years.

For foreign-trained attorneys: may sit the Texas bar if they have actively practiced law for three or more of the preceding five years of the application.

Uniform Bar Exam:

The UBE is the same exam/series of tests that every jurisdiction can adopt to allow easier movement of attorneys.

It consists of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE).

List of states that DON’T allow UBE: CA, NV, SD, WI, MS, LA, HI, MI, IN, OH, PA, VA, DE, GA, FL, OK, TX, AR, KY.

If you’re a lawyer and would like to learn more about a move within or to the US, get in touch with our team:

Thomas Hartwell - thomashartwell@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (310) 256 4492 or +44 (0) 207 002 0217

Adam Smith – adamsmith@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (619) 344 8173 or +44 (0) 207 002 0048

Naika Quinones – naikaquinones@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (619) 831 8183 or +44 (0) 207 002 0048

Hydrogen Group becomes a SECO Licensed Recruiter

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 09:30:10 GMT

Hydrogen Group is pleased to announce it has obtained a SECO labour license for contract recruitment.

Already holding a SECO recruitment license for permanent positions, Hydrogen Group can now provide full-service recruitment solutions and wider candidate support for life sciences companies and job seekers within Switzerland.

Hydrogen Group CEO, Hayley Still , announced that:

“Since Hydrogen Group entered the Life Sciences market in Switzerland in 2013, we have supported many different life sciences employers to develop and progress their businesses by finding and attracting the very best talent in the market.

The ongoing success we’ve experienced, along with the continued investment of the industry in Switzerland as a key European hub, has elevated our development in Switzerland as a priority for our EMEA business. Based in Zug, Hydrogen Group AG is now fully compliant to provide both permanent and contingent talent in this market and we’re excited to continue to grow and invest in the country.”

Strengthened by this SECO license, Hydrogen Group AG can further support the ground-breaking effort of pharma, biotech, and med-tech companies within Switzerland through expert recruitment services.

For more about working in the Life Sciences sector, please get in touch with us.

Women in Law: Jessica Mottau

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 09:42:06 GMT

Jessica Mottau – Partner, TMT, Allens (Sydney)

Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

I always wanted to! I'm not 100% sure where it started. My mum is a lawyer, and I thought her work sounded quite interesting (or maybe she just subtly brainwashed me at the dinner table).

What are the top three words you’d use to describe the culture at Allens?

Collaboration, excellence and integrity.

In your experience, what has been the most significant change for women in the legal field over the last 5 years?

There have been quite a lot of significant developments. We continue to see increasing recognition of the importance of retention and promotion of women, with many organisations (including Allens) committing to 40:40:20 leadership targets (40% women, 40% men and 20% any gender (women, men or non-binary persons)). I think the move away from primary/secondary carer leave to a uniform approach to parental leave has also been very significant.

The greater uptake in men taking extended parental leave helps to ensure women are not disadvantaged as a result of taking extended leave. In my view that has also been a really important and beneficial change for men. The 'Me too' movement has also opened the door for us to have some really tough but important conversations about culture and conduct in the legal profession.

Lastly, I think the widespread adoption of flexible working, and rollout of technology to facilitate that, has the potential to help us alleviate some of the pressures of juggling work with personal commitments. That's not a challenge faced by women alone (we're all dealing with the juggle), but we do know statistically that many women leave private practice between Senior Associate and Partner levels, so anything that improves retention is really important.

How important is it to have other women visible at management level?

It's critical. Lawyers especially love a precedent – it's much easier to comprehend the leadership opportunities that may be available to you if you can see others like you who are already in those positions. I for one never considered partnership a viable option for myself until I started to see female colleagues who were just a few years ahead of me becoming partners. Suddenly it seemed like an option that was open to me.

It's equally important to have other types of diversity visible at management level for the same reason. And it's not just about visibility – having diversity in management helps to ensure that different perspectives are more likely to be considered in decision-making (something we all benefit from).

What difference have you seen to the way of working since COVID?

Although we were working flexibly at Allens prior to the pandemic, COVID accelerated and embedded the adoption of flexible working across our firm and clients. For many of us it has been a game changer, making it a little easier to balance work and personal demands by sometimes working from home, shifting hours, etc.

That said, we're now starting to see a renewed appreciation for the office and enjoyment of face-to-face communication with our team and clients. Going forward, I think we will enjoy the best of both worlds – working sometimes from home and sometimes from the office, depending on what makes sense on any particular day.

What do you think clients value and why? Have you seen this change over recent years?

Clients appreciate legal advisors that can offer value beyond just providing legal advice. That might be by sharing insights on what is happening in the market, spotting regulatory hurdles on the horizon so they can be grappled with before they become issues (or used to gain a competitive advantage), finding commercial solutions to problems, or helping manage projects efficiently.

Providing clear legal advice is obviously a huge part of the job, but the best client relationships develop when we are able to offer more than that and act as a strategic and commercial partner to our clients.

What advice would you give to your younger self just starting out in law?

Cut yourself some slack. No one starts out as a fully formed lawyer (in fact, I'm not sure anyone ever gets there - it's a constant development process). Keep looking for opportunities to get involved in new work and grow your network, and the rest will come naturally. And speak up…there are no silly questions or opinions!

For more Women in Law interviews, please click here .

US Legal Marketing Update (Banking) – H2 2022

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 09:56:48 GMT

The Banking side of the US Legal market has remained active throughout 2022; a steady resurgence in restructuring has helped debt finance take centre stage, despite the market pessimism and talks of an impending recession.

We’re expecting buyout-backed deal flow to stay a major driving force in leveraged finance markets this year, as financial sponsors continue to raise, deploy, and distribute capital at unprecedented levels. Most sector outlooks also remain unchanged following the mid-year review among the rising rates and potential stagflation, due to continued recovery from pandemic lows and the ability to offset some cost pressures from higher prices.

Davis Polk and Clearly Gottlieb continued their strong performances from 2021, with Cadwalader joining the ranks after an outstanding first half. Besides these spotlight performances, there were also a handful of big deals in the market you might want to take note of:

White & Case advises lenders on €200 million and US$100 million financings to De Nora
White & Case advises KAP AG on €125 million early syndicated loan refinancing
Dechert advises Crescent Capital Group on closing of US$6 billion Crescent Direct Lending Fund III
Dechert advises One Equity Partners on acquisition of Rosboro
Kirkland advises Colgate Energy on its combination with Centennial Resource Development, creating $7 billion Delaware Basin Pure-Play
Kirkland represents Yunkang Group Limited on Hong Kong Listing and $140 million Global Offering
Kirkland represents Thoma Bravo and Barracuda Networks on sale of Barracuda to KKR

And here are the note-worthy moves that happened in H1 2022:

White & Case strengthens its Private Credit Capabilities with the Addition of Vincenzo P. Lucibello as a Partner in Boston, as well as welcoming Brad Laken as a Partner in Chicago
Dechert continues Global Finance Expansion with William C. Robertson and Edward “Jay” Southgate, who brings considerable experience in Consumer Lending and Fintech
Dechert welcomes Global Finance Partner Alon Goldberger back to its Philadelphia office
Kirkland welcomes Debt Finance Partners Robert Eberhardt and William Nicholson in New York

Inflation is still one of the biggest unknown for 2022, following the resurgence of global economic activities; it will be interesting to see how it comes into play in the remainder of the year, and potentially into 2023.

If you’re curious for more insights into the US Legal market or are considering the option to pursue a Legal career in the US, don’t hesitate to reach out to our specialist team:

Thomas Hartwell – thomashartwell@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (310) 256 4492 or +44 (0) 207 002 0217

Adam Smith – adamsmith@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (619) 344 8173 or +44 (0) 207 002 0048

Kai Fogarty – kaifogarty@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (619) 831 8184 or +44 (0) 799 071 8887

Women in Law: Jacqueline Downes

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 10:12:24 GMT

Jacqueline Downes – Partner, Competition, Consumer & Regulatory, Allens (Sydney)

Can you tell us a little about Allens and your practice?

Allens is a fantastic firm which just celebrated 200 years. We have been involved in many seminal matters for iconic Australian and international companies over that time and continue to be involved in them today. We have a commitment to great people and work and are highly collegiate.

I have been at Allens for over 25 years and am now head of the Competition, Consumer & Regulatory group. We advise clients on all matters involving competition and consumer law, including merger clearances, investigations by the competition and consumer regulator, the ACCC, ACCC and private litigation and general advisory work. Aside from a one-year stint at the Federal Court as an Associate I have been at Allens my whole career – I was a summer clerk back in the day!

Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

I didn't always want to be a lawyer – originally I wanted to be a history academic majoring in medieval history. My history thesis was about the plight of medieval women called "Witches and Bitches"! My dad was a barrister so I had always been exposed to the law. However, it was when I did my summer clerkship at Allens that I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. I shadowed a senior partner and had quite a lot of direct client contact and I decided that, while I loved history, I wanted my career to be in the real world. I could always keep history as a hobby (which I have!). As a competition lawyer much of what we do is a combination of fact finding and black letter law which, in many ways, is not unlike analysing history.

What are the top three words you’d use to describe the culture at Allens?

Collegiate, supportive and rich.

In your experience, what has been the most significant change for women in the legal field over the last 5 years?

The number of women partners is a big change - at least over the last 15 years - and I think provides more visible role models for younger lawyers. When I was made a partner 15 years ago only around 14% of Allens partners were women - now it is 37%, and we are aiming for 40% in the next three years. The other big change is more support around parental and care giving leave and more men taking parental leave, which is really important for both men and women.

How important is it to have other women visible at management level?

It is critical. Without that visibility there is little impetus for changing the way things are done. It also gives younger women an example to follow so they believe that becoming a partner or manager is an option for them too.

What difference have you seen to the way of working since COVID?

We had a flexible working policy in my group before COVID but it has definitely increased that as an option. I don't think we will ever go back to working 5 days a week in the office. While I do like working in the office most days it is good to have that increased flexibility and the technology to work from home when it is convenient, particularly to assist with care-giving roles and to allow for more time with family.

What do you think clients value and why? Have you seen this change over recent years?

Clients value that trusted legal relationship and also want you to be proactive about looking out for their business. Clients will always want the best advice and will often rely on a trusted adviser they have a relationship with. But that is not sufficient on its own anymore – clients also want their lawyers to be responsive and manage costs and to be proactive in thinking about their business and the impacts of legal or industry developments.

What do you think the legal industry can do to get more women and other diverse candidates into leadership roles?

I think it really is about seeing more people in those roles. How do you do that? I think by understanding the factors that impact women such as family commitments, a desire for connection and interesting work and ensuring those aspects are part of a legal career. Also constantly asking yourself when looking at candidates for roles whether you are bringing any unconscious bias to the decision making process. We don't have that problem as much in our group as we have had more women than men for a while – including at partner level where we have 5 female and 2 male partners.

What advice would you give to your younger self just starting out in law?

Dream big and take as many opportunities and experiences as possible. You can do it.

For more Women in Law interviews, please click here .

Finding that cultural fit when practising law in the US

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:23:06 GMT

While domestic and international relocation has always been a popular option for lawyers seeking a change of lifestyle, career development or a new specialist sector to target, the pandemic has boosted these moves to a new level.

With stark differences between states, both technically and culturally, moving to another state or coming to work in the US as a foreign-trained lawyer thus becomes more than a simple equation, with things like requalification (we’re covering in an upcoming article) coming into the picture. Ensuring that you choose a location that matches your lifestyle is also important, so we’ve highlighted some of the key destinations below to help you determine where to go.

New York City

NYC houses some of the oldest and most well-known white-shoe law firms, servicing major clients in the Wall Street financial services sector. These prestigious firms have stringent selection criteria, but if you secure a move here, you will be paid one of the highest salaries in the industry along with the associated status of being a New York attorney.

If you’re looking for that NYC buzz and want to enjoy all that the Big Apple offers, then living in the city would be an obvious choice. Its strategic location also allows you to do quick getaways to other East Coast locations like Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, DC. Alternatively, if you’re looking to enjoy a quieter life, there’s always the option to live in the more family-oriented areas like New Jersey or upstate and commute into the city like many of our candidates do.

California

California’s laid-back, outdoor vibe has stereotypically been associated with innovative industries, such as technology and entertainment. It’s often a magnet for younger attorneys who might prefer to align themselves with fast-paced, smaller companies and startups that have more risk. Spread over a large area, the north includes San Francisco’s Bay area and Silicon Valley, while SoCal is all about Los Angeles and all that the city offers.

San Francisco:

As the second busiest market after NYC, legal salaries in San Francisco match the Cravath scale, with the Bay area becoming one of the most competitive, sophisticated legal markets around, hosting local, national, and international firms. As a unique, picturesque city, San Francisco provides the best of both worlds – city living with easy access to miles of outdoor pursuits, from trails to wine country. It is also a popular destination for many Asian Americans, thanks to its renowned Asian food influences.

Silicon Valley:

More than just the tech capital of the world, Silicon Valley is a great option for those who prefer being in a more family-friendly laid-back area, while still having excellent transport links into the city. Due to the size of some of the tech giants, there are generally more in-house opportunities here compared to on the East Coast, which results in California firms having more incentive to provide a first-class corporate culture to retain attorneys.

Los Angeles:

Aside from the glitz of Hollywood, Los Angeles also provides a good balance of beach and city lifestyle for those looking for life in the sun, with a Latin American vibe. It is also fast becoming another tech and startup hub, on top of its traditional entertainment focus, with Tech giants like Google, Amazon, Tesla, and Apple all expanding their LA operations and providing a wide range of opportunities for lawyers. However, the transportation system has considerably more limitations than its California neighbours, which is worth considering.

Washington, DC

Texas is popular for relocation, most notably to Houston, Dallas, and Austin, due to its outdoor way of life and consistently good weather. Home to some of the major players in energy and infrastructure, Texas has also welcomed some hip, young businesses to Austin’s growing tech scene. And with the lower house prices and lack of individual income tax, salaries that match the Cravath scale tend to go further in Texas, plus there is a strong family focus, both in the culture and several established businesses.

Florida

Traditionally a destination for those wanting a lifestyle change and a move to a warmer, tropical climate, Florida has been evolving as an option for attorneys over the last couple of years since the pandemic kicked in. While multicultural Miami has always been a strong draw thanks to the beaches and vacation vibes, the state has seen an increasing number of Wall Street partners working remotely from their South Beach and Boca Raton second homes since the beginning of the pandemic. The knock-on effect is that one major firm has now relocated 37 attorneys permanently to Miami, with other names now considering office space in South Florida. Legal salaries are generally below the Cravath scale, but this could change if more East Coast players arrive. Florida also provides an excellent location for those looking to focus on LatAm work and we certainly see this as a hub for international arbitration in the region.

The US has a plethora of cultures across its states & regions, so it’s important to also consider the lifestyle of the location when you plan the move, just like how you’d normally assess whether the culture of a potential employer is a fit. If you’re a lawyer and would like to learn more about a move to the US or need more help deciding where in the US suits you best, don’t hesitate to get in touch by filling in the form below or reaching out to one of our specialists:

Thomas Hartwell - thomashartwell@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (310) 256 4492 or +44 (0) 207 002 0217

Adam Smith – adamsmith@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (619) 344 8173 or +44 (0) 207 002 0048

Kai Fogarty – kaifogarty@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (619) 831 8184 or +44 (0) 799 071 8887

Flexible Futures

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 10:28:01 GMT

Earlier this month The Global Recruiter magazine in association with Sonovate held an online round table which brought together a number of leading recruitment professionals to examine current trends and challenges surrounding flexible work. While the intention was to discuss how clients are deploying flexible work and what can be done to incentivise this, the conversation equally highlighted how the recruitment industry had adopted and was adapting to flexible work. Forever an innovative sector, the conversation showed that it may well be that as flexible work continues to evolve, where recruiters lead others will follow.

Dean Jennings, Hydrogen Group's Global Head of Talent Acquisition took part, and you can read his views here on Page 18.

How to handle the threat of rising private practice salaries: a guide for GCs

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 11:47:52 GMT

The seemingly inexorable rise of law firm salaries poses difficult challenges to companies trying to recruit lawyers in-house (not to mention retaining the ones they have already!). The legal press has been awash with reports of yet more pay hikes and the price war is showing no signs of abating. Putting aside the US law firms (with whom companies recruiting in-house have never really sought to compete with), pay increases have been ubiquitous across the UK private practice market everywhere from the Magic Circle to West End boutiques. Inevitably, this has had a bearing on companies’ ability to recruit in-house counsel, and we are hearing more and more often from GCs expressing concern at not attracting candidates of the same calibre they’d previously taken for granted.

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Law firm salaries are on the rise

In May 2022, Freshfields boosted starting NQ salaries to £125,000 . However, it’s not just the Magic Circle leaving in-house lawyers’ employers far behind, with other City and national law firms announcing generous hikes; Addleshaw Goddard has announced it will increase NQ base salary to £95,000 , bringing them in line with the likes of BCLP and Eversheds (London). A mid-level associate with around 3 years’ PQE can command around £118,000 with the likes of Stephenson Harwood, whilst firms such as CMS are offering £130,000+ for 5-6 PQE candidates. Historically, in-house employers would match (or at least get very close to) remuneration at firms in those brackets but increasingly we are seeing companies offering salaries that amount to a 30-40% drop. On top of that, sign-on bonuses have become the norm and firms are frequently offering golden handshakes worth as much as £10,000-£20,000.

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What’s the impact?

As the compensation gulf has widened, many private practice candidates are viewing a move in-house as less desirable. This doesn’t just apply to those who are ‘money motivated’, as people tend to live within their means, and we are finding that many simply cannot afford the pay cuts that are being expected of them. Fears over the rising cost of living only exacerbate this. It’s nothing new or unusual for lawyers from certain City law firms to have to accept a modest drop upon going in-house – however, the severity of pay cuts that companies are now expecting them to take is unprecedented.

Another consequence is that candidates are putting off making an in-house move until later in their careers (if considering one at all). This is at odds with the level at which companies most commonly hire, with most in-house positions pitched between 1 and 5 years’ PQE. Typically, it’s more difficult to recruit more junior roles as associates opt to remain in private practice and maximise their earning potential whilst they can, before reconsidering a move in-house at a later stage. This is less of an issue at the more senior end of the market as many firms still have an ‘up or out’ culture, meaning the most experienced senior associates are more likely to accept a drop in pay if they’re not going to be made up or don’t want to be a partner.

When lawyers have committed to making a move, it’s not unusual to see intense bidding wars between companies competing for the same talent. Multiple offers have become the norm. Whilst the bidding wars are especially fierce in private practice, we are noticing companies go outside of their initial budget to secure lawyers they really want. This tends to favour smaller, more nimble companies who are less burdened by rigid corporate pay bands, which are almost invariably obsolete in today’s legal market.

What can you do about it?

Let’s begin by stating the obvious…

Pay more!

This is clearly easier said than done but we firmly believe that the increasing gulf in pay is unsustainable. Companies do not need to match the top City law firms (not referring to the US and Magic Circle, who are in a league of their own), but they do need to stop the gap from getting even bigger unless they’re prepared to drastically reassess the profile of the candidate they’ll consider hiring. At the very least, companies should be transparent regarding bonus potential (or better still, offer a minimum guarantee) as well as giving visibility on future pay reviews – for lawyers moving from private practice, it’s not just the drop at the point of entry that they worry about but how far behind they will fall in the years to come.

However, we appreciate these kinds of shifts aren’t always possible in the short term, so what else can you do to overcome a compensation shortfall?

Be open to other skillsets

The most in-demand skill set in sport, media and entertainment is commercial law, which happens to be one of the most sought-after practice areas everywhere else! Do you really need someone from a commercial/TMT practice for your 2 PQE commercial role? Perhaps you do for a senior role, but at junior/mid-level, you could attract a much wider pool of extremely capable, smart (and ultimately better!) candidates by considering people from other departments.

We’ve seen countless examples of successful recruits transitioning from practice areas such as corporate and finance – they might not have the standalone commercial contracts drafting experience, but bright, well-trained lawyers pick things up quickly! Too few legal managers take advantage of this.

You might be wondering how this relates to salary. Well, not only could you end up with a better candidate but lawyers from other areas are much more likely to accept a cut to break into the sports, media, and entertainment space. To use the commercial lawyer example again, they are in such high demand that they hold the most bargaining power, and in most cases, someone will eventually meet their price. If you are struggling to meet their salary expectations, you are much more likely to find success by giving somebody else a shot who may otherwise be overlooked. Ironically, the likes of corporate and finance lawyers tend to be among the best paid in private practice, but you could find plenty who’d jump at the chance to do something they’re passionate about and many will be willing to compromise on pay for that opportunity. Commercial lawyers simply do not need to be so flexible!

Offer other perks

Most importantly, a genuinely flexible approach to hybrid working is a powerful tool in attracting candidates. Demanding full-time presence in the office is a significant deterrent to an overwhelming majority of candidates. To be regarded “on par”, companies should consider a pattern of 2-3 days in the office with the rest WFH. Other benefits that can make companies stand out from the crowd are generous holiday allowances (some of our clients have increased from 25 to 30 days, plus bank holidays, which has been hugely popular), charity days, and company incentives. Many are also modernising their benefits with diversity and inclusion front of mind – a couple of recent examples we’ve seen are fertility support and menopause leave. Even for those who wouldn’t use those benefits, the positive message it sends about a company’s culture and values is very powerful.

Interviews: Sell first, test later!

A good interview process should be a two-sided affair and just as much importance should be attached to the candidate learning about you and your company. In the past, a typical process might have involved a couple of rigorous, testing interview stages until a preferred candidate emerged; only then would a company go into ‘sell-mode’ to try to entice their favourite onboard. This method has been turning on its head in the last few years, but it has become even more outdated in today’s market when the candidates hold most of the cards.

One of the most effective things you can do without spending more money is to invest more time in first-round interviews to really sell why your company is a great place to work. This doesn’t have to amount to giving the candidates a free pass (in most first stage interviews, candidates will still be expected to talk through their career history and provide background on why they’re considering a move) but applicants should always come away from the interview with an excellent understanding of what the role would look like and, most importantly, to have gained an impression on how they’d fit into the team. Whilst salary will never cease to be important, candidates consistently rank “the people” as the key factor when deciding on a job move. Candidates are much more likely to warm up to interviewers who break the ice by introducing themselves first and then summarise the role they’re recruiting for and what they need. It’s also important that you invest a good chunk of time in answering any questions the candidate has. Once that groundwork has been laid, you’ll have a much better-invested pool of candidates and, if needed, you can be more testing at a second round – by then they’ll be much more engaged in you and the company.

Give feedback

Demonstrate your interest from inception by providing thorough feedback following interviews and throughout the process. Interview feedback should not just be limited to candidates you are unfortunately turning down (though doing that is of course an important courtesy) but thought should also be given to passing on positive feedback to candidates you do wish to progress with. This is often ignored, as if simply advancing candidates to the next stage of the process is good enough news! Tell your recruiter what you liked about the candidate and why you think they’d be a good fit. Better still, perhaps consider reaching out directly to candidates to say thank you and that you really enjoyed meeting them. Similarly, once you have decided who you want to hire and your recruiter has broken an offer, follow up with the candidate to congratulate them, tell them how much you’re hoping they’ll accept to join the team, and welcome them to contact you if they have any questions. Personal touches go a long way in such a competitive market and candidates are much more likely to accept a sacrifice in terms of pay if they connect with you.

Try these tips out for yourself! If you’d like any further information or advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch – I’d love to know how you get on.

Life in Jersey as an Offshore Lawyer

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 10:51:12 GMT

What interested you about making the move Offshore?

Moving to Jersey from Dublin seemed like an easy decision as it was time for a change and the increased salary and tax breaks meant that I would have more disposable income than ever. Also, the opportunity to escape the rain and move to a country with guaranteed sunshine couldn’t be passed up.

Professionally speaking, I understood that working in a Jersey law firm would allow me access to higher value and more varied work while maintaining a better work-life balance than offered in bigger cities.

How did you find the transition Offshore?

As someone who had moved countries before, I knew that it was never going to be a completely smooth transition. However, I found everyone to be extremely welcoming and helped me to settle in very quickly.

What support has been made available? What has your experience been like?

Luckily, Jersey is full of people who have moved here from all over the world. I have found that there are people both in and out of the office who are happy to share their experiences and support you in any way that they can.

What is it like living in Jersey?

Overall, I am very happy with my decision to move to Jersey. I live less than a five minute walk from the office and the work is diverse and challenging.

During the warmer months I take full advantage of the sunshine and spend most of my weekends hiking and eating in nice restaurants that are dotted all over the island. There are also lots of sport clubs and gyms to choose from, so if you enjoy keeping fit, Jersey is definitely for you.

Also, Jersey is only around an hour and a half to Dublin and less than an hour to London by plane. You can also travel by ferry to Saint-Malo, France in about hour and twenty minutes.

What are the pros of working and living in Jersey?

I would say that the main benefit of working and living in Jersey are the generous tax breaks and gorgeous weather. Jersey is also very picturesque with a very low crime rate.

I have also found that the cost of renting in Jersey is on par with Dublin and London. In fact, I would say that the rental properties are actually nicer in Jersey as there are many newly built properties to rent that also have an ocean view.

Is there anything that you have struggled with living in Jersey?

I think it is obvious that you will miss your friends and family when you move abroad. However, I have found that people are more than happy to visit. Especially as Jersey isn't too far away.

Also, the cost of purchasing property in Jersey is quite expensive and while there are nice shops in Jersey, I do miss I miss the variety in Dublin.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the process and how you found this?

I went through a three-stage interview process which was all conducted online. I can only speak from experience, but I didn’t feel like my interviewers were trying to trip me up in any way. Each interview was very conversational, and the interviewers really just wanted to know about my past experience and how well I could fit into their team. I was also very lucky that my recruiters gave me invaluable tips before each interview and called me after to check in which made me feel very supported.

With regards to the work permit and visa, this was all organised for me by the HR department of my firm. However, if you do need to contact a government office, I found that they respond to any queries very swiftly.

In terms of the actual physical relocation, I drove from Dublin to Jersey with my car filled to the brim with my belongings, which I would not recommend. Most employers provide a generous relocation package which include moving costs, so I would take full advantage of that and just bring the clothes you need and have everything else shipped over later.

What have you enjoyed most about the move?

Meeting new people has definitely been the highlight of my move, not to mention that I have expanded my professional network and skillset considerably.

What did you do to settle into Island life?

When moving to a new country you do have to make more effort than usual to meet new people, so I joined the women's basketball league and I also take box-fit classes most days.

In terms of the firm’s social life, you could attend a firm-wide social event every month if you wanted to. Also, our team also has an away day every quarter and drinks on the office floor every month.

What advice would you give to anyone considering a move Offshore?

1. Try to secure a license from your employers so you can rent or buy any property in Jersey.

2. Be very honest about your experience during your interview so that your employers know that they may have to provide you with additional support and training if needed.

3. If you are renting you should keep in mind that most rental properties are unfurnished. As furniture is quite expensive in Jersey, it is often easier and cheaper to ship all of your furniture from home than to buy it new here.

4. Listen to your recruiters when they give you interview advice as they know the offshore market inside and out!

Anyone wishing to have a confidential discussion around opportunities in Bermuda, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, or the UK Channel Islands, please get in touch with the Offshore team at Hydrogen and we'd be more than happy to talk to you through the opportunities at your level.

Women in Law: Candice Ota

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 11:11:15 GMT

Candice Ota is a partner in White & Case Melbourne’s Project Development and Finance group. In this article, Candice takes a look back on her career to date and discusses the important role mentors have played in her career.

White & Case is the perfect firm for my international legal experience

I started at White & Case in January 2017 when the Firm first opened an office in Australia. I knew the Firm well from my time living and working in New York and particularly for its reputation as a global leader in project finance. Since I practice both New York law and Australian law, I thought working at White & Case would be perfect for my skillset.

Having a diverse group of mentors is really important

I've benefited from many different mentors who have helped me at different stages of my career. Mentors don't need to only be people within the legal industry, I would count some (non-lawyer) family members as my mentors. They are people who you can learn from, lean on and ultimately receive guidance and different perspectives from.

Sponsors play an important role in shaping your career

I think it's important not to just have mentors, but to look for sponsors—these are the people who are going to help advance your career. I was fortunate enough to take part in a sponsorship program for women at White & Case a few years ago. It was there that I learned about the importance of sponsorship and benefitted from sponsorship myself. I also met other women from our Firm around the world and the experience empowered me to work towards partnership.

Don't be afraid to have a voice and make mistakes

When I was younger I would sometimes not speak up or voice an opinion, fearing that I wasn't 100% correct. The people that inspire me most are those who ignore their fears and voice their views, even if they may not be popular.

Get out of your comfort zone

If I look back on my career, I realise that I learned and advanced most when I took on challenges that were outside of my comfort zone. For me this included delivering presentations, taking on difficult work assignments in areas that I had not done before and stepping in for more senior associates or partners when needed.

For more Women in Law interviews, please click here .

Life in Bermuda as an Offshore Lawyer

Tue, 24 May 2022 11:40:19 GMT

What was your initial attraction to the offshore markets both from a personal and professional standpoint?

At the risk of sounding a little mercenary, one of the biggest allures is the compensation and tax situation. I come from one of the most highly taxed provinces in Canada. If you're saddled with student loans while paying high income tax, it's tough to get yourself out of debt, into the black, and kickstart your life. Another aspect of it is the exoticness of going offshore and living on an island. It's a challenge, it's a new culture, it’s new people. Those were the primary personal motivators, but professionally I knew that offshore is where a lot of the best business happens. Anybody who is looking to strategically invest or to do something big usually has an offshore component to it. That said, I wasn't prepared for the quality of work I was going to receive, and I now deal with clients in New York, London, Toronto, Hong Kong, and all over.

How have you found the transition to working offshore having come from a more traditional onshore practice?

The transition to offshore was a little different than I expected. I'm used to the frantic nature of the Toronto, New York, corporate lawyer lifestyle and it was tough for me to deprogram being stressed. It took a while to get into the island mindset where you're not getting emails at all hours of the night and weekend because the Partners aren't working, they're leading by example. People value their time off and if they value their time off, they value your time off. So, that was an interesting adjustment. In terms of the actual work that I do, the biggest transition would be from a transactional perspective. Onshore, I was used to being, for lack of a better phrase, the bus driver. I was coordinating everything, organising external counsel, doing the primary drafting, that sort of thing, but when you're offshore, you are a smaller component of a much larger transaction, and the bus is being driven by onshore counsel. It's a lower level of stress, so the control freak in me is adjusting to that, but it's a nicer pace for sure.

What sort of support have you had since making the move offshore and what has your experience been of those resources?

When you go offshore to a small island such as Bermuda, you need to go with your eyes wide open, understanding that the infrastructure is not the same as it is in a big city. There are delays, things move more slowly, and you must have patience. My work permit took quite a bit of time, but I had lots of resources in the firm, with the HR department making phone calls and following up as needed. The Partners were very supportive too because everyone understands those delays are not your fault. The welcoming feeling of the firm has also been a huge resource, making sure that I'm socially integrated. For example, when I first arrived, I had to quarantine at the height of the pandemic and my firm made sure I had groceries delivered to the hotel room, all my favorite foods while I was stuck there, so it's been great.

From a training and upskilling perspective, how would you say that the firm has supported you?

Bermuda is a common law jurisdiction and while we all have a similar foundation, the learning curve is steep. There's a lot of legislation that you need to get familiar with and like any other offshore jurisdiction it's very highly regulated. There is a lot of protocol when it comes to anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing. I effectively had to revert to being a student in terms of getting used to doing research and reading the law again, which gives you a big healthy dose of humility. You’re almost starting from zero, even though my title is Senior Associate, but it doesn’t take long to get up and running.

How would you say that you've found life on Bermuda?

I love it here. Everyone knows about the pink sand beaches and the weather, but one thing I like about Bermuda is it reminds me of smalltown Canada in that everyone is welcoming and it's just a happy atmosphere. I think because the pace is so much more laid-back, people are generally more cheerful. Walking downtown in Bermuda is very different from walking downtown in London or New York. Somebody actually said to me, “Have a ‘Bermudaful’ day” at the store yesterday! The only challenge is the supply chain because it’s a small island. Most things are imported, so you can’t necessarily find the products you’re used to, and they’re more expensive.

What have been the main pros and cons of work and life since moving to the island?

Before you make a move to somewhere like Bermuda, I would highly recommend doing your research about everyday things such as internet speeds or cell phone networks, because it's not Canada, it's not the UK, it's different. Be prepared for the cost of living: yes, your salary is higher, but the cost of living is proportionately quite high. Take into consideration the cost of your electricity, your water, your food etc. Things are much slower here, so you need patience when it comes to immigration or setting up a bank account – it will get done, but not as quickly as it would onshore. The flipside of that is one of the pros – you don’t have people yelling or stressing you out, which makes for a much more pleasant work environment. For my own wellbeing and personal health, I have lost weight since I've come here, I'm sleeping better, I'm happier with my work/life balance. I live a much healthier lifestyle, walking and swimming and being outside, rather than driving all the time.

How did you find the process from start to finish, from the interview to the physical relocation to Bermuda?

I initially had a hard time getting the attention of offshore firms and I felt like I was sending applications into these black holes, and nothing was happening. It wasn't until I connected with Hydrogen and could leverage your relationships that people were interested in me. So, the biggest challenge offshore I think, is getting on their radar. Once interviews were in place, it moved very quickly and was very straightforward, with nothing out of the ordinary in the interviews themselves. I think the time from first interview to offer in hand was less than a month. My work permit process was problematic, but I think that was abnormal and down to the pandemic, so it took me six months to finally land on the island and move here properly. One thing it’s worth being aware of is that places like Bermuda and Cayman have protocols in place to protect locals. Your employer must show that no local can do the job before they hire from abroad, so the firm wanting you isn't always enough, and that can add to the process timewise.

How did you go about assimilating into life in Bermuda?

It's not hard here - you just walk around with a smile and are assimilated! In practical terms of the day-to-day, I think there are two ways to approach an international move like this. One is to liquidate your life; sell everything you own and go with a couple of suitcases and start building when you land. The other is to ship everything you think you might need, which is what we did. While it was much trickier to do, mentally it means I am fully invested in Bermuda and am here for the long haul, I can’t just go back to Canada with my suitcases next week. It depends where you are at in your life as to which approach you take – maybe earlier in your career, or if you’re single and don’t have loads of furniture, then you’d just come and get a furnished place.

How have you found settling into a social life in Bermuda, at work and outside of work?

At work, we have plans for a summer social underway and once a month, on a Friday night, we have what we call Wine Time, where the whole firm, from assistants to Managing Partner, gets together. Outside of work, I'm an avid golfer and there are beautiful golf courses on the island, so every couple of weeks, I play golf. I was also a competitive volleyball player at university, and I’ve joined the Bermuda national volleyball team, which is amazing, like getting a second chance at being a high-level athlete. My firm is fully supporting this too and are looking at sponsorship opportunities and giving me time off to travel to Olympic qualifying events. I also find that cross firms, not just within Walkers, everybody knows everybody, as it’s such a small place, so you can often socialise with other people in your industry too.

Could you leave us with some top tips for someone looking to make a move offshore?

Do your research, as I mentioned before. It sounds basic, but if you can visit the island and know what to expect, it’s a huge help. If you can get an ally on the island, that’s even better. I was lucky enough to connect with some colleagues at Walkers before arriving and one of them was able to liaise with a real estate agent and help organise our home before we landed. At the risk of sounding a little bit cheesy, try to be fearless, come in with an open mind and embrace the change and differences. The reason most people don’t move offshore is because they’re afraid of new things or being far away from family, and they don’t like change. My tip is don't be afraid of the change and your life will absolutely improve for the better.

If you would like to see the full video interview, click here , and you’ll get redirected to the video interview page.

Inspiring People at Greene King: Nicky McDonald

Tue, 24 May 2022 11:25:23 GMT

Tell us about your career progression into your current role.

At University I studied Social Welfare and Sociology because I wanted to help vulnerable young people find the right path. Afterwards, I went to work for the youth offending service at Worcestershire County Council, where I progressed into management and did my Prince2. I then got seconded to the Children's Workforce Development practice and that was my first pure Project Management job. The Council was very slow and not very agile, and a boss at the time recommended I move into the private sector, where I joined a consultancy called Chaucer. That was where I gained a lot of experience, working across different industries and getting projects delivered. I then went to work for Deutsche Bank, but I didn’t like the hierarchical culture and it was tough to be passionate about transformation and people there. Luckily, a job came up at Superdry and that felt like I'd found my home. It was going through enormous growth, and I went from Project Manager to Program Manager to Head of Transformation in three years, with supportive managers that had real faith in me. After Superdry, I had a couple of short contract jobs, before joining my previous Superdry boss here at Greene King. The last two years have been an interesting journey, trying to establish a new function during a pandemic, but we've grown from a team of one to about 40 now.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced in your role?

Like a lot of females that I've worked with, I’m my own worst critic, so my biggest challenge is often confidence. My confidence never matches my ability, but I've been very fortunate that other people have seen it in me and pushed me to jump into opportunities when they arise. I’m at a level now where everything is doable, and I can get people to help figure things out if I need to, but even now, if I ever lack confidence, it only means I’m pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, which is a good thing. Another challenge is prioritising and making sure you don't become all-consumed with work and burn yourself out, which can happen when you're very passionate about your career. No one gets a medal for doing 70 hours a week every week and understanding that has led me to lead in a different way too, by example.

If you had to put your success down to one thing, what would that be?

It's got to be other leaders having faith in me, seeing something that I couldn't see, and pushing me. The second thing is, I’ve never focused on or been boxed in by worrying about job titles. I’ve always let things grow organically, by becoming better at what I do and taking on more complex projects. Too many people focus on the wrong goal.

What are your thoughts on risk-taking? And do you think it's harder for women leaders to take risks or more imperative?

I don't think risk-taking should be defined by gender. Part of my job is assessing risk and what’s coming over the horizon and in that respect I’m risk averse. But when it comes to seizing opportunities or putting yourself out there, I think you’ve got to push yourself out of your comfort zone and take risks, male or female. It’s more a senior leader thing, than a gender thing, though I think it can be harder for women to take those risks, especially mothers who are juggling a lot more responsibilities. It’s all part of setting yourself goals and challenges, for example, I’ve said that I want my team to become the highest performing team in Greene King. I’ve no idea if we can achieve that, but it helps set our mentality into taking chances when we can. What we want to achieve in the digital space in our industry is going to require a leap of faith. Yes, there needs to be a strong business case for taking that leap but by supporting everybody to feel comfortable taking those risks, it becomes a culture thing rather than an individual piece.

Do you have a mentor or role model in your career? And what's the value of having a mentor?

Mentors are everything. If you're trying to do this on your own, I'd say it's impossible. I’ve had two influential mentors, both bosses at Superdry, one of whom also came to Greene King. They both gave me the platform to show what I could do and backed me to achieve whatever I could. Both have become trusted friends and they can also have the difficult conversations with me too when I’m not on the right track. They pushed me constantly where I might have bottled it at certain points. I also think there are benefits to having mentors that aren't your bosses or your friends. I started having external coaching and that's been very beneficial. At times, when work is getting overwhelming, talking to a stranger helps and it becomes part of your tool kit to help you cope. It can be quite a lonely place as you get more senior, and you don't want to put your issues onto your team, so having that external support is critical for me.

How have you seen the industry change over the years in terms of diversity and women in the workplace?

Even though technology has changed drastically in recent years, and everyone is doing some form of digital transformation, I don’t feel things have moved on much in terms of gender diversity. For some reason, we're still not getting to see female talent, whether it's developers, product owners or scrum masters. There's been a whole new industry created by transformation itself, with new careers and roles, but for some reason it's still very male-dominated. I'm not sure if that's because a lot of the transition has happened organically from male-dominated IT roles into the digital space. I think it also starts back at school and how we engage girls in science and technology and data. How do we excite younger people into these industries and get a pipeline of female talent?

As a business leader in a large organisation that delivers services to the public, how do you promote both diversity and inclusion?

It should be embedded in everything that we do, but a level playing field doesn’t fully address the fact that we all come from different backgrounds. If the recruitment process and the way a CV is written isn’t going to change, then we have to empower people from all backgrounds to be able to produce a great CV and compete equally. If we don’t, then we’ll only ever be hiring people who are the same, and this doesn’t represent our customers. We can’t meet our customers’ needs if we can’t empathise with them, so we need to break down any barriers of entry to be able to access diverse talent and create a diverse, inclusive workforce. Our industry is also very male dominated because of the hours and the shifts, so how do we make it an environment that's more accessible to people with different responsibilities? There's a lot of focus now at Greene King about how we do that in terms of being an employer of choice. What I don't want to happen is positive discrimination. You can't have a target for women on boards if the CVs aren't coming in. No one wants a job just because they're one of the few female applicants, so we need to make it more accessible to women as a career option.

Do you believe that creating a diverse and inclusive environment starts at the top or at the grassroots level?

It needs to come from both and meet in the middle, then through that you can create the right culture. If you've got the right culture, you can attract the right people, then you'll get the diversity you need. Every business needs that variety of experience and background, so we’ve got to lead in the right way, and we've also got to live and breathe our values from the ground up to create an open culture that is accepting of everyone.

Is there any advice that you would give to women wanting to move into a leadership role?

My advice would be to go for it. You don't need to pretend to be a male leader to get on as a leader. There are male traits that are beneficial in leadership roles, and female traits, such as emotional intelligence, sensitivity and compassion that are equally valuable, so there’s nothing stopping you. A mix of both male and female in leadership teams is the healthiest. The more senior you get, the more impact you have, both in terms of the organisation, but also with helping other people in their careers. Managers in the past have had faith in me, and it’s great to be able to put that faith into others now and it’s a huge motivation for me every day.

How do you switch off and make sure that you take time for you? And what actions do you take to encourage your team?

One of my biggest passions is making sure that I set up a great environment for my team to be successful and switching off is vital. I think of my team like athletes – we have to sleep well and eat well if we want to train hard and push ourselves. It’s impossible to push all the time, that’s when burnout happens, so it’s important to have a release outside of work. I keep a close eye on my team to make sure we’re not overworking anyone, and others in the leadership team will do the same for me, and call me out if I work a weekend, for example. Every now and again is fine, but if it’s a regular occurrence, then we need to look at more resources or reset our expectations. I’m very serious about this sort of thing, it’s a top priority for me as a leader.

What are you most excited about delivering for Greene King?

All of it. I want to be able to look back in a couple of years and admire everything we have done, in turning this big oil tanker of an organisation round in terms of employee experience, customer experience and agility. We’ve got the foundations in place and are seeing growth in a challenging time for our sector, and we’re already having an impact on how the hospitality industry employs people, treats its staff, and engages with customers. I'm really excited about the digital portfolio and what we're going to be delivering in terms of personalized experiences for our customers. Then there’s the ESG changes, looking at electric fleets, for example. And above all, the impact we can have on our 40,000 people and their employee experience.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

It's two-sided coin for me. On one side, I find it really rewarding that I get the opportunity with my team to really shape the business and define the future by implementing change. We get to work on all the meaty, complex stuff and get exposure to the whole business. The other rewarding aspect is the transformation team. I’m passionate about them and protective of them because I know they are so capable and can deliver some amazing things to this business.

If you could change one thing today about Greene King, what would that be?

The biggest challenge to overcome now is prioritization. Greene King people are brilliant, and they can see opportunities everywhere that they want to go for. But sometimes this can create a whole host of work for the capacity we have that doesn’t get prioritised well, while we’re continuing to run and trade. Building out a new stream to the business or chasing an opportunity takes time and needs to be done in a certain order, so I think I would try and implement effective prioritisation if I could do one thing right away! Luckily, in my transformation role, I get an eagle eye view of the business, so can explain the challenge to the business, but it takes time.

What are you most proud of delivering to date?

I'm proud of setting up a new function from scratch in the middle of the pandemic. I've taken over teams at a senior level before but starting with nothing and recruiting at pace in a lockdown was a new challenge for me. It was hard, I didn’t quit, I stuck it out and it’s paid off. We've now got a great team that can support the business in the right way.

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss more business or job opportunities in the Business Transformation sector.

Life in Bermuda as an Offshore Lawyer: a video interview

Mon, 23 May 2022 11:30:55 GMT

Are you still wondering if making the move Offshore is the right choice for you?

We recently had the pleasure to interview Shaela Rae, who is a Senior Associate at Walkers and who is one of the candidates we placed Offshore, in Bermuda. We spoke about a number of different things from what attracted her to make the move offshore, to how she found the transition to working offshore and what are the pros and cons of working and living on an island.

You can look at the full video interview here:

If you would like to have a read of the written interview piece, click here , and you’ll get redirected to our blog page.

I’m an Australian Lawyer. Why should I move to the States?

Thu, 19 May 2022 11:47:09 GMT

Many Australian lawyers make the move overseas to gain invaluable international experience, working large, complex deals before returning home or making the move permanently. For several years the hotspots for Australian lawyers moving overseas have been London, Dubai, & Singapore. However, in recent years there has been a growing need for overseas talent in the US. Unfortunately for the Australian legal market, within the past year, a lot of the international lawyers moving to the States have been from Australia.

While multicultural, the financial hub of New York is a key attraction thanks to the big name, historical firms, and the international work on offer, there are other locations to consider where the big law firms have offices that have their own benefits. California, for example, is synonymous with offering a slightly more relaxed environment with a similar climate to that of Australia, where much of the work is tech and data focused. Texas also has fantastic weather and a growing tech scene while also being home to major players in energy and infrastructure.

Now it wouldn’t be a post regarding the US legal market without noting the salaries. With a move to the US from Australia, you could be looking at an uplift of triple your current package. In addition, US firms pay large annual bonuses, potentially up to six-figure sign-on bonuses, as well as discretionary special bonuses throughout the year. We’re also seeing more US firms offering work from home prospects 2-3 days a week allowing you to have better control over how you work best.

Finally, Australians are some of the few international lawyers that are currently able to shift their careers to the States due to the ease of obtaining an E-3 visa. Meanwhile, other visas such as the H1-B are possible but unreliable and time-constrained. Given our experience in the market and having helped many Australian lawyers already make the move to the States, we are well-positioned to advise on visa processes and the potential timeline involved once the application has been made.

With the vast majority of the legal market looking to increase their headcount throughout 2022 now is as good a time as any to take your career to the US. Whether it be financial motivations, a chance to work on the biggest legal matters in the world, or just a taste for an adventure, the US can offer it all.

If a move to the States may be on the horizon for you, or you want to have a chat to explore what the US has to offer, do reach out to our US team at:

Adam Smith – adamsmith@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (619) 344 8173 or +44 (0) 20 7002 0048

Aaron Burton – aaronburton@hydrogengroup.com / +1 (310) 692 7304 or +44 (0)74 2563 3181

The Great Australian Exodus

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 11:50:22 GMT

As the global legal market has continued to boom over the last two years, no market has felt the effects more than Australia. A market renowned for the quality of its lawyers, it has struggled to compete with the rapidly increasing salaries elsewhere in the world and as a result, markets have moved their focus to attract Australian lawyers to meet their ever-increasing needs.

Locations such as London, the Middle East and Asia have long looked to Australia to fulfil its hiring needs, but it was in 2021/22 that we saw the US really take aim as well.

With the markets in New York, California, and DC unable to meet their needs with local hires, firms have switched their focus to other jurisdictions where they would be able to hire lawyers from. When you consider that the US is a notoriously difficult location for lawyers to obtain a visa, Australians (along with Canadians, Mexicans and Singaporeans) are in the unique position that they can obtain special visas to relocate – and in the case of Australians, the E-3 visa provides the answer.

As firms have turned their attention to Australians, we’ve seen dramatic increases in US salaries. With midlevel salaries up $40,000 USD since the start of the pandemic and significant sign on bonuses and relocation packages on offer, there has been a notable departure of lawyers to the US.

For Australian lawyers searching for excellent quality of work and a massive pay day it has become too good an option to resist, and with firms taking a proactive interest in the market, alongside global recruiters, it’s now easier than ever before for Australian lawyers to make the move.

Although we saw some delays on visas due to COVID and the market cooling at the start of 2022 as firms looked to hedge their people risk and refocus on local hiring, it soon became apparent there would again be a shortage. Focus has subsequently returned to the Australian market, something we don’t expect to subside for the rest of the year.

As a global specialist legal recruiter, we have spent over 20 years supporting lawyers to relocate around the globe. Our offices across the US and Australia have made us a key sounding board for firms and lawyers alike looking to take advantage of the status quo.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss further please don’t hesitate to reach out on thomashartwell@hydrogengroup.com or +44 (0) 2070 020217 / +1 (310) 256 4492.

Still The One

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 11:57:08 GMT

Fourteen years ago, when Hayley Still first started at the London-based global recruitment agency, Hydrogen Group, becoming CEO one day was not on her list of goals. Even if you had asked her three years ago — after she had risen through the ranks from recruiter to team leader to director — she would have said that she was too focused on her current position to think about heading up the organization as CEO.

“I’m always just really focused on the job that I’m doing and being the absolute best that I can be in that particular role, and just trusting that if I put my mind into it, and I do my absolute best, that other doors will open,” she told California Business Journal. “I never thought too much about what those other doors were, and just focused on the here and now.”

Ms. Still attributes this ability to focus on the current task at hand — and perhaps a certain competitiveness to be the best that she can possibly be at that task — to her upbringing in a sports-focused family. In her youth, Still trained seriously as a gymnast — her father is a National Women’s Gymnastics Coach, and her mother is a gym owner and Gymnastics Commentator for the BBC.

After earning her Bachelor of Law from Cardiff University, Ms. Still realized that a life as an attorney wasn’t the best fit for her. She knew that she loved people though, and in 2008, began working at Hydrogen Group in the highly competitive in-house legal market. She moved through the ranks, becoming a team leader, then associate director, then director, managing director, chief operating officer, before finally becoming CEO in January 2022, whilst on maternity leave with her first child.

With her people skills, being a recruiter was a good fit, and similar to gymnastics, there was a sense of winning when she found the perfect candidate for a job. But unlike gymnastics, where one could be limited by physicalities, in recruiting, there weren’t any limitations to what she could do.

“Once I knew that I was very good at recruitment, I was determined that nothing could hold me back. It was only up to me — how much I was willing to put in, how dedicated I was, what I was willing to sacrifice to get there. I just loved it. I’ve always found I get a bit of adrenaline from work. It’s one of those industries where you get little wins throughout the day. It’s really addictive because it’s so fun.”

As a naturally curious person, what she enjoyed most about her work as a recruiter was learning about people, different businesses, and everyone’s individual stories. Turns out those same skills — understanding peoples’ motivations and abilities — are perfect for the role of CEO.

“Whether it’s with people in our company, whether it’s with our clients or candidates, you’ve got to really understand where someone’s coming from, and where they’ve been, to know where they want to go, and what their perspective is. It has put me in such good stead for running a company and knowing that about people in my company — that what matters to one person does not matter to another. Never make that kind of assumption. You’ve got to really focus on what they want.”

Hydrogen Group is a leading STEM staffing business focused on supplying talent to a variety of sectors globally including Life Sciences, Technology, Utilities & Power, Legal and Project Management. Delivering into a variety of sub sectors has meant the Group has had to develop a sophisticated platform to not only be competitive but to get ahead of larger staffing firms in North America and across the globe. What separates the business apart is Hydrogen’s ability to have a core Purpose that puts people at the center of everything it does, which it believes is vital for now and in the future.

For people to be successful in their careers, they not only have to define what they want, but what they are willing to give up in order to achieve those goals, Ms. Still says. When she was a manager and team leader, she learned to help others identify those parameters, so that they could hone in on their particular version of success.

“I learned to be realistic with people, like, you might want to conquer the world, but are you willing to sacrifice what you might need to sacrifice, to conquer the world? And how do we find the right balance for you? And how do we create an environment where it’s fine for you to be open about what your success looks like — not what society tells you your success looks like.”

It is a vision and philosophy that she puts into action as CEO, helping Hydrogen employees achieve their goals, not just professionally, but also personally. With the onset of the pandemic and move to the work from home model, there’s been a worldwide reckoning of the role jobs play in peoples’ lives, and a reimagining of how to achieve not only a better work-life balance, but also more personal fulfillment in one’s work.

At Hydrogen, there is a little more forward thinking. Ms. Still in particular started to think about this in 2018 — before the pandemic and this worldwide reimagining — when she was still an associate director.

“We needed to evolve and change with it. I believe that expecting employees to adhere to traditional work hours was, in essence, treating them like children, and could even prevent workers from leading a fulfilling life,” she says. “We need to treat people like adults and put the accountability back on them, so that they understand how to structure their lives and get the most out of life. Everyone’s an individual; it can work differently for everyone. I feel like the new generations that are coming through don’t want to work 9 to 5, and why should they? There are so many other things in peoples’ lives that are important.”

Hydrogen launched what it calls “I Own My Time,” and did away with standard working hours — although employees did need to have some consideration for their clients’, colleagues’ and candidates’ hours. The firm also did away with the need to be office based. And then the pandemic hit, which further set these new policies in place.

The philosophy of “I Own My Time” evolved even further at Hydrogen. Now it’s “I Own My Future” and “I Own My Goals.” Ms. Still likes to think of managers as personal trainers who are there to encourage employees in their pursuit of goals. She would eventually like Hydrogen to evolve into a company where this expands outside the traditional career realm. For instance, if an employee wants to train for a marathon, or work on any other life goals, she would like to see managers helping their team members to achieve it.

“It’s a work in progress; there’s a lot we still need to work on and get right. But I feel passionately that, if you look after people and their wellness, they can thrive. And I think a common mistake for leaders to make is to feel they need to ‘make everyone happy.’ I don’t think it’s about that, it’s about helping people to unlock the ability to make themselves happy, as that is then in their control and they can repeat it! Hopefully very often!” she says.

Most people are still pursuing society’s version of success, rather than their own personal version of success, and Ms. Still envisions Hydrogen as a place where people can go after their truest idea of success and fulfillment. That might mean building wealth or moving into management — or it might not.

“Everyone should be able to define what success means to them, and we have to have an environment where people can be open and honest about that. You could be the most junior person in my business, but if you’re incredibly happy, and you get that feeling of success, because you’re doing the job at the right level for you, then you are successful. The loop is that the more successful everyone is individually, the more successful we will be collectively, obviously.”

As CEO, Still’s leadership style is decidedly non-hierarchical, seeking input from a wide range of company members — even on non-business topics, like what they’re watching and listening to — in part to ensure that Hydrogen stays relevant with its clients and candidates.

“I’m always accessible to my people. I don’t see myself as the CEO. I view myself as someone who is just working on the business to make it as good as possible to give them a platform to achieve their hopes and dreams and goals.”

As a purpose-led business, this ethos transfers into benefits for Hydrogen’s Clients and potential candidates as well, as it has become a company known for honing in on everyone’s specific challenges and goals.

“I want us to be a business that is full of really bright, motivated people with clear personal and professional goals who feel supported, and I think that ultimately will move us forward as a business as well,” Ms. Still concludes. “For our clients, it will allow them to lean on us properly. We’re going to find out what their challenges are, and work with them to find solutions. It’s really about helping people and enabling people to thrive in a changing world, whatever that change might be. And I think that a lot of how we’re overcoming the challenges is by connecting with individuals.”

For more articles about working at Hydrogen, please click here .

Women in Law: Hannah Manning

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 12:08:28 GMT

Hannah is a partner in Travers Smith’s Tax Department, specialising in tax advice on private equity and M&A transactions.

Travers Smith is a leading full service law firm, with a wealth of experience in its areas of specialisation. The firm has a market-leading reputation for its international expertise in Asset Management, M&A and Dispute Resolution & Investigations.

Clients include publicl y listed and private companies, financial institutions and private equity firms, and other business enterprises involved in large and complex UK and cross-border matters, transactions and disputes.

Tell us about your career progression to date

I joined Travers Smith in 2002 as a junior associate in the Tax team. In 2007, I was promoted to Senior Counsel, becoming one of the first lawyers in that role. I became a partner in 2017. I've been co-head of Graduate Recruitment at Travers since 2020 and I also sit on the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Board and our CSR Committee. My practice is centred on advising clients on M&A deals, primarily in the private equity space – I work with a number of the firm's key clients in that area, and I also head up the Tax team's management advisory practice, advising the senior directors of a range of companies on their equity incentive arrangements in the context of leveraged buyouts.

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

Most of the key moments that have helped me in my career have involved people being willing to give me an opportunity to progress. During my early years at Travers Smith, I worked for two really excellent partners (incidentally both female) who gave me exposure to some really great work and the opportunity to develop both my technical knowledge and my soft skills in managing transactions and clients. When the opportunity came up to become Senior Counsel, I pushed for that, as I didn't want partnership at that point, and the Tax partners supported me in that process and gave me a chance in that role to be part of their discussions and to learn about the management of the team. I had the same support and help when I finally decided to go for partnership and ever since – the team is very collegiate and supportive and there's an emphasis on ensuring that we all have a satisfying mix of really good quality client work, whilst sharing that work out in order to deepen the client relationships and ensure as much as possible that nobody is overburdened.

I wouldn't class them as a hindrance but having my two sons definitely meant that for a time, I pursued my career in a slightly different way, working part-time for several years and spending six months on a client secondment. Both of these experiences were really important in informing my decision to stay in private practice and to return to full-time work and become a partner on that basis.

Have you had a mentor or role model in your career? What is the value in having and/or being a mentor?

I personally have had relatively few formal mentoring relationships as a mentee, but this is something that is very much on offer at Travers Smith, indeed the firm has just launched its latest cycle of the lawyer mentoring programme. I myself have had a network of people who have supported me and have helped me to work through specific issues at various points in my career, not least Kathleen Russ , the first female Senior Partner at the firm, who I worked closely with for a number of years. In terms of role models, again, I like to take inspiration from a number of people around me – it's hard to name-check them all, but particular examples are our current Head of Tax, Emily Clark , who combines technical excellence with outstanding people skills, and Adam Orr , one of our Corporate partners who I've worked with on many transactions over the last ten years and is both super-bright and absolutely extraordinary at winning business and looking after clients.

I think mentoring relationships, formal or informal, can be really valuable because they allow you to benefit from your mentor's experience and insight and use that to inform your thinking about your own career. To get the best out of the relationship, it's important to work out what you need, and to find a mentor who you trust and who can speak to the issues that you are trying to address – for that reason, you may need a variety of mentor relationships to cover different areas. From a mentor's perspective, I'm always really interested to hear the experience of other people – it's a great reminder that my own experience and point of view is not the only one – and to try to contribute my own thoughts and insights in a way that is helpful and hopefully gives the mentee food for thought in tackling the issues that they are concerned with.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

For me, it involves a number of things. Firstly, I've had to admit that my stamina isn't infinite, particularly as I've got older, and so I have to be selective about how I spend my time – it's impossible for me to work till late and then go out and party these days! For the same reason, I try to ringfence time to keep fit(ish) by running or going to the gym – this has had a very positive effect on my mental health, particularly during the pandemic. Secondly, I'm a believer in balancing office and home working – and the firm's Agile Working policy enables me to, work at home a couple of days a week and therefore be present and interact more easily with my family, much as being in the office makes interacting with my colleagues much simpler and more enjoyable. Thirdly, I try to carve out an evening in the working week when I finish a bit earlier than usual if I can – my husband does the same and we'll usually spend it chatting and catching up on the TV series that we should have watched six months earlier (one day we might actually make it to season 3 of Succession!)

What do you think the legal industry can do to improve diversity and inclusion?

Having been involved in graduate and lateral recruitment for several years, I think that there are huge opportunities in this area, if firms want to seize them. The pandemic has resulted in all graduate recruitment moving online, and what has been striking is how much the online law fairs have increased the number and diversity of candidates that we are interacting with – it has given the firm an opportunity to speak directly to students who we might not have seen in person on the traditional "milk round". There are also so many great organisations working with under-represented groups and using online events and social media to help their students gain an insight into legal careers and particular law firms. At Travers Smith we're seeing the use of contextual data in assessing applications, and once people join us, we have ever more sophisticated training, assessment, and work allocation processes in place.

All of these things are great in achieving greater fairness and diversity, but inclusion is a different and equally important goal. We can attract a diverse range of people to join us but keeping them depends on them feeling as though they have the opportunity and the means to succeed professionally and to thrive personally. What I think we need here is an approach that recognises that whilst there will be common experiences along the way that we can prepare people for, everyone who joins us has their own needs, and that what we provide in terms of work experience, training and support will be bespoke to that extent (and there is nothing unfair about that). Inclusion also has to run all the way through an organisation in order to be authentic, so being mindful of our own assumptions and biases is really important, as is talking to people about their own lives and experiences, which can often reveal gaps in our own imagination or understanding of their situation. This isn't always a comfortable process – it can be quite hard to be challenged when you feel like your intentions are good – but I've always found those difficult conversations to be the most valuable in understanding other people's perspectives.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in your industry now?

First, do your homework. Research the firms or businesses that you are interested in and find out whether they have a decent number of women in senior roles – if they have, then look at who those women are and how they have got there; if not, then ask yourself why not. If you can speak to people at the firm directly, ask questions about this, and more generally about how they are addressing gender diversity.

Second, once you've found the role for you, it is so important to be proactive in asking for what you need in terms of training, experience, or coaching – don't just put your head down and put up with what you are given. Every promotion that I have had has come out of a conversation where I asked to be considered, so don't assume that if you quietly get on with things, your brilliance will automatically be recognised and rewarded.

Third, use the skills that you have in an authentic way – don't try to mimic anyone else's way of doing things. This is particularly important in a business development context, where the stereotype has historically been that you have to be prepared to drink hard and go to a lot of football/cricket/rugby matches – if that's your thing, then great, but if not, think about other types of marketing – sharing useful knowhow or data with key clients, doing some bespoke training for them, or organising a more original (or low key!) social event.

And finally – try to banish both guilt and perfectionism – two things that a lot of successful women seem to have in abundance! It is not always easy, but one tip to help with this is to speak to your closest friends and colleagues and ask them what they think that you do well as a colleague/manager/friend/parent. Whenever I've done this, I've always been struck by how positive people are about what I'm doing and how little they take note of the minor slip-ups!

For more Women in Law interviews, please click here .

Women in Law: Jo Ruitenberg

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 12:17:58 GMT

J o Ruitenberg specialises in M&A and joint ventures with specific expertise advising clients on trade sales, dual tracks, ASX listings and takeover strategies. Jo has extensive expertise working with clients across a range of industry sectors including financial services, digital assets, agriculture, and healthcare. She has previously worked in Hong Kong, where she enhanced her international capability helping clients implement their acquisition and divestment strategies in the Asian market.

As Australia’s fastest-growing and top 40 law firm, Hamilton Locke is a full-service corporate and commercial firm, with offices across Australia. With a culture of high performance, collaboration, innovation and excellence, Hamilton Locke is focused on providing its people with the best possible experience, which in turn enables the best possible service to clients.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

My graduate position at one of the top tier firms in Australia gave me the opportunity to rotate through three different areas of law. I was drawn to the variety of work and to be honest, to the fact that a career in law could provide a strong foundation to pivot to other industries if that was a path I wanted to pursue in the future.

I also saw that it could give rise to great opportunities to work overseas. Four years after graduating, I moved to Hong Kong and worked there for three years. My experience in working on acquisitions and divestments in the financial services sector in China, Thailand, Japan, and India while based in Hong Kong gave me wonderfully deep insights into how business is done in other parts of the world.

What are the top three words you’d use to describe the culture at Hamilton Locke?

Dynamic, engaging and collaborative.

In your experience, what has been the most significant change for women in the legal field over the last five years?

Law firms have come leaps and bounds in terms of the parental leave policies that they provide their employees. In Australia, over the last five or so years we’ve moved from a standard of 12 weeks of parental leave to gradually 18 weeks to 26 weeks to support flexibility in the workplace which is just phenomenal. The growing number of fathers making use of these policies is also a significant and positive change for women because it recognises that parents want parenting (and with it, the good, the bad and the ugly) to be a shared experience and works towards changing perceptions that it is primarily the woman’s responsibility.

The next step, and real test for the legal industry, is how law firms work to support and empower women once they’re back from maternity leave. The large numbers of senior female private practitioners who move to in-house roles or leave the legal industry altogether is evidence that we don’t yet have this right.

How important is it to have other women visible at management level?

It is extremely important for there to be role models for women at the management level, but it is also critical for there to be a diverse range of views and opinions where key decisions that impact the workforce are being made.

What difference have you seen to the way of working since COVID?

The separation between work and family has become more fluid. We’re more open and transparent with our clients and our colleagues about our lives outside work, and I think that’s a wonderful thing because, in the end, it’s the human interactions and connections that make life and work interesting.

What do your clients value and why?

Accessibility, responsiveness, and legal advice that helps the business come up with solutions.

What do you think the legal industry can do to get more women and other diverse candidates into leadership roles?

Every candidate list and panel should include at least one female candidate (if not more).

What advice would you give to your younger self just starting out in law?

Embrace the fact that you are the only Asian woman in the room and use people’s pre-conceptions of your weaknesses that come with certain stereotypes and turn them into your strengths. Find a workplace that allows you to be your authentic self and supports you on your journey to not just being a good lawyer but a good human being.

For more Women in Law interviews, please click here .

A Q&A with Antonia Ray

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 12:25:36 GMT

Antonia joined Hydrogen back in October 2021 as an Associate Consultant in our Life Sciences department. Following her recent promotion to Consultant, we got the low-down on her success so far at Hydrogen.

Which university did you attend and what did you study?

For my undergrad degree I studied Psychology at Portsmouth University and then I did a Masters at the University of Sussex in Human Resources and Management. 

How did you originally hear about a career in recruitment? 

I first heard about recruitment in my HR degree. We had a whole module on in-house recruitment which was really interesting. I also had a number of friends going into recruitment at the same time!

What made you come to the decision that a career in recruitment was right for you?

It’s such a people-based business which I love. I’ve also been in customer facing roles so it was definitely something I wanted to stay in. I love speaking with people and it’s great to be able to make money through doing so as well.

What skillset do you think is important to being a successful recruiter?

The top three most important are communication, resilience, and patience!

What do you enjoy about being a Recruiter?

I love the excitement, the challenges and being able to speak to so many people from all over definitely keeps it interesting! 

What’s your best bit of advice for someone just starting their career in this industry?

Speak to everyone you possibly can and don’t over complicate things!

Why did you choose Hydrogen to kickstart your recruitment career over other agencies? 

Hydrogen has such a welcoming family atmosphere, and everyone is so friendly and supportive. Before starting here, I had always worked in family businesses so that relationship was very important to me and I definitely feel that here. 

What has been your biggest success to date? 

I won a competition between the rookies in the department for the most deals before Christmas and won £400!

What’s one fact about yourself that is not on your LinkedIn profile?

All my previous companies have been family businesses, so this is the first time I am working without being in a family position! 

What’s next for you in your career with Hydrogen?

I’ll be striving towards my next promotion and hopefully getting on one of the annual incentive trips!

For more articles about working at Hydrogen, please click here .

A Q&A with Rachel Chalmers

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:30:40 GMT

Rachel works in our US Recruitment Hub in Edinburgh. Following her recent promotion to Recruiter, we got the low-down on her success so far at Hydrogen.

Which university did you attend and what did you study?

Directly before working at Hydrogen, I received a MSc in Medieval History from the University of Glasgow. Before that, I studied a BSc in History and English Literature from the University of Stirling, and now I study a BSc in Computing and IT with the Open University. The latter relates to my industry the most, but all three experiences have been key to my success as a recruiter!

How did you originally hear about a career in recruitment?

I have a friend who worked in recruitment for a year and they told me about what a great experience it was, always going on incentive trips or socialising with teammates. It seemed like a really lucrative industry, and that piqued my interest!

What made you come to the decision that a career in recruitment was right for you?

It seemed like a great industry to get involved in that appreciated graduates from all backgrounds. The people-orientated nature of the job felt like a natural elevation from customer service/hospitality and social care, that would put the interpersonal skills I developed in those sectors to good use.

What skillset do you think is important to being a successful recruiter?

Being a great listener is key, and there’s nothing more satisfying than finding out what candidates are looking for in their next position and being able to deliver them the right job that ticks all their boxes. I think being adaptive is something that really helps in the day-to-day, as no two days are the same in recruitment (which is what makes it so fun!)

What do you enjoy about being a Recruiter?

I love the feeling of making a big impact to other people’s careers and lives for the better and speaking with all kinds of people everyday to work towards achieving this for them.

What’s your best bit of advice for someone just starting their career in this industry?

Always look for opportunities to learn about the industry you recruit in – this can be by speaking with managers, colleagues, clients, and candidates, or even proactively using time to research your market. The job market is always changing and moving at a fast pace, so it’s key to always stay listening and therefore learning.

Why did you choose Hydrogen to kickstart your recruitment career over other agencies?

Hydrogen’s work culture really makes it stand out from other agencies. My team are great, and I work alongside some really successful people that know their stuff and are willing to teach it to you. The clearly defined and achievable career paths available here at Hydrogen showed me their willingness to invest in their people.

What’s been your biggest success to date?

Being promoted from Associate Recruiter to Recruiter in less than 6 months. It felt great to take advantage of the brilliant platform for success available here at Hydrogen and be recognised for it.

What’s one fact about yourself that is not on your LinkedIn profile?

If I’m not recruiting in the US tech industry, or busy studying, I’m probably outside playing with my Staffy-Dalmation cross called Maisy!

What’s next for you at Hydrogen?

I’m working towards another promotion to Senior Recruiter before the end of 2022. Watch this space!

For more articles about working at Hydrogen, please click here .

A Q&A with Naomi Jones

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:24:08 GMT

Naomi joined Hydrogen in August 2021 as an Associate Consultant, supporting our permanent business with a focus on Data and Architecture. Following her recent promotion to Delivery Consultant, we got the low-down on her success so far at Hydrogen.

Which university did you attend and what did you study?

I attended the University of Edinburgh and graduated with an MA in International Relations (albeit it’s a ‘Scottish’ masters).

How did you originally hear about a career in recruitment?

I saw grad recruitment roles advertised on LinkedIn and that piqued my interest.

What made you come to the decision that a career in recruitment was right for you?

I felt I had transferable skills gained from working in customer service, hospitality and retail. I wanted to work in a fast-paced sales environment, and I get job satisfaction from helping people. So, recruitment! 

What skillset do you think is important to being a successful recruiter?

Resilience – being able to take rejection, process the feedback and then get back to the search! 

What do you enjoy about being a Delivery Consultant?

I really enjoy getting to know a client’s unique requirements, translating that into a job search and finding the right candidate. When speaking with candidates, I love learning about their professional experience and really understanding their motivations.

What’s your best bit of advice for someone just starting their career in this industry?

Reply to that email now, you won’t do it later…

Why did you choose Hydrogen to kickstart your recruitment career over other agencies?

I love the ‘I own my own time’ initiative at Hydrogen, that empowers me to decide where and when I work best. Also, progression opportunities were one of my top priorities in choosing an agency, and I loved Hydrogen’s accessible career pathway that can be tailored to each individual consultants’ strengths. 

What has been your biggest success to date?

Hitting my targets and getting promoted! Also, nothing beats telling a candidate they have been offered a new role!

What’s one fact about yourself that is not on your LinkedIn profile?

I’ve moved house 25 times! 

What’s next for you in your career with Hydrogen?

As I enjoy both the candidate and client management, I’m working towards more 360 recruitment than delivery focused, and winning new business. 

For more articles about working at Hydrogen, please click here .

Why graduates are turning to the recruitment industry

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 04:36:16 GMT

I f you think the past two years at work have been tough as an experienced employee, spare a thought for those who’ve recently graduated! They have joined a radically different workplace, in an uncertain global economy, with mass resignations in the news, virtual colleagues on screens, and no guarantees of job security in their career ahead.

What’s different for graduates, post-pandemic?

Remote studying has left many graduates fending for themselves, without the formative networks previous generations have cultivated through hands-on career guidance, physical internships, and workplace experience. Not having easy access to employers has left them low on confidence and re-evaluating what they want from their careers. The disconnect between what graduates think employers want and what skills employers are looking for is wider than ever. Insecurity has promoted “industry experience” to the top of the graduates’ assumptions for the first time, whereas employers, post-pandemic, want candidates with resilience and problem-solving skills.

A recent survey across APAC showed almost half of current university students and grads were reassessing their career paths in the new world of work. Even the traditionally popular sectors have changed for grads – in Singapore, for example, the resilience and rise of e-commerce during the pandemic has seen that option grow in appeal to the tech-savvy generation leaving university. But it’s not just about the sector or the role for graduates today – they have other things on their minds that employers should take note of.

What else do graduates want?

Salaries and titles don’t feature high up the wish list for graduates today. Instead, they want to work for employers that demonstrate a variety of options and qualities, including:

Purpose

A McKinsey report stated that for 70% of people, their sense of purpose is defined by their work. Purpose is hugely important to university graduates, and to Gen Z in general, who want to work for employers that share their values. The pandemic caused thousands of people to re-evaluate their purpose in life, which has played a role in the “Great Resignation”, so the employee experience overall and the employee value proposition should be a huge consideration for employers, but particularly when thinking about the next generation of workers.

Hybrid and flexible working options

While remote working and the worldwide adoption of working from home was a welcome novelty to many employees bored of commuting, most of whom will never go back to an office full time, it’s less appealing to those starting out in their careers. They not only want the social interaction of a physical workplace after two years of studying predominantly from home, but they need to observe role models and interact face-to-face to learn and develop. They want flexibility and the option to work remotely, of course, but more for their own work/life balance than to avoid the office.

Inclusive workplaces

Over 90% of students consider an employer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion before applying for a role, so it’s not something that they should have to dig deep to find. A recent survey in Australia among graduates deemed that a solid D&I policy was a crucial factor in their choice of employer. They want to see Equal Opportunity, Indigenous, and Neurodiversity programs not only showcased, but part of the fabric and culture of any decent employer.

Upskilling and development

Perhaps more so than previous generations, today’s graduates have a plan when it comes to their career. Many know exactly the type of employer they want and where they want to go – and they will expect help to get them there. That means mentorships and training as well as the latest tech to enable them to achieve their career ambitions. They’re not looking for perks like gym memberships but place more emphasis on learning new skills that will open doors for them.

Why go into recruitment?

An increasing number of graduates are choosing recruitment because of the integral role it plays across all industries, the impact it has in people’s lives, and the visible potential career path. Unlike many sectors where it might take years to reach a senior level or a good salary, in recruitment there are excellent financial incentives for performance right from the start, and a clear route to senior roles for consistent top performers. Working in recruitment cultivates a wide range of skills as well as exposure to other businesses and sectors. Dealing with clients and candidates, networking, negotiating, interviewing and problem-solving is all part of daily life and improves soft skills such as communication, empathy, teamwork, and relationship building. Add cutting edge tech and possible international relocation into the mix, and recruitment becomes an attractive option for graduates.

Graduates choosing Hydrogen and Argyll Scott

Hydrogen Group gives joining graduates the platform and support to achieve their career goals and ambitions. Our uncapped commission scheme means our people are genuinely in control of what they earn and there is potential for swift career development, if that’s what you’re looking for. Nothing is set in stone, it’s up to each person – you can go from ‘Associate’ to ‘Recruitment Consultant’ in your own time, whether that’s 3 months or 12 months. One of our most attractive initiatives is our unique flexible offering where employees own their own time, meaning that they can work whenever and wherever suits them best.

If graduates needed any further proof or inspiration that Hydrogen Group is the place to forge a career in recruitment, consider this mini case study. Hayley Still started with us as a graduate in 2008 in London and worked hard to move up through the organisation. A decade or so later, she’s now the CEO!

So, if you’re just as ambitious as Hayley, and see yourself as being a CEO one day too, get in touch with our Talent Acquisition Team to find out more about our current vacancies.

Keeping up with the LifeSci team: Danniella Roche

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 04:43:19 GMT

T ell me a bit about how and why you joined Hydrogen

I first joined Hydrogen back in October 2020 after finishing my degree in Neuropsychology. The job market was suffering from the effects of the COVID pandemic and things were looking rather bleak! I was just about to look into starting my Master’s degree when I was referred to Hydrogen through a friend of mine who works in Rec2Rec. After meeting the team, I immediately felt that this was the opportunity for me. Not only was there a great atmosphere, but there was also an endless opportunity for growth and the opportunity to build something of your own. I’m lucky to say I’ve found something that enables me to learn each day while using my psychology background, and of course, being a part of an amazing team!

What do you feel attracts candidates to your industry/niche the most?

There are several advantages, a big one being the exposure candidates gain to a number of international blue-chip companies such as Novartis, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson as it’s a very project-driven niche. Not only do you get exposure to different clients, but the skillsets are transferable meaning you’re able to work across different industries like chemical, pharmaceutical, renewables, and datacentre as well in various locations. A lot of the time these types of roles enable flexibility with remote working meaning you can have a better quality of life. The fact that this is a project-driven niche means that there will always be a need for project controllers, for every EPCM project there will be a project controls function, for every concept a company wants to initiate they will need a project controller.

How’s the candidate’s work-life balance in your niche?

From speaking to candidates I’ve placed in the past, whether it be cost engineers or project planners, there seems to be a relatively good work-life balance within this niche. Although project controllers are involved in every stage throughout the project lifecycle, the nature of the work allows them more flexibility with working from home, meaning they have the power to structure their days the way they like, spend more time with family, and less time traveling between sites.

What is the next exciting evolution you see in your industry? Why would they move from another industry?

One of the evolutions I’ve seen recently is the movement of project controllers between industries. In the past, big pharma companies were reluctant to hire project controllers from non-pharma backgrounds, but this has recently started to change. I think one of the many great things about the Project Controls niche, is how transferable the skillsets are. For example, I’ve witnessed experienced planners coming from an oil and gas background, smoothly transition to the pharmaceutical industry. The second evolution, which I previously touched on is the flexibility with remote work. I’ve recently spoken to various planning managers who have successfully delivered multi-million-euro projects almost completely remotely. Of course, this is largely due to the effects of COVID, but it’s becoming more common that companies are welcoming this flexible way of working. I think there are several reasons why someone would transition to project controls. It allows you to be on the other side of the table, focussing on the safety, budget, and cost of a project which is the type of experience that makes a good project manager. You will see a lot of engineers moving over to project controls, as their technical background provides them with a solid foundation in understanding the basic principles of design and engineering and enables them to easily fill in the gaps where needed. Being able to bring that to the table makes you an asset to any client.

How does the salary compare in the LS industry vs others? Also, what are the promotion and development opportunities like for a candidate?

Of course, it’s difficult to give you exact ranges as this is dependent on the company’s budget and the candidate’s level of experience, but what I can say is that the earning potential in this niche is competitive to that of the engineering and quality sector. With the market being as active as it is, you can likely increase your current salary range by a significant amount. There are a lot of opportunities to develop yourself in multiple areas, whether it be quantity surveying, planning, contract, or commercial management, you can choose to either specialise in an area or bring a broader range of experience to a client. This means the opportunity for development is very good. There’s typically a very clear line for promotions in project controls, you can go from a junior project controller to a lead in a number of years, and if you choose to, you can become a project control manager leading your own team, or explore other pathways like project management.

Working from South Africa, what type of obstacles do you face on a regular basis and how do you combat them?

I must say being able to sit in the sunshine up in the mountains hasn’t been the worst, but there are certainly a few obstacles that have come with it. When I originally set out to work from SA, it was only meant to be for a few weeks, which has turned into half a year. I am very fortunate that we have the infrastructure in place to allow you to work from anywhere in the world. I think the most challenging aspect for me is feeling somewhat disconnected from the rest of the wider team and even the world. I combatted this by making sure I have daily meetings with the team and keeping connected with what’s happening in the rest of the world. The second obstacle was something I think everybody struggles with which is work-life balance, it’s very hard to know when to let yourself take a walk on the beach, or when you should be diving into your emails. Although sometimes the decision is made more for me by the random power cuts South Africa throws at you every week!

What would you say is the most challenging part of your role?

I’m currently in a bit of a transition period in my role where I’m starting a business development in a new market. It’s an exciting challenge, but with a new market, there are so many aspects you need to consider ensuring everything is set up perfectly from the beginning.

From a delivery perspective, I really enjoy speaking with candidates and building those relationships. I think the hardest part for me was when I first spoke to these candidates, many of them had bad previous experience with recruiters, or they simply spoke to hundreds of recruiters a week. The challenge was building up their trust in me, being an asset to them, and ensuring I kept their trust. There’s a fine line between being sale-orientated and being consultative and finding that balance has been important to me.

How would you describe the team dynamic?

Funnily enough, I haven’t met anyone in person yet, but from my year of working with Hydrogen, I can say for certain it’s a very encouraging and healthy team dynamic. We’re a competitive and performance-driven team but still, know how to have a good laugh.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I enjoy good food, traveling, and being outdoors.

What is a hidden trait or talent you have?

Although I may look like a “Fiat 500 girl” as Christian Garrett would say, I spent a lot of my childhood motocross racing in South Africa.

FInterested to join our team? Discover more about the opportunities available at Hydrogen on our Careers page. Or if you would like to discuss more business or job opportunities in the Life Sciences sector, get in touch with us .

Legal In-House Financial Services H2 2021 Market Overview

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 04:49:46 GMT

Over the course of 2020, there had been plenty of reasons for both hiring managers and candidates to exercise caution when it came to both hiring and changing jobs, considering how the pandemic could affect the economy, as well as long-term working arrangements.

As mentioned in our Legal In-House Financial Services H1 2021 Market Overview , from the beginning of last year and moving through to summer time, we witnessed a steady rise in hiring across financial services. Whilst many clients and candidates had held off from hiring or switching jobs in 2020, things noticeably began to change quite rapidly last year, especially in H2.

In this Market Overview, we provide insight on the hiring trends we have witnessed in H2 2021, with respect to our clients’ demands for certain types of lawyers and at what level, as well as noticeable areas of interest for candidates. We have also laid out our most up to date salaries and bonuses benchmarking guide.

If there is anything you would like to discuss further or if you require assistance with any of your hiring needs, please get in touch and we would be pleased to help.

Hayley Still appointed CEO of Hydrogen Group

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 04:58:30 GMT

Hydrogen Group, the £100 million turnover specialist recruitment business with offices worldwide, announces today that Hayley Still has been appointed as CEO to lead its business globally.

Previously COO EMEA, Still, who joined the company as a graduate recruiter in 2008, has risen through the business to become a well-respected leader. She recently returned from maternity leave following the birth of her first child.

Former CEO Ian Temple and COO & CFO John Hunter will remain on the board, whilst also pursuing and growing other business ventures within the wider group.

Ian Temple commented: “Hayley’s passion for people has always shone through. She has developed her teams into a formidable force in highly competitive markets. Having bounced back from Covid we have very ambitious growth plans, and the board believes that Hayley has the right combination of skills and abilities to engage with the next generations in order to lead the business forward. This is a new era for the Hydrogen Group.”

Hayley Still, CEO of Hydrogen Group added; “I am delighted and honoured to be appointed CEO. I’ve had an incredible 14 years here and feel passionate about creating the same opportunity and experience for those who love the recruitment industry as much as I do and have the drive to succeed. We’ve invested a lot in our infrastructure, platform, and people over the last few years and Ian and John are handing over the business in a fantastic position. Along with the Executive team, I’m excited to take the company to the next level by building on that platform and inspiring and investing in our amazing current and future employees. We have so much to achieve and can’t wait to get going!”.

For additional information, please contact:

Delyth Hughes, Head of Comms
delythhughes@hydrogengroup.com
+44 (0)20 7002 0044

Legal Offshore 2021 – Year in Review

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 05:02:19 GMT

The Offshore Legal Recruitment market began 2021 strongly with an increased demand across all key practice areas. Whilst the full effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were far from behind us, a steady workflow and an increased pool of lawyers looking to relocate meant that all of the Offshore firms began 2021 optimistically.

As ever, the Channel Islands began their NQ recruitment much earlier than their Onshore counterparts. These firms were able to take advantage of renewed confidence amongst candidates and secure top-level talent. The early part of the year saw more hires in the transactional space, however, as the year went on we saw an increased demand to recruit into the dispute resolution teams which will likely continue into the New Year. The early part of 2021 saw an increase in lateral ‘on-island’ hires due to border closures and difficulties with relocating international candidates. Balance has now been restored and the easing of travel restrictions led to a continued interest in candidates looking to relocate from the UK, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. This is largely due to steady workflow and the continued growth of the key practices in the Channel Islands. We were continuing to see Visas granted despite some delays. We also saw firms increasing relocation packages to accommodate for any necessary quarantines and being flexible around start dates.

The Cayman Islands entered 2021 with uncertainty around the impending Legal Services Bill and what this would mean for recruitment moving forwards. The Bill seeks to raise the minimum qualification level for foreign qualified associates from 3 PQE to 5 PQE. As a result, there was a slightly mixed approach to recruitment at the beginning of the year. Some firms looked to hire large numbers of 3 PQE associates whilst others exercised more caution and sought to hire at the 5 PQE levels whilst they waited to see what the full effects of the Bill would be. As the year moved on with lack of certainty as to when the Bill would be implemented, we saw firms again looking to hire at the 3+ level and this trend will continue into the New Year. Another exciting development in the Cayman Legal market was the news that Hong Kong qualified lawyers are now eligible to be admitted to practice in the Cayman Islands. We have seen extensive hiring into the key practice areas of Corporate Funds, Banking & Finance and Dispute Resolution but we have also seen interest in the Trusts and Financial Regulation spaces.

The start of 2021 was a little bit quieter for inbound recruitment in the British Virgin Islands . The BVI market will always remain a popular destination for dispute resolution lawyers and this has been consistent throughout 2021. However, we have seen an increased interest across all practice areas in the second half of the year and we expect this to continue into 2022 with many firms currently looking to expand their transactional practice groups.

The Bermuda legal recruitment market has been the busiest we have ever seen and this trend looks to continue into 2022. We saw a particular interest on the transactional side with firms looking to support their broad corporate/finance teams. There have been some key new entrants to the Bermuda market who have looked to grow out their practices and compete with the traditional market leaders. This has meant that recruitment has been steady throughout 2021 with all of the firms looking to strengthen their offerings.

Offshore London was also particularly active from a recruitment standpoint in 2021. We saw the most activity at the Associate level from 3 PQE and above. Equally, there was strong interest in senior-level hires with several firms looking to recruit Partners and Counsel. London recruitment has been a mixture of lawyers looking to relocate back to the mainland in addition to dedicated hires to support their Caribbean and Channel Islands teams. The key firms in the market have made some impressive hires into their Corporate/Finance and Dispute Resolution teams with a continued appetite to hire into both their transactional and contentious teams in 2022.

Offshore In-House

The in-house market has also been busy with several key clients in Bermuda looking to add strong transactional lawyers to their teams’. These opportunities are perfect for lawyers looking to make their first move in-house or those with some prior in-house experience looking for something different. The Channel Islands in-house market was a little quieter in 2021 but we expect to see an increase in demand moving into 2022.

With COVID-related travel restrictions continuing to ease, firms are looking to continue their steady hiring across all locations in 2022. As competition for candidates continues, we have seen a noticeable increase in salaries across both the Caribbean and the Channel Islands. This is a trend we expect to see continue as firms look to review their salaries in an effort to secure the top talent in the market. 2021 has also seen firms look into their flexible and remote working policies with many looking to make significant adjustments in 2022.

The Offshore markets continue to attract those looking for high-quality work and lifestyle balance. If you’d like to know more about recruiting or working in the Offshore market, please do get in touch to discuss further .

Diversity & Inclusion: Build your brand

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 05:22:05 GMT

For decades, we have been learning and appreciating the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. Globally, our clients are striving to do more to shift the dial and enable better representation in their workforces. Undoubtedly, we still have a lot of work to do! We still see initiatives that are too narrow, and the bar is set too low because addressing the issues is just too hard.

In this mini-series, we will be considering recruitment strategies aimed at successfully attracting and selecting the best talent, whilst helping you build your brand along the way. We want to help you foster a culture where inclusion equals success!

In our last edition, we looked at ways to ensure we are attracting the widest pools of talent when advertising a new role – check it out here . However, even with the most perfect job spec and advertising in all the right places, you are unlikely to succeed in making a difference without spending crucial time building your brand as an employer. What do you stand for? What are you known for? Who do you want to be?

In this edition, we will consider ideas aimed at enhancing your presence on the market to become an employer that the best talent really wants to work for!

The importance of a strong employer brand

Employer branding internally is all about what a company and its employees stand for, and it helps with recruitment, engagement, and retention. Externally, it’s more about the market perception of an employer and how it differentiates from its competitors, which ultimately affects candidate attraction. Most candidates want to work for a company with a positive employer brand and will quickly avoid employers with a negative reputation. Even passive candidates can be persuaded to move when an employer with a market-leading brand shows an interest in them. When a business builds its employer brand with its corporate values on its sleeve, it shows existing and potential employees who it really is, and when those values are aligned with those of their employees and candidates, it can be a very powerful tool.

Developing your employer brand through D&I

It’s important to know where you’re starting from, so an employee survey will help you begin to audit your brand and make improvements. What employees (and candidates) want from an employer and their career changes all the time, both with new generations of talent having their own values and priorities, and with changes in our working lives, such as the seismic shift brought on by the pandemic. Building an employer brand requires listening to and embracing these needs, whether they centre around an improved work/life balance or sustainable practices. Top of the agenda today is diversity and inclusion.

A solid D&I policy that underpins how a business acts will not only attract talent but also help retain and support employees. Candidates favour companies where they can see they will be made welcome, have a voice, and are able to be themselves in the workplace. Companies that showcase a diverse workforce and champion inclusivity will have a competitive advantage and will be seen as an employer of choice. But you don’t just reach that level with a simple policy in place, it’s vital to walk the talk and promote the message. Candidates can always spot a fake! Here are some steps employers can take to improve the D&I aspect of their brand.

D&I initiatives

Language and online presence:

From the outset, using the right language, not just in job ads as we mentioned before, but across the board in meetings, on social media, and with clients, positions a company correctly and shows that the values come from the top and permeate throughout the core of the corporate culture. Ensuring the D&I agenda is promoted as an integral part of the employer’s online life, from the website to social media posts is key. Remember, championing success stories of diversity isn’t showing off, it’s creating awareness in your industry sector.

Networking groups:

Opportunities to network are critical for diverse talent to help them with the challenges they may face, as well as being fundamental to driving change. Networks can provide a safe space for employees to discuss sensitive issues or barriers they are facing, as well as become a collective voice to approach management easily. Having role models and mentoring programmes are equally proven ways of supporting diverse talent. Larger businesses can often do this in-house, but smaller-sized firms should reach out to various communities for positive partnerships. Either way, openly supporting these networks gives them a voice and raises awareness within an organisation.

Social mobility projects:

Even the best-intentioned leaders often prioritise increasing the visibility of racially diverse and LGBTQI+ employees in their D&I programs, without any consideration for socio-economic background. Sadly, easy movement up the socio-economic ladder is often dictated by an individual’s background and a lack of access to education or networks. Projects that aim to help individuals from less advantaged backgrounds gain access to education, professions and industries that have typically been less inclusive aren’t difficult to launch. Partnering with disadvantaged young people in the community, for example, and sponsoring them through mentorship or showing them role models can play a vital role in ensuring a future diverse talent pipeline and initiate real change.

Flexible working:

It’s easy to lose sight, post-pandemic, of the value of a flexible working policy. Working from home, remote working and hybrid working are phenomena that have blurred the lines in the last couple of years. Flexible working not only makes a workforce more agile for the employer, but also vastly widens the talent pool and gives access to serious, often senior talent that can’t do or isn’t interested in 9-5 hours, such as working parents and carers. It also improves employee engagement and retention when an employer gives control and trust to the employee. Employees who can manage their own time and improve their work/life balance because of flexible working policies are less likely to leave and be more satisfied and productive in their roles.

It’s important to remember that if your employer brand isn’t one you want to promote, it’s never too late to fix it.

Things firms can do to secure a candidate in this competitive and candidate-driven market

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 05:34:36 GMT

One of the biggest challenges faced by firms this year has been the war on talent. It’s not uncommon for the best candidates to have multiple offers. Having managed many of these situations, our private practice team share their top 10 tips to give you the best chance of securing these candidates.

Speed

Reducing the hiring process time, including stages of interviews and make a quick decision on an offer following the final stage. Quick turnaround shows professionalism and commitment. Have internal approvals and budgets ready prior to the offer to avoid further delays.

Engagement

Demonstrate your interest from inception, provide thorough feedback following the interviews and throughout. Even an email from one of the hiring partners direct to the candidate post an initial interview.

Balanced interview process

Some lawyers can be put off by excessive technical assessments and testing. If you do a technical interview, ensure this is balanced with competency questions and getting to know the candidates too.

Put your best foot forward

Offer the best salary from the get-go without having to negotiate, this includes a sign-on bonus. If you put your best foot forward, then you maximise your chances to demonstrate how committed you are to that candidate.

Attractive benefits

Be transparent and upfront on annual leave, flexible working, occasional remote working as well as the positive/engaging work environment.

Relocation package

Be flexible based on where they are relocating from and take into consideration all their needs i.e., spouse, pets, shipping etc.

Sign-on bonuses

Please don’t be shy, everyone is using them!

Adding a personal touch

An email or call from the partners/head of department expressing their interest in having them on board. Arrange a meeting in person or go for drinks with the team.

Diversity and Inclusion

Keep an open mind and adjust your expectations on where candidates come from, based on the current market. Typical common law jurisdictions have already been depleted so look to broaden your horizons and embrace a more diverse workforce.

USPs

It’s always worth articulating your USP during interviews. It may be obvious to you but it’s always very useful for the external market to hear how you differentiate yourselves.

Need any further advice?

Reach out to your Hydrogen consultant – we’d be happy to help!

My journey at Hydrogen: stories and insights from our long-standing team members

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 05:39:05 GMT

Welcome to our series of interviews with our Legal team members!

As we're celebrating 20 years of Hydrogen's Legal Practice, we interviewed some of our long-standing team members to find out what has kept them at Hydrogen for so long and what's the best thing about recruitment and Hydrogen. They also shared with us some memorable moments and revealed a few funny nicknames. Let's hear what they had to say...

You can watch the full interview here:

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss more business or job opportunities in the Legal sector or if you would be interested to join our Legal recruitment team.

Diversity & Inclusion: Candidate attraction

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 05:42:55 GMT

For decades we have been learning and appreciating the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. Globally, our clients are striving to do more to shift the dial and enable better representation in their workforces. Undoubtedly, we still have a lot of work to do! We still see initiatives that are too narrow, and the bar being set too low because addressing the issues is just too hard.

In the first edition of this series, we will tackle Talent Attraction.

Job Ads & Job Specs

The most inclusive hiring processes are those which successfully attract the largest pool of qualified talent for the job.

Job adverts and spec play a really crucial part in this. The wrong language can be off-putting to candidates and limiting to the process.

Inclusive wording is so crucial. Use gender-neutral pronouns and focus on the necessities of the job, rather than person specifics. Tell the prospective candidate what the role entails and let them judge for themselves!

Include only the bare minimum requirements for the role – perhaps the candidate requires a particular qualification, but do they really need to have a First Class degree?

If there is a preference for particular experience, think about how you communicate that. “Must” the candidate have that experience? Or is it something “ideally” the right candidate would have?

You may have your ideal candidate in mind, but what if there was someone out there who could do the job just as well, if not better? Include wording to the effect, “Candidates will also be considered from outside of this criteria and are encouraged to apply if they demonstrate the necessary skillset”.

Finally, bear in mind that people have different lifestyles, could you consider an agile working arrangement? Flexible or part-time working may be crucial to an excellent candidate with other vital commitments. Encourage agile working proposals where you can!

Be open! Be inclusive! Don’t fall at this first hurdle.

Let us know if you need some tailored advice – we are here to help!

Job Boards

So, you have followed our advice to a T and have created a very attractive and inclusive job spec! Now what?

Where you advertise your new role is the next thing worth considering. We might go straight for our popular industry-specific job boards – but we can also go beyond that. A great way of connecting with fresh talent can be via job boards specifically tailored to reach diverse talent. These can be market-specific or they may cover roles from many industries.

Speak to your point of contact here at Hydrogen about ideas for your organisation – let’s get the news you are hiring out to the widest pool of candidates we can!

Employer Brand

Even with the most perfect job spec and advertising in all the right places, you are unlikely to succeed in making a difference without spending crucial time building your brand as an employer. What do you stand for? What are you known for? Who do you want to be?

In our next edition, we will fill your heads with ideas to enhance your presence in your market and become the employer that the best talent really wants to work for!

My journey at Hydrogen: stories and insights from our career changers

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 06:11:49 GMT

Welcome to our series of interviews with our Legal team members!

As we're celebrating 20 years of Hydrogen's Legal Practice, we interviewed some of our career changers to find out what careers they pursued before joining the recruitment industry, what attracted them to Hydrogen, and what's the best thing about recruitment. They also shared with us some of the most memorable and funny moments at Hydrogen. Let's hear what they had to say...

You can watch the full interviews here:

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss more business or job opportunities in the Legal sector or if you would be interested to join our Legal recruitment team.

Panel discussion: How can law firms more visibly support working parents?

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 06:25:27 GMT

The Executive Coaching Consultancy’s Parental Fog Index 2021 shows only a very small minority of the leading UK and US law firms and it discloses how they support working parents, at a time when working parents are experiencing sustained and intense challenges. Visibility of how a firm supports working parents is becoming increasingly important to many candidates when they are looking to move – it can be the difference between an offer being accepted or rejected.

We hosted an exciting online panel discussion with the Executive Coaching Consultancy, Allen & Overy, and Fladgate where we engaged in conversations about:

ECC's latest research, which discloses how UK and US law firms are supporting working parents and how visible their efforts are to prospective candidates.
We’ve heard first-hand from a recent lateral hire about their own experience
How Allen & Overy have been supporting working parents and the impact this has had on their recruitment
How different firms are communicating their inclusion policies to enhance their employer brand and attract talent

Meet our panellists:

Becky Morgan - Director, Hydrogen Group

Hannah Bradshaw - Executive Coach, ECC

Mark Hocken - Senior Recruitment Manager, Allen & Overy

Lara Ovenden - Senior Employee Relations Manager, Allen & Overy

Helen Cox - Partner, Fladgate

To access the panel discussion recording, please complete the form below:

Inspiring Business Women: Muloongo Muchelemba

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 06:38:11 GMT

Muloongo is the Director of Selection at Rise, a new initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust.

Tell us about yourself and what you do

I was born in Zambia and had a Third Culture Kid upbringing as a diplomat’s child. I lived in Belgium, Italy, Japan, Mozambique, and the UK before the age of 18. I was sent back home to Zambia to do my first degree in Economics and reconnect with my roots. After graduating at the top of my class from the University of Zambia, I won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford where I read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). After university, I embarked on a 17-year long corporate career in London, Zambia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. I returned to London in July 2021 to take up a new role in philanthropy.

Outside of work, I am the Founder and content creator of ONGOLO , a Pan-African blog launched in April 2020 with a mission to change the narrative about Africa. I post at least one article every day on consumer, business, economy, life, people, politics, sports, and travel news. My ambition is to grow ONGOLO, which is a registered business in the UK, into a fully-fledged business advisory, media, marketing, and PR company promoting Africa, its people, products, and services. I want to get people excited about Africa because there is a huge knowledge gap about the continent I am proud to call home. Hence my tagline #ProudlyAfrican

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I joined Shell International Limited as a finance graduate after Oxford and was based in London. My first role was in the Financial Management Consulting team where I worked on projects such as the divestment of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) business in Belgium and the US. I also built large financial models for our manufacturing (covering all refineries) and lubricants businesses globally. I then joined the Supply business to work on the first-ever business interruption loss for Shell when the Buncefield depot blew up in December 2015. It was great to build a framework that was used again long after I had left the firm. I also worked as an analyst covering France and the UK and my financial modelling skills came in handy when we sold the three refineries in France. I won a CFO award for building a biofuels reporting tool with other finance grads - this award still hangs on my wall. My last role was in Retail Marketing providing Commercial Finance advice to the loyalty programme, payments, and global brands team.

I regrettably left Shell to diversify my work experience and joined KPMG’s Financial Management team in London. I worked on projects in London, South Africa, and Malaysia for FTSE100 clients. I enjoy consulting because it teaches you how to identify and solve problems and how to synthesise information. I was desperate to return to Zambia after a decade away and found a role with Standard Chartered in Zambia. I started as a Relationship Manager managing global corporate clients and switched to a Business Planning Manager (BPM) role which is similar to a Chief of Staff. I covered Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana and then was transferred to South Africa to do a BPM role for Financial Institutions (FI) Africa. FI covers banks, insurance, investors, broker dealers, multilateral agencies, development finance institutions, and the public sector. It was very interesting as we had 15 presence markets and I had to develop a strategy for 22 non-presence countries in Africa. Less than a year later, our new Group CEO merged Africa and the Middle East (AME) and I was promoted to the BPM for Corporate Banking, AME. I relocated to Dubai and had an amazing two years combining two distinct regions and ensuring that we delivered on key projects such as cleaning up our correspondent banking portfolio and tightening controls around KYC, especially sanctions. I then moved to the global business head office in Singapore and spent nearly four years working in Group Strategy, Group Operations and Group Operational Risk, where I covered the Financial Crime Surveillance Unit which ensures that all clients and transactions are properly screened and monitored.

And what drove you to leave Banking and join philanthropy?

Push and pull factors. I had tried to take a sabbatical in 2020 to recharge and take a much-needed break from the corporate grind. The pull factor was that I had the opportunity to work on something different that needed my skills and experience more and was close to my heart.

To give you some context, I spent my free time volunteering throughout my corporate career. I was the Mentoring Lead for the Shell African Network and also participated in a Shell-sponsored undergraduate mentoring scheme for minorities at South Bank University. Standard Chartered Singapore also supported me when was I appointed National Secretary for the Zambia Rhodes Scholarships by allowing me to work from Zambia during the selection period. It was through the Rhodes Trust that I was introduced to Schmidt Futures, the New York-based philanthropy founded by Wendy and Eric Schmidt, the former Chairman and CEO of Google and Alphabet.

Schmidt Futures and Rhodes Trust have partnered on an exciting new initiative called Rise to find the most talented 15-17 year-olds around the world who have the capacity to lead and solve world problems. Each winner will receive a lifetime of educational and/or entrepreneurial support of up to $500k, depending on need. As the first Director of Selection for Rise, my mandate is to promote the programme to various stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, selectors) and to find those brilliant teens. Please look out for the announcement on our first cohort of winners in October 2021 and the opening of applications for year two. We also rely on volunteers to help us with the selection, so please sign up if you are passionate about finding talent!

As someone who has worked in many different roles, have you noticed any differences around diversity & inclusion initiatives or progressive workplace attitudes between these roles, industries, or locations?

D&I definitely plays out differently by location. When I worked in London, the challenge was how to give minorities a seat at the table through active promotion and mentoring. Many British firms are good at setting minority targets though there is no real consequence if they fail to meet them as is often the case. In South Africa, UAE, and Singapore, the governments have firm targets in place to ensure that black South Africans, Emiratis, and Singaporeans have jobs in the financial services and other sectors where they are underrepresented. Hiring a foreigner in these three markets is not easy as companies have to justify why there was no local qualified to do the job. The targets used to be set as a percentage of the total workforce but increasingly, governments are ensuring that locals are being promoted to senior roles, which I believe is fair.

The lack of diversity is more noticeable at the management and board level. I have been researching D&I at Fortune and FTSE 500 companies and found that while some progress has been made at the board level to have more women and some minorities represented, the gap is wide at the management level. Amazon publishes an annual D&I report which shows that over 70% of senior people in the US are white compared to 4% black and 20% Asian while the overall US workforce is 32% white, 26.5% black, and 13.6% Asian. That’s not a good picture!

Can you tell us about some of the best initiatives or programmes you’ve seen that have helped to improve D&I in the workplace? What is it that made these so successful?

The Shell African Network helped Shell incorporate culture into employee performance assessments. This was done by flagging to the senior leaders who supported our network, how the company’s internal practices were inadvertently hurting minorities. In Africa and some cultures in Asia and the Middle East, making eye contact with your superiors is considered rude as is jumping into a conversation during a meeting - you’re supposed to wait to be invited. Employees thought their mark of respect was understood and appreciated but instead that behaviour was being interpreted as lacking confidence and leadership qualities. In order for companies to truly become diverse and inclusive, they need to identify these barbed wires that are keeping people from progressing. What made this intervention successful was a willingness by management to acknowledge that there was a problem and a commitment to try to fix it.

What are the biggest challenges that we face in the Financial Services industry today when it comes to diversity & inclusion?

Financial Services remains an old, white, boys club so it is not convincing to say the sector is doing well on D&I when companies cannot walk the talk. Women around the world rejoiced when Jane Fraser was appointed CEO of Citi in March 2021 - she is such a breath of fresh air. And black people were fiercely proud of Tidjane Thiam when he was appointed CEO of Prudential and Credit Suisse and have been fiercely protective of his legacy after his unfortunate departure from CS. I wrote a feature about him on ONGOLO. Thiam and Jane cannot be the exceptions. The Financial Services sector needs to step up to drive some meaningful changes at the top otherwise future talent will shift to industries such as tech where Asians such as Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai are getting top billing.

What are the most common mistakes in our thinking about diversity & inclusion?

There is a natural conflict between what D&I seeks to achieve and how human beings behave in practice. D&I is about increasing the representation of different groups within an organisation and inclusion is about how well the contributions and perspectives of those different groups of people are valued and integrated. So first of all the intent of D&I is a utopia because companies have a culture that employees are expected to adhere to and there is a limit to how many different perspectives can be integrated. Secondly, human beings by nature gravitate towards people who are like them and that’s how they build trust. Information and job opportunities are shared within those micro-groups. Many companies tick the quantitative aspect of having diverse staff but don’t measure the qualitative aspect about inclusion and how these groups work together because it is not immediately obvious that groups are divergent by nature.

Any advice to young people joining the Financial Services sector?

I love mentoring young people and wrote my first book, The Millennials Gaido to Work, as a guide to help young professionals navigate the workplace. The first piece of advice I would give to a young professional is not to worry if you don’t immediately know what you want to do with your career. Instead, focus on acquiring tangible skills and core competencies that you can build on. If you’re in banking, doing a regulatory role may sound boring but you will understand the forces that shape the financial services industry. Don’t dismiss that teller or operations role - my first boss could still recite UCP600 (the trade bible) three decades after he joined banking. Solid corporate bankers earned their stripes by getting their hands dirty early on in their careers.

The second thing I would advise is to spend time studying people’s LinkedIn profiles to understand the paths they took. It will give you some ideas and also help to answer that tricky (and increasingly redundant) interview question: where do you see yourself in five years? The third piece of advice is a cliche with a twist: network. Most people think of networking as interacting with people with ‘big titles’ in the hopes of getting a job. The truth is most of the ‘big titles’ will forget your name the second you say it so you are better off finding the people who actually do the work and have the ‘big titles’ ear. As BPM, I was far more influential than people realised and my own network included personal assistants, junior analysts, and different teams at our hubs in Chennai, whom I knew by name. These are the people who helped me get my job done and were my most important stakeholders. The fourth and last piece of advice is to understand office politics and know how to play the game. As one of my favourite books, Workplace Poker by Dan Rust, asks: are you playing the game or just getting played? Read this book!

For more Inspiring Business Women interviews, please click here .

My journey at Hydrogen: stories and insights from our new joiners

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 06:42:30 GMT

Welcome to our series of interviews with our Legal team members!

As we're celebrating 20 years of Hydrogen's Legal Practice, we wanted to interview some of our new joiners and find out what inspired them to join Hydrogen, how is it different from where they worked before, and what is the best thing about working at Hydrogen. Let's hear what they had to say...

You can watch the full interview here:

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss more business or job opportunities in the Legal sector or if you would be interested to join our Legal recruitment team.

Inspiring Business Women: Dipika Sawhney

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 06:48:38 GMT

Dipika is an experienced sales and business development general manager with a track record of delivering growth in the e-commerce and high growth technology industry. She is recognised as a top tech women leader in the UK and was also recognized amongst the Top 5 Tech female superstars at Amazon in 2019.

Can you tell us about your career progression to date?

I love learning and I have studied Engineering as I was always interested in data and computers, but I soon realised that I enjoyed business development and connecting the dots on how tech can empower businesses, so completed an MBA from Cambridge University. I started my career building new businesses, working in the tech start-up scene in London for nearly five years, where I built two start-ups, one of which became very successful. These experiences helped me build my entrepreneurial skills, such as resilience, critical thinking, and an attitude to get things done, skills that are valued in the corporate world. What better place to later use them than at Amazon, which values creativity and talent to build some of the world’s fast-growing businesses? At Amazon, I lead the creation of two new businesses from scratch, one in retail, where I built one of their fastest-growing businesses, and the second in advertising, where I led a Europe-wide team helping to find ways to engage the small and medium-sized advertisers at scale. Having built great programs, teams, and memories at Amazon, I have now chosen to join Salesforce , where my role is to look into how we can really enable and empower the high-tech industry and help it unlock its full potential.

Can you tell us what prompted you to move from Amazon to Salesforce?

Amazon is a great organisation and I have grown so much professionally and personally over the years working with some of the most intelligent, customer-obsessed and decisive colleagues there is something that I value and cherish forever. Having said that, when Salesforce approached me for this role, the possibilities and potential of how we can deliver transformation, driving change for one of the fastest-growing tech businesses, I was in a dilemma as I was not sure if I really wanted to leave Amazon. The Salesforce method of engaging with me, however, as a potential candidate for a newly created role was outstanding. A series of friendly chats and some honest two-way conversations with Salesforce leadership is how I would describe the interview process and that is what really helped the role come to ‘life’ for me. Watching how Salesforce, as a bold and super-fast growing company, is perfecting its act of being ‘employee experience’ centric as well as walking-the-talk when it comes to its values on trust and innovation whilst creating my role and giving me resources and freedom to help further strengthen its customer centricity and customer satisfaction is super exciting. Nearly one month into the role, the weekly all-hands calls where Marc Benioff takes on some very tough questions and discusses the company's vision is a good example of how open the leadership is. As I ramp up on my role as a “ Customer Transformation” leader for the UK Hi-tech industry, watching how invested and committed Salesforce is the way it perceives its future as a transformation partner to its technology clients is very exciting and makes me confident about the future.

What are some of the key moments that have helped or hindered you from getting to where you are now?

The thing that helped me early on was understanding how technology works and this is something I really encourage everyone to try. Learning to connect the dots between technology and business and working backwards from understanding customer needs helps me build sustainable, helpful solutions. Finding out what I am good at and then most importantly finding out what I enjoy most was important too and really helped me progress my career by doing things that keep me energized. Another thing that helped was working in very fast-moving businesses and start-ups early in my career, which taught me the importance of not being afraid to take risks or jump on an opportunity to do something that you might think is out of your league. In terms of what has hindered me, I wouldn't say this necessarily hindered my career, but I learned a lot from when one of my tech start-ups failed. I had just come from a very successful one and I learned that while successes feel good, failure is a good teacher. In this case, I learned that my business plan needs to be robust, and my due diligence needs to be just as good every time I do something new. Failing that time early in my career taught me so much and learning to embrace and learn from mistakes is an integral part of my life and I now rather enjoy speaking openly about my self-critical, rational outlook towards all business decisions.

Can you tell us about the biggest legacy that you've left in a previous role?

The biggest legacy I have created in a previous role was working backwards from the customer, which started with Amazon advertising. Being able to work closely to understand customer needs makes all the difference, and while we all look after our larger clients first, I built systems and tools to help us listen to the voice of the customer more closely. This enabled us to offer support and a higher level of service to the smaller customer and measure our success in doing that, which the teams there are still doing, so I think that's my biggest legacy so far.

How do you maintain a good work/life balance?

A good work/life balance is about a few different things. I did struggle early in my career with long, demanding work hours and in fact, was the only woman who turned up to do her MBA at Cambridge with two little toddlers in tow! I've had to learn to build mechanisms that help me do the best I can, and those include accepting that you can't have everything. I have learned to forgive myself easily and it’s absolutely OK if I miss a school event occasionally, have a messy house or if I can't make it to a work drinks evening on a Thursday night. You need to find out what works best for you and don't always try to be the perfect woman. Secondly, it's important to have a strong support network. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I have built and continue to build a network around me that can help - whether that's other mums with whom you share childcare hours or a play-date rota or paid childcare help. My priority right now is to focus on my children and my work and that does not really allow time for me to read or travel as much as I would like to and that is something I have learned to accept. There’s no secret answer to a good balance, but putting things in place that work for you, is crucial.

What are your thoughts on gender diversity in Technology?

I think we need to do much more, and not just for gender diversity, but diversity in general, whether that is gender, sexual orientation, nationality, or just different viewpoints and personalities. Gender diversity is a great place to start because it is the right thing to do, morally as a business and also because most studies show how a diverse workplace is more effective and provides more innovative and creative solutions. In order to achieve gender diversity, we need to go into schools and show young girls genuine role models in tech and what the jobs are that they do - it's not all about coding, there are dozens of roles and opportunities that girls need to know about in the Tech space. Secondly, as corporates, we need to retrain ourselves to be more sensitive when it comes to its women employees, whether that's supporting women coming back from maternity or career breaks or having inclusive social events with children, we need to attract that talent into the space and then support, promote and celebrate their contributions to retain them.

Are there any initiatives that you support personally?

At Amazon, I was working on a not-for-profit philanthropy program and was very involved with STEM education which was kindly well-funded with resources and grants from the Amazon leadership team. I was also the London office charity leader, working to ensure that we were supporting the right charities that were already doing excellent work around us. Although I am very new at Salesforce, I am already excited to see the passion my colleagues have to support the not-for-profits space and look forward to helping harness Salesforce power for good.

What advice would you give to get young women into Technology?

A survey found that only 3% of British female high school students would choose the Technology sector as a career choice and only 7% of students currently taking Computer Science at A-level are female. If we want to get more girls into technology, we need to first showcase and, as I mentioned above, build more role models, early interventions, awards, and work-experience programs early in schools. Roles in technology firms can vary from developers and solution architects to testers and business developers and we value various kinds of talents and expertise. The important thing is to learn more about technology and how can you contribute/benefit from it to pursue your passion. Next, we should encourage young women to build up a network around them if they can. There are plenty of women out there who will be happy to support you, as a mentor or a coach, so don't be afraid to reach out to them and start building a network. I personally have mentors and mentees and I'm happy to connect with young people if they want advice on finding a job or learning. Thirdly, there are women's forums and supportive groups, like Women in Tech, who are very inclusive and are always happy to answer questions.

What piece of advice would you give a younger version of yourself?

Be less hard on yourself. To be successful in your career, remember it's a marathon, not a sprint, so you don't have to do everything this month, or even this year. Concentrate on making the decisions that make a long-term impact versus focusing on winning it all during the short term and please always make time to enjoy the journey.

Inspiring Business Women: Jasmin Allott

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 06:54:25 GMT

Jasmin is a Board Level Technology Leader with multi-sector experience across Financial Services (Payments, Banking, Insurance, and Asset Management), Media & Digital Marketing, and more recently Online Retail. She has built and led significant global and regional transformations, supporting strategic business objectives for AO World, Dentsu International, Schroders, QBE, Nationwide Building Society, and Visa Europe.

Tell us about your career progression into your current role.

After school I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do so I joined the armed forces and spent a few years gaining different life skills. An injury ended that phase of my career and I then fell into IT. My first role was with IBM as a Computer Operator which I spent a few years doing. I then got offered a role with Anderson Consulting, now Accenture, as a Unix Operator which was a slight step up with more responsibility. After some other operation and administration roles, I worked for a few SI's who were doing banking oversight and managed services, where I held several technical positions. I joined Visa in 2005 and spent 10 years there, starting as a hands-on techie, then working my way through the ranks from a manager of teams, right the way up to senior delivery director roles. When I felt I’d gone as far as I could, I moved to Nationwide to transform products for some of their insurance lines, it was local to where I lived and was the work/life balance I needed at the time. After a couple of years, I went to QBE Insurance and then Schroders, which got me experience in different sectors and broadened my horizons and my skill set as I moved more into Tech strategy and leadership. Then I joined a digital media and advertising company called Dentsu and cemented myself as Director of Technology, focused on Tech strategy, and responsible for transformation. Finally, I got the opportunity to come to AO to help transform the organisation. They did wonderfully well through Covid as an online retailer, and we wanted to take that opportunity to build on their success and futureproof the business. Overall my career has been a mixture of working hard and taking advantage of opportunities that have come my way.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced in your role?

I've been fortunate that I don't think I've faced any challenges for being a woman in Technology. I feel like I've had the same opportunities as any male counterpart, which is great, especially as a woman in a senior role. The challenges I tend to face are down to either the transformation or the change of operation we’re doing. It can be very emotive, and feelings based, it's not just about systems and processes. Getting people onside to see the vision and to want to be able to make positive changes often comes down to the more emotive and unsubstantiated elements of transformation, rather than the tangible data.

If you had to pinpoint your success to one thing, what would that be?

I don't necessarily consider myself successful, I just have a different role now with more responsibility. If that is considered a success, then it’s not down to just one thing. I would say showing and proving that you’re capable and reliable is one thing. Taking advantage of situations when they're offered and then delivering is another. You don't always have to know everything but being honest and authentic has served me well. I make decisions, of course, but I have the view that making decisions collaboratively is more effective because they get more buy-in. I tend to see all my development points rather than my successes which tends to keep me quite humble. Any success I have had is down to the teams delivering, to the organisations embracing change and to getting the best out of people, fundamentally knowing when to push and pull as a leader.

What are your thoughts on risk-taking and do you think it's harder for women leaders to take risks or more imperative?

Risk-taking walks hand in hand with transformation. The reason for that is because you never have all the facts and if you waited for them, you'd never transform anything. Using a mixture of experience and data to help decision making. I haven’t found it to be harder for women, but I can imagine if you're in a position where you've struggled to get noticed or are overruled, whether you're male or female, you might feel that more risk is needed to get that highlighted. I was reading an article a few weeks back that talked through how risk-taking is a pervasive feature of male psychology, but less so in women. My view is it’s important to stop and recognise that each of us defines and manages risks differently, based on unlimited influences.

Do you have a role model or mentor in your career and what is the value of them?

I have had many different types of mentors as I’ve increased my responsibility. My role model is not anyone that I've worked with, it's my grandfather. He was very passionate about what he did and very dedicated to his craft, but humble with it. Within work, I tend to have different people for different things. Some are for when I step into areas that are outside of my comfort zone and can help me navigate through the bits that I need help with. Others I have for the more emotional side of things, where I can have conversations around why I'm feeling a certain way or for guidance in terms of the next steps of my career. I think it’s important to keep developing yourself

How have you seen the Technology industry change over the years in terms of diversity and women in the workplace?

The challenge that I've always found with Technology and STEM is, we haven’t typically done a great job at selling it as a career. I accidentally stumbled upon it, and 20 plus years ago it wasn’t really an option for many women. To make it more popular with women or girls, we need to target the grassroots better and explain that there are several vocations within Tech, it’s not just about development and coding. Tech roles don’t have to be 9-5 there are multiple vocations that can bring more options to the diverse workforces we now need. In terms of other diversity, I think Tech is improving and there is a wider range of people coming into the industry than ever before. On the other side of diversity, I am married to a woman, and I feel empowered that I can say that and share that experience these days. There was a period in my life where I didn’t feel able and confident to say that. The world has moved on, and as a leader of people, I feel a responsibility to lead from the front. It can only be for the better in terms of different views and ways of thinking, leading to richer outcomes.

In an international organisation, how do you promote both diversity and inclusion?

I'm fortunate because I can lead from the front and make diversity and inclusion personal and show there is a senior leader there who values that. I am also keen as a leader to support being aware of our unconscious biases and how we bring them into our everyday life, interviews, and meetings etc.

Equal pay is starting to be addressed, however more needs to be done. A lot of organisations are targeting women in leadership positions to bring equilibrium. I’d want to get a job because I am the right person, irrespective of race, colour, or sex, not because I ticked the woman box.

Do you believe that creating a diverse and inclusive environment starts at the top or the grassroots level?

I am a believer that leaders should lead, but that doesn’t mean dictating. Leaders should set a precedent of what good practice looks like and then the top-down and the ground up need to meet. Empowering people, giving people confidence, the tools, the environments, and the space is absolutely the responsibility of leadership. Then there has to be some responsibility for the rest of the layers in the organisation to take advantage of that. It can be difficult sometimes to roll out these types of initiatives because they can get a passive response and that can be frustrating, but I'm passionate about making sure people are aware of what's out there to aid and assist them and if they've got any problems, what the paths are for help.

What advice would you give to women wanting to move into a leadership role or IT?

The advice I would give, whether you're male or female, is firstly to consider whether you truly want a leadership role. What most people don't understand about leadership roles until they're in them is that they take you away from the core capability that you once had, and many people find that difficult. If leadership truly is for you, there are a couple of things that have served me well. Being confident and instilling confidence in others is one. If I don't know the answer to something, I will go away and find out, but I will keep a situation under control in the meantime, which helps everyone else feel confident. Secondly, take advantage of the small situations. They matter to people and people remember. Lastly, stay true to yourself. If I fundamentally change myself, I'm going to lose my identity and my identity is what got me here in the first place. There are opportunities out there for women to climb up the ladder and be successful, and women with families are, post-Covid, more supported than ever, so my advice is to take those opportunities when they present themselves and make them work for you.

Inspiring Business Women: Rowena Everson

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 07:02:27 GMT

Rowena is a Banking & Financial Services Executive with over 20 years’ experience in the markets of Europe and Asia, expert in general management, corporate governance, establishing start-ups, risk and credit, anti-money laundering, finance, and client communications. She is a Change agent with a proven track record of building new and restructuring existing units in various FSIs over more than 20 years.

You started your career in accounting - was that a conscious decision or did you fall into it?

I studied Geophysics at university, which I enjoyed, but it didn't really set me up for a career in Finance and, by the time I graduated, I knew that that was what interested me. So, I felt that I needed to have some form of business qualification that would enable me to bring value to roles. I'm also quite an independent person and I wanted to earn my own money and be independent, so those two things really drew me to looking at possible next steps and the Chartered Accountancy process felt like the best way to get exposure to a broad range of industries. I focused on financial markets early on, such as insurance companies, banks, and pension organisations, which gave me exposure to a range of business topics, and that was a good foundation. By the end of the three years of qualifying, I felt well set up for my first role in an actual bank.

What was it that attracted you to Finance?

I was possibly influenced by friends and colleagues who had graduated before me, who'd moved to London and moved into roles on the financial side. I was probably also influenced by media at the time: Wall St movies were very popular then and they may have sparked a kernel of an idea! The more I investigated various career paths, the more I realised that what interested me was working in Financial Services, though I didn't know whether that might be Insurance or Banking or even staying in Professional Services and moving over to the consultancy arm of the accounting firms. The exposure through the Chartered Accountancy qualification really helped me decide. I remain fascinated by the innovation and pace of change in Finance Services, and how banking in particular can really drive business and even cultural change. It’s a lifelong fascination.

You moved into managing projects quite early in your career compared to most people. How did that come about?

I moved into a Projects team, handling the Europe region, with projects around new currency implementations and looking at capital structures in branches, and other technical areas. I'm not a formally qualified project manager, I'm just an extremely organised individual. I believe that there are skills you can learn and there are skills that are your natural skill set. Back then, typically, large-scale change programs would have a deadline, a budget, a team, all the milestones required, and then inevitably things would change and run over budget or people would leave etc. Today, projects are done with a much more agile mindset. The large-scale objectives are still set out, but the fixed milestones and the path to get to the goal isn't the same. Achieving change is much smarter now and you can flex what you're doing, experiment and change course throughout. Not everyone has an agile mindset but being able to respond to change is crucial. If I look at my colleagues, it's an enormously diverse group of people in every sense of the word, but specifically, in terms of industry experience. While we do have people who have banking experience, we also have some from Fintech, some from different geographies, and some from completely different industry sectors who are implementation experts or change experts. We've even got people who've come from the media side and are bringing in those skill sets. It's a hugely diverse group and it brings a lot of different abilities and different viewpoints together.

Tell us about your career switch, moving out of Banking and doing something different and then back again.

I was working for a bank in Asia, and I'd just achieved a promotion, but things felt like they were on a path that was narrowing. I also had this nagging feeling that a part of my brain somewhere was going to sleep. I wanted to do something different because when I looked ahead, I felt my career wasn’t necessarily heading in the direction I wanted to be going. I had an opportunity to pursue something I wanted to study, so I joined a course with the London School of Journalism and managed to land a role with an agency doing interviews and writing pieces on everything from real estate to sporting events. At the end of that two-year program, I joined a Media & Events company that specialised in retail banking technology, so I was able to combine my Banking knowledge with this newly developed skill set in the Comms space. After a few years, about a year after the financial crisis, Standard Chartered approached me as they were looking for somebody who had a strong Banking background as well as a strong Communications background, to set up a technical comms unit. While it was a surprise, it seemed like the logical next step in my career to move back into the corporate banking world and bring both of those experiences together.

Is there any advice you would give to somebody in a similar position in their career and thinking about doing something else?

Firstly, have a clear idea of why it is that you're thinking of switching careers. For example, a poor relationship with a boss making you hate your job isn't a valid reason for switching entire careers, particularly if you've invested a lot of yourself and time and effort into it. Then, do your research and consider how best to go about it, working out the paths that will get you to where you want to be. The third thing I'd say is, if you decide that now is not the right time, that's also fine, but be wary that if all the other pieces make sense, don't give yourself excuses that it's too difficult or there are too many things stopping you, because you could regret it later.

What career highlights are you particularly proud of?

I spent the last three years in Poland setting up the new office, and one key highlight for me was the first Christmas party there. There was a photo taken on the night, and the faces of the management team in that photo tell a great story of the elation and relief we all felt at what we'd achieved. For 165 years, the bank had never operated in that market; we had no brand presence; our competitors were all there already; and we'd needed to achieve a steep hiring trajectory, getting to 150 people by the end of the first year. We just got there in time, and it was a huge highlight and relief for me and the team. It really vindicated the belief my backers had placed in me.

What about times that have been more challenging? How did you overcome those?

This is going back to a much earlier point in my career. I remember sitting down in a performance review with my then boss in London, which went well, so I thought it might be a good time to ask if there was any chance of an overseas posting. I wasn't sure I would get one as it's a popular thing to ask for, but he came back to me just two weeks later and asked if I would go to Hong Kong. I said yes and it changed the course of my life, and I spent the next 15 years in Asia. However, I remember the first time I stepped off the plane into the chaos and humidity of Hong Kong in June and asked myself what on earth I had done. I took it literally one step at a time to acclimatise, get to know people, my role, the country, the region and of course I ended up loving it. But it taught me to be bold, to try things. What you get might not be exactly what you were expecting, but it might also be better.

How have you factored in D&I into your strategy when you've built teams and how has that differed across locations?

Within large organisations like Standard Chartered I think the application of values is reasonably consistent across geographies, but outside of your corporate bubble the culture impacts a lot more strongly. In the UK, it is easier than in some locations to raise topics which might be considered difficult elsewhere. That said, the fact that it's easier to raise those topics, doesn't mean that they don't exist, which means that it is still important to focus on D&I. In Poland, we were hiring in areas of the business that were much more male dominated, such as cybersecurity or specific programming languages for risk modelling or financial crime compliance. Rather than aiming for fixed quotas of women, we tried to create the right enablers that would position us to be an employer of choice for the smaller female talent pipeline that was available. We used social media, as well as targeted events and made sure that the broader community was aware of what Standard Chartered brand values stood for. We also used techniques such as ensuring there was always a diverse interview panel, which makes a huge difference.

I believe that good leaders who embody the values that you're looking to present as your corporate values, tend to act as a magnet for people with those same behaviour patterns. So, being physically visible as a female leader in the bank at events that were focused around the sectors that we were looking to hire in was important. At traditionally male-dominated events, such as those in cybersecurity, we found that by having a female presence there, the few women that were there tended to get drawn towards you. Having a diverse team is critical. Diverse teams are more successful and more innovative, but it's an ongoing process. It's not something that you can do once, it must be constantly invested in and reinforced.

Once you've attracted that diverse talent, how do you retain them and develop them as future leaders?

Creating good career pathways, particularly in a new entity, is challenging because the variety of opportunities grows with the size of the business. We had a lot of programs around awareness of opportunities within the organisation and up to 30% of roles are now filled internally in the Poland entity, so that's quite an achievement after only three years. The enablers like open days and training are important too, as is getting hiring managers to be open to the fact that internal hires may not have the perfect skill set, but they are already well networked in the organisation, which can outweigh the benefits of hiring the perfect candidate externally who is new to the organisation.

In terms of retention, the more challenging part of the D&I agenda is being inclusive. A lot of large organisations can create diversity, but struggle in terms of creating and measuring an inclusive environment. Even some of the best managers who are extremely good at focusing on diversity in their teams may not always have the inclusive culture they think they have. One of the best ways to approach that is through self-awareness. Unconscious bias training is very helpful to raise self-awareness of when you might be showing bias. Setting out clear corporate values and letting people know what is expected is also important. One of the things we do in the early parts of people's careers is focus on understanding what the value structures mean and what's important and why it's important.

What do we need to be aware of in relation to inclusion when it comes to the new ways of working?

Over the last year and a half, we've all addressed how to pivot running a team or how to run an organisation in a very different operating and working environment. One sector of the workforce I think we need to focus on are people at earlier stages of their careers. The need for mentorship, supervision, and on-the-job training is more significant than when you're more matured into your role or career path. It's very challenging to create the casual support that is needed in those early stages in a virtual environment, which is by nature more formalised. You can't just pop over to someone's desk to ask a question now. It is a naturally halted and more structured approach and lot less casual. Casual interaction results in a faster learning trajectory that can lead to a more successful start to someone’s career path. Casual interaction also supports corporate stickiness because time in the office with your peers helps to infuse good corporate values and in feeling part of the team.

Do you have any final advice that you would give to someone early in their career who aspires to be a future leader?

My first advice would be to be bold. Ask for what it is that you want. You might not get it, but the worst that can happen is somebody says no. Very often, people don't say no, and even if you don't get exactly what you want, quite often you will get something else. The second thing is, be open. The path that opens up for you as a consequence of being bold might be different, but it might also be more rewarding than expected. Lastly, be inquisitive. Never stop learning, never stop being open to new ideas, never stop inquiring about individuals, different subjects, or different parts of your organisation, to keep learning and growing.

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Tunde Fasoyiro

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:09:33 GMT

Tundeis a Compliance/Financial Crime Director and Ex- FSA/FCA regulator, with over 24 years’ Financial Services industry and regulatory experience, including senior roles in consulting, private banking / wealth management, investment banking, asset management and stockbroking. He is a provider of compliance, anti-money laundering and financial crime solutions who has held FSA / FCA controlled functions. Tunde has a proven track record in leading review programmes and setting up compliance and financial crime control frameworks, implementing policies, procedures and controls as well as carrying out remediation reviews. He is enthusiastic with a focus on enhancing firms’ compliance culture and strong business acumen in supporting client profitability and is a regular speaker on industry hot topics.

Can you tell us about your career progression to date into your current role?

I've been working in Compliance, Regulation and Risk for almost 25 years. I studied Finance and Banking at the University of Lagos then came to the UK and joined the Civil Service, initially working for HMRC as an admin officer. I got promoted to the Crown Prosecution Service as a Law Clerk and in total did about seven years with the Civil Service, even though I knew it was always a stepping stone to moving into the City. My first job in the City was with the Investors Compensation Scheme (now FSCS) as a Claims Assessor, working with customers who had been given negligent advice by companies which had since become insolvent. The natural next step was a move to the FSA (now FCA) and after trying eight times, I finally got a role there, managing relationships with a portfolio of firms ranging from stockbrokers, asset managers and hedge funds to IFA’s and insurance brokers. My time took in a lot of business travel but was good experience and exposure for me given my interaction with company CEOs and executives, building up my profile in Financial Services.

Eventually, I got headhunted as Head of Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) by one of the firms that I used to supervise and that's how my industry career kicked off. My portfolio includes work for an asset manager as Head of Compliance and MLRO, setting up their Compliance Programme and progressing their FSA/FCA application for authorisation; a major bank, initially as their MLRO and latterly as Head of UK Compliance; a law firm where I set up their Financial Crime Regulatory Compliance practice; and then finally, last year I did an interim role on an AML project for a bank just before COVID, before joining my current firm where I work as Chief Compliance Officer.

What inspired you to go down the Compliance route with your career?

My interest in Compliance was sparked off by the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995. I became fascinated by the whole story of how one individual could lead to the collapse of a 200-year old bank due to a lack of segregation of responsibilities. Subsequent to the collapse, a significant number of Compliance roles began to spring up as banks came under a lot more regulatory scrutiny. It was a good time to join because the prospects and the opportunities were there, culminating in my first move into the City in 1997.

Could you pinpoint a time when you noticed the conversation on diversity and inclusion changing?

Things have moved on quite a lot since I started out in the City. In those days, there were “side remarks” made that today would be deemed offensive to people (whether you have an ethnic background, male or female etc), especially in Financial Services, on a trading floor, for example, but it has obviously changed in the last 10-15 years. A lot of companies are now introducing a Diversity &Inclusion (D&I) framework, sometimes in response to client demand – when I was at a law firm, there were clients that reserved the right to deduct a percentage of fees charged if they felt that the firm was unable to demonstrate that they had a robust D&I policy in place.

What are the benefits of having more diverse and inclusive teams?

An inclusive environment brings a sense of being valued and respected, which has a positive impact on productivity, innovation and creativity. When it’s embedded into the company culture, people know that they can speak up and give their ideas without being frowned upon or feeling that they are being discriminated against. Everyone brings something to the table, irrespective of race, culture, sexual orientation, religion or gender, and the more that is recognised, the better. There’s no excuse to not be working in such an environment now, especially post-COVID where everyone has been working virtually. Everyone benefits from a diverse and inclusive workplace – remember the acronym TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More.

What do you think are the biggest challenges in regard to D&I and what are the common mistakes in our thinking?

One of the problems that still exists is the challenge to generate revenue at the same time as introducing a D&I framework or policy. All these departments have targets to meet each month, so embracing a new diversity policy is never seen as a priority. Organisations need to demonstrate, from the top, that embracing D&I isn’t optional. It needs to be part of the employment contract, part of the training and mentoring, and needs buy-in across the board to succeed.

From a D&I perspective, what would you like to see in FS and what would work best to embed these policies?

I believe it needs to be in everyone’s employment contract with disciplinary action for breaches, just like adhering to compliance programs. Things are changing and firms are implementing D&I policies, but we still have a long way to go. People should be heard, listened to, and valued. They shouldn’t be afraid to speak up or intimidated, they should feel physically and mentally safe. A lot of firms are now appointing D&I champions, and the more senior that person is, the better. If he/she is a board member for example, then clients will take notice, and candidates will take notice because soon people are only going to want to be associated with a company that embraces D&I.

Do you think your race has ever hindered any progression in your career?

That's always hard to tell because by nature I'm a very positive person. Unconscious bias is real, but at times it can be done in a very subtle way so you can't always prove whether or not you've been discriminated against. There was a firm that I worked for where I knew that I should have been promoted but was told I needed to enhance my profile, nothing wrong with my performance. There were no senior managers with black backgrounds there - so was that an unconsciously biased decision? Otherwise, I can’t say I have been openly discriminated against. Maybe I am one of the blessed ones that have managed to move to the next level regardless of my race.

What do you attribute your success to?

Working smart and maintaining a positive mental attitude for me is key. Even when things are not going my way, I take a deep breath, dust myself down and move on. Secondly, one of the things I do when I join an organisation is study the business, the people, the personalities, the egos – and work out how I can work with everyone. We spend a significant amount of our time at work and there's no point making yourself miserable and dreading going in. I might not necessarily like everybody, but I make sure that I get on with everybody, for the sake of work. Lastly, I've always been strategic in my approach to work in order to step up. A good work ethic, but with strategic ideas are what senior managers want. A lot of people work hard and do what they are asked to do, but they are just doers, and they can’t make that transition into being a strategic person who has the initiative to kick things off or run a project. Those are the attributes that have helped me most.

Have you had any mentors who have helped you or role models you have gained insight from?

Mentoring is key for me because no one has the whole package, and no one is the custodian of all experience. You need people who have more experience than you in your chosen area, and I have always had mentors in and outside of the workplace from who I can learn. Even now, I have weekly strategy meetings with my CEO where we bounce ideas around, which is good for me personally and good for the business. I mentor a lot of people as well, but when you're mentoring, the onus is on the mentee to take ownership and responsibility. You're the one giving value and they are the recipient, so they have to be proactive in trying to get something out of you.

What can hiring managers do to create anti-racist work environments and champion diversity in the modern age?

Keep an open mind with recruitment. We’re seeing more redacted or blind applications where names, gender and background are removed, and that’s helpful for recruitment, but actively promoting diversity is even better. I see a lot of roles now, as a result of my mentoring, where companies want to recruit from the BAME community to get a more diverse workforce. It will take time, of course, when you look at the senior management of most companies, it’s mostly white males, which is why there has been such a push to get more women to board level in recent years.

What strategies might help to better serve underrepresented communities?

Businesses need to target those communities more specifically to identify skill and talent because it is there, but the opportunities aren’t. Spreading awareness and training hiring managers is crucial too. If a business is looking for an executive director and the current five are all white males, then it’s imperative that they try to actively source from underrepresented communities with merit of course. Also, if there isn’t the senior talent out there, then promote from within. The more you transition underrepresented people from middle management to senior management, the larger the pool becomes.

What advice would you give to someone from a BAME background trying to get into the industry?

If you're starting out as a grad, turning 21, and you want to work in the City in Financial Services, get a mentor. They can help with your CV, with an internship maybe, which will help you focus on not just your strengths and weaknesses, but also where your passion lies because there’s no point going for a role that you’re not passionate about. Secondly, study your industry. There is so much information at one’s fingertips that can help in your research of organisations and people, and you can connect with people and ask questions on LinkedIn. This will lead onto networking and attending events in your target sector. My final piece of advice though would be to be mindful of what you post on social media channels – a lot of people have had things come back to haunt them later because prospective employers do check up on you!

The journey we embarked on back in 2001: an interview with Hayley Still

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 07:15:41 GMT

This year our Legal practice is celebrating its 20th anniversary! Our last video from this series of interviews features Hayley Still , who is our Chief Operating Officer across EMEA. You can watch the full interview here.

Hayley's journey with Hydrogen started 14 years ago as a Legal Graduate, who then moved into the In-House Industry & Commerce team and gradually moved up the ladder to look after the whole In-House team. Last year she got promoted to MD for the EMEA region and not long after that she became the Chief Operating Officer across the EMEA business. She's got some interesting stories to share about her time at Hydrogen, how things have changed over the past 14 years, and some insights about the Legal In-House market.

"I came to Hydrogen as a legal graduate in 2007, fresh from travelling, and not really knowing what recruitment was. I joined the In-house Industry & Commerce team to focus on the Tech & Telecoms sector and then moved into Media & Sport, over time graduating into management and taking over the Industry & Commerce practice. From there, I went on to look after the whole of In-House and we launched our Europe practice, and I started to get more involved with Hydrogen as a whole. Last year, I was promoted to MD for EMEA so now I'm responsible for Legal as well as Life Science, Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing and Oil & Gas. That has taken 14 years so far, which is a bit terrifying, but it has been hugely rewarding and I have loved every minute of it.

Over that time, the practice has evolved a lot culturally. Back in 2007, there were no tools like LinkedIn, so it was very long days, trying to speak to people on the phone outside of office hours. We’ve moved with the times and now it’s a much more grown-up environment where people keep their own hours and can focus on their professional and personal goals better. In the wider recruitment world, people move jobs more often today too, so we have also become genuine career advisors in our long-term relationships with candidates, which is even more rewarding.

A key milestone along the way for me was an exclusive project I worked on for BT when they were expanding their Media & Sport business. I had to fill 14 roles, all exclusive, all at the same time, and it really taught me how to spin a lot of plates at once. I worked day and night and learned so much in a short space of time about pushing myself and what I could achieve if I really worked hard. It was an invaluable moment.

I’m not alone in my length of service and I think there are four reasons why we have such good retention at Hydrogen and why people stay. Firstly, it’s the people. I love coming to work and have some of my best friends here. We work hard, but we don’t compromise on our values and integrity, which is something I’m passionate about. Secondly, it’s the high challenge, high support environment that we have. We always try and push ourselves and with every new challenge that comes our way, we are always supported to meet those goals. Next is our amazing platform. I think we have 130,000 candidates now and some wonderful clients, which is a fantastic setup. And the final thing is that I've just always really loved my sector, my clients, and my candidates. So, I've had no reason to ever look anywhere else and I think that would probably be the same for most of the people in the Legal practice.

The most memorable moment of my career so far was one of our annual incentive trips that I qualified to go on. We went to an incredible hotel in Ibiza, all expenses paid, and I can remember sitting at a dinner with some of my best friends, thinking how lucky I was to be getting paid to be there as part of my job. I couldn’t believe the company was doing it for us in such style, and it really motivated me to want to earn more and afford that same kind of luxury experience again!

On the surface, the practice is very different now compared to when I joined. It was on one floor in what was almost like a house back then, but we've moved office three times since and are now in a much more corporate, swanky office as part of a bigger organization. However, we've maintained the building blocks and pillars that were in place then and made sure that we haven't changed the things that have always worked for us. We've evolved our strategy along the way in the types of clients that we work with: we still have Industry & Commerce and Financial Services, but we've grown our market share in Sport and Media. Within Financial Services, while we've always worked with the big banks, hedge funds and asset managers, we now do a lot more in new sectors such as fintech, and we have a much wider range of opportunities for our candidates now, from huge businesses to start-ups. Launching in Europe has been a major change too, with a wide range of clients in several countries meaning we get involved in relocating candidates now, which is very interesting.

Our plans for the future will be using our amazing platform to expand, both internationally in the US, APAC and Europe, and also within the UK. For example, we now do Business Transformation & Change and Sales & Marketing in law firms, and we want to do more in Life Science and Renewables. Whichever direction we focus on, though, will be underlined by maintaining the quality of service and the relationships that we have, and helping our own consultants, as well as our clients and candidates, realise their goals. The world has changed. It’s no longer just about salaries and job titles, but also work/life balance and mental wellbeing. We ultimately want to be a one-stop shop for people to come to us for their international moves, private practice moves, in-house moves, whatever their criteria, we want to be able to help."

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss business or job opportunities within Legal recruitment.

Inspiring Business Women: Grace Fisher

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 07:21:04 GMT

Grace is an experienced Business Solutions Manager with a demonstrable history of working in the museums and institutions industry. Skilled in Business Process, ITIL, Databases, IT Strategy, and Management, she is a strong consulting professional with a Foundation degree in IT for E-Business from Kingston University.

Could you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I was always interested in maths and technology. I started my career in Finance, but I was fascinated by how technology enabled you to do things in a better, smarter way. When I went to work for Historic Royal Palaces, I started in a Finance role and then, as I gradually progressed, they started looking at a new finance system that meant the work I was doing wouldn't exist. I mentioned this to the Finance Director, and she suggested I work on the project to implement the new system itself, so I did. That led to me becoming a Systems Administrator and then eventually I was convinced to apply for the role of Finance Manager, after they tried to recruit but couldn't find anybody. That was a big moment for me because it meant managing a large team for the first time.

After that, I moved into more tech-focused roles, in business relationship management, acting as a liaison between the Technology department and the business departments. I also trained properly as a Project Manager and did Business Analysis training because although I instinctively had those skills, I didn't have any formal training. Then I did a qualification as a Program Manager and that led to the role that I'm doing now as Business Solutions Manager at Tate. It is quite a lot of business relationship work, combined with looking for solutions, understanding the technology that the organisation has and helping people make the most of it. So, it still goes back to that using technology to enhance your business processes, to make your life easier, and to give you more insight into what your business is doing.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your role?

A big challenge is always to create relationships with the people you're working with, but to recognise that sometimes when you're working with a team, you're not always going to like everybody, but you must respect them for their business knowledge and skills. Some people you might like but you can't work together, and other people you can work well with, but you're not going to get on as friends. Today, in terms of challenges, I've started in a role where I've not actually met anybody in person and that's hard. Not being able to sit down for a coffee and only meeting on Teams is quite challenging. Learning new things also takes longer because you're not in a face-to-face environment. Being female working in Technology can be challenging too, but I've worked with some great people, both women and men, throughout my career and it's just recognising that really.

What has been the biggest challenge for you in terms of being a woman in Technology?

People respecting my knowledge. I don't want to do their jobs; I don't want to be super technical and get into the deep, dark detail of what goes on, but I still want people to respect what I know and what I do and how the softer skills are just as important. I might not be able to configure a switch, but I can ensure the person that is recruited to do that has the right training, has the right skills and is able to do the job. I did a Technology degree and when I started the course, there was probably 25 people, half men, half women. By the end of it, there were only five left, and I was the only female. I don't know why they all dropped out or what stops women working in this industry.

If you could put your success down to one thing, what would that be?

When I was young, my parents always told me that I could do anything I wanted to if I put my mind to it. I never had any concept that I would not be able to do anything, and I think that has carried me through, knowing that I am as capable as any other person to do a job. I also think of that Nike slogan "Feel the fear and do it anyway." I have that in me. Even if I'm nervous, I'll just do it, and those are the times that feel amazing.

What are your thoughts on risk taking and do you think it's harder for women leaders to take risks or more imperative?

I think it's important for everybody to take risks. It's about self-belief. If you work hard, you can do anything and it’s important to push yourself outside your comfort zone. I recognise that there are some things I can't do, but if you have people around you that believe in you, then it gives you the confidence to go forward. As I've mentored and coached people that have worked for me, I tell them that I know they can do this. I encourage them to make the leap because what's the worst that could happen? You fail? That's not a problem. Just do it differently next time.

Do you have a mentor or role model in your career, and what's the value of having a mentor?

I haven't had just one person, but there have been lots of people that I've worked with that I've really respected, and I've tried to take from them the bits I was interested in. All kinds of people I've worked have been specialists in their field and I’ve observed them and tried to gain knowledge from them. Mentors can be very useful for people in their careers. I've coached people who have worked for me, and I think it's a real benefit for those that are struggling at knowing what to do or who need some confidence and some self-belief. I've always tried to understand what people are good at and what they're not good at.

How have you seen the Technology industry change over the years in terms of diversity and women in the workplace?

I haven't seen as many women move into the more technical roles, but I think they're moving into roles in the industry that require stronger soft skills like project management, business analyst, tester etc. I would like to see more women in those more technical roles though. I don't know why there isn't a willingness to move into those jobs because I think women could readily turn their skills to some of those roles. Maybe soon, as children become more used to technology and it becomes everything in their lives, more women will move towards it. I do think it would create a much better balance in the workplace. Perhaps it needs to start in schools, encouraging more girls to do technology-based courses.

As a business leader in an international organisation, how do you promote both diversity and inclusion?

Tate are very, very good at this, because they want diversity and inclusion to permeate through everything they do. It's in the art, it's in the people, it's in the whole ethos of working there. It's amazing going from an organisation that was actively trying to improve D&I to working somewhere that is much further ahead in the journey. It’s about supporting people to respect each other for the job they do; being receptive to individual people's needs in the working environment, which can be hugely wide-ranging; and encouraging people to understand everyone's roles and their lifestyle and their cultures. Even in the short time I've been here, it's been eye-opening. What has also become evident during the pandemic is the importance of mental health and wellbeing.

Do you believe that creating a diverse and inclusive environment starts at the top or at a grassroots level?

Originally, I thought it needed to be part of a culture that is supported across all levels of the organisation, but I think that when you look at boards and trustees in organisations such as Tate and HRP, it perhaps isn't supported enough at the higher levels. I think organisations are generally very good at promoting diversity and inclusion at grassroots level, but not so much at the higher leadership level. Leaders must demonstrate that they believe in what they're asking everybody else to do. It should become the culture and it should permeate all levels across the organisation.

What advice would you give to women wanting to move into a leadership or technical based role?

With leadership comes more responsibility and sometimes you must have difficult conversations to make sure that the decisions you're making are for the good of the team. That's the downside of it, but when good things happen and the team works well together, it's amazing. As a leader, nurturing people and watching them grow is very rewarding too, so I would encourage anybody who wants that responsibility to do it because of the rewards it brings, but advise them to accept that sometimes you need to have those difficult conversations too. Another piece of advice I would give is to ask other people how they got to where they are and learn from them. Find out how they climbed the ladder quickly or how they became an amazing public speaker, or whatever it might be. Observe and have the confidence to ask and learn because it's very important.

The journey we embarked on back in 2001: an interview with Thomas Hartwell

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 07:28:27 GMT

This year our Legal practice is celebrating its 20th anniversary! We’re carrying on with our series of interviews, this time with Thomas Hartwell , who is the Associate Director of the Legal International practice here at Hydrogen. You can watch the full interview here.

Since joining Hydrogen's International Legal team over a decade ago, Tom has helped expand the practice and its offering. We'll hear some interesting stories about his time at Hydrogen, how things have changed over the past 10 years, and some insights about the International Legal market.

"I joined Hydrogen in 2011 in the international team to focus on recruiting lawyers in the Middle East. From then on, it’s been a whirlwind journey of setting up our Offshore practice later that year, then really expanding internationally in Russia and more recently launching the US and an Irish dedicated practice, as well as relaunching and rebuilding our Asia Private Practice and Australia Private Practice offerings.

One of the most interesting things for me is that while so much has changed over that time, a lot hasn’t. Our retention has always been excellent and a significant number of people that were here when I joined are still here today. It struck me early on just how specialised everyone was and how well they knew their markets, and that’s still the same now. What has changed is that we’ve grown in numbers and in terms of locations, both as a Legal business and as Hydrogen as a wider business, but the same culture and values that underpin what we're all about haven't really changed.

I’ve experienced plenty of milestones and memorable moments along the way, of course. From my first deal placing a senior litigator, which I was very excited about, to being involved in launching the various new practices I’ve mentioned, as well as seeing colleagues achieve promotions and personal milestones. We’ve had some incredible trips to places like Tokyo, Thailand, and Las Vegas, but probably the most memorable moment for me personally was being flown out to Australia by a client to run a campaign for them, which was a fantastic experience and really allowed me to work closely with them and deliver.

I get asked a lot of the time why I have stayed so long at Hydrogen and why the tenure is so good among the people here and it boils down to one thing for me: the culture. Everyone is so collaborative, working together to achieve their aims and that makes it an absolute joy of a place to work. In addition, everyone's right at the top of their game, so not only are you working with people that want to see us all succeed, but there are also plenty of people to learn from along the way. The collaborative culture makes it a very special Practice for me. When so many genuine specialists work together, it makes finding what our clients and candidates are looking for that much easier. Having looked at our competitors over the years, I’m convinced it’s a real differentiator.

As an international practice, our current remit covers both Private Practice and In-House across Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Channel Islands, Ireland, and the US. Over the last two years alone, we’ve relocated over 150 people and placed them in over 85 countries to date. Our average time working with people before we place them is three and a half years, which doesn’t mean it takes us that long to find a position, but does mean that we tend to understand our lawyers' motivations extremely well when we do. Our immediate future is all about consolidating our practices and growing those areas out, especially throughout the APAC, US and Middle East regions, and then really building on our global client relationships, so it should be an exciting time."

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss business or job opportunities within Legal recruitment.

Tech T@lks: Mental Health in the workplace - Speak up and be open!

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 07:33:03 GMT

Welcome to our series of Hydrogen Tech T@lks! In this series of video interviews, we will speak openly to various UK tech leaders about a range of different topics around the tech industry, how this is continuously changing and how we can get up to speed with all these fast-paced changes.

In our second interview, Zain Graham, our Technology Recruitment Consultant, discusses with Laura Peakall, People Transformation Lead at OVO, about mental health in the workplace and how people should be more open about it and speak up.

Here are the topics that will be covered:

If you’re interested in featuring in one of our next Hydrogen Tech T@lks or if you want to find out more about what Tech jobs we have available here at Hydrogen, get in touch with our Technology recruitment expert, Zain Graham .

Legal In-House Financial Services H1 2021 Market Overview

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:15:38 GMT

The boundless uncertainty last year undoubtedly caused a knock-on effect to the legal recruitment market, as we were not sure how the pandemic would affect the economy and hiring plans across financial services.

After a tumultuous 2020, it’s fair to say that the first half of 2021 has guided the way for optimism, change and in some areas, growth. In this Market Overview, we provide insight on the hiring trends we have witnessed in H1 2021, with respect to our clients’ demands for certain types of lawyers and at what level, as well as noticeable areas of interest for candidates. We have also laid out our most up to date salaries and bonuses benchmarking guide.

Receive a complimentary copy of the market overview directly to your inbox by filling in the form below:

If there is anything you would like to discuss further or if you require assistance with any of your hiring needs, please get in touch and we would be pleased to help.

Q1 2021 in review: Financial Crime, Regulatory Compliance & Risk

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:25:30 GMT

During the first quarter of 2021, we experienced a 137% uplift in client Perm & Contract hires within the Financial Crime, Regulatory Compliance and Risk space across the UK vs Q1 in 2020. Below, we round up some key themes:

Tant treds

Sharp increase in senior permanent hires across Risk and Financial Crime Compliance, we experienced a 301% increase vs Q1 in 2020.
Significant rise in FTC vacancies as firms look to fill gaps on a temporary basis but are opting to go less for inside IR35 contract arrangements for all but the most specialist of roles.
Senior permanent salaries coming in lower than prior years as firms appear to have recognised that there is a large pool of senior candidates available - this approach has had mixed results thus far particularly where a candidate is presently in a position.
More Contractors seeking Permanent opportunities – Because of the impact of IR35 and the ever-increasing tax burden on limited company contractors.
Significant drop in contract requirements in the ‘Generalist Compliance’ space as IR35 takes hold, firms appear for the most part more reluctant to hire in contract resource for all but the most specialist of FCC and Risk requirements.
FLOD - Building Risk & Financial Crime “Operations” teams has been a focus as a result of our industry digitising.
Flexible working post lockdown - Most firms intend to or have already implemented a BAU flexible working policy averaging 2/3 office days per week WFH.
If your organisation hasn’t already made plans surrounding this it is clear that candidates in the market are expecting guidance on what an organisation's flexible working policy will be, post lockdown.
Flexibility will allow you to achieve higher offer to acceptance ratios, whilst also enabling you to tap into skill sets that may not exist in your region, otherwise be hard to come by salary-wise (key consideration for all candidates, but particularly those who are weighing up multiple offers).
Regulatory professionals being open to sectors outside of FS such as I&C, FMCG, Gaming etc - This is an emerging theme that will no doubt assist in 'raising the regulatory bar'.

Growth areas

Surge in the uptake of new Financial Crime Management systems particularly End to End, as firms look to remove “clunkiness”, duplication, embrace AI, digitise, improve reporting efficiency and decrease errors in the FLOD, allowing for specialist resource to focus on mid-high risk client reviews, compliance monitoring etc.
We have spoken to several new entrants to the FCC and Risk systems market some of which offer end to end solutions that appear to have been well received particularly by small and mid-sized FS and I&C organisations.
Should your organisation be about to embark on a Vendor selection exercise feel free to reach out to Hydrogen or our consulting arm Project Partners.
Compliance opportunities on the rise - Retail / Consumer Finance Lenders, Authorised Payments Institutions & eMoney Institutions / any new entrants to FS sectors. These have primarily been in the Compliance Monitoring & Assurance space, although we have also experienced an openness to take on Compliance Juniors and promising graduates.
Data Protection Perm - Another area that has peaked appears to be Brexit related and we shortly expect salaries to rise in these areas having experienced salaries and day rates fluctuate in the past 12 months.

If you’d like to discuss any of these themes in more detail, or how they are impacting your business specifically, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team .

The journey we embarked on back in 2001: an interview with Becky Morgan

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 10:34:43 GMT

This year our Legal practice is celebrating its 20th anniversary! We’re carrying on with our series of interviews, this time with Becky Morgan , who is the Director of the Legal practice here at Hydrogen. You can watch the full interview here.

Having been with Hydrogen for more than 17 years, Becky has some amazing insights to share into how the legal practice has changed over the past years, especially the UK market and what are some of the future plans of the UK Legal practice.

"I joined Hydrogen in 2004, starting in the Finance practice before seeing the light after a couple of months and moving to Legal. I slowly worked my way up from a Consultant, but it took a good couple of years before I properly got my career going. I built up the Industry and Commerce team, then managed the In-House team and finally the whole of the Legal practice for about seven years. I went on maternity leave in 2016 and came back to a slightly different role in 2017, focusing on our Private Practice team. Now I manage the Associate product in London as well as the Legal Operations & Transformation practice and I personally focus on our Partner product. In my 17 years with Hydrogen, the business has gone through a huge transformation. Back in 2008, we were a completely UK-centric business of only 60 people and today over 50% of our revenue comes from outside of the UK and we have over 300 staff across offices in multiple countries.

When the Legal practice began in 2001, the US firms were establishing themselves in London and the Magic Circle and top UK firms were losing a lot of the best candidates at the mid-level because agencies were relying on job adverts and not proactively headhunting, so we exploited that gap in the market. We also launched our MarketWatch service, which is all about building relationships with passive candidates and is still invaluable today. We build relationships with candidates from when they are trainees and know exactly what they want from their careers, so when their dream job comes up, now or in 3 years time, they use us exclusively. An interesting fact is that 82% of candidates we place were either headhunted by us or referred to us, which is testament to how we find our passive candidates. Our approach hasn’t changed over the years even though there is more competition in the market today. We’ve added a digital research team that maps the market in detail and adds 10,000 candidates a year to our database; and we work with fewer clients now so that we can provide them with a more thorough inch-wide, mile-deep service. The main change has been as a business as a whole where we are more focused on growth mindset and developing our people.

A key milestone for me was when I won a piece of work which led to Hydrogen’s legal practice starting our Media business. I won a retainer with NBC Universal and suggested a big advertising campaign to accompany the search. They had just released King Kong, so we did an amazing advert with King Kong and Naomi Watts. In those days, print ads were very dry and text heavy and this was so different and cutting edge that Hydrogen became known for its great brands and high-profile ads, and I’m very proud of that.

One of the reasons that I am now one of the longest-serving employees is because Hydrogen has never stood still; change is constant. Even when we're doing really well, there’s always a focus on what's next. What I like now is that we are a medium sized business, so have the benefit of being small enough where everyone matters and has a voice, but big enough to enjoy that back-office platform and support that is so important. We have some very longstanding managers and we’re all motivated by a common goal and love working together. The other reason I am still here is because of Ian, our CEO, who always puts people first. I wouldn’t want to work for anyone who didn’t have his high levels of integrity and attention to detail.

I think the things that makes the practice itself so special are the incredible candidates, law firms and brands that we work with, and the people within the practice. It’s a very collaborative environment, we all support each other and are incentivised to grow together, and it makes it a very special place to work. The UK private practice team is split into two main areas, our standalone team, which are the non-transactional areas and our transactional team, which focuses on areas like banking, corporate, funds and real estate. We've split it that way so that our consultants have a really in-depth knowledge of the practice areas that they support clients with. We also have our Partner offering, plus our Business Support side, our global Legal Operations and Transformation practice, and a team that focuses on the Marketing too. Those teams are going from strength to strength and act as a really good support to the fee earner side of our business.

I have lots of memorable moments from my career so far, from going to one of my first client meetings and realising at the end of the lunch that I was wearing mismatched shoes, to our amazing incentives like our famous Vegas trip. But the most memorable times are always about the people I’ve worked with, seeing them go through personal milestones like getting married or having children, is just so lovely."

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss business or job opportunities within Legal recruitment.

Inspiring Business Women: Maha El Dimachki

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 10:58:40 GMT

Maha is Head of Department in the Innovation Division leading the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) response to the Kalifa review of Fintech and setting up the new FCA Regulatory Nursery. She is an experienced international business leader with a strategic focus and a long term vision. Maha has extensive payments knowledge across the payments chain from systems to end user.

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Could we start with an overview of your career and what your current role at Pay.UK involves?

I’ve worked in financial services for a long time now and interestingly that has taken me around the world which is something I always wanted to do but never anticipated I can working in this industry. I started in Sydney, Australia where I covered roles in retail banking and payments locally. Then started to expand into global payments, global cash management, liquidity management and performed many roles across various disciplines from sales to strategy, product and risk and control. These varied roles brought me to the UK and in the last few years I joined the Financial Conduct Authority to set up their Payments Department which meant designing and delivering the Payments supervision strategy as well as delivering the second Payments Services Directive (PSD2) and open banking in the UK. In the last 9 months I have been running the interbank payments operations at Pay.UK the Payment System Operator of the retail Payments rails in the UK. This includes faster payments and bulk payments (Bacs) as well as some 9 managed services including Paym or mobile payments and Current Account Switching Service (CASS). I have now moved back to the FCA to lead on its response to the ‘Kalifa Review of UK Fintech’ and design their ‘Regulatory Nursery’ which is hugely exciting. As I reflect on all this, I must say it’s been a fun journey with more to come.

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When was there a period in your career that was challenging and how did you overcome it?

We’ve all faced tough times during our work life and I’m no different. I’ve not always responded in the right way but I’ve always looked back and taken the learnings. Always consider your own response and behaviour and take advantage of mentors or sounding boards to help you navigate difficult situations. A great example is feeling like you’re getting unfair negative feedback or perhaps your project hasn’t landed the way you or those around you were hoping. Perhaps you or your team may have made an error. I’ve had experience with all of the above, and I have learned to do the following: a) don’t consider feedback to be a personal attack. Take time to ask questions about what you could’ve done differently and how can the person help you to develop in that area; b) take ownership and be solution oriented. If you made a mistake, or someone in your team makes a mistake, calm those around you by accepting responsibility and coming up with a solution (or a list of solutions). Fixing the problem quickly usually diffuses it quickly; c) look back and make changes. Whether it’s about the project that didn’t land or the error you had to fix, always take the learnings and demonstrate that you have applied them. You’ve noticed common point across all this is learning. It’s all about a growth mindset and you will find you gain a lot of supporters if you demonstrate a calm, curious and hungry for learning attitude.

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Having lived and worked in Europe and Australia, what differences have you seen in the role of diversity in the work place?

Each location is on a different journey and are facing unique challenges when it comes to diversity, but the case for diversity and the benefit of diverse teams and inclusive cultures is the same in the UK, Australia and other countries. My own experience in both continents has shown that being the only ‘different’ voice in the room is daunting in some cases and admittedly there are times in my career where I did not speak up for fear of being labelled different. But it is a source of strength if you want it to be and now I ensure that the voices of those who have had life experiences like me are heard, that decisions need to take into account diverse groups of society and we need to make a change. I have grown into a more confident advocate for diversity and inclusion the more I experience how much we miss out by not speaking up, how much has changed but still needs to change and it is up to each and every one of us to take a stand.

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What personal experiences have you had that have driven your passion for diversity & inclusion?

Financial services has typically been a male dominant industry. I often reflect on the times I sat in rooms being the only female. I still sit in meetings being the only person of ethnic background. I see it, I feel it and I know this needs to change if we are to make better decisions and represent society. You can still see this from the stats and the gender pay gap reports. Each person has an opportunity to make a difference; to be inclusive; to challenge their thinking. That is how we grow as a society. I want to do my part in moving society forward no matter how small that role is. It is the sum of all the small parts that is going to move the dial and the more people do their part, the more the dial will move.

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What could the UK financial services industry being doing better to encourage diversity & inclusion and what could we learn from other sources?

There is a live debate going on about diversity and inclusion in the UK and I’m pleased to say that it is entering mainstream discourse more and more. Whilst we’ve come a long way, there is still a long way to go. For example, there are still gaps at senior levels in terms of fair representation and I think more needs to be done there. Nikhil Rathi, CEO of the FCA in a recent speech indicated that the FCA will explore whether to make diversity requirement part of its premium listing rules. These are the type of bold statements and decisions that will shift the dialogue further. I personally believe that targets are effective at least in the beginning. Where targets are implemented, results are achieved, like any good business plan!

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What would your advice be to females starting their career in financial services who aspire to be a leader?

Ah. So much to say. Dream big and know that you are capable. In many cases you have to work harder which means that you are absolutely qualified so never doubt your abilities. When things get tough, always be part of the solution and know that this adds to your experience and resilience. Finally, engage in the D&I dialogue and find your way of contributing to it. Every bit counts.

The journey we embarked on back in 2001: an interview with Ian Temple

Thu, 27 May 2021 11:05:23 GMT

This year our Legal practice is celebrating its 20th anniversary! We’d like to start our series of interviews with Ian Temple , who is the CEO and co-founder of Hydrogen Group. You can watch the full interview below.

Having been with Hydrogen right from the start and launching the legal practice our CEO has excellent insight into how the practice has evolved over the past 20 years and some great stories along the way.

"I became an accountant after university as a way of working with lots of different types of companies, and one really caught my eye. It was one of the fastest-growing companies in the country at the time with a great culture and vibe, and it was a recruitment business. The more I thought about how integral recruitment was to people’s careers and lives, the more I wanted to start my own firm. Since then, we’ve gone from one man in a room hoping his business partner would turn up on the first day to 300+ people globally, which has been quite a journey. I probably made every mistake in the book along the way, but we’ve continued to grow and today, Hydrogen is a well-defined business with a real understanding of what it takes to be successful in this industry.

20 years ago, we were a fast-growing successful business in the finance recruitment sector. What triggered us to get into the legal recruitment market, was that in the same year, two of the top legal recruiters got acquired, so to seize an opportunity in the market, I started interviewing lots of legal recruiters, but I wasn’t overly impressed. Yes, some had backgrounds in law, but I could tell that they weren’t the type of people who would make great recruiters. Therefore we decided to do it differently, in our own Hydrogen way, by building long-term relationships with our clients and candidates.

Legal recruitment until then had typically been very transactional, but our focus is always on people, so we set up our MarketWatch scheme where we keep in touch with people over a long period of time, not just when they are looking for a job or wanting to hire. Embedding this into the DNA of our new legal team was one of the first things we did to differentiate ourselves from the competition. We spent a lot of time studying the market and talking to clients and candidates to find out what they really wanted from a legal recruiter, and then put structures in place, like MarketWatch, to be able to deliver a new proposition.

The things that I am most proud of over our 20 years, are all people related, whether that’s candidates, clients or our own people. In terms of candidates we place, on average we’ve known them for over four years, and some for a decade or more.

With clients, on the practice side, there’s a Magic Circle firm we’ve worked with from the beginning and we’re still a top performer for them, and we’ve built whole legal teams from top to bottom for major organisations worldwide. Our Net Promoter Scores are consistently outstanding and the reason for this is our people. If they weren’t happy and successful, they wouldn’t stay with us, and we have an incredibly long tenure in the legal team, which in an industry known for its high turnover is really unique.

Of course, people do move on, I’ve matured enough over the years to accept that, and some of them have gone on to open their own boutique firms and I’m proud of them. But we continually try to improve our employee experience to retain people and keep them happy. We experimented very early on with working from home and it’s quite ironic that post-COVID, we’ve realised that we could have done so much better in terms of the communication we’ve all become accustomed to now. But’s that’s all part of learning from hiccups along the way and developing on the back of them. I always say that our business grows as our people grow, and I’ve seen the legal practice evolve from two or three of us in London, to a global business also operating in APAC, the Middle East, Ireland, the Caribbean and the US. Our people have built those client relationships and taken opportunities in new jurisdictions, developing their careers and developing the practice.

Last year was a big year for us and not just because of COVID. We delisted from the stock market, rectifying one of my biggest mistakes of listing when we were too small and not ready for it. We are now in a great place: a global mid-sized business, big enough to do things really well with full Marketing and IT departments, but small enough to connect with everyone in the business and know who they are. We want to continue to develop as a mid-sized business, building strength and depth in our niches in different territories around the world.

Looking back on my most memorable moments of the last 20 years, listing on the London Stock Exchange was memorable for being such a huge moment for us, but as they say, pride comes before a fall, and it’s also memorable for being the wrong decision – though acknowledging that helps to keep us honest. Aside from corporate milestones, the highlights are all about people and seeing them achieve their goals and develop their careers. Work is such an important part of our lives that it’s wonderful to see people grow, earn more money and maybe buy their first house or start a family. That’s the thing that gets me out of bed in the morning."

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss business or job opportunities within Legal recruitment.

Inspiring Business Women: Eugenia Giannoulopoulou

Wed, 26 May 2021 11:10:50 GMT

Eugenia is a legally trained Regulatory Compliance Professional with more than 17 years’ experience in senior compliance roles, including as FCA registered Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), helping financial services firms manage all types of financial crime risks.

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Could you tell us about your career progression to date?

My career in Compliance kicked off by accident. I came to London in 2003 to do a Master's degree in Law and was under the impression that I would be able to start a legal internship immediately after completing my degree. When I realised that applications must be submitted some 2 years in advance, I asked my tutor to help me find work experience opportunities. An opportunity came up at Raymond James Investments, helping as a Compliance Analyst, committing to two days a week while studying. I must have made an impression because as soon as I submitted my dissertation, I started a full-time job with them first as a Compliance Analyst and then as an MLRO.

In 2006 I joined Citigroup, which was a big learning curve for me – a large corporate with a highly hierarchical structure where I got the opportunity to develop policies and procedures and be involved in large scale projects with legal and regulatory impact. I also became a manager of people and was given tools to progress my career further. In 2014 I joined CMC Markets during their pre-IPO phase, helping build strong foundations around financial crime compliance with a strong focus on preventing market abuse. That would not have been possible without the help of their CEO Peter Cruddas who really understands regulatory risk and whose work ethic I really admire. More recently, I moved back into private asset management, again as a Money Laundering Reporting Officer and at the end of summer in 2020 I decided to launch my own consulting firm, Comply360, through which I can take on remediation projects, financial crime health checks and provide coverage as interim MLRO.

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What was it that originally interested you in the Compliance space?

If I'm being honest, Compliance initially felt like a compromise because I had already completed my legal training and wanted to work as a lawyer. But I soon realised that while I can write a really good argument on paper, I would not be as comfortable arguing a case in court. I am not naturally confrontational! I chose to focus on financial crime, and I haven't looked back since. I still love researching and turning multi-page legal documents into bite-sized information for the business. With financial crime compliance, I feel that you can really make a difference, especially as a money laundering reporting officer for a larger organization. Our work becomes intelligence for law enforcement, we can stop crimes of all types from being committed or continued so it has a direct societal impact, which feels very motivational.

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What are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced in your career and are any due to gender?

The biggest challenge that I have faced is trying to maintain a healthy work/life balance. I have been fortunate enough to have received outstanding support from past employers and managers who offered flexibility around hours and location, and I’ve been working from home one day a week for more than a decade now. In that sense, I don't feel that my gender has held me back in achieving my potential. But I'm under no illusion that achieving work-life balance is a problem for many women who choose to focus more on family or even give up successful careers because the opportunity to work flexibly is not presented to them. So now, if I join a new employer, I set clear boundaries about my expectations around work/life balance, not just for me, but for all women around me. The argument that flexible working hours or remote working does not really have a place in Financial Services, really has gone out of the window in the past year.

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Do you believe that there's a glass ceiling for women in the workplace and has it changed?

I think if you are passionate about what you do and set your mind to it, you can achieve whatever you want, irrespective of gender. Corporate culture has changed significantly, but more work still needs to be done. We need to see more genuine efforts from companies of all sizes to increase female representation, especially at the higher levels of management. For example, the gender pay gap statistics are not something that should only be talked about during March when the data is released. We need clear strategies to ensure that compensation and promotions are fairly distributed between males and females within every company. I believe that titles should be earned, and compensation needs to be based on your performance and the value you add to a business, not your gender.

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How do you feel the Financial Services industry compares to others regarding diversity and has that changed during your career?

I can’t immediately compare Financial Services to other sectors, but I still think there is more work to be done in attracting female talent from all backgrounds into FS, as women are still underrepresented, especially in more senior roles. The same is true for Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities. When you think about the diversity amongst clients, it doesn’t make sense that our workplaces don’t reflect the same. It is also something that the Financial Conduct Authority has specifically highlighted in recent months. When I hear the excuse that ‘there is not enough talent around among minorities for senior roles’, I have to wonder where people are looking, because there is plenty - I know from my own network. Leaders have to take responsibility for creating diverse talent pipelines and addressing bias in hiring. There should also be platforms that give a voice to underrepresented staff to ensure workplaces are more inclusive. It is time to move away from performative allyship.

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What are some of the key moments that have either helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

One of the defining moments in my career was joining CMC Markets. I did not have sufficient experience in their product offering, I really was moving out of my comfort zone but knew that I could learn fast and was highly motivated. It was a leap of faith from both parties. The move gave me tremendous exposure to a new area of financial crime (market abuse and insider trading) and access to key stakeholders, helping me develop new skills that I now use in more senior roles. So, I think that hiring managers need to look beyond product experience and consider skill sets and motivation more. Sometimes, that leap of faith or keeping an open mind, for both sides, can be much more rewarding and lead to higher satisfaction for the employee and better performance.

Personally, I like learning new things and I am a big proponent of continuing my professional development. I can’t think of any examples of being hindered in my career, partly because I have a positive mindset and can turn around difficult situations, through constructive feedback. That said, I do believe that if you do not enjoy a role, you can always move. It’s better to make that change if it’s not working out rather than stay, because both the business and your career will suffer.

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What advice would you give to women looking to progress their careers within Compliance?

Firstly, try to focus on a niche. It's great to have a general understanding of the various areas but try to excel in one. As you start progressing into more senior roles, you can then start bringing along people who complement your own skillset, experience and knowledge to create a great team around you. Secondly, don’t be a people pleaser. I will quote my good friend and author Natalie Lue who says “Over-responsible people try to suppress themselves in order to make sure that they prioritize others to minimize or eliminate conflict or criticism”. I have probably learned the tough way, but being able to say no will help you avoid jeopardizing your own work and deadlines. Of course, I don’t mean that you should stop being helpful as there will always be times where other teams will need your support. But it should not become the norm and you should allow others to be more accountable for the work they produce and their contribution. This is a healthy approach to ensure others are not holding you back.

–

Do you have any role models you admire and what have you learned from them?

The first person that comes to mind is Mary-Ann Daly, the CEO of Cazenove and one of the most influential people in Private Asset Management. She has a remarkable background story and forged an incredible career in a very male-dominated industry. In my view, she is a trailblazer. She has remained authentic and never saw herself any different to her male colleagues. The other person would be Peter Cruddas, CEO of CMC Markets. I got to know Peter during my 4 years at CMC. His work ethic is second to none. He was always the first person in the office and knew almost everyone by name. For a man in his position, I found him always very approachable, as well as focused and extremely knowledgeable. I really admire his integrity and long-term success mindset.

A whitepaper built on key findings from our Global LPM Leaders Roundtable

Mon, 24 May 2021 04:27:03 GMT

We hosted another series of our LPM Leaders Roundtable Events. Our Global LPM Leaders Roundtable moved to virtual experiences when the global pandemic hit, but have been such a success, we've continued with them, despite some locations starting to move back to the office. The virtual platform has been giving our increasingly busy LPM leaders more flexibility about when they can join us, and welcome leaders from international locations to hear more diverse points of view.

Despite lockdown slowing down business across most sectors, the LPM market has continued to evolve, so much that we seem to be almost at a tipping point for the sector. In this series of online events, we focused our attention on key topics such as:

The ongoing evolution of the LPM function
How do you train people and develop their careers if there's no industry standard
How do you change the perception of LPM as being a free, ad-on service

Receive a copy of the whitepaper directly to your inbox by filling in the form below:

Inspiring Business Women: Mel Unsworth

Thu, 20 May 2021 04:44:31 GMT

Mel Unsworth is the Global Director of Content and Commerce Technology at Yoox Net-A-Porter Group, responsible for the transactional parts of e-Commerce sites at Net-a-Porter, Mr Porter and The Outnet.

Tell us about your career progression to date.

I undertook a degree in computer science because technology was something that always interested me because of the way it solved problems with innovation. The degree gave me experience in development and electronics, but at the time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career. I started off in the media industry with QVC, supporting their technology team and 24/7 TV platform, as well as their online and mobile platforms. I soon got to know other departments and roles and realised I was well suited to programme management. I worked for several companies in a programme role, including Virgin Media’s first digital delivery team, as well as other large transformational roles. My career defining role was at Merlin Entertainments, leading their e-commerce and admissions program, driving to standardize the technology within their 130 different attractions and deliver something new for their customers. Following this role, I moved to Yoox Net-A-Porter, heading up their corporate technology projects team and have been given some excellent opportunities which is how I’ve moved into my current role, leading the Commerce team.

What are some of the challenges you've had to overcome so far in your career?

I would say confidence has been a challenge. When you're hired into a role that you're comfortable with, sometimes it's hard to put yourself forward for a new opportunity. For many years, I found that once I felt I'd outgrown a role, I didn't really know where to go next. I never had the confidence to say that I thought I could do more. In my last couple of roles, I’ve overcome that, and have always put myself forward to take on more responsibility. It's important to have a strong, open relationship with your manager too so that they recognise your skill sets and can support you.

Do you have any advice for working mums on how to progress and succeed?

It's hard juggling a work/life balance for any parent, not just mums. The best piece of advice I can give is to get support networks in place, both inside and outside of the workplace. It’s important to have people you can talk to at work when things are stressful, as well as whatever helps make it work for your home life. For me, the challenge was commuting five days a week with young children and trying to juggle everything. Now that we're all used to remote working, I hope that an element of it remains and we don’t all rush back to five days a week. Historically, there’s always been that pressure on women to take on more of the household chores or deal with the children, but it’s been levelled out somewhat by remote working. I hope that men will retain that flexibility in the future because ultimately that equal workload outside of work will result in a better gender balance in work.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Absorb as much as you can of your organisation and try to understand every department and how it all fits together. I've got a mentee who has been at Yoox Net-A-Porter for three years and who wants to progress, but her experience has only been in a certain department. I'm working with her to give her the exposure to other departments and have a view of the wider teams and opportunities. By seeing what's happening elsewhere, you learn more and it's through that learning process that you'll grow your skills and network with other people who might consider you for future positions.

What are your thoughts on gender diversity in Technology?

I've been passionate about this for years, though more about diversity in general, not just gender. It's really important to have representation from all walks of life because as an organisation, we provide a service to a diverse group of customers and we need to reflect that within our workplace. In terms of gender diversity, we need to foster an interest in technology among young girls and look at working with organisations and schools to make girls realise what they can do within technology. When I first went to university, my computer science course had around 300 people and 10 were women. HESA stats a couple of years ago still showed only 17% of computer science students were female, and if we only have that level of take-up in STEM courses, then women aren’t going to be in many tech roles. Aside from university, there need to be viable apprenticeship programs for girls too and a lot more work done to pull it all together and get more women into technology.

Is there anything you're doing to help female leaders emerge within your organisation?

We are doing a lot and I think the best way is by creating a community in a safe space. That can be a Women in Tech community that meets on a monthly basis, or whatever works best. Just giving women that network and knowledge that there is a safe space where they can discuss anything they like and reach out to see what's available to them is so important. We also try to encourage recruitment with an active gender split.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in technology?

Sometimes it can seem scary from the outside as there's such a range of roles within tech. My advice is don't be afraid. It's a great area to work in and if there is a route you want to go down, follow wherever your passions lie because it's important to do a role that you love. Try and identify where in technology you might want to work and speak to other people in that area and start to network with them too.

What is your biggest achievement to date?

A year or so ago, I won the Future CIO of the Year award, which for me was a big achievement because it came as a surprise. I was nominated internally for it in recognition of the work I've done with Yoox Net a Porter and Richemont and I was very surprised and appreciative of that.

What piece of advice would you give a younger version of yourself?

Don't be afraid and aim high. When you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything that you want because you immerse yourself in that role, whether it's in the technology or in the product itself. My advice would be to think big and keep aiming high. Then learn and absorb as much as you can.

Inspiring Business Women: Millie Gillon

Tue, 18 May 2021 04:53:52 GMT

Millie Gillon is the Global Head of Client Experience at Standard Chartered Bank. She is a strategic business and innovation development professional with 15+ years’ experience in Financial Services for multinational companies; she has a proven track record in identifying and developing key partnerships, with a focus on mutually beneficial outcomes.

Could we start with an overview of your career and your current role at Standard Chartered?

I joined JP Morgan during high school as part of the bank’s Smart Start scholarship program, juggling both studies and work full time. My corporate career after college started in fixed income derivatives trading and prime brokerage, across three different big US banks, but I knew I didn’t want to do it long term. I managed to land a role at American Express in 2008 where I found my passion and got trained in Six Sigma by some of the best experts in the world. Being exposed to the entire payments ecosystem and B2B interaction, I was driven by the importance of being there for merchants in such a challenging economy where the goal of many small businesses was to keep their lights on; helping them to do so then became my passion.

I then took on an exciting role back at JP Morgan, focusing on digital product strategy. It was an interesting joy ride which included us being the first bank to roll out Apple Pay; I learned a lot about an industry that was ripe for innovation. I further developed this passion when I joined Mastercard Labs, where I led innovation teams in using design thinking to help companies solve their problems.

The Standard Chartered opportunity really fell into my lap through networking rather than me looking for a new role, let alone to relocate. I was hired in 2019 as the Global Head of Client Experience and led an organisation of 550, which gave me the chance to impact the 550 families as a result. Our main focus has been on the pivot to cater to our changing customer base and the growing wealth amongst millennials who have different preferences and ways of interaction with their bank.

What was your decision-making process as you started in your career?

Initially, I just applied to any job that looked interesting. I knew I was not passionate about what I was doing in my early career, but to find my passion I need to set out on a journey of elimination. I carried out a self-assessment using a vision board, asking myself questions like what makes me happy, what do I find boring, etc.

Have you had any personal experiences that have driven your passion for diversity & inclusion?

I was born and raised in a very traditional Asian family, living in a town among a large Italian population in New York City, so I have had high levels of awareness of being a minority very early in my life. As a teenager, I remember looking up to singers like Gwen Stefani, whose persona and song lyrics I found inspiring. I used to believe that I could be just as good, if not better.

In roles throughout my career, I have often found myself as one of the only females and usually the youngest one. I would often approach senior females early in my career to mentor me. The majority said no. Therefore, I promised myself that when I became a senior, I would make time for anyone who would ask for help and advice, female or male.

Was there a period in your career that you found challenging and how did you overcome it?

My relocation to Singapore was a very challenging period for me and my family. We decided I would relocate first while my two young daughters finish the school year, but then Covid-19 hit. I managed to get back to the States to be with them while working Singapore hours for six months, still new into the role. To balance everything with this timetable in so much uncertainty was challenging but I overcame it by seeing it as an opportunity to learn and grow. I learned a lot about how much stamina I have. Of course, it’s also helped me to put our challenging situation into perspective. While working overnight hours from 15,000 km away was difficult, others have faced far starker circumstances as the world changed nearly overnight.

Perspective is very important when you are experiencing something challenging in your career.

How has the perception of females in senior banking positions changed since you joined the industry and what should we be working towards?

We are in a much better place because we now recognise the need to change. There are a lot more examples of successful senior females in the industry, just like my boss and also her boss. Diversity and inclusion plays an incredibly important role in driving innovation, which is why we should be adding more women into innovation-focused roles for a more genuine diversity of thought.

What can leaders, male or female, do better to support female colleagues?

In many of my roles, I have been the lead or co-lead of women’s networks and have made sure that all are welcomed, not only females. Male colleagues are also key to the success of females, so we must be proactive in finding males who have empathetic ears. It really doesn’t matter what your role or gender is, we should all be helping each other and lifting one another up.

Hydrogen joins Ashurst to champion diversity & inclusion in the legal profession

Tue, 11 May 2021 04:58:42 GMT

Hydrogen has joined forces with global law firm Ashurst to help diverse candidates progress fairly in their careers. Ashurst has launched a Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment Agency Commitment to address obstacles in recruiting legal talent by promoting equal opportunities for all, regardless of background.

The Commitment will see Ashurst work with Hydrogen to take proactive steps to ensure that candidates are representative of the widest talent pools, including but not limited to social mobility, gender, disability and LGBTIQ+.

The initiative builds on our joint commitment to the Recruitment Agency Race Fairness Commitment , launched by RARE recruitment, which promotes equal opportunities for people of all ethnic backgrounds.

By signing up to the Commitment, Hydrogen pledges to a number of measures including:

· Ensuring that shortlists and/or speculative introductions represent a diverse candidate pool;

· Annually undertaking analysis of quantitative data of the diversity of candidates in order to provide an overview of the market; and

· Encouraging open and honest communication, both in terms of feedback and in regards to any adjustments needed to support candidates to ensure each individual's needs are being met and to promote equal access and opportunities for all.

Furthermore, Hydrogen agrees to present the diversity breakdown of our own teams as part of our commitment to building a diverse workforce.

Here are a few words from Rebecca Owen , Resourcing Manager at Ashurst, regarding the partnership:

"As a firm, we are focused on increasing diversity in the legal industry and are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are open and accessible to all. It is of the utmost importance to partner with recruitment agencies whose culture and values align with our own, and we are delighted to be working with these recruiters to drive change and create an environment in which people from all backgrounds can succeed."

Becky Morgan , Director – Legal at Hydrogen Group, also shares her thoughts on this project:

“Here at Hydrogen, we’re incredibly excited and proud to sign up to Ashurst's D&I Recruitment Agency Commitment. We recognise that, as an industry, we have much more work to do to ensure equal opportunities for all. We commit to holding ourselves and Ashurst accountable, and in doing so, helping to improve the legal industry and the experiences of all those who work in it.”

Singing lyrical about the US corporate boom: from the Bay to the Big Apple

Thu, 06 May 2021 05:03:32 GMT

Come on up for the rising…

It may not be the same Boss who wrote these lyrics, but believe me, there are certainly a lot of bosses ready to hire! With hiring rates returning to, and even rising over, pre-Covid levels in some areas, now is as good a time as any to start to reassess what you want from your career. In true comeback culture, corporate law has bounced back big from the Covid slump and it is no shock to the market that the Bay Area and New York remain at the forefront of the corporate boom. Corporate has always been one of the busiest practice areas in the US and this shows no signs of changing.

We are currently working on multiple focuses:

General Corporate
Securities
M&A
Private Equity
Emerging Markets & Venture Capital
Technology Transactions
Private Funds & Investment Funds
Restructuring

Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin…

…by saying that, although we don’t encourage you to ‘Jump Around’, finding a new firm can be the smart new start you didn’t realise you needed. The Covid pandemic has provided people the time to reflect on what is important to them and people are actively making positive changes.

If your house is a ‘House of Pain’ then consider packing it in and finding the right role and place for you to shine and grow. With most of our roles supporting relocation, perhaps it is also time to pack it up and get on the move. The opportunities are endless with options in The Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and LA to New York and everywhere in between! Believe it or not, you are not the only one who has suppressed their eagerness to travel following Covid – take it from a US Legal Recruiter currently based in London.

Perhaps you are at a BigLaw firm looking for a broader role with more varied work or you are in a large team looking to find that close-knit culture. Or maybe you are looking to take a step up and earn the big bucks at BigLaw or even getting to the stage in your career where you want to start to put that expertise to good use and specialise. If any of these scenario’s sound like you, then get in touch to discuss the market.

We are currently working with a number of leading Law Firms:

BigLaw
International Law Firm
Technology Specialist Firm
Boutique to mid-sized Firms

You’re a shining star, no matter who you are…

Firms that are looking to grow their teams want to bring on people who share a similar mindset, ambition, and enthusiasm for the firm, market and work. Remember, interviews are a two-way street; it is just as important for you to get to better understanding of the role and firm as it is for the firm to better understand you. It needs to be a fit on both sides. We will help you through your preparation and guide you through the process, utilizing our knowledge of the market, our clients, and our long experience of art of interviewing.

If you are starting to consider your opportunities moving forward; the right role is out there, and we can help you find it! We can guide you not only on experience fit, but culture fit also – giving you access to a wide array of opportunities that we have built through established relationships.

Although a Juris Doctor degree and relevant US Bar admission is key for most of our clients, many firms also consider Australian citizens/qualified lawyers as well as other international attorneys. Whether it is discussing our current opportunities, chatting through the market, or simply providing advice on a move; we are here to help you see ‘what your life can truly be’.

What now?

If you want to hear more then please get in touch for a confidential chat with Aaron Burton .

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Imran Pasha

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 05:13:14 GMT

Imran has 20 years of financial services experience with both blue chip and start up organisations, including Merill Lynch and HSBC. This has included senior management positions with commercial and operational responsibilities in stock broking, retail and commercial banking. Previous roles have included Head of Strategic Planning, Head of Operations, Head of Retail Banking, Head of Sales and Service. He has a proven track record of building long term client relationships, adding value and developing high-performance teams.

Could you tell us a bit about your career progression to date?

I’d always wanted to forge a career in Financial Services and after graduating, I took a temporary position in a bank to get some experience while applying for permanent roles. I struggled to find a role that met my criteria, so I took a marketing job in manufacturing while I kept looking. Eventually, I landed a role with Merrill Lynch where I got my SFA registered securities representative qualification and moved from a customer service position there to become a team leader and then into a Banking Operations Manager role at HSBC. In 2004, the Islamic Bank of Britain launched as the first Sharia-compliant bank in the UK and I got the job as branch manager, involved in setting up all branch operations and processes from scratch. I’ve always believed that you should give your all to any role for at least two years and then be looking at a move up or sideways. Sideways moves are great because they give you a real breadth of knowledge and new skills. I’ve been lucky enough to do both and from my original customer service role, I am now a COO leading over 150 colleagues.

Can you pinpoint a time when you noticed the tone of the conversation on diversity changing?

It's difficult to pinpoint a specific time, but I'd say that over the last five years, I've noticed a lot more efforts and initiatives in the field of diversity and inclusivity, both on the gender side and the race side. There's much more awareness, training and initiatives in both Financial Services and other industries to make positive strides in these areas.

What do you think the benefits are of having more diverse and inclusive teams?

Diversity adds a whole different perspective in terms of viewpoints, discussions and experience so that when you're making decisions, you don't have just one mindset, there’s a range of opinions, which will ultimately help orgnaisations make better decisions. If a decision-making body is made up of similar backgrounds, whether that's educational, class or race, they are more likely to arrive at the same conclusions. A group of diverse people will add their own reasoning, based on a wide range of experiences, that will only enrich the decision-making process and make an organisation better placed to achieve their objectives.

What are the biggest challenges for the Financial Services industry today when it comes to diversity and inclusion?

I think we need more mentors and role models, whether those are gender-based or race-based, so that people coming into FS can relate to them or aspire to follow them. I know that many organisations are now creating specific D&I roles that will nurture diverse talent into more senior roles, which is great, but we also need to go further back in the process, right from the recruitment process to be able to really improve things.

Is there a particular initiative that you've seen that has improved D&I in the workplace?

The gender-based initiatives are a lot more developed and advanced, hence we are seeing a lot more poostive results. Some of them have high-profile figures behind them and they’re getting more women onto boards of FTSE 100 companies, for example. On the BAME side, there’s more work to be done on the initiatives getting traction, but it’s starting to work. That said, I’m not a great proponent of positive discrimination. I believe that people should generally rise to their positions based on merit, success and achievements rather than because they're from a certain background. I appreciate though that institutionally there needs to be change and a level playing field with equality of opportunity for people from all backgrounds, so if organisations worked together and shared resources and data to produce a cohesive strategy, progress might be faster and on a bigger scale.

Have you had any mentors in your career, and do you see value in having a mentor?

One of my former bosses was hugely inspiring for me and I learned a lot from being in meetings with him and watching him work and come up with ideas and strategies. There are two main schools of thought when it comes to careers – one is that you find your niche and excel at it. The second, which my former boss believed in and I do too, is that you should be a generalist and learn as many skills as you can across the board. It’s really helped my career. Either way, it’s important to have a role model or find a mentor, whether they’re in your organisation or not, or even your sector, because being inspired by someone will help you raise the bar in everything you do.

Do you think your race or religion has ever hindered any progression in your career thus far?

I don't think it has. I believe that if you're good at your role and you work hard, the results will speak for themselves and you will eventually get recognised. I've been lucky enough that whichever organisation I've worked for, I've managed to prove myself and it's been recognised by bosses of all backgrounds, colours, races and genders, so I don't think my race or religion has been a hindrance at all.

What are the key things you attribute to your success?

You've got to work hard; there are no shortcuts. Even the mundane tasks are worth doing well and going that extra mile on every aspect of your role will help you reach your goals. Secondly, you've always got to be looking to raise the bar and improve. Many situations in our workplaces come around on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis, so there’s little point doing the same thing every time. Asking yourself how you can do them better next time will always help you raise the bar. Lastly, interpersonal skills are so important. You can't achieve anything on your own, you need others to help you get to where you are and take them on the journey too.

There's been a real shift towards a more collective consciousness of the BAME experience led by the Black Lives Matter movement. How have you seen this play out recently in the workplace?

I think it's still an evolving situation and that its full impact will transpire over the next few years.

Some of that is down to the slowdown enforced by COVID, of course, but we are seeing a lot more discussion and awareness now. I imagine there will be a lot more internal training in years to come, so that people understand the challenges and possibly more targets in terms of recruitment, but I think it may be some time before we see major changes.

How do you feel ethnic minorities are currently represented in the Financial Services industry?

In the lower tiers, there's definitely a lot more opportunity and more representation. As you go up the pyramid, you see fewer ethnic minorities. I don't know if it is because people just leave after a few years due to other interests or whether they get frustrated with the lack of opportunities or the lack of progression, but the higher up you go, there's less representation across the industry.

What do you think organisations can be doing to address the barriers to BAME employee career progression?

It has to be a top-down commitment to make a genuine difference, which starts at board level, and there must be a genuine buy-in from everyone. Tactical initiatives, such as targets, to address it, will result in a fairer representation, but there needs to be a lot more awareness and training first, as well as mentorship programmes that can identify and nurture top BAME talent. On the recruitment side, there needs to be a lot more joined-up thinking across the industry, with specific targets and initiatives that can be measured.

What advice can you share with people starting out in the industry?

Don't give up. We're fortunate that the UK is one of the biggest Financial Services hubs in the world and there are plenty of opportunities, so persevere, you will eventually find the right role. I've noticed an increase in a “now culture” or instant graticficaiton amongst a lot of the younger generation and I would advise them to be patient. You can’t work somewhere for 6 months and expect a promotion. Simialy not every idea is going to be a unicorn. Try to retain a sense of reality and work hard, don’t expect everything to fall into place immediately. Hard work will bring results and you will be able to prove to yourself and to your peers that you can do it and eventually start to climb that ladder. Of course, there is an element of providence i.e being in the right place at the right time to spot an opportunity, but don’t lose hope, stick with it. And most importantly, enjoy the ride.

A sea of change or a COVID change?

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 05:24:52 GMT

If there is one thing we have learned from the COVID-19 crisis, the multiple lockdowns and imposed working from home, is that it has given people time for reflection as to what is important personally and professionally moving forward. Whilst some have simply given thought to what they will do whilst we wait out the COVID storm, many have seen this crisis as an opportunity to re-evaluate their lives moving forward, using it as a catalyst to make a permanent change.

It comes as no surprise that we are seeing an increasing number of Lawyers reassessing their current predicament and making the brave step to move home or abroad for many different reasons. Some express the desire to be closer to their families, some seeking a better lifestyle and some even looking for more advantageous career perspectives in a country less impacted by recent global events.

It is difficult to ignore that certain countries have been ravaged by COVID, with Australia and New Zealand being the poster children on how to handle a pandemic effectively with the least amount of collateral damage to their respective economies and citizens.

The success of both these countries is largely a result of quick and divisive action from both governments, giving the virus little opportunity to wreak havoc on its people. Australia was quick to close its borders to the world, only allowing citizens and valid visa holders in – whilst still requiring all arrivals to complete a strict 14-day mandatory quarantine.

This has allowed life to almost return to normal as people return to the office, restaurants and bars open, restrictions loosening on gathering in homes and even the return of weddings and sporting events. As many people overseas have bypassed their one-year milestone of strict lockdowns, this return to normality is an attractive prospect for those contemplating the move back to Australian shores. Additionally, it has also led to several candidates in Australia reassess their potential overseas move, opting for a more local domestic career move.

Of course, many of our candidates still see the value in working abroad, in order to gain invaluable international experience. Some relocated only shortly before the pandemic unfolded and do not want to see their visas go to waste and are choosing to take the “wait and see” approach – especially as vaccinations are beginning to roll out.

The strict border controls and a reduced incoming talent pool into the Australian market has led to an increase in demand from clients across a number of different areas. Additionally, optimism amongst clients remains high as many look to bring in talent returning home from overseas within areas they aren’t necessarily actively recruiting. Some of the main areas we have seen high levels of interest in are:

Construction
Corporate
Banking & Finance
Funds
Employment
Competition
Tax

With the pandemic far from over, it is still too early to see if the trends we are seeing are a temporary knock-on effect of COVID, or if we are seeing a permanent shift in light of Australia’s impressive handling of the virus. Once vaccinations roll out globally and normality slowly returns to the world stage – we will better understand how this extraordinary crisis has impacted the wants and needs of Australians at home, and abroad.

At Hydrogen, we have specialist consultants focusing on a number of locations, including:

Australia
Singapore
Hong Kong
Middle East
Offshore
Europe
London

If you are looking to relocate abroad or hire into your team, please feel free to contact Tamara Salem who will be able to help.

Inspiring Business Women: Maria Henderson

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 05:34:34 GMT

Maria is a leader with international experience across EMEA, APAC and the USA. After being raised in the sandy dunes of Saudi Arabia and sunny Cyprus, Maria moved to the UK and entered the HR world in 2009. She took the academic route in Management Science and HR, completing her master’s and CIPD Level 7 in 2013 while spending her early career in Professional Services across various operational HR roles. She joined Hydrogen in 2016 as an HR Business Partner and rebranded its HR team to the dynamic and People & Culture team, driving change and improving the employee journey. Maria is now the People & Culture Director for the Global group, leading a team of People & Culture Business Partners. She is responsible for leading the Group’s People vision, ranging from D&I, Talent Management and Growth Mindset.

Can you tell us about your career progression to date and some of the key moments that have helped you get where you are?

I've been at Hydrogen for four and a half years and I can honestly say that it has been the most inspirational few years of my life. I joined the business as an HRBP from a Professional Services background, which was very ‘textbook HR’ in nature, naturally. I joined Hydrogen and my policy book went out of the window on the first day, which was by far one of the best things to happen for my career. I started off reporting into a Head of HR who later left the business and then began reporting directly into Ian, our CEO. He has been an amazing coach to me and took me from HRBP to People & Culture Manager where our HR function became a lot more culturally focused. We built the HR team into a global function and I then moved to Head of People & Culture and I’m now Director of People & Culture. I get to do all the exciting things on the People Vision, including setting the agenda on things like increasing opportunities for female and diverse leadership and making sure there's a strong sense of equality across the business, with the right benefits packages in place to accommodate that. 2020 was an interesting year for everybody and came with its challenges, but I was supported every step of the way and it's been an incredible journey!

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

I've been quite lucky in my career in that some of the best mentors I've had have been male. I was mentored by the Global HRD and the UK HR Manager in my previous role, who both gave me a lot of support and encouragement. I then moved to Hydrogen, where Ian, our CEO, has never let gender hinder my progression. A lot of my peer group happens to be men and again I have never felt that's been a hindrance – quite the opposite!! I actually believe it strikes a really good balance because having men and women in leadership roles and throughout the business is a key advantage as they bring very different things to the table. One of the things that I'm dedicated to doing throughout my career is removing any gender stereotypes and creating opportunities for all. Everybody should be there on merit and what they add in terms of value. It would be wrong to assume that there is not some form of bias when it comes to gender, but I think that we are taking the right steps to make sure that we're addressing that and talking about it more.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

Being in the People & Culture world, it's always been in the background, but I've noticed in the past five years that it's become more of a hot topic. Businesses are definitely recognising that with diversity comes success. I could bore you with all the scientific models, but there is very solid evidence that having a diverse workforce is hugely beneficial. At Hydrogen, we operate across APAC, EMEA and the US, and I've been lucky to have travelled with my job and throughout my personal upbring, which has been a real eye-opener. I was raised in Saudi Arabia and moved to Cyprus when I was 10, so I'm quite culturally diverse and cultures have always interested me. Diversity is definitely the way forward for organisations, encouraging perspectives from people from different walks of life. In my job, there are very few days where I'll speak to someone new and not learn something new, so I think it’s an exciting time for organisations to be embracing diversity. My team is a relatively diverse team and it really does have benefits that I see on a daily basis. I've always been fascinated by different cultures coming together and seeing the positive results of that and that's probably why I enjoy my job so much.

Are there any other benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

I believe that different perspectives equal success. With the integration of different cultures comes education and a growth mindset; a way forward; acceptance; and tackling biases. Having varying perspectives from diversity within teams is one of the biggest benefits on a day-to-day basis, so I've always been a big advocate for it.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career either in recruitment or HR?

My ethos, which comes from the days when I was an intern, is that I always said to myself if I was ever in a position where I could offer someone the opportunity to learn, I would. So, I’ve always pushed to have an intern or someone wanting an opportunity in my teams, because it’s so rewarding, as is being able to give advice. So, my advice would be to stand tall and smash through any barriers in your way. Seek out mentors along the way, take advice, get different perspectives, and the world is your oyster. You won’t be handed opportunities on a plate, so be prepared to ask for and fight for what you want. The most important one from a personal point of view is to believe in yourself. I have historically suffered from imposter syndrome, questioning whether I belonged in a role or if I had really earned my success. I’m very proud to say that I work for a business now and have been surrounded by people that have helped me overcome that by making me realise that I do deserve a seat at the table and that the opportunities are there to grab if I want them.

You can also watch the full video interview here:

Inspiring Business Women: Michele Wee

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 05:39:39 GMT

Michele Wee is the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Vietnam.

Looking at your early career decisions, how did you become a broker and how was your experience?

It wasn’t planned. I was fresh out of school and fell into it. I had an interview with the bank to get a mortgage and needed a job so that the loan would be approved. The role was really fun and it was something I did for 8 years before joining Bloomberg just as e-Commerce was taking off in Asia. They hired me into their eFX Sales team, as part of their digital platform initiative which was a natural fit for a voice broker.

What have been some of the highlights of your career and what has enabled you to be successful?

I joined Bloomberg at a really exciting time and was part of the pioneer team that launched FX Gold in Asia. I did this role for two years and was offered a job at Deutsche Bank after a pitch I did to them which was again a timely move as I joined the original core team that launched AutoBahn into APAC. One thing led to another and I ended up being headhunted by Standard Chartered Bank who wanted to re-ignite their e-Commerce efforts. Both e-Commerce and FX as an asset class were growing exponentially so it was very much a “right place right time” situation. A global role from Singapore was a great jump in my career. I made sure that I was agile and open to taking up new challenges, and have been very lucky with the timing at each stage of my career.

What has been the toughest part of your career and how did you overcome it?

Joining Standard Chartered Bank was a big step up for me and it has been very challenging. It was at that point that I really started to think deeply about my value to the organisation as a leader. The toughest part of my career was going from a regional Director role in an established platform to a global Managing Director at a time when the bank was trying to change its business model. There was a very big change in culture and the way that I had to influence global stakeholders. I spent the first two years trying to understand the organisation and find my purpose. I had to learn on my feet, park my securities and never give up. I think it was my enate passion that got me through that period. I had a passion for the e-Commerce world and communicated it effectively. And with a lot of patience and some luck, I found a manager who truly understood me. This gave me even more confidence to do what I was hired to do.

What does diversity and inclusion mean to you as a leader and how do you promote it among the teams you lead?

Diversity is not just about gender but the diversity of thought and the inclusion of mindset. Inclusion is a choice and diversity is the effect.

I strongly believe in the importance of good people managers but also coaches and mentors. These don’t have to be official mentors but just people who are there to provide you with little nuggets of information that you can digest and decide if you want to implement. Once you reach a certain level, it is no longer about growing yourself but growing others. When you get into a position where you are a hiring manager, you have a big responsibility and people look to you. I have found particularly good coaching topics include how to get balance, create presence, have influence and personal branding.

With mentoring in particular, female to female works really well although I have actually had a very good male coach who always creates a safe space. Coaches give you perspective. Family also gives you perspective and I have always taken inspiration from my children. Having children is your reminder of why you work so hard. When a child has a play date, there is a huge amount of diversity and they don’t see anything but the individual.

What is your vision for SCB in Vietnam and what role will diversity and inclusion play?

Vietnam has some fantastic local talent and building upon my predecessor’s work, we want to hire the best people, be agile and support our community. Vietnam is also very unique in it that the banking industry has a gender ratio of 70% being females. I was so pleasantly surprised during our first town hall to see what a great job we have done at hiring. We have re-written the people agenda with some tweaks and this includes mentoring some of our high potential successors.

Inspiring Business Women: Hayley Still

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 06:09:18 GMT

Hayley is the Managing Director of Hydrogen Group’s EMEA business, overseeing the Legal, Finance, Sales & Marketing, Oil & Gas and Life Science businesses across predominantly UK & Europe. She has worked with a broad spectrum of clients across many industries and as a result, has built an impressive network of contacts within the EMEA region. Having gained 10+ years’ experience in London initially in the in-house legal recruitment sector, Hayley has successfully built and managed multiple market-leading teams.

Can you tell us about your career progression to date and some of the key moments that have helped you get where you are?

I joined Hydrogen as a graduate in 2007. I did a Law degree, but instead of becoming a lawyer, I decided to try my hand at recruitment. The first part of my career was a lot slower in terms of career progression, but I think that stood me in good stead. I've always put a lot of value on the skills I'm learning, and the experience I am getting, and always tried to do everything to the best of my abilities. From 2007 to 2011, I was a Consultant, then a Senior Consultant, then I started managing the Industry & Commerce side of our Legal team. Then it took me from 2011 until 2016 to go through Manager and then Senior Manager, so, in total, a good nine years of learning my craft, learning recruitment, and learning how to manage. Since 2016, I first became an Associate Director, then a Director and I’m now MD. While my progression did speed up, I believe that the longer first part of my career enabled me to do that because I'd learned a lot of skills and gained a lot of experience that helped me eventually in my Leadership roles.

In terms of key moments, I remember when the first people that I had started managing on my team and invested a lot of time and energy in left. It was really tough, but it taught me a lot about resilience and understanding what other people want out of their job and as such how to be a better manager. Accepting that and being able to rebuild the team was a really key moment. Another turning point would be in 2015, I did this big project for BT, 12 roles in one go, all exclusive, all permanent, and it was really stressful. I worked day and night to deliver them, I was really proud of the work that I had done but I realised then that I was ready to take on a different role. I had achieved a lot of what I wanted to on the billing front and set my sights on more management and leadership. That said, I really grappled with giving up what I had worked so hard to build and the uncertainty as to whether I would be good in a different role. I knew though that it would be worse to stagnate. I then read a book around that time called Who Moved My Cheese? It's about change, and it really helped me let go of my clients and move out of my comfort zone. It made me realise that unless I am willing to give stuff up, I can't move forwards. Lastly, our "I Own My Time" initiative was a key moment for me because I was heavily involved in its inception and it has helped to fundamentally change the way our company thinks. I knew I wanted to continue my career and in the future have a family but rather than be forced to choose between the two, or move companies, I felt I should push for change in the company I was at, as I was sure many people (not just women keen to have a family) would also be feeling the same way as me, and that initiative is a new ethos for how we work as a business, which I hope benefits everyone.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

The short answer is no. The Legal team I have come through was heavily dominated by female leaders, and although at the moment I am the only woman on the executive board, I genuinely feel my voice is heard there and recognised for the value that I can bring because I do come at things from a different angle to the men. I think this question is about more than just work though and I know I have been very fortunate in my personal life too which I think has had a big impact on the way I approach things. I can be very focussed and determined. Outside of work, my parents are in the international level sport and my mum particularly has got that determined mindset where nothing is going to stop her, and that's a bit like I was with the “I Own My Time” agenda. I was determined to make it happen (which thankfully the board was readily receptive to and on board with from the word go) and set up an environment where it could work for everyone else too. My husband also supports me and the long hours that can be involved, which means I can have that mindset too and not let anything distract me. So, I feel it’s about a whole state of mind and way of life, rather than just a work question.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

When I was in the Legal team, we had an emphasis back in 2014 on trying to hire more men into the team because we were so heavily female-dominated, which we recognised isn’t necessarily good for the business when you ideally want a blend of people. We actively addressed that and it’s much more 50/50 now. The emphasis has come up again recently for me, around my maternity leave in the summer and talking it through with the board, because it’s important to me and them that there’s no prejudice about me taking the time off and that I don’t miss out on any opportunities. I’ve been very reassured and pleased to see that there is a genuine appetite from the business to make sure that my own needs and circumstances are catered for and that it’s the same for everyone and whatever situation they are in too.

From your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

At Hydrogen, we are trying to be better, but we've still got a long way to go, particularly in relation to diversity, but we can all see the benefit in having a number of different voices, experiences, backgrounds etc. A large part of it is in the generation of ideas, policies, and initiatives, but it's also to do with understanding how things will be received in the business and how it might impact people. I think that there are a huge number of benefits and it is absolutely on our agenda to do better in this area and we've already started initiatives and projects to get more positive action happening. I know that Ian, our CEO really recognises this and actually I have been really pleased to see how much he is conscious of the gap in opinion, approach and ideas that I could leave whilst on mat leave and is really trying to make sure that while I'm away the executive board still try and think about the angle that I might come at things from. Diverse organizations are so much more interesting. You don't want everyone to be the same, you want everyone to have a different story, a different background, and bring something different to the table. We all want to be learning as much as we can from each other.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in the recruitment industry?

Definitely do it. It's a wonderful industry and as much as you're willing to put in, you will get that back. My advice is to always apply yourself 100%, always throw yourself into it and push yourself, but at the same time enjoy it. I've loved clients, candidates and billing, as well as managing people and leading the business. In recruitment, compared to lots of other industries, you can speak to the clients you want to and design your own proposition and what you want to specialise in. I think it’s important to have a long-term view and build long-term relationships with your clients, candidates and colleagues. Worth remembering though that any job which is hugely rewarding is going to be hugely demanding, so don’t underestimate how hard it’s going to be! Dream big though: there’s no reason you can’t be the CEO one day if that’s what you want, but make sure you take the time to gain the skills you need along the way to reach a senior position. When you’re leading an organisation, it helps if you’ve worked at every stage in it and stood in everyone’s shoes, so that you can understand the full picture.

Inspiring Business Women: Gillian Normand

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 06:16:56 GMT

A senior Business Management professional with a Commercial focus, Gillian has experience in Business Management, Resourcing, Financials, Restructuring, Transformation and Risk. Astute at navigating organisations at Executive level with significant experience in the Financial Services sector, she brings a natural aptitude for process restructuring and increasing resource efficiency levels. Recognised for excellent communication skills; managing staff and coordinating initiatives across diverse cultures. Manages, leads and accomplishes goals through others by utilising plans and strategies.

Could you tell us a bit about your career and your progression to date?

I left University wanting to be a programmer and joined Citigroup as a graduate, though I quickly realised that being a developer wasn't for me. I did a few other rotational roles before moving to an internal consultancy role within Citigroup, which was a real game-changer because I was able to apply everything I had learned to date. I saw the bigger picture in a different way, allowing me to really add value. There was a lot of travel involved, which was great before I had a family, but I later wanted to travel less and moved into leadership and managing and growing teams. I was able to develop my skills and my management ability in a safe environment with supportive managers. After that, I moved into the performance and business management space, where I became a more senior manager, contributing to the strategic vision more. After Citigroup, I moved to Clydesdale Bank to do an 18-month transformation of their technology division, which was hands-on in every area as it was a much smaller organisation than Citigroup. Since then, I’ve been contracting at NatWest, moving through a number of different departments and teams focusing on transformation.

Are there any particular challenges that you have faced in your career?

The biggest challenge was the work/life balance when I became a parent. There were a few years after my maternity leave where I was still really wanting to develop my career, but I also had a little child who was entirely dependent upon me. I got a position on the senior management team just three months after going back to work and I had no idea how to juggle that and family life. The solution is different for everyone. For me, it was making sure that there were people I could talk to, informal or formal mentors, and friends that I could get advice from. Ultimately, it’s a balance of selfishness and selflessness and getting that mix right is the biggest obstacle.

Can you identify any themes or personal attributes that have helped you to progress to where you are?

It's very simply a desire to succeed and a wish to always do a job that I enjoy. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone; taking on new challenges; and always wanting to learn too. When I had a trading floor role at Citi, I was there for five years and in hindsight, I stayed in that job too long. Since then, I've always made myself move, because as soon as a job becomes routine, it becomes boring and you're never giving it your best if it's not challenging. Once I made that first move, every subsequent move became easier, because I was less nervous about it. In some cases, it wasn’t a role change, it might be just adding something into your role, but there was always change. Now, on the Consulting side, I like that fact that I'm moving into entirely new areas and building new relationships every six months or so.

What are your thoughts on diversity when it comes to females in the Financial Services industry?

I think it's constantly improving. When I started in the late ‘90s, there were 20 graduates in my year at Citigroup and only two females. I was involved in the graduate intake for many years after that and saw it steadily and slowly increase. But it takes a generation to shift, nothing changes overnight. I believe that as schools and universities change their mindset, then the workplace will follow, and we are getting there. We’ve still got a situation in secondary schools where girls don’t want to take computing, but the course selections and encouragement is starting at a younger age which will gradually enforce cultural change.

What are some of the biggest areas of improvement regarding recruiting and retaining diverse talent?

Flexible working plays a big part. When I had my first child, I still wanted to develop my career, but I want to work part-time and remotely, which wasn’t the norm then like it is now. I had to really push to get what I wanted and drive that change, with both HR, contractually and with peers. However, I proved that it could work, in a management role, way before video technology was the norm, but it was a real challenge. I did it for more than a decade, and now I’m back five days a week because my children are older. I was lucky that I was with organisations that let me do it, but it’s more acceptable now, so hopefully, there will be positive results in terms of women in those sectors.

I think COVID has driven flexible working and made people realise not only what's important in life, but also that you can still work well without being present 9 to 5 in an office. Flexibility over hours doesn’t just affect females, it enables anyone to merge their work and private lives in a way that suits them. I don't think that the glass ceiling exists in the way it did two decades ago. I think of it more as glass hurdles now, where we've each got our lane that we walk along, and some people have hurdles to overcome that others don't have. They’re not there just for women either, but many groups of people. Unconscious bias is a key focus now to overcoming these obstacles. We need to recognise that these hurdles are there and while we’re never going to get a level playing field any time soon, we need to help people over these hurdles and make it as level as we can.

What other advice would you give to those who want to improve diversity in their organisation?

The key thing is to listen to your team. Your colleagues are the ones who know the problem points and how to fix them. But if you don't actively listen, you're not going to draw that out of them. People need to know that they're being listened to and that their ideas are being put forward. The basic principles of openness, honesty and transparency are key to build into your workplace. If you have a team where those are not just buzzwords, people will know that they can suggest something and that you will think about it as a team and give it true consideration. That way, you get the true diversity of thought that then leads to diversity in the organisation. Remember, just because you're more senior, it doesn't mean that you have all the ideas. A lot of junior team members will have fantastic ideas, but they won't know how to make them happen. Obviously, you can’t act upon every single idea or please everyone all the time, but if you have the right structure for discussing ideas and voting on them independently, the best ones will come through.

How do you ensure an inclusive environment when you're working with remote teams?

I have managed teams in the past that were in multiple different countries and often one person in a country on their own, and it’s vital that you make ways for people to connect. Now, with remote working, we’ve seen a lot of this, and NatWest has dozens of optional opportunities for people to do things over Zoom every day. Some are events like random coffee chats where you are paired with someone and it’s put in your diary; others are sessions run by the NatWest centres of excellence with expert speakers on a range of subjects; and others are run by diverse groups or gender networks. You can attend whatever suits you best, but it’s crucial that these options are there to make people working remotely feel included.

What are your thoughts on mentorship, both being a mentor and being a mentee?

Mentorship, whether it’s formal or informal is one of the absolute essentials of not just a workplace, but your home life as well. Having that person who you can talk to who gives you an independent and impartial view really helps you work through challenges, both as a mentor and a mentee. I've got a number of mentees I've worked with over the years and I am still in touch with them. If a relationship works, you keep it going whether or not you still work in the same place, and then you start to form your own global network. One advantage as a mentor with junior mentees is hearing what is happening in other parts of your organisation in a way that you wouldn’t hear directly from a manager in that space, which can be very valuable. It’s important for mentees to work out what they want to get from the mentoring process and then find someone who is a good fit. I’m always meeting people and mentally making a note if I think they will be a good mentor for the next time I am asked for one. It doesn’t matter if they don’t work in the same area, in fact, it’s often a positive if they don’t because the mentee gets a totally independent perspective from them.

Q4 2020 in review: Financial Crime, Regulatory Compliance & Risk

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 06:44:15 GMT

As 2020 came to a close, our clients experienced a significant uplift in hires within the Financial Crime, Regulatory Compliance and Risk space across the UK, and we ended the year up by 91% compared to 2019. Below, we round up some of the key themes from last year’s Q4.

Talent trends

Significant increase in senior hires in the Financial Crime & Regulatory space, namely SMFs, MLROs, DMLROs, Head/Directors of compliance, Reg & Risk. Interestingly, we experienced a fairly equal split between Perm & Interim senior hires.
Banks continue to build FLoD AML, KYC & Due Diligence teams and supplement with specialist contractors on a SoW basis to assist with; Remediation, Periodic review and CDD / EDD / Refresh / Transaction monitoring / Policy exercises projected to last well into 2021. Salaries experienced a slight increase and contract rates remained unchanged.
Mass contractor cuts and permanent recruitment freezes did not materialise, despite Covid19, IR35 and the scaling down of furlough arrangements. There does appear to have been regional differences, however, with the most pronounced drops being seen in the West Midlands, South West and North West.
Blurred lines between 1st & 2nd LoDs as firms appear to recognise the ramifications of 1st line non-adherence, not always being picked up by 2nd line. Various strategies in this regard have begun to emerge including 2nd line functions sitting in 1st line in a QC / escalation capacity.
Permanent professionals at all levels are reluctant to move. As a result, attracting top talent away from their seemingly safe jobs has become more challenging. We have supported and encouraged our clients to be more flexible with their benefits arrangements, probationary periods and flexible working arrangements.
Flexible working arrangements are here to stay – Perm candidates are expecting firms to have clearly communicated flexible working policies set for the future beyond lockdown / Covid19 restrictions. This is now a key consideration for candidates presently in roles and those weighing up offers. On the flip side, the embedding of flexible working arrangements widens the talent pool for firms that may otherwise struggle to attract the skillsets they require in the region.
Risk – Digital, IT, Tech, Cyber, DP experienced / savvy professionals are in high demand and we see this as a key focus area through 2021 and beyond.

Growth areas

Outsourcing / bolting on specialist contractors to perform remediation, periodic review, and refresh exercises. With the majority of financial crime specialists working from home, financial services organisations are often falling behind on these activities, and asking for assistance from mid-sized / bespoke consultancies such as our sister company, Project Partners .
Climate Risk & Change related roles are likely to ramp up through 2021 and beyond, as more firms and individuals have this on their agenda.

If you’d like to discuss any of these themes in more detail, or how they are impacting your business specifically, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Daniel Bloom or Chris Fields .

Legal In-House CV Guide and Template

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 07:10:41 GMT

Are you ready to make the move in-house but not sure where to begin with your CV?

We have prepared a list of tips and tricks to help you create a CV that will attract the attention of top employers. We’ve built the perfect CV template ready for you to insert your personal details and experience.

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Hydrogen Tech Talks: Why your mental health is not taboo

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:22:18 GMT

Everyone has their own mental health to look after in the same way that they have physical health to consider. Both have good days and bad days and are, unsurprisingly, linked. Physical health can impact upon mental health, both positively and negatively, and mental health can manifest itself in physical symptoms. So why do we often treat them separately and why is one viewed so differently by some people? Why are we happy discussing one, often at length, in the workplace and not the other? Fortunately, more organisations are actively taking steps to ensure that mental health issues are no longer stigmatised or a taboo subject.

A safe space at work

It’s important that mental health is acknowledged by companies at a fundamental level, so that a sick day for mental health reasons is treated the same as a day off with flu. Once that security is in place and people don’t feel guilty should they need to take time off, the second step is creating a culture where mental health can be discussed freely. Everyone has feelings and emotions, from the newest graduate employee to the most senior board member, and while some people don’t like to discuss them, it needs to be an option that anyone can should they need to. Every employee should feel able to express their emotions or unhappiness while at work, rather than bottle it up where it can become a greater problem. A simple environment of free speech and feedback is a huge positive step in the right direction. This open culture should be adopted in the everyday interactions between employees as well as in acutely stressful work situations, to provide a safe environment where people can share how they feel without reprisals.

The mental health of leaders

There’s a perception that senior figures don’t get nervous, stressed or worried in the same way, but this of course isn’t true. And, just as a physical illness wouldn’t preclude anyone climbing the career ladder, there is no reason that any mental health issue should be a barrier to success. Any change to corporate culture always needs to come from the top, so it’s important that leaders are open about their own emotions and feelings, to encourage their staff, acknowledging that it’s OK not to feel great or when they need some support themselves. While leaders have this responsibility to the wellbeing of their teams, they also have a responsibility to the business, so there needs to be a similar safe space model for them too. For example, there’s no point spreading anxiety about a corporate or management matter right across the workforce unnecessarily, so for leaders it’s important that there is someone of their own level or in HR they can talk to should they need to. Being mindful of messaging and how and what is said is an important element for leaders to bear in mind, so that there is no avoidable spread of negativity among teams.

The challenges of lockdown

The global pandemic and the resultant working from home has produced slightly different challenges, given people have adapted or reacted to the enforced lockdowns and limitations in different ways. Mental health issues have understandably been on the rise as we all come to terms with the virus. Video calls have become the norm, which isn’t to everyone’s liking or strengths, and while previously, important workplace events such as annual reviews would never have taken place over video, they now are. This, combined with the lack of friends or colleagues to turn to, has heightened the stress levels for many, so it’s vital that companies extend a virtual safe space to employees now. One of the best ways to help people feel more comfortable with discussing issues on a screen rather than face to face is for leaders to again lead from the front. By acknowledging the bizarreness of the situation, or their own tech problems at home, or the kids in the background, they can create a calmer environment in which to talk about more sensitive issues.

Mental health in the hiring process

Interviews are still seen by some hiring managers as survival of the fittest where the interviewer tries to outsmart the candidate, but if a candidate is mentally tougher and survives, they will get the job. While this outdated mindset is fortunately on its way out, there is still a lot of work that could be done to make the hiring process better. Almost everyone is naturally anxious before a job interview, but some people are crippled by the stress of them and this isn’t always recognised. Sadly, they are often still judged on their performance in this artificial situation rather than on their ability to do the job. Employers can take steps in their recruitment processes to help remove some of that stress. Being transparent about what will happen during and after the interview is an easy thing to action. Checking in with candidates about any requirements before they come is another. Putting people at ease, especially in the current era of video interviews, shows an element of respect for the candidate that will help diffuse the heightened stress of the interview, as well as improve employer brand reputation. This can be done in several ways, such as letting candidates know that there is no dress code required on the video call, or not to worry if a child walks into shot. The cost of making these tiny concessions or changes is trivial compared to the cost of losing the best candidate you've ever interviewed!

I would personally like to thank Dan McNeil , who is the Platform & API Director at ComplyAdvantage, for sharing all his insightful thoughts on this sensible subject during our Tech Talks video interview last month. You can check out our interview by following this link: Hydrogen Tech Talks: Why your mental health is not taboo .

Offshore: Looking back at 2020 & forward to 2021

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:15:58 GMT

Coming off the back of an extremely busy 2019, the first few months of the year continued in a similar vein and the status quo between firms looking to hire and lawyers looking to move offshore seemed to remain at an all-time high. Understandably, as the full impact of the COVID pandemic became apparent, travel disruption and concern for future workflow did have a short-term effect on the markets. Hiring slowed and relocation became extremely difficult, if not impossible in some cases. However, after a quieter May, while firms took stock of everything going on, June started to see things return to normal recruitment levels and firms never really looked back. Just as they looked to resume hiring, we also saw a significant increase in lawyers looking to relocate and take advantage of all that the offshore locations have to offer.

The Channel Islands were the first locations to really take advantage of a changing talent pool and throughout the summer firms hired in record numbers across Transactional; Private Client; and Litigation practices. As demand started to outweigh supply, we saw salaries nudge up slightly for most firms as they looked to secure their no1 choices. Given travel restrictions, there was a slight focus on those lawyers relocating from the UK or Ireland initially, but we did see a continued interest in candidates moving over from South Africa and further afield, with Visa’s still easily obtained.

Looking further afield to the Caribbean, the BVI saw a significant amount of internal movement throughout the first half of the year with litigation being particularly affected. Work levels remained steady and firms looked to de-risk any hires by securing talent already on island and circumventing any potential travel issues. This did, however, mean fewer opportunities for those looking to relocate and litigation was by far the busiest area of hiring for the year and left pretty much every firm with a different looking litigation practice from which they started the year with. Transactional hiring was quieter for most of the year although a number of firms did hire within Corporate towards the end of 2020.

Cayman, having come off of an extremely busy 2019, was always going to have a slightly quieter 2020 just given the sheer numbers of people that were due to be starting Q1 before COVID travel restrictions really took hold. Although there was a significant knock-on impact of border closures, firms resumed hiring in summer with litigation; fund finance; and corporate being key areas of focus. There remained a slight preference for lawyers already on the island given the travel restrictions, but most lawyers keen to make the move to Cayman managed to secure a move and had a choice of the established firms and those who are looking to grow their practices on the island.

The key development in Cayman which came very much at the end of the year is the Legal Services Bill which will have a significant impact on hiring requirements moving forward. We are yet to see the Bill’s full impact as it passes through the Cayman legislative process, but it will certainly mean that lawyers will no longer be able to move until they are 5PQE, although the legislation does provide for a wider selection of admittances with the addition of Hong Kong admitted lawyers now being able to secure a visa and admittance in Cayman. It will also have significant ramifications for those firms with large Cayman practices outside of Cayman as the legislation provides guidance on the number of people you have to have in Cayman as a ratio for the number you can have outside.

From a recruitment perspective, the initial effect of the legislation is that firms are likely to focus heavily on securing 4 ½ PQE lawyers who can start when they are 5PQE and maintain as much structure internally as possible. We also foresee a significant interest in Australian, New Zealand and Canadian lawyers where firms have traditional deducted PQE and would further allow them to maintain internal structures. It obviously goes without saying but there will be a significant interest in Caymanian lawyers who are looking to move either on the island or return home.

Looking briefly at the other key offshore markets, Bermuda had a steady flow of recruitment throughout 2020 across litigation and private client and some of the smaller firms made a significant number of hires to bolster their practices. Asia continued to recruit steadily throughout the year but given the ever-developing situation in Hong Kong, it wasn’t at previous levels and there was certainly a focus on partner-level hires as firms looked to cement their practices in the region.

Offshore London was unsurprisingly busy for recruitment as firms took full advantage of people looking to return to the UK, hiring across transactional and litigation practice areas in record numbers. There were both significant partner hires and departures throughout the year and we are likely to see the effects of that throughout the first half of this year with another push on hiring.

What can we expect from 2021?

We have continued to see and hear positive noises from the majority of firms in terms of workflow and have no reason to think that recruitment across all of the Offshore markets will continue in a similar vein throughout the year. We are well versed in dealing with all current travel restrictions and firms are comfortable pushing forward with hiring.

We expect Cayman; Jersey; and Hong Kong to be particularly busy as the flow of candidates continues to be at an all-time high. The Legal Services Bill will certainly have an impact on Cayman in the longer term, but we don’t see any reason why it would have an immediate impact on recruitment. It will, however, disappoint a number of lawyers who were waiting till they were 3PQE to make the move and from our initial findings, it looks as though those lawyers will be refocusing their search on the BVI and Bermuda.

It is inevitable that as competition for hires becomes even higher salaries will increase – we are expecting, and have seen already, noticeable increases across the Caribbean and Channel Islands.

Obviously, the continuing impact and developments in relation to COVID will in some respects dictate the recruitment landscape for the year. Yet, firms are certainly in a much better place to make decisions on hiring and relocating lawyers compared to March / April 2020 and on the whole, remain very keen to move forward with their hiring plans for 2021.

If you’d like to know more about recruiting or working offshore, please do get in touch.

Ways for lawyers to increase employability

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 07:25:53 GMT

As we close the chapter on a very difficult 2020 and bunker down for a Christmas unlike any other, many lawyers may be considering new opportunities. COVID has had a massive impact on how we go about our day to day lives, and this in turn has affected employers needs and means of hiring. It is therefore imperative to prepare as best you can before seeking a new role.

Here we share some tips for lawyers to increase their employability in these troubling times.

Upskilling

One of the best ways to increase your employability is to add more strings to your bow. Law Societies in the majority of jurisdictions offer a broad range of courses and are sure to have some on offer of interest/usefulness to you.

Pro Bono

If you happen to find yourself with some extra time as a result of COVID or otherwise, doing some Pro Bono work is an excellent way to keep busy, gain new experience and of course, give back to society. It will also look great on your CV!

Update your CV

Speaking of CVs, now is the perfect time to update yours. With CV trends changing all the time it can be tough to know what level of detail/format to use. If you do need some assistance please do reach out for some guides/templates and confidential feedback.

Practice Video Interviews

In the current conditions as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19, the vast majority of interviews will be conducted via video calls. It is important that you practice this style of interview to give you the best chance of success. Get a copy of our guide to video interviewing here

If you have any questions about points raised in this article or are keen to discuss opportunities, please reach out to me for a confidential discussion.

Inspiring Business Women: Jacqueline Planner

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 07:40:51 GMT

Experienced in leading large global teams across multiple blue-chip organisations for Financial Crime, Global leadership, Operations, building Global Strategy, Risk, Bribery and Corruption, Payments, Culture, Sustainability Risk, Partnership Risk, Governance and Control Frameworks. She has successfully designed and implemented global strategies, leading teams of 1200+ and managed budgets of over £9 million. She has worked at HSBC, Boston Consulting Group, Barclays Capital and PwC as well as running her own Ltd Company.

Jacqueline has operated across global regulators throughout Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. She has Implemented technical expertise around robotics and the interdisciplinary between humans and machines. Built smarter regulatory intelligence to support reduced costs and streamline processes across various Companies and advised at Board level.

A member of Women on Boards UK and the Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists. Mentor for Diversity & Inclusion. She has lived in Australia and the USA.

Could you tell us a bit about your career progression to date?

I never really wanted to go into Banking having set my sights on a career in the police force, but I didn't meet the height requirements! In desperation, my mother put an advert for the bank in front of me and I applied. The next week, I was interviewed and the week after that, I was offered the job. I've worked for some amazing companies throughout my career, always trying to match my personal values and ethics when choosing who to work for. My career has been a great learning curve and I genuinely believe it’s important to learn something from each role, by increasing your self-awareness, having a greater lens across the industry and companies ready for your next challenge or role. I've been fortunate to have worked all over the world; I've had the vision on where a department or company can go, built global strategies and executed those strategies. Seeing the execution come alive across a large operational team is rewarding. However, I had spent a lot of my career at one company, so I made a conscious move from Banking into Forensic Advisory Consulting. To be headhunted into that role from an ex-colleague was a great privilege and it helped my career progression in a way I'd never envisaged.

What propelled you to move into that sector over the many options in Banking and Financial Services?

I'd hit a brick wall and times like that can force you to be more creative and to use your skills differently. I'd climbed the ladder quickly in Banking, from a junior to middle management then to the senior level. An opportunity came up in Financial Crime when my boss in the compliance world inspired me to consider a career in a different space and to work differently, for which I'm forever grateful to him. I've now worked in the Governance/Risk/Compliance area for 15 years and I've thoroughly enjoyed the variety that the frequent changes in regulation bring. I'm someone who likes to keep learning and keep challenging myself, so it's great to be in such a fast-paced environment where you need to be good in a crisis and be prepared to dive into the detail when needed.

Would you say that Compliance has a more prominent role in organisations today compared to when you started?

Absolutely it’s the glue that holds the Company together. The depth and breadth that you need to execute proper oversight and to run teams within this space is huge and still growing. You can be working on something to do with fraud one day, governance the next and getting to grips with a new regulation while you are at it. There’s no sign of it slowing down.

Come the 1st of January, the UK will be part of the global community and has to act with that broader regulatory environment. How we wish to act to other countries and them with us is still to be agreed as it’s not clear what the landscape will look like at present. How we interpret and implement those effectively to a deadline ensuring that the control and governance are in place will keep this a very challenging job for a long time to come. However, a hugely rewarding one, when you get it right that is!

What have been your biggest challenges in terms of your career and were any due to gender?

Gender remains a significant challenge. Financial Services has been a very male orientated sector for a long time, and it is slow to adapt. Companies set targets, but they don't always go the extra mile to embrace what diversity and inclusion really mean beyond gender. Inclusion needs to be at its broadest sense. My first real encounter was at the age of 22 as a junior manager when I was told by a male colleague that as a woman, I would never make it to a senior level. I wasn’t going to accept that, and it made me even more determined. Within a year, I was at the same level as him, and by the time I was 25, I was at a more senior level. I was also told I had to think like a man to get on as it would be the only way I would be recognised! It was hard work; however, it was important to believe in because nobody else owns my career. Today, we see many more women standing up to challenge the status quo and beating it because they are talented, which is just great.

So, do you believe there's still a glass ceiling for women in the workplace or has it changed?

I don't think there's a glass ceiling for women as such, but there are still certain barriers that need breaking through that can be challenging. From a D&I point of view, glass ceilings are not just about gender, but diversity as a whole, from race, religion, to age to disability and our own unique experiences. It is changing in some countries and companies, but it’s inconsistent and slow. We need to be brave and bold, just do it and live it.

I really like the way Ajay Banga at Mastercard (Currently CEO and soon to be Executive Chair from 1st January) positions this topic, it’s refreshing, all-inclusive and inspirational - the best I have seen. He quotes: "Decency Quotient is the way of telling employees to treat their co-workers and community the way they’d want to be treated. A level playing field and a chance to win."

Lots of us are starting only with gender rather than being brave enough to tackle all diversity and inclusion in one go, and I think we’ve been slow in the UK to adopt a more forthright approach.

How do you feel the Financial Services industry compares to others regarding diversity and has it changed?

The FCA produced an article in November last year looking at how the larger firms could be more diverse and, while there has been growth since 2005, it still isn't where it needs to be. We should not be looking to tick boxes or hit simplistic numerical targets, but make it part of what we all do and how we do it, business-as-usual if you like. When companies put targets in place, what happens when these are met? Do we just stop? Did they understand what they did to hit them? Will they meet them next year? While it's great to see a change like Citibank appointing a female CEO, not every company is raising their own awareness or driving change at the pace we need them to. I would like to see more boards challenged by their non-executive directors on how D&I plays a part in developing and promoting from within as well as recruiting externally. It can be shown that increased diversity improves performance and increases shareholder trust and value which is a win/win.

What are some of the key traits or beliefs that have helped you in getting to where you are?

The biggest thing for me is to start with the end goal in mind. I like to know where I am heading and be prepared to adapt to change or adjust that goal to meet the change. I am a firm believer in learning from my mistakes too; mistakes can be a great source of creating best practice. I’ve always had belief in myself, encouraged by a great former manager, and when you believe in yourself, the day job is a lot easier and people around you will believe in you too. I regularly push myself out of my comfort zone to network as often as I can, listening to and learning from others has always been important to me and my personal development and I am always willing to share my own experiences. You never know when an opportunity might arise, so I recommend joining global networks and professional bodies and start collaborating. Lastly, it’s really important to enjoy what you do. If I am not enjoying it, l never perform at the level I am capable of.

What advice would you give to women looking to progress their careers in Banking?

Go for it! Jump on the journey! However, find out where the business strategy is heading and likely to take you. Try to stay ahead of where the game is and get the relevant experiences and qualifications to take advantage of it. For example, sustainability is an increasingly important topic at the moment, with changes that affect us all and new regulation coming next March. I would say that there aren’t many people sufficiently qualified to take the mantle or are able to adjust their CVs to be ready for what it really means or what industries need in order to meet the inevitable challenges. Many industries are not ready for the change or investing enough. There will be some great opportunities for people to be able to make a real difference to all our lives.

How do you think diversity and inclusion has been affected by COVID-19?

We adapted pretty quickly as a sector but that's probably due to the size of Financial Services. We were able to accommodate working from home and people have enjoyed the work/life balance and no commuting, keeping fit and exercising more. On the downside, there is bound to be an impact on inclusion with everyone working remotely people will feel isolated or excluded. Also, young families that have had children being home-schooled, noise and disruption can make it hard to focus, though I do think employers have become more accommodating of the background noise on Zoom calls. We really do need to improve things like our nationwide broadband infrastructure to accommodate what is the new norm for many. I heard a great comment the other day saying that we will only go into the office now when we need to become creative or we need to collaborate. This may seem funny at first, however, it’s a clear indicator to me that we need to be more effective about how we use technology, such as collaborative tools and processes, or innovation will simply wither.

Do you have any further advice for those just taking their first steps in their FS careers?

I would say embrace this industry; as it offers a lot. It's an industry that can help you build your skills and credibility very well. Learn in each role and then see where you want to go from there. Seek out mentors too, more than one, male and female, from inside and outside of your organisation if you can, to get a range of impartial advice. Get yourself qualified and really understand your role back to front, embracing the changes as they appear and most of all have a voice and an opinion. If you understand something inside out, it can be a springboard to consulting, for example. Careers are going to change as tech advances, so it’s important to have more than one string to your bow so that you don’t become a casualty of that, your options will be as wide as your vision and willingness to try new things.

Lastly, who’s your inspiration or role model in terms of D&I?

It’s actually two people – Ajay Banga as above is so influential and visionary within the corporate world I really enjoy his energy and simplicity on what others see as complicated; he is truly in a league of his own.

From a non-business perspective, I am a fan of Michelle Obama. I read her book and was inspired by how she has supported so many different initiatives to help her country with its inclusion problems. She has forced people to have difficult conversations, empowered women all over the world which is the first step to a better society.

3 key trends to look for in Australia’s Technology market in 2021

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 09:50:37 GMT

Our latest market update comes immediately after what has turned out to be the busiest month of 2020 so far, with November possibly showing that this bizarre year is finally taking a turn for the better. Tech has taken centre stage all year for organisations across every sector, as the vast majority of employees moved to a remote working model. This fundamental change, particularly for those that hadn’t already invested in the relevant technology, was a challenge for many companies, and spiked demand in IT talent across the board. The pandemic might hopefully be coming to an end, but we can’t say the same for working from home (WFH).

WFH

Although it may have started as a reluctant obligation for many, most businesses have now seen several advantages to their employees working remotely, from cost savings to productivity, so “location flexible” roles are likely to be with us for the foreseeable future. The challenge for employers has been how to provide a seamless experience and continued communication for employees, while maintaining a culture of collaboration and ensuring compliance, security and accessibility. To address this, many clients have had to expand their tech capabilities in-house, as well as invest in external platforms and support.

Even before COVID, migration away from Sydney and Melbourne to more rural areas had been a trend for a couple of years, but the move to WFH has accelerated this movement, with location no longer a barrier for many roles. This talent isn’t going to be in a hurry to come back to the cities, underlining that WFH is here to stay. Gartner supports this in its recent 2021 tech predictions, suggesting that an “anywhere operations” model, where physical location is irrelevant, will be vital for businesses and that a digital-first template will become the default.

Cloud

It’s perhaps no surprise therefore that we have seen increased demand this year for IT professionals with cloud tech experience, given the pivot to a digital model for businesses. Cloud integration addresses almost all of the challenges that remote working creates, as well as providing opportunities for onboarding new clients or employees; remote training via digital courses; as well as live chat and collaboration in the absence of an office environment.

Cloud skills tend to align with the main vendors, such as AWS, Azure and GCP and candidates with experience are much sought after. It’s an evolving space of course, with many players trying to enter the market and provide multi-cloud services, so those tech professionals with wide-ranging experience of more than one platform could be in prime position. There is also the “distributed cloud” to consider, a fairly recent progression of cloud tech that reduces data costs and addresses low-latency issues, and skills in this area could be a distinct advantage for candidates should be take off.

Software engineers

In terms of our client base, the most in-demand language is Javascript (specifically Nodejs & Reactjs frameworks). It will come as no surprise that this is most commonly combined in a stack with AWS, however Azure and GCP have made ground this year at enterprise clients as they go with a multi-cloud system to keep the vendors in check. Contract hiring managers are looking for candidates who can hit the ground running in this type of stack and hep their teams solve problems quickly without compromising on quality. There was already a much-publicised skills gap in software engineering even before COVID, and the skilled immigration visa top 50 jobs currently has software engineer at no.3, accentuating that need. As more businesses and entire sectors opt for digital paths in the future, where automation and convenience come to the fore, there will be ongoing competition for the best engineering talent, to facilitate the apps, mobile applications and messaging platforms that will inevitably need to be built. Clients will ultimately want that elusive, full-stack developer who can handle front-end and back-end languages, as well as frameworks, databases and mobile. This is rare talent indeed, meaning that even the most attractive employers will have to work on their proposition game to secure them.

Are there any other key trends you’re seeing in the Australian tech market as we come to the end of the year? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

2020 in review: the Business Transformation and Technology market in Scotland

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 07:48:21 GMT

As 2020 comes to a close (phew, what a year!) we are seeing positive signs of growth and continuous change in both the Business Transformation and Technology recruitment markets in Scotland. Below, we round up some of the key themes.

Talent trends

The market in Scotland has continued to be subdued over the last few months but we’re definitely now well past the mass contractor cuts and permanent recruitment freezes of Q2 at the height of the pandemic; plus, there were far fewer redundancies at the end of October than we were expecting from the doom and gloom reported in the news and social media. There has still been a very significant focus on permanent and FTC hires over day rate contract hires and we expect this to continue, the risk being that these contractors leave their permanent positions if the contracting market picks up again next year.

More talent available on the market has without doubt resulted in positions receiving higher applications and interest. However, many professionals within employment are fearing that a career move now could spell disaster if it does not work out and they’re left unemployed. As a result, attracting top talent away from their seemingly safe jobs has become more challenging. Add to that the fact that candidates are expecting more tailored perks to suit their individual circumstances, attracting the very best talent certainly isn’t plain sailing.

Salaries & day rates

We have noticed that technology permanent salaries continued to rise this year, despite the pandemic. We expect that these statistics are slightly swayed as those companies that continued to hire have been looking for exceptionally niche experience that comes with a naturally higher salary, rather than hiring junior staff which normally drive down the average salary of hires. Day rates seem to have decreased. There are simply more contractors available at the moment, meaning organisations don’t have to pay a premium to secure them.

Flexible working

Remote working is here to stay! Many of our clients have now decided to operate fully remotely, permanently closing their offices and ending leases, with other large-scale companies scaling back their office footprint and planning for more flexible, collaborative and social spaces when staff eventually return. Working from home flexibility is, of course, now viewed as an expectation and not a benefit; therefore those businesses wishing new hires to work full time in an office post-pandemic are struggling to attract the best talent.

Growth areas

Interestingly, we’ve noticed that consultancies have grown at a really fast pace as organisations have used this as a loophole to recruitment freezes, due to existing contracts being in place prior to the pandemic. However, this may result in a future issue for organisations who may end up with a reliance on consultancy staff rather than building their own in-house talent. Also, we have recently seen a rise in technology projects as organisations need to use up budgets before the end of the fiscal year and pick up on lost work, particularly in the public sector. This has meant more demand for skills.

Since the start of Q3, we saw companies hiring within Infrastructure Transformation, particularly an increase in those looking for Azure/Office 365/SharePoint experience to fully embed their new working from home practices. Most of our larger clients have continued to move away from on-premises solutions and towards cloud platforms, AWS and Azure, resulting in large Cloud or Data Transformation programmes. Interestingly, Google Cloud doesn’t seem to have gained as much traction in Scottish businesses as is has down in the London market, possibly due to regional skills shortages.

ESG regulations are coming in thick and fast and many organisations are much more aware of their CSR obligations, both mandatory and from a good corporate citizen perspective, so it’s likely that we’ll continue to see a demand for those skill sets in 2021.

Agile is still growing

Organisations are realising the importance of embracing agility as they want to make changes quickly and successfully when launching new products, platforms and services to meet the needs of their consumers. Agile methodologies provide companies with a simple and effective framework to use during uncertain times and last quarter we really saw it become more incorporated into business strategies at an enterprise level - across 90% of our clients. These clients are implementing Agile Operating Models, using the Agile Spotify models (squads and feature leads), and using the Scaled Agile SAFe model.

Digital transformation

As expected, we’re now seeing the impact from those businesses who have been heavily investing in digital transformation during the pandemic. CFOs and business leaders are starting to see real benefits of this, having given their organisations the best possible chance of emerging from Covid-19 with greater resiliency and a more positive outlook. These investments have resulted in a big increase in market share in a few cases and fancy new websites and platform launches for others.

On the other hand, our clients within Finance and Operational Transformation have continued to struggle to give their businesses the forward-looking information they need. The pandemic has highlighted that these processes are heavily reliant on manual tasks and this extends particularly to those which require significant collaboration between teams and the use of on-premises back-office systems. We’ve seen an increase in specialist hiring and transformation projects in these areas to support.

Mergers and Integrations

There are still a number of our clients who have yet to complete large scale enterprise-wide integrations as the result of acquisitions. A number are set to complete platform mergers so there will likely remain a big demand for these types of skillsets well into 2021 and beyond.

Technologies & Job titles in demand

A good number of companies have taken 2020 as an opportunity to explore and migrate to new technologies. Companies that have done so during a slow year for hiring are setting themselves up to maximise their appeal to candidates in a post-Covid market. The technologies growing in demand include:

Python, React/Vue and Java
DevOps
Information Security
Azure and AWS Cloud skills
Agile Coaches
Scrum Masters
Project Managers & Business Analysts with particularly niche project experience

The effect of IR35

Since the delay of IR35, the majority of our clients have fallen into two main categories. The first being clients deciding to continue with these changes in 2020, moving most of their contract staff to umbrella PAYE contracts and stopping the mass use of Ltd companies. The rest of our clients have chosen to delay the changes until April 2021. It’s fair to say that the latter have had the pick of the best talent in 2020 by offering the very sought-after Ltd Company contracts. However, we have observed that those who chose to move to Umbrella PAYE anyway have actually done a remarkably good job of steadying their contractor population and converting contractors to Permanent or FTC.

As we get closer to the new IR35 date of April 2021, more businesses are preparing to do the final changes and stop allowing the use of Ltd companies. Whilst some candidates have come to accept this and prepare to move "inside", some of the more in-demand skills such as cloud and software engineers know how in-demand they are. This has led to many seeking out SME businesses that can support outside IR35 contractors, driving some of the best talent away from the larger financial and corporate organisations. As it looks increasingly likely that the government will implement these changes in April, these tech contractors have begun looking at alternative options such as consultancies that offer them the option to remain outside IR35.

Dare we say it, there is a small school of thought that the UK government might delay IR35 all together again! Wishful thinking perhaps, but watch this space. We’ll continue to keep our clients and candidates fully updated and guided throughout the proposed changes.

If you’d like to discuss any of these themes in more detail, or how they are impacting your business specifically, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

From Diversity to Inclusion

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 09:57:43 GMT

It comes as no surprise that more companies are looking to invest in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), following the increased global news coverage it has received this year. Yet, the conversation has now shifted from whether a company has any D&I efforts to how they are actually making progress. Having authentic representation and a genuine interest in promoting D&I within an organisation then becomes critical to avoid being suffocated by hallow initiatives that just won’t get you anywhere.

One of the most common misconceptions when it comes to D&I is to regard it as a single entity, in turn rendering it into a buzzword in the shadows. While “diversity” refers to having different types of things or people in the makeup of a group, “inclusion” refers to the intentional effort to make them feel involved and included. Having diversity without inclusion is like playing food Jenga at a buffet – you can keep piling onto your plate, but there is only so much it can hold before it starts tumbling down! While it is common to see organisations with only diversity measures face problems of retention, it is also possible for an inclusive workplace to lack diversity and find themselves engaging in narrow discussions that don’t reflect their customer base. Therefore, it’s important to address diversity and inclusion separately, understand their importance, and identify what you can do to improve each, so you won’t risk falling off the journey from diversity to inclusion.

Diversity is seemingly more straightforward. You can enforce measures, introduce initiatives and keep scores on your progress. Whether you are prioritising gender or race, there won’t be much ambiguity once it boils down to the numbers, and it won’t be long before you set off those confetti cannons and fireworks. While small victories are certainly worth celebrating, investing time and energy on inclusion is equally important, if not more. Compared to diversity, inclusion isn’t something you can achieve simply by setting up measures or campaigns – if that’s your approach, some would argue that you’ll have failed before you have truly begun. It also isn’t the responsibility of any team or individual; it requires input from everyone to make progress, which is what many organisations fail to achieve.

Inclusion emphasises an individual experience, where one would feel truly valued within a company. It’s about removing negative experiences and enforcing positive ones, whether that’s identifying and addressing discrimination, celebrating differences, or empowering individuals. It is about creating a safe space that allows people to voice their views and know that they’ll be heard, while being mindful not to force participation from those that aren’t keen to express themselves that way. It’s also about understanding the experiences of minority or historically marginalised groups and acknowledging that it can require extra strength from them and working on rectifying possible systemic problems that make their journey more challenging than others. Ultimately, it is showing people that you care and strive to make constant progress to create a more inclusive space.

There is no cookie-cutter solution when it comes to promoting inclusion but here are a few steps you can take, as an organisation or an individual, to begin that journey.

What organisations can do:

Conduct surveys on employee experience

Just like anything else, before you consider how to create a more inclusive environment, it’s crucial to have a good understanding of where you’re at. An easy way to do that is to survey employees on their experience. It is critical to make sure these are anonymous and that no one would be held accountable for their honesty as that is a common deterrence to people speaking their minds. This shouldn’t be hard if you’ve made clear your intent and showed genuine passion in striving for better inclusion.

Once you have consolidated the results, you will have a better understanding of where your organisation stands and what possible issues it might be facing. These will help you better formulate your next steps so you can focus your efforts to truly make an impact. Conducting these surveys regularly will also help form a good feedback loop, allowing you to review what has been working, what hasn’t and adjust accordingly.

Enable different voices to be heard

Having a voice and being heard are two different things, yet oftentimes organisations would stop after setting up communication channels and believe that would suffice. Unfortunately, just giving your people a voice without any additional support to ensure they’re heard will make the attempt futile.

Setting up discussions and focus groups could be a good lead-in to this as you begin the journey, as a way to empower the underrepresented while allowing others to better understand their experience and possible struggles. Creating the space that enables staff to arrive at this understanding is imperative to creating an inclusive workplace.

What individuals can do:

Be open-minded

Having an open mind is something many people talk about, but it’s much harder to achieve than it seems. I’ve come across a lot of self-proclaimed open-minded people who are simply “open to a certain extent”, and would hide inside their fortresses when exposed to anything outside of their comfort zone. Being open-minded is about having that willingness to understand things that are different from what you subscribe to, and not jumping to conclusions because of pretexts that you might have. Whether you agree with them or not isn’t important, showing respect and giving space is, so long as it’s not something unethical, immoral, etc.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes

When it comes to topics of D&I, it’s common for people to choose to remain silent to not risk saying the wrong thing. That’s alright when people’s intentions are good. However, a better approach would be to have those conversations instead, regardless of how difficult or uncomfortable they might be, as the alternative would be burdening yourself in tiptoeing around.

More often than not, people would be happy to have these conversations, to talk about their culture and experience, and share insights on what the appropriate vocabulary is. This will also show that you care and are making the effort to create a more welcoming space.

Take the time to identify your unconscious bias

Unconscious bias is not something that can be easily dealt with. First and foremost, we will have to acknowledge that we’re biased, just like anyone else.

Our upbringing, the social interactions we engage in, and the media we are exposed to all help shape our thoughts, which then affect our actions. When we meet someone for the first time, it’s not unusual for us to make assumptions about them. But why is that? It’s because our brain draws from its massive data pool and automatically makes connections between this person and what we’ve seen, heard, and experienced, possibly skewing our judgement without us noticing it. Therefore, taking the time to understand and identify any unconscious bias is key. If you’d like to learn more about this, I’d highly recommend Stacey A. Gordon’s LinkedIn course on Unconscious Bias here.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a diverse and inclusive workplace. If being more inclusive is indeed one of your goals, make sure to get your intentions right before taking any other actions. Because after all, just having a beautiful façade without any structural integrity won’t get you very far.

Do you have any D&I-related experience you’d like to share? Are there any other actions you would suggest for individuals or organisations who are looking to begin their journey on creating a more inclusive space? I’d love to know!

Tech T@lks: Why your mental health is not taboo

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 10:05:30 GMT

Welcome to our new series of Hydrogen Tech T@lks! In this series of video interviews, we will speak openly to various UK tech leaders about a range of different topics around the tech industry, how this is continuously changing and how we can get up to speed with all these fast-paced changes.

In our first interview, Zain Graham, our Technology Recruitment Consultant, discusses with Dan McNeil, Platform & API Director at ComplyAdvantage, how mental health is no longer a taboo subject in the tech industry and how people should start opening up more about how they really feel.

They discuss:

How do you create a safe space for the team to talk about mental health while working from home?
Leaders aren't bulletproof – how do you ensure the mental health of leaders in your organisation?
How recognised is the issue of mental health throughout the hiring process?

Inspiring Business Women: Bisi Giwa

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:15:11 GMT

Bisi Giwa is an S166 expert with considerable, varied and direct experience of transformation and change in financial crime, regulatory compliance, conduct and culture, business-wide risk assessment, monitoring/assurance, MI, training and competence, having worked with high-risk entities/jurisdictions/transactions including trade finance, global transaction banking, private & corporate banking and institutional banking with a focus on fully compliant business growth as well as risk mitigation. She has in-depth knowledge of culture legal and financial regulatory system in the UK and middle east and north Africa (MENA) regions.

Could you share your career progression and how you moved into the compliance space?

I started my career as a solicitor, having done a Law degree, a master’s and gone on to law school. I've always put in a lot of thought and effort into my career in terms of what I would like to achieve, and I felt that a Law background would give me a good foundation to build whatever I wanted on top of that. I've always endeavoured to complete whatever tasks were given to me diligently and when I transitioned from being a solicitor into Compliance, I had to start from the bottom of the food chain. As a Compliance Analyst, when I joined, there was a file review that nobody wanted to do, and I knew that was my opportunity to show what I was made of. It took me many long nights working, but I did it and it propelled me to the next level because within three months of joining the bank, I was promoted. From then on, I've worked my way up, doing research or extra courses and training in areas I felt I had to improve. I've had some pitfalls and challenges along the way, and I've had to be resilient and learn some persuasive and communication skills, as well as acknowledge my mistakes, but I'm sure we'll come onto that!

What drove you to move from the Legal space into Compliance?

I very quickly understood in terms of my skill set that I had a head for business, and I had a mind for strategic problem-solving. As a trainee solicitor, I practised in a family law firm and I had six seats in that time, and I realised that Compliance was an area that lends itself naturally to what I was doing in some of those seats. When you're talking about risk mitigation, adhering to rules and regulations, my background as a solicitor lent itself to Compliance. It's all about understanding the rules and then applying it to the business. There is a tendency to want to apply science to Compliance and unfortunately, it's not science, it's an art. You've got to understand the rules and the particular bespoke nature of your business and then marry the two together and I think lawyers tend to be able to do that successfully.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced in your career and are any due to gender?

When I was a Compliance Analyst, I didn't have that many challenges because I wasn't a decision-maker. As I progressed and started to take on leadership roles, the challenges began to surface. Compliance is a high-pressure role with the business demanding decisions and advice from you because there are deals on the table. My main challenge has been persuading senior managers and the business to do the right thing and be compliant. This involves a lot of back and forth and unfortunately Compliance has been dubbed the business prevention team because of that, which is sad because that's not what we're there to do at all! So, to help me overcome these challenges, I have an open-door policy and I have engaged a coach to enhance my communication skills because it’s imperative that I am able to articulate the importance of adherence to the rules and regulations. In terms of gender, it’s been difficult sometimes when I’ve been the only woman in the boardroom, but it’s hard to know whether that’s just the contentious nature of the job.

Do you believe there's a glass ceiling for women and has that changed over the years?

If you'd asked me this question a few of years ago, I would have said there was definitely a glass ceiling, but I think things are evolving. Women are getting more senior roles and into the boardroom too. There are definitely more opportunities for qualified women in the financial industry, so we're seeing the glass ceiling break a bit. However, maybe it's impossible not to have gender discrimination in certain industries. Some might be male-dominated because the sheer physical strength of a man is needed, for example. The fashion industry is also more aligned with women and in the modelling industry, women are paid better than men. Gender discrimination is something that perhaps we need to deal with on a case-by-case basis.

Have you noticed any differences between the Financial Services sector and the legal sector in terms of diversity?

I did notice a change when I moved sectors, yes. If I've been subjected to any gender discrimination or racial discrimination, it's been more in the Legal profession. Financial Services is evolving, and diversity is a top priority for the major banks that are now required to publish their gender pay gaps. Their board diversity policy has to be up to date and kept ready for the regulators too in case they call for it. It's a slow change, but nonetheless, the trajectory is positive.

What are the key things that have helped or hindered your career?

The biggest help for me has been my faith in God, but also my commitment, my relentlessness and my ability to focus on what's needed. In terms of hindrance, my approach and my leadership style have been deemed too tough sometimes and I’ve had to temper my toughness as much as I can with a lot of love and kindness to my team and colleagues. However, I’m naturally a straight-talking, passionate person, so I try to be conscious of my audience and I tailor my delivery and management styles, working with a coach on dealing with people one-to-one. That has really helped me to communicate better while remaining true to myself.

What's the biggest break you've had in your career because you moved up fairly rapidly?

My biggest break was one particular deal that was very lucrative commercially for the bank I was working for. The CEO was on my case to approve an account, and everything looked OK, all the boxes were ticked, but I knew something wasn't right. So, I didn't sign it off on a Friday and I went home to sleep on it. I did some research online about guarantee deals and offshore jurisdictions and it confirmed my doubts. The next day, I was on the phone to the fraud department, the police were involved, and we stopped the deal, saving the bank millions. The board quickly found out that I was responsible, and things went from there. It was a very exciting time for me, and I moved up the ranks to become the MLRO quickly.

What advice would you give to a woman looking to progress their career within Banking or Compliance?

Every woman should know who they are and be self-assured and confident of that. Humility has to remain at the core and there has to also be a willingness to learn and improve yourself. You've got to be bold when seeking opportunities; be diligent and work hard. If everyone has the same skill set, people are looking for who will go the extra mile. Post-pandemic, there will be many more people on the market, so finding a niche will be valuable, as will embracing technology, because we are unlikely to go back to the way things were before. In Compliance, I think we're going to move into automation in a significant way. A lot of mundane activities or tasks could be automated from gathering information, to scenarios, to filtering, to audit reports, so tech will play a huge role.

Have there been any specific individuals who have advised you or helped you get where you are?

Yes, I find inspiration in a variety of people and things. As I mentioned earlier, I have faced some challenges along the way and the Holy Spirit has been instrumental in advising and guiding me especially when I hit a roadblock and it seems like there is no way forward. In addition, my dad who passed away in 2018 was a great inspiration to me. He was very hard working and relentless. He taught me to stay focused and goal oriented, no matter the obstacles that come my way. Furthermore, many of my bosses have inspired me, however, most recently, my non-executive director for risk and compliance Anne Mee, has inspired me tremendously. Although I only worked with her for a short period, she had an impact on me and my career and I look up to her a lot. She’s been a mentor and a role model. Her passion for this industry was motivating and put fire in me to climb to greater heights in my career. I am very grateful for her for this.

Inspiring Business Women: Prita Choksy Shah

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 10:20:31 GMT

Prita Choksy Shah is the SEA Head of Digital Banking & Core Transformation at Finastra, a global financial services technology company. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Computers from the University of Mumbai and a Management degree from the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

What made you decide to study computer engineering and how was your experience being a woman in what has been a male-orientated degree?

I had quite a methodical approach when it comes to picking study paths and I remember being the only one among my friends to enrol in career profiling assessment. After assessing my skills, one route that was a match was engineering. It never occurred to me that it might be an unusual choice for a woman, it was just what I saw as a good fit. My parents were very supportive in giving me a lot of directions as well.

It did however hit me on my first day of school that I was in the minority, as only 20% of the students were women and the professors were all male. Despite that, the experience was actually quite pleasant in a way that some professors would even go out of their way to offer extra help and support to the female students. Later in my career, when I completed my MBA, I was surprised once again by the even larger gender gap with only 10% of students being women.

Seeing that, I realised I’d have to work harder and go further to get noticed in the corporate world. I used it as a driving factor to increase my performance and have found it very motivating.

Could you share with me the things you are most proud of about your career and why they are important to you?

Early in my career, I joined Tech Mahindra, a leading global technology company, which had a strong focus on programs for professional growth and career development. Women were a minority, a consequence of the gender representation pursuing engineering, but they believed in equal opportunity and gave me the opportunity to take a two-year sabbatical to pursue my management degree.

When I joined ITC, a large India headquartered conglomerate renowned for focusing on building strong leaders, I was five years out of college and was being recommended for their future of leadership programme. I found it incredibly motivating that my managers had trusted me, believed in me and allowed me to show that I could perform.

I hit a roadblock after two years at HDFC Bank. I had always wanted to work for a bank but it was a high-pressure environment and very cut-throat, so I took a month’s break for some personal downtime and reflection. It was then that I met the CEO of Polaris who invited me to join to set up a new venture from scratch – hiring, building solutions, identifying the story and the go-to-market strategy for building their Cloud business, which gave me a much more well-rounded experience.

What does the Professional Services or Sales industry offer as a career and what are some of the things someone should look out for?

The industry can be very rewarding and there is a significant amount of human interaction. I started my career coding as a Software Engineer but quickly realised I was more people-orientated, which aided my career progression to a Sales role.

There is also the opportunity to create new businesses and markets and drive change. For example, at Finastra, in addition to the more saturated markets, we saw a significant opportunity in Myanmar where we secured three of the top four banks as customers. The Myanmar market is actually very progressive and there was even an occasion where all fifteen people in a meeting between us and the client were women!

I have seen some resistance from customers when buying from a female salesperson; the industry is still very male-dominated at the leadership level so it is very much like being back at school where you need to work harder just to prove yourself – internally or to the customer.

I have always enjoyed creating new niches. Furthermore, there are ups and downs in Sales so it is important to seek a strong leader to work for and a mentor who will believe in you.

Success in Sales comes from building long term relationships, not just closing deals. Most importantly, you have to be yourself, open yourself up to feedback and engage collaboratively to be a successful leader.

Inspiring Business Women: Evelyn Owenson

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 10:34:50 GMT

Evelyn has an impressive career trajectory with an extensive background of leading Technology teams across various organisations. She has held positions such as ‘head of data architecture’ and ‘head of data design’ and has even started her own organisation within Technology. Having worked in this industry for over 30 years, Evelyn was able to provide some great insight into attracting and retaining female talent within Technology.

Could you tell me a bit about your career progression and your different roles?

I graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in Computing and Data Processing and, after spending my third year in RBS in IT, I started my programming career with them upon graduation. I stayed for 15 years in various IT development roles including programming, analysis and design, project management and architecture, however, after 15 years I felt I needed a change and went to Origo as the Standards Manager where I built a team of over 20 to develop standards in the UK pensions industry. After 7 years there, I went to a software company in life and pensions, implementing the standards I’d worked on, but that involved quite a bit of travel and I decided that wasn't for me. So, I took a contract Data Architect role at RBS and that started my career in contracting. I've been back to RBS many times, as well as Tesco Bank, Scottish Widows, Royal London, RSA and now I'm just finishing up at Baillie Gifford. In 2012, I also started up a business with some partners to develop a software product to support the type of work that we did in data, so I've been a director of that business for the last 8 years too, until last year. Now I'm hoping that my next role will be the one that will lead me to retirement!

Did you start your business because of the product or because you wanted to work for yourself?

The former. In the work we did, we were repeatedly creating massive spreadsheets for organisations, so we designed a software product to help with that. I didn’t have a burning desire to work for myself, but it was good to have something outside of contracting, because contract roles don't always give you the level of work that you might want to do, or that you might be doing in a permanent role. It was very challenging but fulfilling.

Can you identify any other challenges you've overcome in your career?

Living in Edinburgh, the availability of the right roles hasn't always been there, so I've had to travel at points in my career, which with young children was a challenge and required a lot of support and sacrifices. I think that's changing now, as we all work online and the location isn't as important, but back then, there wasn't the technology to do that. The other challenge I had was different types of bosses. My very first boss was probably my best, so everybody since has had quite a lot to live up to! I think if your boss doesn't support you, work can become quite hard, and I've moved on a number of times for that reason. However, I have found that there is always something out there that is different, and that's actually been really successful for me in contracting, because I'm not wedded to one organisation. I feel I'm a much more rounded person for having moved on and could now work anywhere.

Are there any personal attributes that you think have helped you progress in your career?

I'm always true to myself. I'm not overly confident outwardly, but I've got inner strength and confidence that enables me to be true to myself. I'm very honest, hardworking and a perfectionist, which is great in IT and as an analyst. Learning the disciplines of analysis early on has really paid dividends too and meant I could do the difficult jobs wherever I've been. I've always aligned myself with data projects, even when it wasn't flavour of the month, but that has meant my knowledge and skills are always up to date and keeps me at the forefront of my field.

What are your thoughts on diversity in regard to females in the Technology industry?

It's an interesting question because I hear a lot about getting more women into tech, but you can't force that. You have to want to be in tech and the women that are in it are there for that reason. I think the problem is women are good at the detail and doing the job, but they aren't as comfortable in the politics involved in climbing the ladder. This means that there aren't a lot of women leaders out there. We need better leaders in Tech all round to help women progress to leadership, because at the moment, men seem to get those roles when they're only OK at a job, whereas women have to be truly excellent, including in the politics, to move up.

Are there any other reasons why you think Tech is so male dominated?

Having a family is one reason. When I started out in Tech, there were a lot of women, but we all had families and historically it's always been the woman who has sacrificed her career to do that. Even if you go back to work afterwards, it's often only part-time or at a lower level than before and because of the family commitments, there's no time for training or development, and that then goes on for years. I chose to go back to work full time and was able to continue a career, but a lot of my peers didn't. All of that results in a male dominated sector. However, I think that is all going to change. There wasn't the flexibility or the technology then that there is now. The pandemic has forced change, and with tech, flexible hours, remote and global working, I think it will help speed up change going forward.

Have you experienced any difficulties as a female in leadership roles with male-dominated teams?

The more people you have in your team, the more issues you get, but it's not necessarily to do with me being female. Very occasionally I've felt people haven't respected me. I'm a pretty easy going, supportive boss, but if you're not doing the job, I will come down hard on you, and men don't like that sometimes. I always take my role as a female leader seriously though, so I have to be true to myself and if I need to confront a situation, I will.

What value have you seen in taking an active approach to diversity and inclusion?

I was a bit surprised by the whole Women in Tech movement, because I've been in Tech since 1984 and have never been labelled as that. Whenever I've been recruiting, it's just been about the best person for the job, regardless of gender or race. Even though I am a woman and promote flexible working, I haven't been a huge fan of working from home in the past, because it was always very difficult to manage. Now with Zoom and Teams, I don't think there's an issue, so the tech should make a more level playing field and help the right person for the job get it.

What are some of the biggest areas for improvement regarding finding and retaining female talent?

Working from home is going to open up the market geographically, which will be great for women, especially in Scotland. There's no real need to filter jobs by location now, it will be totally flexible. This means too that we can promote shared care, with men taking more of an active role in childcare if the woman has an opportunity to further her career by working from home. I think some of the boundaries are going to disappear, which is great for female talent.

How do you ensure an inclusive environment with remote teams?

In my most recent role, I started in October and by March was working from home, so even though it was a small team, I didn't know them well. We made sure we did a daily Zoom call to chat through issues and what our plans were, to make sure we were all on board and included. I've found meeting people online easier because the travel and hotels are taken out of the equation and it can be a simple half an hour. Managing people, particularly if you have to deal with underperformance, might be harder and require more effort though. Part of my job is spending time with people as a manager, so we have to work harder on that aspect. In an office environment, it's also easier to see the politics that are going on and you're aware of what's happening behind the scenes, and I think that could become an inclusivity issue going forward if people never return to the office. HR will need to be much more involved in monitoring leaders and how they deal with diversity and inclusion to make sure they are complying.

Do you think that there's a glass ceiling for full time women in Tech?

I didn't ever feel that that there was a glass ceiling but then I wasn't ever going for the very top job. I do think that often women create their own ceilings, and me not wanting to be a CEO is one of those. Those women that have reached the top I imagine have had to make huge sacrifices familywise. I would guess that they have also had good leaders and good mentors, and not every woman gets that opportunity.

What can hiring managers do to improve their pipeline for females in Tech?

Definitely providing flexibility around times and locations, but it's thinking wider than that, and not just about working hours, but having everyone on board, understanding that meetings need to be at mutually convenient times or that work might get done at different times. What's worked well in the pandemic is that everybody is doing it, the rules are for everyone and the person previously working at home isn't the odd one out. I think that will bring on female talent because we naturally want to work like that. I also think that recognition and reward is important and that good leaders, as well as HR, need to be involved in that. Leaders should be held accountable for the people that they bring into their teams and for the makeup of their teams. I don't really agree with targets or quotas, but an all-male team needs to be justified, just as when you're interviewing male and female candidates, your decisions have to be justified.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I've learned a lot through the entrepreneurial journey of my business venture in recent years. It's come to an end recently because I am older than the people I went into business with and I'm looking towards retirement and they're not. It's made me think about how sometimes we stay too long either in a role or at an organisation when your gut instinct is telling you it's time to move on. Looking back on my career and that venture, I do feel like I should have left earlier, so my advice is to listen to your gut and do something about it and move on if you need to.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Evelyn for sharing her experiences and advice with us. If you are, or know of, an Inspiring Business Woman in Tech who has a great story to tell, I’d love to hear from you!

A whitepaper built on key findings from our LPM Leaders Roundtable Event

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 10:46:35 GMT

We hosted another series of our LPM Leaders Roundtable Events, which brings together Heads of LPM in and around London, and this time we discussed what has been happening during the pandemic period and what trends or challenges LPM leaders are facing now.

We focused our attention on key topics such as:

Where the ‘new normal’ has taken us
The demand for LPM secondees
The real value of qualifications
Trends in other regions

A whitepaper about supporting diverse talent in the legal industry

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 10:39:51 GMT

Diverse teams in all sectors are proven to be more creative, innovative and perform better overall. Yet, for many businesses in the legal sector the challenge is not only how to best attract and hire more diverse legal teams, but also how to create the right workplace environment to engage and therefore retain them.

Hydrogen Group Managing Consultant Stephanie Brückl hosted a team of experts spanning both the legal and diversity arenas for a panel discussion, via webinar, to discuss how best we can support diverse talent in the legal industry.

We focused our attention on key topics such as:

The benefits to having a diverse team
When it comes to recruiting legal talent, what can hiring managers do to ensure they are being as inclusive as possible?
What can hiring managers and colleagues be doing to create anti-racist working environments and champion diversity?
Encouraging diverse talent into leadership role

Inspiring Business Women: Sharon Julien

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 10:56:01 GMT

Sharon is a Senior Programme Manager with substantial experience within the Financial Services Sector with several years of ‘Big 4’ Management Consultancy experience. She has extensive project and programme management skills and has successfully led a range of Business Transformation, Regulatory, Risk Management, Finance, and Systems Integration programmes to conclusion - operating at up to board level. She has also managed Group-wide multi-million international programmes across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Could you share with us your career progression to date?

I studied Computer Science at the University of Greenwich – I had never touched a computer before, but I knew that it was something that could help me secure a good job. I then got on The Prudential's graduate training scheme and I was the first person from my course to land a job. I started in the Technology department as a trainee computer programmer, then worked my way up to analyst programmer, team leader and then into project management. I wanted to do an MBA and after pitching the business case for doing it, they sponsored me to go to Cass Business School. By the time I'd finished, I'd been with Prudential for 7 years and only really knew about insurance. As I wanted to expand my sector knowledge, I went into consultancy at PwC where I learnt about the rest of Financial Services (working at JP Morgan, Standard Chartered Bank and Zurich Financial Services), managing larger projects and getting to work in 11 different countries over my time there. After a second spell with Prudential as a Corporate Programme Manager, I decided to become a contractor and worked at Lloyds Banking Group, and Aviva. At that point, I had started a family and wanted a better work/life balance, which meant going back to permanent work, so my job at the Bank of England was ideal. I was recruited to set up and implement the Structural Reform ‘Ring Fencing’ programme. I'm now managing the ISO2022 programme (implementing an international payments standard) as well as an Enterprise Integration programme (Implementation of an integration bus). It's a challenging and interesting job, working with talented people at an organisation that shares my values, so I'm really enjoying it.

What propelled you to enter the Project Management space?

I was a lousy programmer! Well maybe not lousy, but I was not the best and I always strive to be the best. At Prudential, they very quickly saw my organisational and people skills, and my talent for bridging the gap between the technology and business areas. I took on more project management roles, managing people far more senior than myself at times, and realised that I really liked setting things up, building a team and implementing a project to completion.

After roles in Financial Services, what challenges did you experience moving to the Bank of England?

The Bank of England (BOE) is a very different environment in many ways, one of which is that it is not the private sector. We can't throw money at a problem, for example, it's much more about value for money because the Bank is there to serve the good of the people of the UK not to make a profit. In the private sector, if I need a contractor tomorrow, I can get one, but at the Bank, I need to put a strong my case forward and there are checks and screening required before a contractor can start. After all, it's the people's money, so we have to be careful with it. It's also a very different culture. It's much less direct, more collaborative, and, in terms of the way decisions are made, a more formal structure and more formal governance. Everybody knows each other at the Bank as it’s not large, and there are a lot of support networks available, such as a black and ethnic minority network; an LGBT network; and faith networks, which I didn’t see in my time in the private sector. I expect they may be in place now.

What are the biggest challenges you've faced in your career so far and are any due to gender?

It is difficult to know as a black woman from a lower socio-economic group, whether or not the challenges that I have faced are due to gender, race or the fact that I'm from the lowest socio-economic group or all three. There definitely are challenges being a woman. Even though there are more women in senior positions now, there are still challenges faced by women even at this senior level.

Earlier on in my career, I was in the very male-dominated Tech sector and it was a challenge to get my voice heard or build relationships. Then in my Management Consultant years, I travelled the world, but people would often assume that someone in my team was the senior manager. At Prudential, I went on a career development for women course and that really helped me to understand that other senior women faced the same problems in getting their voice heard. In addition to gender challenges, as a black woman, I’ve suffered from mistaken identity many times too, often mistaken for a PA or another black woman in the department. As you get higher up, it’s important to focus on what you need to do to take the next step in your career, what the rules are, and position yourself accordingly. There is still the challenge of understanding the unwritten rules of the game that enable you to progress.

This year, there has been a real shift towards a more collective consciousness of the BAME experience, led by the Black Life Matters movement. How have you seen this play out in the workplace?

I am really pleased with what the Bank has done in response to this. It had already initiated African Caribbean Under Graduate sponsorships and we’d had unconscious bias training and ‘Let’s Talk About Race’ training, but we have recently had online meetings with all the senior figures, including the Governor, talking about these issues. We've had quite a few key people do talks to help us understand the different issues better and to understand the specific actions to take the initiative forward.

What can hiring managers do to create anti-racist working environments and champion diversity?

At the Bank, to champion diversity, we have implemented anonymous applications, redacting the gender and ethnicity of candidates. We advertise on wider jobs boards and use agencies that target diverse groups and I personally use my LinkedIn network so that candidates can see a black woman at the Bank of England is hiring, and that encourages a more diverse range of candidates to apply. I have also made the mandatory and the desirable criteria for roles much shorter because I want people with the right values for the Bank and with potential (rather than specifying exact experience or a certain industry background), which opens it up to more candidates. We’re also making sure that everyone has unconscious bias training before recruiting and are ensuring that our interview panels are as diverse as possible. In terms of inclusion, we are looking into our attrition rates and promotion rates to understand the progress of BAME employees better and deploying sponsorship and coaching where we can, and other initiatives such as secondments onto strategic projects.

Do you believe there's a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, and has it changed?

It's definitely improved a lot, but it is still there. At this stage in my career, I do think the ethnicity one is bigger as I see many more senior women around me. However, the lockdown has shown us that when it comes to childcare, often that is with the woman, so when something like this happens it really can impact things for women. When I was at PwC, a lot of the women who had children at that time couldn't continue that career of travelling all over all around the world, and that isn’t always true for men. Things of course may be different in consultancy now.

How do you feel the Financial Services industry compares to others, regarding diversity, and how has that changed?

I have only ever worked in Financial Services so I can’t compare other sectors, but I have seen improvement in terms of gender diversity. It can still be tough when you’re the only senior woman, but it’s still come a long way. In my career, I've mainly worked with men, but at the Bank now, I'm working with far more women than I've ever worked with and far more black people than I've ever worked with. Although things have improved there is still a lack of representation of black people in the more senior roles at the Bank and throughout the Financial Services Industry. The Bank and the rest of the industry are aware of this and are addressing this.

What are some key moments in your career that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

I cannot really recall specific moments that have hindered me, but there have been some pivotal moments right from the start. I always like to challenge myself. I chose to do Economics at A-Level, despite never having studied it and despite the lecturer trying to dissuade me because of my background and the newspaper that my family read. Realising there was a class divide to overcome was a key moment for me. I mentioned the Computer Science degree and how I decided upon the course having never touched a computer and challenge myself, then I pushed for the MBA opportunity, which was a turning point because it got me interested in Management Consultancy. Taking those leaps and opportunities meant I later worked all over the world and progressed my career to my current position.

What advice would you give to a BAME woman looking to progress their career in Banking or FS?

As a woman, you've got to be twice as good. As a black woman, probably three or four times as good. You really do have to know your stuff, in terms of the latest thinking and understanding the business. My advice is to build relationships and networks because getting to know everybody is vital. Socialising and taking part are important too - you will miss out on something if you don't immerse yourself. Make sure you get yourself heard by speaking up in meetings and volunteer for things outside of your role. I think that getting a mentor or a coach early on in your career is great, and a sponsor later in your career is essential. They can help you focus on your goals and what you want to achieve. Talking about it and letting it be known that you want to get on really counts, because no one will notice you just sitting there working really hard.

Do you have any role models?

Yes, my ultimate role model is my mother, who came to England from Dominica with my father in 1956, and whose sacrifices, drive and ambition helped to get me to where I am today.

Within the Bank we have a black female CFO Afua Kyei, she is a good role model for me.

Outside of the Bank, it is Sharon White who was at the Treasury and Ofcom and is now the chair of John Lewis. That's where I want to see more women and more black women. We need representation at that level. We need more Sharon Whites!

A Q4 update on the Australian Data Science & Analytics market

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 11:16:45 GMT

At the end of May, in my last market update , I wrote that we were seeing the first signs of recovery in the Australian Data recruitment market and that I felt there was light at the end of the tunnel, post-pandemic. And I was right... for a couple of months at least! In May and June, many of our clients continued to reach out to discuss their hiring freezes coming to an end and what their requirements were likely to be. There was an air of positivity that we hadn’t seen for months, with candidates and businesses being less risk averse. Unfortunately, our collective confidence was short-lived as the second wave hit in July.

Budgets were frozen again, setting businesses back approximately eight weeks, and recruitment processes slowed right down with any hiring needing re-approval. However, without sounding like I am repeating myself from May, it looks like there might be light at the end of this (second) tunnel now. This past month, we have had a number of exciting discussions with clients who now have a backlog that needs to be addressed, projects that were put on hold and that must get underway if they’re to remain on track and competitive. The overriding message seems to be that Australian businesses simply cannot hold off any longer, and this might be the difference this time. Without tempting fate too much, this could be a tipping point for the sector.

To keep our confidence in check, we’ve spoken to a number of leaders in the Data and Analytics consulting sector over the last couple of weeks to see if our observations were accurate. Their experiences are mirroring ours in recruitment, with not just a positive mood among their client base, but actual RFP’s going out for projects that were approved in Q2 of this year, which are finally getting signed off. From our perspective, this will mean more activity as they look to increase both their permanent and contract headcount as they scale their Data teams accordingly.

While this is of course good news, particularly when you consider the number of candidates available in the Data market right now, clients are going to want one thing in these uncertain economic times: the ever-elusive unicorn. A unicorn is a mythical candidate who ticks every box from education to experience and has every skill set known to man on their CV. In my sector, unicorns are also literate in the very latest technology and have no problem translating and explaining data to non-data stakeholders. The reason you don’t see them applying for roles is that they are very risk averse creatures, staying firmly where they are until they see stability back in the market. While this means that my team and I will be working five times harder to find them, we relish the challenge and can’t wait to uncover a few unicorns in the last quarter of this year!

Are there any other key trends you’re seeing in the sector in the second half of 2020? If you’re a Data professional and would like a confidential discussion to learn more about the current opportunities in the market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Inspiring Business Women: Jihyun Lee

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 12:06:26 GMT

Jihyun Lee is a Managing Director and Head of IT at Bank Julius Baer based in Singapore. She has been working in technology leadership roles in financial service for over 20 years, based primarily in Singapore and New York.

we could start with an overview of your career and why you decided to take the route you took after graduating?

I began my career in South Korea after graduating from Ewha Womans University with a BA in French Literature, a very different space to where I have found myself in my career. It was a female-only college so I never had any of the exposure that one might have with gender inequality at an academic level. Social stigma didn’t really exist at school, we were all equals. After graduation, I joined one of the largest employers in South Korea, a firm who hires thousands into their graduate cohort every year, yet only 1% were female. It was then when I had my first experience being socially defined.

I didn’t want to grow up confined within that narrative, so I relocated to New York at a young age to develop my career. I joined CitiGroup and then moved to Dell where I spent 5 years as a Project Manager consulting to clients.

Afterwards, I spent 17 years in Credit Suisse and was lucky enough to lead technology teams across a number of business units, from Private Equity and Prime Services to Client Trading and Private Banking.

I joined BJB in 2016 as the Head of IT where I am responsible for a team in Singapore, a small team in Hong Kong and also an offshore team. We take care of all things Run-The-Bank for the APAC region and I report into Zurich.

Have you had any positive experiences working as a female technology leader working in banks?

When I moved to the US, I was not being seen primarily as a female but simply a high potential talent, which definitely helped make the experience better. I have also had female role models very early in my career – at Citi I had a female mentor and then at Dell I had a female boss.

I have experienced quite a lot of internal mobility, which I attribute to the strong support my managers have given me, encouraging me to take on new challenges and get out of my comfort zone.

Moving to BJB, it gives me great confidence that such an organisation is willing to hire a female Head of IT and I have in turn hired other senior females for positions like COO. It is great to see that there is a career path in IT for females here.

At what point in your career was it the toughest and how did you overcome those periods of time?

I noticed signs of gender inequality again when I relocated to Singapore. I felt that there was still a strong social stigma on how to look and act as a female. In the banking industry, for example, roles like Relationship Managers have always been a role for females.

My biggest challenge though was leading an IT team that supported the Prime Services business in Hong Kong. This was the biggest role I had been given and I was still quite junior in terms of experience. I was supporting the front office but did not actually have the thick skin I do now to support my traders and stakeholders. I told my boss I couldn’t do the job and advised them to hire someone else. I overcame the challenge by being proactive and thinking about the greater good. At the time, it felt like a big step back but it actually allowed me to better reflect and reposition myself.

Do you think that any of the challenges that you faced were because of your gender?

I do think that as a female I had obstacles to overcome just because of the innate differences between male and female. For example, men by nature, in my experience, tend to have a bigger network in the bank and the wider industry. Women are not always natural networkers or, have home commitments that make it harder to network outside of working hours, where most networking is done in the industry. I have seen a fair share of what I would call strong male networks which females just don’t get invited to.

As a senior female figure in Financial Services IT, what advice would you give to other leaders, male or female, on how to attract, retain and develop diverse candidates?

As a leader, it is important to create an environment that allows females to develop. This involves encouraging them to continuously learn, be curious, take ownership and have a strong core. We must go one step further and actively encourage these behaviours so that females believe in themselves and have high self-esteem. In technology and operations functions, leaders should be delivery-focused as nothing else matters.

Giving them access to female role models is also very important, so is male support. For example, I ran the IT Women’s Council at Credit Suisse and helped set up the same at BJB when I joined.

We are going through a very unique experience right now with a focus on defining the new normal. In your opinion, how do we take into account diversity & inclusion in the new normal and use this as an opportunity to take a step forward with providing a platform for future female leaders?

Firstly, genuine diversity & inclusion is really based on trust and I think that being forced to work from home and manage our own time has really increased trust levels between teams. Telecommuting has been great at removing barriers such as gender, nationality and location, putting everyone on a level playing field.

The increased flexibility that comes with working remotely also brings great benefits to working mothers which may in turn attract and retain a higher number of females in the industry. However, we should be mindful that no single home environment is the same and some mothers may find it even harder to “switch off” while working from home.

Inspiring Business Women: Siew Choo Soh

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 12:01:35 GMT

Siew Choo Soh is the Managing Director, Group Head of Consumer Banking and Big Data/AI Technology at DBS Bank. In this role, she is responsible for driving technology transformation to reimagine banking via cloud-native architecture, Big Data, machine learning and Agile.

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped you get to where you are?

The most important thing is the willingness to take on challenges and not being afraid of venturing into something you’re not entirely comfortable with. It is also important to take calculated risks and make sure that you move into a completely different domain every now and then so you don’t get stuck doing the same thing repeatedly. In my career, I have moved into different domains within banking, never staying in the same role for more than three to four years. Such moves help give you a different perspective on things and offer a much broader experience. Moving to different countries is another great example. I have worked in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong, and have always learnt the most when I moved to a place where the culture and preferences are different to what I am used to. Change is one of the keys that will help broaden your experience and equip you to take on the next challenge.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

At my previous company and here at DBS, we practice reverse mentoring, because it is a two-way street and both the mentor and mentee can learn from each other. For that, you should be very open and have the humility to know that you might not have all the answers. To have intellectual humility is to always have the doubt in your mind that things you believe are correct may not be correct anymore and you might be wrong. If you have this mentality, you will continue to learn and continue to stay relevant, regardless of how old you are.

How do you successfully balance long hours with your personal life?

For me, it’s more about work-life integration. You must love what you do, otherwise, it just becomes a chore. I don’t look at it as work or life because there’s no line in between. I’m a pretty systematic person, so I maintain a one-year, a six-months, a three-months, a two-weeks and a two-days outlook, which I review regularly. I would look at the things I want to achieve, consider their importance and prioritise accordingly. That way, I’ll know what to spend my time on and achieve my short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

The first time I noticed it was when I got hired into JP Morgan, where my team was only 10% female. I noticed it again when I got promoted to Managing Director there and the ratio of women being promoted at that time was a low single-digit percentage. That was a significant realisation because I often found myself as the only female during global meetings, so how to make myself and my voice heard required a lot more effort. I’d be drowned in the voices of dominant personalities sitting at the same table if I make extra effort to be heard.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Being a left-hander, I’ve always felt like a ‘misfit’ in the world. The world is not created for left-handers. The same goes for females. When you’re in the minority in your organisation, you can feel like a misfit.

However, being the ‘odd one out’ allows me to introduce better solutions to the team because I have a different perspective. And that goes beyond gender, to things like work experience, race, nationality, etc. Having a diverse team might be tough initially because of the differences you have, but once you get to know each other, it’ll help give you the best solution.

When you look at digital transformation today, experience is the one thing that differentiates superior products from the rest. The world is made up of 50/50 men and women, if your product isn’t designed and tested by the gender that represents half of the population, you’re not creating a great experience because it only caters to a particular audience. That’s why it’s important to have an equal representation so that the voice of your customer can be represented in your products or services.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

Having a high awareness of the importance of diversity & inclusion.

There is still a pervasive lack the awareness of unconscious bias. One might think that’s all one can do, that we have done our best when more could have been done if we are more open to accepting that we might be unconsciously biased. To shift the ratio, awareness has to be there, along with the right intervention in terms of creating the right environment and increasing the pool of people. When you try, you will get the results.

Last year, we decided to do things differently and added a curated women-focused programme to our annual hiring hackathon. As a result, we managed to increase the proportion of job offers to females by six times. If everyone is willing and believes that their efforts will get results, ratios will change pretty quickly.

A lot of people are aware of the importance but don’t know where to start. For example, when I go out to recruit allies, they could be quite hesitant because diversity, in general, is quite a sensitive topic. Learning about their concerns is very useful because that allows us to think of ways to address them, and look at creating a safe environment for people who want to begin this journey.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

You have to be willing to hire people who are different from you. Don’t hire from the same ‘cliques’ but go for the people who may not agree with you on everything. That will be the starting point.

Is there anything you are doing to help emerging female leaders?

One of the key things people talk about is role models. We have to be willing to show the way to those who are coming up. I always encourage the females I interact with to be fearless because women are typically more self-aware and perhaps less self-confident than men. When I meet with females who are coming up the ranks, I’d urge them to be more confident and bolder in everything that they think they can do.

How do you foresee the future of the industry in terms of gender diversity?

It is quite disheartening that the representation of women is still progressing slowly. However, the fact that all industries view technology as an integral part and that digital is here to stay is good news. That should encourage more women to go into the STEM disciplines when deciding what to study. We will hopefully see a better representation of women in all industries, especially in Technology and Banking, which currently are still under-represented. I have big hopes because we’re seeing more women standing up for themselves and taking the leap to being a part of the banking and tech industries.

Inspiring Business Women: Larissa Tan

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 12:15:15 GMT

Larissa Tan is the CEO at Vanda Electrics. She is an experienced senior management executive with a demonstrated history of working in the strategic branding and marketing space for automotive, luxury, consumer and heavy industries. Skilled in Strategic Branding, Integrated Marketing, Advertising, Retail, and e-Commerce, she is a strong business development professional with a proven record of setting up distribution channels, dealing with backend and general management.

Could you tell us a little bit about your career?

I started in Banking in the late 1990s at the beginning of the first Asian financial crisis. It was a very traditional working environment, with a desk, a computer and a landline. Banking was a natural choice for me because I did Economics, and then Financial Management as my Master's, but I realised early on that it wasn’t the right path for me and that Marketing and Branding suited me more. Then, when I was at Royal Bank of Canada, I met someone who was less traditional in terms of management thinking and the way he hired talent. He compared finding talent to dating, where it's all about personality fit rather than skill sets, which wasn't the norm back then. He wanted a certain attitude for his company and even though I was in Finance, after six months of meeting for coffees, he asked me to work for him. It wasn't about a certain role, it was about working out what I could do for them, which was very empowering.

Do you think that would have happened with a larger, more traditional firm?

No. A lot of traditional firms have a very fixed mindset of who they want to hire, which I think is a big mistake. I'm not saying everyone should be offered positions to do whatever they want, because those coffees were actually informal interviews, but I do think firms should try to understand personalities more and take a chance on a person. That opportunity allowed me to move into Marketing and Branding, which I later took into jewellery, creating international brands for a Singapore company that wholesaled internationally. The interesting thing about jewellery, by the way, is that people assume it's a female industry, but it isn't. Majority of the clientele may be, but many of the owners and the diamond wholesalers are men. Then after jewellery, I moved to Wong Fong Industries as their CMO to work in heavy industry, which was very different again.

How have you made these career decisions along the way?

What interests me most is building a business – and it doesn't necessarily matter what industry it is. For example, Wong Fong Industries was a 50-year-old company that really needed to rebrand. It wasn't that I wanted to sell waste management trucks, but that they wanted to IPO and they needed a strategic rebrand in order for them to list. It also doesn't matter whether you have any experience in that industry. I have 20 years’ experience in Marketing and though the industries may change, the skillset doesn’t. It doesn't take long to learn about a product or an industry, but skillset, attitude and personality are different. 30 years’ experience in an industry doesn't automatically give you any creativity or the critical thinking required to make a difference.

How did you come to be at Vanda Electrics?

The opportunity came when the founder of Vanda Electrics, who had designed the electric supercar, decided that the time was right to build it after many years on the drawing board. Technology had finally caught up with the design ethos; manufacturing was also more affordable, so it became possible to start building. I was initially asked to help with the marketing and fundraising. Then in 2015, Williams Advanced Engineering came on board as a technical and engineering partner to build the concept car, so we incorporated the company and shortly after, they needed a CEO who could take the brand international and make inroads into the luxury consumer market.

Looking back on your career, what are some of the key moments that have either helped or hindered you in getting to where you are today?

There’s no one thing that has helped or hindered me. Attitude is a big plus and as for the other things that have helped me, I'm very grateful to the people who have given me a chance, especially at the more senior positions. In terms of the things that have probably hindered me, I imagine I was either oblivious to them or choose to ignore most of them. My career has been quite non-traditional in that I haven't been in a single industry for the majority of it and being industry-agnostic has possibly hindered me. A lot of hiring mindsets haven't changed and there is still that cookie-cutter approach of looking at how many years you have been in a certain industry, because it’s a safe bet from an HR point of view.

Do you have a role model or a mentor?

I don't have a specific mentor or role model. What I've done over the years is to observe certain people that have inspired me. There's no one person I have wanted to emulate, but it's more parts of different people that I look up to.

What advice might you give to a mentee?

That there is no right way to think and there is no wrong way to think. My very first boss was very traditional and authoritarian. He was really hard on you if you so much as questioned him, which I occasionally did, just as a client might, and the consequences were terrible. You might think things have changed over 20 years, but someone told me recently, "I would hire you, but I don't think I can control you." The delivery might be different there, but the message that you can’t have your own opinion is still the same. My advice would be to ignore these potential obstacles and stand by your own opinions.

Do you think that gender has ever hindered you?

I don't think so. If I start looking at gender as a hindrance, then that’s all I’ll see and everything I do, there will be constraints. I've worked in a lot of male-dominated industries, and if I look at them that way, they will always be "male-dominated". Instead, by looking at them as “not having enough women”, they become an opportunity. It's all about the right attitude. If you keep looking at a company or industry as not being diverse, that's all you’ll see.

How do you balance having a family with a successful career?

You have to put the idea of work/life balance out of your mind. I'm a mother first and a CEO second. If you understand what your responsibilities are and to whom and where they come in, you can then schedule yourself around that. Technology makes that easier with remote working, so I prefer to look at my life as a whole rather than work and personal, using the tools we have to make it all work as a whole. Every working mother has their own unique situation though, but this is what works for me.

Do you believe that there is still a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, or has it changed?

The term wasn't mentioned as much 20 years ago, but a glass ceiling did exist, and it probably is still there today, but again it's how you frame it. If you believe there's a ceiling, then it will be there. If you see there's no ceiling, then there's just sky. It's all about how you approach it.

What obstacles do you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything that we can start to do about them?

There are many things that we can start to do – firstly, we can stop talking about it so much. I didn't realise it was such an issue until a couple of years ago when diversity and inclusion become buzzwords. Maybe I had blinkers on, chasing my own career, but while I think it's good to raise awareness and have platforms for issues, I sometimes feel it can be a bit overdone. If we stop talking about it quite so much, it might make things easier for everybody: men won't have to be so overly cautious when speaking to women, for example, and women won't have any sense of self-entitlement that they should get a role because of their gender. There's a real danger that women on boards will start to be perceived as being there because they're women, rather than because they're capable or have worked hard to get there, which would be one step forward, two steps back. Equal opportunities are more important for me - both genders should be able to fight on an equal platform for the same opportunity, regardless of gender.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

It's important to remember that they are two different things. You can be diverse but not inclusive. Similarly, you can meet quotas on gender, race, minorities, but still not be truly diverse, because what you need to be successful is the diversity in thinking experience. If large companies only hire from the big banks or the Big Four, or those graduated from Harvard or Stanford, they’re only going to get people with a similar way of thinking and with similar backgrounds. Innovation doesn't happen if you keep hiring the same types of people. You need to start hiring people cross-industry who have different experiences.

What advice would you give to women looking to make a career in your industry?

Rather than thinking about standard career questions, think about the problems you are inspired to solve. Remember too that it doesn't matter what background or industry experience you have, if you're passionate about something, you will find the right skills and knowledge. Those are the sort of people you want in your company. I moved into industries and roles where I thought I could do something and add value, rather than only considering the next logical move that was one step up or lateral. If you're not passionate about what you do, you won't get anywhere.

Are there any things that you are doing to help emerging female leaders?

I've done lots of talks and summits on gender parity and diversity and inclusion, and while I realise it's not going to change the world or change every hiring manager's mind, I hope that it helps people look within themselves to change how they think. If it removes mental obstacles for some people, then that's great.

Is there anything else you'd like to add in terms of the benefits of diversity?

Every industry can benefit from having diverse and inclusive teams, but a lot of that falls onto HR, which as a function is still in a period of change. While HR functions may have evolved, I think it remains to be seen whether that evolution has been effective because I don't see significant changes happening yet and people are still hiring in the same way. We may have moved a lot of things around the table, but no one has actually shifted the table yet. If I have a role I need to fill and I know the type of individual I want, then HR should be able to find that person creatively rather than simply create a criteria checklist based on the job description and risk filtering out potentially perfect candidates. There needs to be a real change in the hiring process, moving the entire table in my analogy, for the full effects to be seen. Workplaces are changing dramatically right now, and a mindset shift on hiring, talent management and the role of HR has become imperative. It’s time to change.

Tips for job seekers in these challenging times

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:19:02 GMT

It’s an understatement to say that this year hasn’t been what any of us expected.

From an employment perspective, whether you lost your job, were furloughed like me, or have worked through the whole mess either from home or in a changed office environment, it’s been a huge, exhausting challenge for everyone, particularly as there is still no immediate end in sight.

Returning from furlough has been a baptism of fire and seeing our market in its current state was devastating, both professionally and personally, because the most rewarding part of my work is placing people and providing opportunities. I know many people in my network will remember the 2008 crisis, but I have never experienced anything like this. With no commuting time to reflect or recharge, and no personal space due to the blurred lines created by working from home, my job feels relentless, especially with the market saturated with so many talented change and transformation experts looking for work. On a positive note, we are all in this together, and there is significant change taking place in every business across every sector at the moment. And where there is change, there is opportunity.

Despite social distancing or even another lockdown, finding those opportunities is all about communication at the moment, from leveraging your networks to reaching out to people online. I’ve been doing it to generate some momentum and it’s working, so here are my top three tips for candidates that I hope will help you create an opportunity and secure the position you’re looking for.

1. Connect

Connect with everyone you can. Call, text, email, message on every platform available to you. Don’t be put off if you don’t hear back immediately, just keep on connecting, especially if it’s with recruiters who are snowed under with applications. I’ve been actively sending candidate profiles to my clients purely to connect them; encouraging people to have conversations, whether there’s a position open or not. Sharing skills and experiences is valuable for both sides, and you never know when either party might need the other in the future.

I emailed a client about an excellent candidate: they weren’t hiring, but they passed the candidate on to someone who was – and they got the job!

Leverage your network: I made a recent placement by reaching out to an old contact, who then introduced me to a Managing Director who had a need for contractors.

2. Use every resource

Don’t overlook the online angle and revamp your LinkedIn profile to sell yourself as best you can. Engagement is a two-way street, so tag people you know or think might be relevant in posts of interest; send jobs to them; and keep in touch with people in the comments. Think of your profile as your brand and make sure you stay visible to keep your name out there.

I recently tagged two people I knew on another recruiter’s LinkedIn post for hire. There was nothing in it for me and in a normal, competitive world, I wouldn’t have done it, but at the moment it’s all about people connecting and getting back to work.

As a recruiter, I’m currently receiving 10 times the volume of applications for roles. Candidates who have followed up with a call or a LinkedIn message can often find their way to the top of the pile.

3. Make recommendations

Recommend people directly for jobs that are relevant to them (and that you’re not applying for yourself!). If there’s no obvious way for you to make a referral or an introduction, suggest that they apply for it themselves. If you do have any links to the employer or the recruiter handling the role that mean you can make a personal recommendation, do it, as it will only enhance your brand further. Building those kinds of relationships and forging common ground with people enables you to stand out.

A PM emailed me recently emphasizing his availability. When the email came in, I was on the phone to a VP of Operations, so I mentioned the candidate. The VP recommended another hiring manager who might be interested. It hasn’t come to fruition yet, but it just goes to show you never know when recommending people will pay off!

My view is that we are very much fighting this pandemic together and we need to help each other stay positive about our future careers as much as we can. Reaching out and engaging, even though it can’t be in person at the moment, is a vital tool in our armoury, not just for our jobs, but for our mental wellbeing. If you would like to get in touch about business transformation opportunities, hiring, or to put your personal brand out there as I’ve suggested, I’d love to hear from you.

We've always said “disrupt or be disrupted” – we weren’t expecting this!

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 12:25:54 GMT

Our CEO, Ian Temple, caught up with Adam Hawkins from LinkedIn recently, about how we have dealt with change at Hydrogen Group this year – what we did, what we’ve learned and where we’re going next.

How do you lead your people with integrity through a crisis?

“Disrupt or be disrupted” is a common refrain at Hydrogen Group, but I don’t think any of us were quite ready for the events of 2020. From the financial crash of 2008 to the plummeting of oil and gas prices in 2014, I thought we’d weathered just about every kind of storm we could!

The first few months of the pandemic were a blur of risk assessment, Microsoft Teams calls, and serious conversations. Now, as we appear to be falling into a new way of life, I have a little more time to ruminate on everything we’ve learned – and am keen to speak to others in the industry about their experiences. Here I am interviewed by LinkedIn’s Adam Hawkins around what we did at Hydrogen Group, what we’ve learned, and where we’re going next.

To start, can you share a brief overview of your business and some of your priorities?

We’re a global business, with thirteen offices around the world - across Europe, Asia, Australia, and our youngest in the US. We specialise in niches where there’s an imbalance in supply and demand, where we think we can really make a difference. At the start, our strategy was to target newly-qualified accountants, letting our clients know we had top talent available. Very quickly, we became a top three supplier in that market, which led to other professional services like legal and business transformation – particularly tech. We grew quickly – after the financial crash hit in 2008, we moved into different markets like oil and gas and life sciences – our biggest growth area globally, and particularly interesting in light of the pandemic.

You were leading the business during the last financial crisis, but the global pandemic is a different challenge. As CEO, how have you dealt with that?

There are parallels, but it’s also quite different. Our conversion ratios haven’t changed much, whereas in the financial crash we had to do twice as much work to get the same number of placements. To be practical, you have to focus on what you can change and influence, and ensure you’re communicating with your people. At the start of the pandemic, we quickly came up with three core principles:

Keep as many roles as possible.
Make decisions that would help the business to bounce back in a strong position.
Act as fairly and humanely as possible in all of our dealings – both internally and with our contractor population.

Reputation matters; people will judge us on the decisions made at times like these. These principles allowed us to get our heads around what we were doing and why we were doing it.

Many CEOs I’ve spoken to say the strength of their culture and the ability to communicate actively has carried them through. Has your culture helped or hindered you?

Our culture has become stronger because our people have rallied around and supported each other. Through regular CEO updates, our previously regional business has started to feel much more global. Before the pandemic, we ran a trial initiative in Europe called ‘I Own My Time’, allowing people to manage their hours and work when they wanted to – a very different story to when I first got into recruitment! It was met with some scepticism from managers, but having more transparency, freedom, and accountability had a big impact.

The principle of people ‘owning their time’ is about trust and empowerment. Many companies are fearful that their culture is built on presenteeism; it’s ironic now that people are seeing each other less but feel more connected. What do you think your business will look like moving forward in terms of how people will be working?

It’s interesting, when I came into the office for the first-time after lockdown I felt really re-energised from doing something different and seeing people – I think we need a balance of the two. Most people in this industry thrive on being around others, so it’s about catering to that as well. There were years where we judged ourselves for how many people were in the office. Now it’s about what we’re achieving and doing for our clients and candidates, and how they rate their experience of working with us through our Net Promoter Score.

One of the first things you said was about conversion so I’m going to assume you’re a leader that likes metrics and detail?

My background many years ago is in accounting, but the magic in recruitment is when you get the people side right and the metrics right. Most businesses want to be one or the other, but we want to be both and that’s our challenge. I use the analogy of going to the gym – you want to set yourself goals and targets for what you want to achieve, and your manager is there to tell you what you need to do to get there.

From what you’ve seen on the metric side, what’s your feeling on whether recruiters can perform from home – are they productive?

The evidence we’ve got so far is that people can be productive if you have the right conversations and the right information. We found it easier to have the right information by having people working from home showing what they’re doing; it has helped them understand their own pipeline a lot better – what’s important and what’s not. There’s no doubt that some people have been more productive and more focused – whether it continues post-lockdown will be interesting. Ultimately, you can set your own level of success and achievement and learn about yourself during this crisis.

Do you think businesses need to become more data literate and tech-savvy in order to track performance?

Definitely. We’ve spent time and money over the last year trying to get better at it. Obviously, it starts with capturing data effectively and we try to learn from what’s around us – LinkedIn for example! Ours is pretty good compared to others, but we’re just at the start of what we will see over the next five to ten years in terms of what data will do for people.

Changing focus now, recent events have triggered everyone – individually and as a business – to reflect on diversity, inclusion and belonging. How’s that been for you and your business?

We know that if we aren’t careful in these moments, our voice won’t be powerful. But with different issues and different legal and political frameworks in many of the countries in which we operate, saying something powerful and thoughtful becomes complicated. We have run campaigns around the world on different areas of diversity over the last few years and what I’ve learnt is that talking about it and providing resources so others can learn is the most sensible thing. It’s raised our awareness and I do see us as being on the frontline of the diversity and selection challenge. For our clients, they really care about their diversity so to do a good job for them is really important. Now we’re thinking about what we can do over the next few years that’s tangible and measurable, something that will really make a difference rather than a quick response.

It’s refreshing to hear you have focused on these important conversations. As a business you can’t begin to positively impact diversity, inclusion and belonging until it becomes an open and transparent subject.

You’re right, and actually we did a call across Europe and the US to discuss how it’s treated differently – the best thing is that we were all talking about it, the organisation has normalised talking about it and I underestimated the importance of that, particularly in the States.

The recruitment industry is still challenged with women in leadership; this is my ninth executive interview and we’ve only had one woman so far. How does the industry look to change that?

We have developed a lot of senior women over the years, but we still have a long way to go. Is it about the equality of opportunity or the equality of outcome? Why have we ended up with an outcome where we’ve got more male leaders? We’re still challenging ourselves heavily on that. As an industry, I’m surprised we haven’t progressed more by now. Paternity leave, shared parental leave, and these things help but it still feels like there’s a long way to go. To get to the next level, we want different people with different views, experiences, behaviours and skills. Decision making is so much more powerful when it is based on a wider range of views.

Finally, Ian, what’s been your biggest takeaway going through this economic shock and how will your business look as a result of that?

It just speeds up change, doesn’t it? Our last business plan went up to 2022, entitled ‘Disrupt or be disrupted’ – although we didn’t expect this level of disruption! It’s forced us to really consider what’s important and where we’re going next. Although it’s really unpleasant, so many of us will learn and develop from this – it’s an unbelievable experience to live through. As a business, it’s made us realise it is even more important to be agile. We know now that certainty doesn’t exist, and the world isn’t going to stand still for you. Keep learning, keep developing and be honest about where you are so you can move yourself forward.

Do you share my view on the importance of data literacy in organisations? Are we progressing fast enough on diversity within our industry? What comes next?

Webinar: Supporting diverse talent in the legal industry

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 12:30:13 GMT

Diverse teams are proven to be more creative, innovative and perform better overall.

Yet for many businesses, the challenge is two-fold – not only how to best attract and hire more diverse legal teams, but also how to maintain and engage them.

With the help of a brilliant panel, whose expertise spans both the legal and diversity arenas, we unpicked some of these challenges in our recent webinar.

Watch our webinar to learn about:

How to attract and recruit more diverse legal teams
How the best companies are retaining diverse legal talent
Practical steps you can take, both personally and professionally, to help support diverse talent in the legal industry

Inspiring Business Women: Hanane Sabri

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 06:34:51 GMT

Hanane Sabri is an experienced Marketing Director, with strong capabilities and managerial skills in omni-channel strategies, Digital Marketing, Sports and Fashion events, Finance and market analysis.

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What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

As a former international runner competing for the French national team in 1500m & 800m, I would say that racing for excellence is definitely the most important factor in my professional career - I am always determined to reach my goals and try to push my limits at work. Why? Because making achievements brings me happiness, pride and satisfaction. Just like every athlete, we need to strive to be the best in anything that we do; whether it is through day-to-day training, diet, watching old races to understand our competitors' strategy or exchanging tactics with your coach and teammates. Sports and work are quite similar to me, so I like to think that through hard work, resilience and perseverance, we can reach peak performance in any job function.

When I first started working in Finance, which was actually my education (with 2 masters in Finance/Banking), my determination, curiosity and pursuit of excellence allowed me to better understand consumer insights and needs. This is how my interest in Marketing started.

Today, I am proud and honoured to be the APAC Marketing Director for Kipling VF. It means a lot to me as this is definitely the fruit of my constant search for excellence. It also means that nothing is impossible if we really want it and work hard for it.

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As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

With my Sports background, I always set up rules in things that I do, which is a great habit. The workplace is like a giant game with specific rules within your field or industry function, whether it is Fashion, Medical, Politics or Sports. If you set up rules based on your observations, management profile and consumer or audience insights, it will go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of my personal rules with you.

My first advice is to always take the time to set up clear goals and have a vision in mind of what the end result would be, that way you can convince your audience to adopt your strategy and follow your leadership as well. Secondly, I recommend establishing your work ethic and having a work-hard mindset. This won’t be easy, but no one has ever succeeded without showing these two values. When we look at female politicians like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (the first female president elected in Africa), Michelle Bachelet (President of Chile) or Sonia Gandhi (President of Indian National Congress), and businesswomen like Sheryl Sandberg (COO Facebook), Indra Nooyi (CEO Pepsi), Oprah Winfrey (TV producer) or Robin Roberts (my favourite broadcaster), one thing they all share is that they are all exceptional hard-workers. They all have an outstanding sense of ethics, which undoubtedly led to their success, so following these women has inspired me to do the same.

My second advice would be to try and be consistent in what you say and do. Discipline your way of working from the beginning of your career to set an example to your (future) teams through your actions and words. I would also suggest to my mentees to be on the continuous pursuit of new skills and knowledge. I personally read a lot, especially around things happening in the world (Economics, Sports, Politics, fashion trends, sustainability, etc.) Being curious and informed on what is happening in the world will give you a better ability in listening to those around you, in turn giving you an advantage during discussions, whether it’s at work or outside of the workplace. And finally, it’s also important to have a “never give up” attitude, to push your limits and have a clear purpose in your life. At the end of the day, work remains work and we all die eventually no matter who we are, so we might as well try to leave something positive and useful behind for the future generations.

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Do you have any advice for working Moms on how to progress and succeed?

This is quite tricky and I am not sure I am the best person to give advice on this, but I am happy to share my own experience. I divorced my ex-husband 10 years ago, as I was not able to be both a leader and a mom. Why? Because I put work as my priority at the early stage, and I was wrong. Eventually, I learnt that balance is key to being a good mom and business leader. To find the balance should be our first goal in everything in life. My husband today is this balance, and everything is about the moment and knowing when to say stop and put the phone down and have a real moment with your beloved to recharge your batteries and be an even better leader. I think I am still growing and learning every day through my family and this amazing new professional experience in VF corporation. Be willing to acknowledge and learn, this would be my advice. As a believer, I am blessed to have been given a second chance to try again to get that balance. It is a tough job, but it is also powerful and insightful. This is why I believe in women, particularly strong mothers, who don’t feel guilty each time we don’t drive our kids to school and activities because we need to deal with an important and strategic meeting; it is up to us to find the balance that makes us and those around us happy because we love them.

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Having worked in many different markets (France, Germany, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Greece, Morocco, Spain), have you noticed any differences in terms of culture and how did it affect your management style?

Looking at my own background, which is a North African from Morocco with my dad being a Bedouin Berber and my mum a modern Muslim lady from Casablanca, I can assure you that cultural differences have affected me since the very beginning of my life.

I learnt to adapt to my parents' cultural differences and habits from a young age. My dad’s family, or the Berber community, have their own dialect, are very resourceful, great hosts, down to earth, humble, and discrete. Whereas my mum’s family is more modern, extravagant, loud and opinion-minded. If we add that on top of the fact that I was born in a small town in the north of France, that would give you an idea of how navigating through cultural differences has been a part of my life. I always believe that as humans we are born to adapt to our environment and that nothing should stop us adjusting ourselves and being self-aware of our history and that of others. I do have to say, I am lucky because my parents educated me with profound values such as respect and empathy. They instructed me that adapting and having people agility will be key elements to acceptance and trust.

Looking back at my professional career, one of the most insightful and inspirational experience I had working at adidas was to work in the Sport Marketing department. I was in charge of 300 athletes, a diverse group with different origins, religions, skin colours, genders and 26 French Olympic federations. I had to travel the world to support adidas athletes during their European/world championships and the Olympic Games. What I learnt through this amazing job is that culture, beliefs and traditions matter and we need to take the time to understand them, respect them and adapt.

When I first came to VF Corporation to work as the APAC Marketing Director at Kipling, I was directly handling 16 different markets including China, Korea and Japan, and the culture and behaviour of my team members and consumers from each location were totally different. To build up a local team and know a foreign market, you need to show full respect and trust. As a leader, it is important to acknowledge the cultural differences and habits, and have a consistent agile attitude and behaviour in order to effectively handle cultural diversity.

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Do you have any advice for young women who are looking to go down the same career path as you?

Before I start any new opportunity, I always prepare myself by reading the available financial information, product offering, strategy and brand positioning of the company I will be joining. In the first 3 months, I won’t take on any strategic or structural decision making but instead put myself on observation mode, listening to the key players and focusing on understanding the challenges of the business. Besides, I will also search for information around the values and culture of the company before I say “Yes” to a new opportunity, so I can make sure it is in line with what I stand for and that it would be a good cultural fit.

To better illustrate my point, I love sports and I like working for sports/ lifestyle/fashion brands. Why? Because it goes well with my values and I know I would be committed to my role with great job satisfaction. Life is short, so it makes sense to work for a company that we feel we can belong to, one that shares the same values and stands for the rights that you believe in. Therefore it is important to make sure that you find somewhere you would be happy to work at. Every day, when I wake up, I am happy to be part of the Kipling Team and VF corporation, I cohere with my company guidance principles and I relay our values to my team and try to build team spirit and create a safe workplace.

Another advice would be to always believe in yourself and listen to your female instincts. As I said earlier, if you set up clear goals, if you are ready to take risks, if you are agile, if you work hard and if you listen to your heart, you will have all the tools you need to become a great leader in any field or industry. One important thing to remind ourselves is that emotions is always going to be a constant in the fast-moving world. So, always aim to build an emotional connection with your consumers, this is how we win their interest, consideration and ultimately, loyalty.

Lastly, make sure to match your marketing strategy with the actual situation of your company, so you can build credibility in your new role. To do so, a good marketing leader needs to plan marketing actions in order to engage, whether it is with your boss, teammates or customers. When you start in a new role, it is also important to have “early win projects” that will give you confidence and build trust with your team and your top management. As a woman, it is crucial to get these early wins as you are stepping up in a management role, as people around us will be always tougher, more judgmental, exigent and results-driven when this is a woman who leads. That is why I believe that engagement is the main goal we all need to aim for, which will in turn reflect your capabilities to answer to a real demand.

No matter what you want to achieve in life, you need to write your own story. Have a clear vision and goals in your career and achieve it step by step through hard work, principles and agility, and always be kind to yourself because it takes time and it is normal.

Inspiring Business Women: Connie Leung

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 06:19:37 GMT

Connie Leung is the Senior Director, Financial Services Business Lead - Asia at Microsoft. She is currently leading Microsoft’s Financial Services business in the Asia region, looking after areas like banking, insurance, and capital markets. She is also a part of Microsoft’s global Financial Services leadership team.

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Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped you get to where you are today?

During the summer holidays when I was in high school, I started volunteering and joined an outreach service, where I organised activities for mentally disabled kids and coaching junior students on exploring their careers. Those are moments I keep with me till this very day and I still volunteer regularly because I find it very meaningful.

A second standout experience was when I did a summer internship at a computer software house while in Polytechnic, where I worked on coding maintenance on mainframe programs. I hated that because I was only given a section of the code without an opportunity to see the bigger picture. Being able to know what I was passionate about and what I was not, was, and continues to be instrumental in my progression.

Fast-forwarding to the beginning of my career, I joined a newly set up computer software house as its third employee and saw it grow to a 35 people company before it was acquired by an American company as a subsidiary. To my surprise, my new boss told me that there were no Senior VP positions in the company for a woman. While I was enjoying my work, that pretty much marked the end of my career there, and I had to think hard about what I wanted and had to make a decision. Ultimately, my decision to quit was truly a turning point of my career.

Another key moment was when Microsoft headhunted me while I was at SWIFT. When you’re not expecting to make a move and an opportunity presents itself, you really have to think twice. I ended up taking that leap and it has proven to be the best decision I have ever made. Joining a company that aligns with your own passion is exhilarating – we can meaningfully impact organisations and people together. I have been enjoying the journey so far, and the culmination of all these experiences have made me who I am today.

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It seems like you have made a fair amount of tough decisions in your career, how do you prepare yourself to deal with all these changes?

Life itself is a challenging journey with change at its core. As someone who is generally not afraid of change, I still find it challenging from time to time to adapt to the sheer amount of changes I find myself in.

Having said that, change has led me to where I am, so I can’t complain. I think my adventurous spirit of “never say never” and curiosity enables me to see change in a positive light. It has made it easier for me to make these decisions. Also, with the perspective of seeing my cup as always half full versus half empty has helped me personally, because you won’t know what’s possible if you don’t give it a try.

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Have you had any mentors in your career, and have you been a mentor yourself?

I do and I am quite lucky to have found mentors in both my personal and professional lives. I have two mentors within Microsoft, both females from our Seattle headquarters.

My first mentor actually lived in Asia before, so she understands my culture and is the perfect mentor. She is also the one who interviewed me, and this has made it easy for me to connect with Microsoft’s corporate perspective. She also gave me a lot of tips and advice on how to be a successful female leader. My other mentor isn’t from my team but was involved in Asia strategy, which provides a different perspective that I have often found to be quite useful.

On the other hand, I am also a mentor myself. At Microsoft, I have taken part in the mentorship program, where people can come to me and ask me anything, from public speaking and presentation skills to tips on how to sign and close deals. In my personal time, I’m an Alumni mentor at my high school, and mentored a Form 4 student. I’ve always enjoyed talking to teenagers, to coach them with exploring their careers and sharing our experiences.

When our mentorship finished, my mentee gave me a book on how to talk to teenagers; it was really useful because that was when my kids were becoming teenagers, and it offered me a lot of valuable insights. People may think that mentorship is all about the mentor helping the mentee but it’s actually a two-way street.

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In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Microsoft’s vision is to empower every person and organisation to achieve more, and having a diverse workforce allows us to better understand the community that we serve. With diversity, you will have fewer silos and more views and ideas to help you better create and innovate. Having diverse and inclusive teams also means that people’s voices are heard, and cultures are respected, allowing everyone to bring their A-game to work.

At the Singapore FinTech festival two years ago, our keynote speaker, who was visually impaired, was on stage talking about how Seeing AI helps the blind community better their lives with technology. He talked about technology as an equaliser, and I could not agree more. When it comes to D&I, it’s not just about ensuring we have a diverse workforce, but also about creating technology that embraces and supports our diverse community, so being diverse ourselves is just a first step in that journey.

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Having to manage such culturally diverse teams, does it affect your management style?

Because I work with all types of people, I always ensure I have an open mind and visualise each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and embrace that. It is also important to have an understanding that different cultures value things differently. For example, in Asia, we have a more relationship-based culture that values respect and seniority. Therefore, when it comes to making decisions or deciding who to approach, all these factors need to be considered. At the same time, we need to make sure we’re all collaborating, that we have our priorities and objectives aligned so everyone can work in harmony and not be in conflict.

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Do you think the new way of working (remote working) opened up any new challenges?

Yes and no. Remote working in a way facilitates interaction because it puts everyone on an equal, virtual playing field, where most new challenges can be addressed using different technology tools. For example, it might be challenging to find a spot to speak when you have 10+ people in a Teams meeting but having the “raise hand” button allows people to speak without having to fight for the spot.

Of course, working remotely also removes the physical interaction element, which is why we need to be mindful about connecting more often. Personally, I have adjusted my monthly meetings to bi-weekly, each with a slightly shorter time. The increased frequency is going to help bridge the physical gap.

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Do you have any advice in maintaining a work-life balance while working from home?

Rather than work-life balance, to me, it has been more about having a balanced life. It starts with our mindset - having clear priorities and staying focused on what’s important. I have two kids and a demanding job, so I know I’d need help. No one is perfect and we all have our limitations, so it’s important to know what we can do and what we can’t and ask for help. I’ve been working remotely even before COVID because of my long hours, so this is not a particularly huge change for me.

What’s changed is that I am no longer the only one working from home, as my daughters are also working from home. That’s something a lot of us go through, so what we can do is to control what we can and leave the rest. For example, I converted my rooftop from a storeroom into a study room and bought an extra WIFI to ensure coverage in every corner of the house. On the other hand, my daughters have regular lunch breaks from school, but I don’t as my lunch time is dependent on my schedule of the day. We don’t always get to have lunch together and that’s alright, we just have to work out that balance.

There was one time where I worked 17 hours non-stop in a day, which made me realise that it wasn’t working. After a moment of self-reflection, I decided to take some time off. So while I was at home, I avoided taking any calls or responding to emails. A lot of people think that because you are working from home you don’t have to take time off since you can’t go anywhere, but it is important to take some breaks. I also look at my work analytics (another Microsoft tool) which tells me how much downtime I have each week. Taking care of our own mental health is something we need to be doing constantly.

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Do you have any particular advice for young women looking to make a career in your industry?

Don’t be afraid to change the status quo, challenge yourself and live outside your comfort zone. If you don’t challenge yourself, you won’t know what you are capable of. Choose a job that you are passionate about, work hard, and always give your best. Leave behind the things you cannot control, and you’ll find your life’s balance.

It’s also important to look up to good leaders and learn from them. Make sure to network and associate yourself with people who can give you good advice and positive energy. Join a company that matches with your vision would allow you to grow and be exposed to diversity – this will expand your network and help you learn from your peers. Lastly, constantly self-reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and stay focused.

Partnering with Carey Olsen

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 06:27:20 GMT

Carey Olsen is a full-service law firm practising the laws of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey with offices in nine global locations - and it is growing.

At Hydrogen, we've partnered with Carey Olsen for over eight years to help the firm find and attract the best legal talent Offshore. Here you can find more information about working for Carey Olsen, as well as how to speak with one of our experts to find out more information.

Moving Offshore with Carey Olsen.

04:13 In his own words, Simon Marks, Partner at Carey Olsen Jersey, describes what makes the firm stand out and what makes their perfect candidate.

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Working Offshore

05:14 Simon Marks, Partner at Carey Olsen tells us more about what it's like to transition to an Offshore role.

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"At Carey Olsen, our aim to is to be the best in each of the jurisdictions that we practise in."

Carey Olsen in Jersey

Carey Olsen is the largest law firm in Jersey with 20 partners and 92 associates. They offer their clients the full range of corporate and finance, investment funds, dispute resolution and litigation, trust and private wealth as well as property legal advice.

An international presence

Carey Olsen practise Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey law, from a network of nine international offices. If you'd like to find out more details about any of these locations, please get in touch by filling out the form below.

Let's talk

If you would like to explore your career prospects with Carey Olsen, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.

Inspiring Business Women: Lynne Bailey

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 07:43:36 GMT

Lynne Bailey is the Chief Data Officer for KPMG and holds a strong background working in various roles over the past 20 years within data. Lynne has an impressive career trajectory and in less than a decade of work saw herself working in ‘head of’ positions for one of the Big 4.

Could you tell us about your career progression to date and how you got into your current position?

I did a business degree at Manchester University and started my first job in 1999 with a research company called Research International in London. I knew early on that, while I was happy to do the data and learn, I really wanted to interact with clients and understand the value that you could drive from the information we were collecting. I wanted to be on the other side, commissioning the research and able to affect change, so I started at PwC in their internal Market Research function, later taking on the Competitor Intelligence function and then the Client Feedback programme. After a few years, an opportunity presented itself to more formally run an Internal Analytics function to sit within the IT department, so I helped create and run that team and spent a happy four years with much more of a data focus. I'd gone from insight and information to data and along that journey, recognised that any problems are usually about the quality of the information we're getting, so I set up a Data Governance function. Then I got offered an amazing opportunity to move to KPMG to be their Chief Data Officer, which is where I am today.

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In terms of your career progression, what challenges have you had to face?

A challenge I've found quite common among female colleagues is that we often suffer from imposter syndrome, particularly when going for something that is a step up. When I'm recruiting people or promoting them into roles, I don't expect them to be the finished article, but I, for some reason, expect that of myself. When I went into the data role at PwC, I expected that I would nail it from day one and gave myself some incredibly high expectations, none of which I could meet. Another challenge, which is an external one, is that your peers in Technology, who may be more experienced, sometimes wonder whether you can deliver if you haven’t got the same technical depth. Just because I haven't got the same technical depth as them, it doesn't mean I can't drive strategy or enable business transformation, but it's another challenge to fight against.

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How did you overcome it if you had people on your team who didn't appreciate that you could still do your role well?

It was tough to start with because you do doubt yourself and it eroded my confidence. But KPMG was a fresh start, so at the interview with the CIO I was honest about my lack of technical skillsets and he was actually relieved because he didn't want another data expert trying to rip everything up and start again! Being honest about your skillset is absolutely key and then you need to learn to value that. On a senior leadership course, I mentioned this issue about my lack of technical depth and that strategy is my strength and they were blown away by me playing it down. So, value what you are good at and don't let anybody knock that confidence. You're in your role for a reason, you haven't been brought in to code, you're there to lead teams and bring a different perspective. The most successful teams are the ones that have diverse views and opinions anyway.

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What are your thoughts on diversity of females in the Technology industry?

It's getting better, but it's not where it should be. We have moved the dial a little bit, but it's not there yet. My boss is a woman and quite a few of my colleagues are female, but still the vast majority are male. I think it's easier for women in an environment where your boss is female. In the last place I worked, I was the only female in any kind of position of seniority within Technology and it was really challenging because you have a different perspective and there can be a different way of acting - male colleagues can be much more vocal, for example. At KPMG, we have an award-winning movement called 'IT's Her Future', which focuses on female talent in Technology, so I'm very lucky because we have some strong females leading the charge here.

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Have you experienced any other challenges specifically based on gender?

I once got quite a big boost to my salary overnight, which while it was welcome, made me wonder how far below the rest I was being paid to start with! Gender pay gaps are a big challenge and being recognised for what you do and paid fairly is still a challenge. The Black Lives Matter movement uses the word 'micro-aggressions' and while I'm not saying women suffer in the same way at all, there are certain inadvertent things that seem to happen in terms of gender. When you're looking at a talent or promotion pipeline, or at the “high-potential” people who get the interesting work, they're mostly men still, which is to do with unconscious bias. If you look at the number of females in senior roles in Technology, it is minuscule compared to the number of men.

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What do you think are the reasons that we don't see so many females in Technology?

It starts with girls not taking STEM subjects at school, so we need to actively encourage that. However, I didn't start in Technology and it's important to acknowledge that there are alternative routes into tech, to encourage more women into that environment. You don't have to have a Computer Science degree. I'm in a leadership position without ever having done any coding.

Secondly, something also happens in organisations, which is where unconscious bias plays in. If you're applying for a role and you're surrounded by men in the interview panel, it can be off-putting. At KPMG, we've done a lot of work on how roles are described, to make them more appealing to females. Men will go for roles if they meet 50% of the criteria, whereas women need to feel they are 90% there, so we've stripped out some of that from our role descriptions. We're also looking at redacting CV's so that we don't know gender or background to stop people getting filtered out early through unconscious bias.

Then lastly, at a certain level you get headhunted and, in the past, I found the way I was approached was quite aggressive, more suited to male candidates, which again is off-putting. Recruitment has changed thankfully and it's a softer approach now, but it needed to change, or you lose all the talent in a massive untapped market.

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Do you have any other advice in terms of attracting and retaining female talent?

Flexibility in working for a start. We can't assume that people want to come in and work 70-hour weeks 9 to 5. Being supportive of a flexible working pattern is absolutely key and we need to focus on outcomes, not how you get there, as that benefits anybody looking for a good work/life balance. Then, I think having role models in the organisation helps with retention, as does coaching. Here, I've tapped into existing networks and coaching straight away. Having programmes in place that demonstrate how committed we are to diversity in the organisation is crucial to retaining talent. Then lastly, providing opportunities and making sure that it isn't the same usual suspects that end up on the most exciting or challenging things. We need to keep checking ourselves to make sure that we are making the opportunities as equal as they should be.

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Do you have advice on how to sustain or build inclusivity for teams when remote working?

I don't have a simple solution for that one, it's tough. I joined KPMG in December and we went into lockdown in March, so I was still finding my feet. We rolled out the tech to enable everyone to interact from home and one thing we did was add in a social element - quizzes, a cup of tea and a chat, that kind of thing. It's important that not everything is about the work, we have to maintain that social angle people get from going into an office - and if people don't want to be on video, then they shouldn't have to be. Some people prefer to chat on the phone, which is fine. I had a new colleague start last week, so she's done all of her onboarding remotely, and I've taken a lot of time to consider exactly what she needs to know to feel included. I've set up virtual meetings for her with key people, I've spoken with her for an hour every day, because it's difficult to maintain inclusion when you're all working remotely.

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It's hard enough to get your voice heard when you're new, or in a team of dominant voices, but on video it's even tougher.

It is, you're right. I do consider myself a champion for voices that don't get heard. If I'm running a meeting and I haven't heard from everyone, I will pick on people and ask for their point of view. Now, on video, one nice thing is I can ask people to type their comments in if they don't want to say it or compete with other voices. But it's important to remember you do have a choice - you can fight fire with fire and be as loud as the other voices if you want to, but it's important to consider whether your point will have the impact it deserves. If not, there's nothing wrong with being more reflective and using another channel to respond later. It's more important that your voice is heard properly rather than right away if it's not a suitable environment for you.

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A huge thanks to Lynne for sharing her experiences and advice with us. If you are, or know of, an Inspiring Business Woman in Tech who has a great story to tell, I’d love to hear from you!

Fifteen weeks of furlough & five things it's taught me

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 07:36:48 GMT

Like many, this year has thrown me for a total loop.

When we first went into lockdown, I was prepared for a 3-6 week stint of working from home and thought at most I’d get to enjoy the extra time I’d get back from not having to commute into Central London every day. Little did I know that just when I was getting into the swing of things I’d be furloughed and have so much extra time on my hands! Along with almost a quarter of Britain, I was furloughed at the start of April and spent the following 3-and-a-bit months with plenty of time to spare but nowhere to go.

My 15 weeks of furlough came to an end at the beginning of July, and now that I’ve been back in the office (a small desk set up in the corner of my room) part-time for 4 weeks, I thought I’d round up the 5 key things I’ve learned and will be taking away from this whole experience.

Things I’ve Learned Whilst on Furlough

I need some form of routine

The novelty of not having set responsibilities and tasks for my days wore off just after a week into my furlough. Over the last three months, I’ve come to realise that I am a creature of habit. I’m not a strict planner where I have my actions planned to the minute, but keeping a daily routine kept me from climbing the walls.

Hobbies are important

Hobbies are great for reducing stress and eliminating boredom, which has been crucial during this year. Having some 40 hours of extra time a week, I had the opportunity to explore who I am and what enjoy when work is removed. I realised that I can actually bake and enjoy experimenting with recipes; I learned how to build my own website, launched a personal blog and took up the art of candle-making.

It’s OK to do nothing sometimes

Living and working in London for years has put me on a hamster wheel of productivity. If there’s a day where I’m not busy and don’t have a to-do list it can feel like I’m not doing something right. During my furlough, I learned the art of slow living and the importance of switching off every once in a while.

Things I’ve Brought Back to Work

The maths behind winning at negotiating

As soon as I found out that I would be furloughed I googled online courses that I could take so that I’d return work upskilled. I took Harvard Business School’s online course in April and May and then went on to take Yale’s Introduction to Negotiation . As a recruiter in a relatively new market, there have been many times that I’ve found myself desperate for clients to work with me. Learning game theory as an approach to negotiating and influencing helped me reposition myself when approaching clients, leading to a new role to work on in my first week back!

The importance of planning and setting goals

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a sucker for routine. During my furlough, I got into the habit of planning my days and weeks and setting goals (big and small) to continue to feel like I was achieving something. Under the flexible furlough scheme, I'm back to work 3 days a week which doesn't feel like very much, now that my time at work is limited structuring my day is more important than ever. As the market is tough, setting daily goals has been a way to stay on track and a motivator for those harder days.

So, there you have it, 5 things I've learned in the last few months. It’s certainly been a time of adjusting, from getting used to a slower pace to getting back into the swing of things.

What have been the biggest learning curves during your furlough or lockdown?

Webinar: How litigation funding adds value to your company

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 07:34:49 GMT

Litigation funding is becoming mainstream.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst in increasing requests for funding not only from companies facing solvency issues but from organisations who would traditionally have funded their own litigation but are now looking to maintain cash on the balance sheet. Boards and investors are looking at corporate sustainability and reducing organisational risk is one part of building resilient businesses. Litigation funding removes the cost and budget risk from litigation in return for a share of the damages. If the case is lost, the funder gets nothing.

Securing litigation funding for your cases will give you an independent view of your case by the funder’s legal team, a focus on value and will mean your organisation can allocate budget to its business operations.

Re-watch our recent webinar where Emily O’Neill and Luis Olmos of Deminor Recovery Services talk you through:

how litigation funding works
which cases are suitable for funding
how to present the funding option to your executive team; and
how to prepare your case for funding.

Webinar: Litigation Funding – Supporting Client Resilience

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 07:31:22 GMT

Litigation funding is now mainstream and the demand for funding is increasing.

Securing litigation funding for your client’s case will give you and your client an independent view of the case by the funder’s legal team and with a focus on case value, this is a useful tool for your in-house clients when discussing cases with their own finance functions.

Join us for this webinar where Emily O’Neill and Luis Olmos of Deminor Recovery Services will talk you through:

What do clients’ want? How to have the funding conversation
How to identify cases suitable for funding
How to prepare your case for a quick decision from a funder
Your case is funded! What happens next?

How to start a new job remotely

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:28:15 GMT

Kate Clarkson gives some sound advice for lawyers starting a new job whilst still working from home.

Since March we have all experienced a big shift in our day to day lives. For many, the working world as we know it changed overnight with working from home a likely feature of the “new normal”.

Despite offices in the City slowly starting to reopen, capacity will still be kept to a minimum meaning that the home office is here to stay. At Hydrogen, we have continued to place lawyers into employment during lockdown and have seen candidates begin these new roles remotely.

As law firms have quickly adapted to onboarding staff from their own homes, here are our top tips on how new joiners can make the most of starting their new job away from the office as we know it:

Get set up

Creating a comfortable working environment free from distractions and with access to everything you need is essential for homeworking success. With lots of law firms now offering an assistance payment to help you achieve this, you may find this is easier than you originally thought. Whether it’s a new desk so you can stop working from your kitchen table or that extra piece of IT kit, it’s well worth asking the question and making the most of it. Noise cancelling headphones can also be useful if your new co-worker happens to be your partner, housemate, child or dog! Just remember to keep an eye on call notifications so you don’t miss that important call.

Be seen

Congrats, you’ve secured employment during a pandemic, now let your new employer and colleagues know you are there! Starting a new role remotely is no different to starting a role in the office, so remember that first impressions count. Introduce yourself early on – book individual video calls with your team and find reasons to talk to people (even if it is just to catch up on the latest Netflix binge). You can also be thankful that you’ve been spared that embarrassing tour around the office as the “newbie”!

Buddy up

The majority of firms have a buddy/mentoring scheme for new joiners – an ideal contact to utilise especially for tricky questions that would more than likely be apparent if you were in the office. Mentoring schemes are often a great way to connect with new people you wouldn’t ordinarily work with on a day-to-day basis, so make the most of the opportunity to build new relationships.

Be pro-active

Once you’ve gone through inductions and learnt how to use the system, it’s time to get your head down. Reach out to peers and bosses if you have capacity and don’t be nervous to ask for work. The easiest way to get known in a law firm is to do good quality work for as many people as possible, which is also an ideal way for you to get to know colleagues across the firm.

Get involved

Friday night drinks as we know it may have temporarily been paused but make sure you get involved in social activities away from the inbox – whether that’s the weekly online quiz, choir or virtual escape room!

Although the “new normal” can feel daunting in the context of work, the realities of starting a new job haven’t changed and it’s up to you to make the most of the situation and get savvy on navigating a new job virtually rather than along the corridors.

Although we have seen an inevitable slowdown in certain areas of the legal recruitment market, law firms are onboarding new starters every week, highlighting that there will always be opportunities for the top talent.

If you would like a confidential discussion, please feel free to contact me on kateclarkson@hydrogengroup.com .

Inspiring Business Women: Nicola Tunney

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 07:24:05 GMT

Recently, I was lucky enough to interview Nicola Tunney , the Head of Operations at Allica Bank , the bank built specifically for small and medium sized businesses. We spoke about her career path, and the obstacles and challenges she’s overcome to get to where she is today.

Nic, could you tell us a little about your career progression to date?

I started out at catering college and was determined to be a chef, so my career hasn’t exactly gone to plan! Unfortunately, I had to leave catering college after a year when my parents moved to Tenerife to open a pub and restaurant.

When I came back to the UK after a couple of years, I couldn’t get the funding to get back into study. However, thanks to a couple of secretarial roles abroad, I could type. So I ended up at an admin role in London. That progressed to other admin jobs in various IFA roles, building up to Office Management, Paraplanning, before then onto being an Adviser (IFA) in my own right. Along the way I got a Diploma in Financial Planning (FPC), followed by the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate (AFPC).

I really enjoyed the IFA environment. I was an investment adviser (the pensions route really not being for me back then… G60 and all that!), but didn’t see any means of advancement. So, I decided to move to a larger company. My role progressed with several different brands within HBOS (Clerical Medical and Bank of Scotland), Lloyds (C&G) and TSB. First of all, I used the AFPC to good effect in a Technical Service role. Then I became more aligned with Customer Services and Operations centrally, before becoming more focused on things from a branch perspective.

My move to Allica Bank has given me the opportunity to bring all my experience together into one role.

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What key factors propelled you to enter the Operations space?

I love the direct contact I get to have with customers and with brokers. It means I can constantly get feedback and make a real, tangible difference to my main priority: the customer experience.

I also enjoy the delivery focus and ‘can do’ attitude of Ops teams and the fact that we support and work with so many different parts of the business – I really enjoy that collaborative approach.

Also, for me, having a bit of fun at work is really important. And I love the fact that Ops teams invariably have a bit of personality. Not that others don’t, of course, but you really get a buzz in Ops that comes from working so collaboratively.

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Having worked across a variety of roles within Financial Services, what challenges did you experience moving to Head of Operations at Allica Bank?

So many things were different from the large corporate businesses I had worked with previously, so every day was a challenge and new opportunity. There are three things that stand out:

I joined Allica when we were still in the ‘Building the Bank’ phase, so we had very little in place in terms of processes and procedures – everything was new, everything was a question and everything was a challenge!
The speed at which Allica works and delivers for its customers was, and still is, incredible. It’s a very fast paced environment.
Learning every part of the Bank rather than just my own particular corner – I couldn’t have told you how a Bank truly works before I joined, but now I understand each function and how they all inter-relate, as well as the various governance forums and their rationale.

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What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced in your career so far, and are any due to gender?

One of the key things I’ve learnt to develop is having confidence in myself and my own abilities, and standing up for what I believe is right. Whether that be policy, process, procedure or people. It’s very easy to let others intimidate you into not expressing your own opinion – particularly if you’re the only woman in the room. But gender isn’t an excuse here and that’s something I continue to work on.

Also, managing a career and small children – that was definitely hard! It was very much a ‘treading water’ phase for me, and I consider that alone to be a big achievement looking back!

I hope that working mums don’t face this as much these days, but when my kids were young, the expectation was certainly that I did the drop-off/ pick-up at nursery, rallied around if anyone was poorly, made tea and did all the household chores. That was just what being a wife and mother meant. It was hard, hard work and I invariably felt guilty that I wasn’t giving everything I wanted to my work, while at the same time guilty for not being there for my children all the time. It was like I couldn’t win.

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Do you believe there's a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, and has it changed?

There definitely was, but I don’t believe that there is a glass ceiling now. You only have to look at Anne Boden, who’s doing great things at Starling Bank or Allison Rose at Royal Bank of Scotland. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still work to do to improve opportunities for all across the industry.

I don’t believe in quotas when it comes to diversity in the workplace – I believe it should be the best person for the job – but businesses need to be making sure that they advertise, recruit, train and develop in a manner that supports the growth and build of a diverse workforce. It’s very easy to sleepwalk into a position where ‘like has recruited like’ and you miss out on so much doing that – the hiring pool needs to be really representative.

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How do you feel the Financial Services industry compares to others, regarding diversity, and how has that changed?

The Financial Services industry is definitely more diverse now than it was, say, 20 years ago. I remember being at an annual conference back in the day, with 250-300 people in the room. There were six or maybe eight women present – the rest were all suited and booted (white) men, of a very consistent age, too! Going to a similar conference now looks very different indeed and I think that’s particularly true of the lower level roles where you can see real diversity coming through and being celebrated.

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Looking back on your career, what are some of the key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting where you are?

Hindered… that’ll be the confidence thing, and not thinking that I am good enough to put myself forward or challenge myself enough.

Helped… the advice and support of other people and taking the time to sit back and learn from mistakes.

Your Manager and your relationship with them can go either way and it’s so important to work on this one – don’t put all your time into managing down, but instead think about how to manage your relationship with your peers and those above you too. By the way, some of the hardest taskmasters are the ones to look out for; they set high standards and they expect nothing but your best. That can be incredibly motivational if you can work with it.

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What advice would you give to a woman looking to progress their career in Banking?

Go for it! Financial Services and Banking in particular is a fabulous industry that is constantly evolving. It’s far more genuinely customer centric than it has ever been in the past, creating products and services that really do make customer lives easier and technology is leading the way.

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Thank you Nic, for opening up about your own experiences and journey to leadership. If you, or someone you know, is an Inspiring Business Woman in Compliance, and has a great story to tell, then I’d love to hear from you! Contact me at danielbloom@hydrogengroup.com .

Inspiring Business Women: Samantha Ryan

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 07:19:23 GMT

Samantha Ryan is a leader in Information Security with a varied background in technology. Sam built her career with CYBG who she joined a decade ago. Samantha was working in business architecture and digital strategy, then transitioned into leadership positions within Information Security in 2016 and has continued to grow in this space. Following CYBG’S (Clydesdale Yorkshire Banking Group) merger with Virgin Money she was appointed Cyber Strategy Consultant within the Chief Information Security and Resilience Office.

Tell me about your career progression and how you got into your current role

I went into Security in 2016. There was a senior manager who I had worked for in the Business Architecture team, who had moved over to Information Security. I had come to the end of the line with business architecture and was looking for a new challenge. The Information

Information Security strategy to the priorities of the business and be able to tell that story to the Board. They needed to find someone who could sit in between techie people and business people and translate between the two, which was my skill set. I call it storytelling: being able to paint a picture of something complex and make it simple and understandable. I was fortunate to have identified someone senior who could make opportunities for me because they recognised my value. If I was giving advice, I would say identify someone who is influential and who makes hiring decisions and latch onto them because they can help open doors.

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What are some of the challenges that you've overcome on your career journey?

One theme I’ve noticed is that some people believe that there's a traditional path through Security and the wider IT sector. They think that you should come in at an entry level position – as a programmer or a developer, or in Security as an analyst or a sysadmin – then work your way up to become a senior analyst or a team leader. The people who believe that that's the way it should be are not very tolerant of people who've come from a different background. They think that they've jumped into roles without having the appropriate skills and expertise. I came in from a Digital Strategy team with no Security background, no Security certifications and I'd never had a job writing code and never had an operational job in IT. I had people saying, "I don't understand what it is you're here for because you don't have that background." Don't get me wrong, there are jobs in Security where you have to have come that route because those are the skills you need to do the job, but for me, for the type of role that I was looking for, that sort of background wasn't the only way that you can get there. People need to open their minds to the fact that there are people outside the world of Security and IT who have transferable skills. If someone has transferable skills and they have a good framework for learning, you can bring them into a domain that they don't know, and you can train them. It's the soft skills that are much harder than the technical skills to teach.

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Did you just get on with the job when you arrived, or did you have to change certain mindsets?

I took a balanced approach. There were certain stakeholders who I needed to make sure I got on board. It's worth expending the effort with those people. There are some people who you'll never win over because they've got a preconceived view that you don't fit in, so you have to choose what it's worth spending your effort on. When you start delivering things and people see it, you start to win the credibility anyway. When I went in there, my first challenge was to write that strategy and get it in front of the Board and I just got on with that. There were some people who didn't get it until they saw it, so it helped me once I was actually putting deliverables in front of them to clarify what it was that I was bringing to the table. In return, you have to check your own biases and your own preconceptions, making sure you've got an open mind when you're dealing with any stakeholders, in the same way. You have to do that same thing that you want other people to do.

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What are your thoughts on gender diversity in Technology?

It's not a surprise to anybody that diversity in Technology is a problem. It is a very male orientated industry. Going back to those traditional career paths, those jobs tend to be male orientated, so if you believe in those career paths, your pipeline is all men, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are wider problems in society, structural problems, where gender stereotypes exist, in terms of fewer women going into STEM areas and fewer women studying STEM in school. It goes right the way back to school where STEM jobs are still seen as a man's job and people unconsciously or consciously don't steer women into them. So, your pipeline doesn't have enough women in because of that too. No matter what angle you come at it from, it's very difficult because of that male orientation, but the pipeline coming through is not necessarily being addressed as well as it could be. So many people have to play a part in that, it's not just employers, it's the education system and the wider society as well. There's no silver bullet.

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Working in technology, have you encountered any difficultieis being a woman in leadership roles?

Not as a woman, no. I've been very fortunate in that regard. I have heard plenty of stories from other woman leaders in certain industries where things are a bit more old-fashioned. Banking has a reputation for being a boys’ club, but I've not seen that in the bank that I work in. When I started, the CIO was a woman and absolutely inspirational for women who wanted to get to the top in IT. Our culture was always quite inclusive. The only bit I struggled with was having had a non-traditional path into the role. People would prejudge who I was or what my competency level was. To me, diversity is about that as well – your background, your experience. Too many companies have this cookie cutter approach to their talent pipeline and to recruitment, where they don't realise there's a world of opportunity out there.

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In the Scottish tech scene, what are some of the areas that could be improved in recruiting and retaining talented women?

There's a lot of community effort in the Scottish tech scene to encourage and support women, such as networks like Scotland Women in Technology. It's quite a small country, so networking is quite easy, especially if you've worked in any of the major companies in Glasgow or Edinburgh or Aberdeen, you tend to know everybody! There's always something going on, either a women's event or some other group, and that helps give women support and access to coaching and mentoring. Really good progress has been made and it's not going to happen overnight, but there's plenty going on. Retention comes down to the culture of your organisation. If you're a woman, does it feel like a good place to work? Does it feel like you're included and that the workplace and the activities and the culture is designed for you? That's down to everyone to be mindful about how they operate in the workplace and even down to extracurricular things like your team building activities and your nights out. You have to make sure that they are inclusive.

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What are your thoughts on mentorship, both being a mentor and mentee?

I think it's important to be both. I believe we have a duty to use our experience to help other people, but you can always learn more yourself too. I've had various mentors over the years and I always try and choose someone that I don't work closely with. The mentor I have now doesn't even work in IT because it's important to get an objective viewpoint. There's no point in meeting someone who's just going to agree with everything that you say. I would encourage everyone to try and have a mentor and a mentee relationship. Be very clear about your career objectives because otherwise people will make an assumption and give you advice based on that assumption. I don't want the generic advice that I can go online and read; I want genuine insight.

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In your eyes, how does the employee experience make a difference?

Culture is such a big word. It's about people challenging themselves to make sure that they look at the working environment and the employee experience with an open mind and that they're ready to get the input from their teams on what they want that experience to be. That feedback loop is really important because you can be creating an environment that you think is great, but that women or LGBTQ+ people don't think is great.

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What do you do to make sure that the culture is followed by your team?

We spend a lot of time on that. As part of the Virgin family, that's a key part of the Virgin brand. The brand is distilled down to various initiatives and themes that employees can latch onto. We have ‘Our Purpose’ which is all about what are we here to do in order to meet our objectives as a business, and we have focused conversations that are about that. Feedback loops are big part of it as well; the leadership team and the CEO ask us regularly for our sentiment and our input, which is really good because people are listened to. If I was giving anyone advice, you have to make the time to have those conversations. If all of your conversations are about what people are working on, your culture is going to fall by the wayside.

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Do you believe in the glass ceiling? Do you think that that exists for women in the workplace?

There's plenty of anecdotal and statistical evidence that the glass ceiling is real and there are plenty of women who encounter that. I've just been very fortunate that in the organisation I've spent most of my career in, it's not been a thing that I've witnessed. What I have seen is the other end where that pipeline is so dominated by men that when you get to that higher point where you're looking for women leaders, you don't have a huge amount of choice in terms of diversity. The options that are coming through to have a diverse leadership team are not there. We have to tackle both ends of that spectrum if we're going to solve the problem. If I advertise a role and I want to see a diverse set of candidates, that's unlikely to happen. The majority of CVs that I get will be from men. Even if I really want to hire a woman, or if I've got a quota to hire women, the talent pool that I'm looking at is unlikely to have a lot of women in it. This is why people feel that quotas and targets around diversity and hiring women feel gimmicky because you're trying to wish something into existence.

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What are some practical steps that leaders can take to improve that pipeline for women in technology?

You need to get out and talk to the talent pipeline and tell them that you need them. For example, one of the things I've done over the past few years is some guest lecturing at Strathclyde University around what it's like to work in Information Security. People have to see you being a woman in Information Security. You've got to be seen to be a role model that people can take some inspiration from if they had doubts about whether that's something that they could achieve. Men have to get out there too and say, "I want these people to apply for roles when I advertise them." You also have to get out of your IT department internally and talk to women. Your talent is all over your business.

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What are the main success of those talks? Do you recruit from the university or hear feedback?

It's an opportunity for us to talk about our graduate scheme, because we are keen to see diverse applicants for that. It's a fourth-year Computer Science class that we talk to, so they're just at that point where they're thinking about what they're going to do when they graduate, and it allows them to ask questions about what the workplace experience is really like. I talk about a typical day in my working life, which gives a sense of reality to people. It's been successful in terms of getting that insight in both directions. I don't think we've tracked it at the level of how many people from that class has applied, but we get good feedback from the course lecturer. She also acknowledges that the education sector has a remit of getting the students through the educational course, but that it's difficult in terms of preparing them for the workplace or for getting your first job. People in industry can help enormously by going out and talking to those people and forming relationships.

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What changes could be made on the recruitment side?

Changing job descriptions from essential criteria to desirable criteria would encourage more women to apply, which is a challenge to the recruitment industry. Screening candidates requires rules and it must be hard to resist the checkbox approach, especially when Security people are looking for certifications etc. So many candidates must fall through the cracks because they don't meet all the criteria. Also, encouraging candidates who have preconceived ideas to look at these roles would help. I swore I would never take another job in banking at one point because of biases I had, but I was fortunate that a recruiter understood my skill set and persuaded me that I would regret it if I didn't take one particular job. So, it happens with candidates too.

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Do you have any final advice for women working in your industry?

I want to hammer the point about non-traditional career paths and that it's OK to not follow a linear path and that breadth of experience will get you as far if not much further. The other thing I wanted to mention was perceptions of what types of roles there are in IT. There's a perception that you have to be really technical and I think that keeps a lot of women out of IT. But there are so many jobs that are not technical. There are project management jobs, risk management jobs, governance jobs, strategy jobs like the job that I do, where you need much softer skills, like presentation skills and being able to write reports and risk assessments. People forget that there are a whole host of those types of roles in IT and a lot of them could be very attractive to women. A lot of women are missing out because they don't realise that those jobs are there.

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A huge thank you to Sam, for opening up about her own journey to where she is now. If you, or someone you know, is an Inspiring Business Woman in Technology, and has a great story to tell, then I’d love to hear from you! Contact me at isabellekyriacou@hydrogengroup.com .

FaceTime or face-to-face? What does the future of work look like?

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 07:10:10 GMT

I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that January feels like a lifetime ago.

We first felt the creeping threat of COVID-19 in Asia. With no precedent to show us how to proceed, at board level we had to act fast – taking appropriate, positive action without making rash, uninformed decisions. When things get desperate, it’s easy to focus on short-term solutions. We were fortunate to be able to frame these short-term decisions within a longer-term view.

One of the first steps we took was to form a COVID-19 steering group. In an industry built around people, we want to do right by ours, going the extra mile to protect our relationships with our people, candidates and clients as much as possible right from the start.

Our guiding principles

To maintain fairness and consistency and make appropriate short-term decisions, we decided early on to adhere to three key principles to navigate our way through this crisis.

Principle 1: Preserve as many jobs as possible.

Principle 2: Make decisions that can help the business emerge from this in the strongest possible position to bounce back.

Principle 3: Act with fairness and compassion – being conscious of the differences in people’s personal circumstances. Different markets have different challenges; in Asia, for example, we have lots of staff living in apartments, often with other family members.

New ways to connect

As a medium sized global recruitment business, in many ways we were already set up to handle a situation like this. We have always needed to stay flexible to connect with candidates and international colleagues out of hours. As a result, the systems we have in place have allowed us to adapt surprisingly quickly.

I like to think of platforms like MS Teams as a great leveller. In the past, our team meetings would involve many of us sat around a boardroom in our London flagship office, with our global colleagues peering at us through a screen. Now we’re all in the same boat. No one is at an advantage or disadvantage; we’re all equally set up and contactable.

Our people’s agility hasn’t surprised me. But what has surprised me is how our relationships have evolved. Against the odds, we’re actually having better quality interactions, and – as a direct consequence – have become stronger as a business. There are so many more connections happening at all levels across the global business.

To some extent, this progression has been orchestrated. From the beginning, it was important to me to be totally transparent with colleagues about all the decisions we were making. Communicating with them via a daily CEO update has ensured no one feels left out of the loop – after all, there’s enough uncertainty right now.

People are the lifeblood of the recruitment industry. With people all around the world suddenly connected, we have taken the opportunity to step up our training and mentorship programmes to the benefit of everyone. This means our people can benefit from the expertise of the best person globally, rather than the person who is geographically closest.

For example, one of our US colleagues hosted an online training session recently to teach his unique approach to business development. Our people are now able to share their knowledge more easily, thus bringing value to the company we’d not experienced before.

All of our training channels have also been made available to furloughed staff in the UK; it’s so important to preserve that unit and make sure everyone has access to on-going career development.

But it would be doing our people a disservice to imply that we have been responsible for how they have adjusted. Of course, in many ways working from home is a sign of privilege – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. As noted by Forbes , we’re not working from home, we’re at our homes during a crisis trying to work. The article notes that 19% are struggling with loneliness, and 17% are having difficulty with collaboration and communication. From taking turns hosting wellness sessions featuring yoga, cocktail-making and cook-alongs to name a few, to furloughed team members arranging a fun virtual quiz for their still-working colleagues, so many of our employees have gone out of their way to help each other stay connected and sane.

Getting it right

Last year’s 'I Own My Time' trial in our EMEA region saw employees encouraged to work from home and with more flexibility, with different challenges in different locations. Though we didn’t know it, this was a trial run for the beginning of 2020, and in fact, it helped many to prepare for lockdown work arrangements.

To meet the goal of our first principle, we decided relatively early that we would need to reduce pay by 20% across the board. It was vital that people understood why we had had to make this difficult decision – which is why transparency via our daily CEO updates has been prioritised from the start.

Reputation is everything. Now, more than ever, we are working hard to protect our employer brand and promote those of the great clients' we work with. Getting it right means being authentic, treating your people right and being the kind of organisation people want to work for.

In terms of client relationships, some ask, “Why are you contacting me? We don’t have any jobs.” But we want to show clients and candidates that we’re here to support them in the long term, rather than simply protect our own bottom line.

This strategy is paying off. As of April, our Net Promoter Score is healthier than it has ever been and way above the industry average. I attribute this success to simply being available to people, being in touch and having conversations in the right way.

Is there still a place for face-to-face?

It’s impossible to know what the economic recovery from COVID will look like. We’re fortunate to be players in a very big global market. The global recruitment market is valued at about $500bn annually – even if that were to halve, it would still be a $250bn market. Some markets are sure to bounce back faster than others, as businesses reassess and move around their supply chains.

I read a McKinsey report the other day that said the situation we’re all in will speed up digitisation by five years. While the pandemic – and everything to do with it – is undoubtedly terrible, in some ways it has propelled the world forward. Face-to-face meetings have become video calls, making things more convenient for everyone and allow a lot more people to effectively interact more regularly.

On a personal level, I don’t miss the jet lag that comes with travelling for the business, but I do miss seeing people in real life, and I know others who are missing interaction and office culture. I think the world of work will change going forward with more people working flexibly and from home, but for me, there will always be a place for face-to-face interaction. Most significantly, I believe our relationships will be stronger as the result of our shared experience.

For now, control what you can. Work with what you know. And keep communication clear and candid.

FaceTime or face-to-face – what do you think works better? Share your thoughts and experiences with the #TalentVoices hashtag.

Webinar: Reopening the workplace and re-imagining HR after COVID-19

Fri, 29 May 2020 07:05:42 GMT

Irrespective of your industry, there’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a huge impact on our global economy.

With long-lasting effects and many unknown factors to try and plan for, this poses a very challenging time for HR professionals around the world. Particularly challenging is how businesses now prepare to reopen their working spaces.

Join our host, Chris Russell, and guest speaker Tas Chantree, for our recorded webinar where we'll answer your key questions:

Are we ready to reopen?
What is the best way to reopen?
How do we protect the employee experience?
How will this impact our HR strategy in the longer term?

To access the full webinar recording, please complete the form below:

Early signs that the Data recruitment market is · Hydrogen Group

Wed, 20 May 2020 07:02:19 GMT

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had some really positive conversations with my clients that show some light appearing at the end of the tunnel.

I’m incredibly excited and it’s inspired me to share with you a little insight into the current Australian Data recruitment market, what we’ve experienced since the COVID-19 outbreak and the positive signs of how the market will recover in the coming months.

It goes without saying that Data hiring has slowed, across both permanent and contract positions. We found this to be a gradual process and it has only been over the last month that some of our clients have begun to put a freeze on their recruitment. The key here is that it’s only a ‘freeze’ and not cancelled, which is a very positive sign.

Another huge positive we have experienced has been the commitment from all our clients to the recruitment processes that were in place pre-pandemic. I’m pleased that all of the roles we were working on have been filled during the lockdown period. This was facilitated through video conferencing for interviews as well as virtual onboarding tools that are enabling new employees to join and work remotely from day one. Again, this is a very positive sign for the Data market, one we have not seen mirrored in all recruitment markets.

At this point, I think it is worth noting that what we considered to be ‘business as usual’ two months ago will no longer be the case. Organisations have had to embrace flexible and remote working over recent months. Yet many, including our own, have experienced a lot of positives to come from this and subsequently are looking at how this can be rolled out and maintained moving forward. Business leaders around the world are currently considering what we can learn from the COVID-19 experience and I am confident that this will lead to many positive changes for us all.

We are starting to see positive signs of recovery in the Data market and I believe this will continue as the current restrictions are eased by local and federal government. Over the last week alone, I have spoken to a number of business leaders ranging from Managing Directors, Chief Data Officers, Heads of Analytics and leaders within Human Resources and all have conveyed their plans to re-start their recruitment processes ASAP. I believe we will see the Australian market bounce back quickly with more and more firms continuing to invest heavily into their Data offerings which is great news for us all!

If you’re a Data professional and would like a confidential discussion to learn more about the current opportunities in the market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to chat!

Should we expect more regulatory scrutiny in the new norm?

Mon, 18 May 2020 06:59:55 GMT

Since the pandemic took hold, I have written about my expectations of the new norm including more remote working , an increase in investment in automation , a reduction in the use of cash and more robust contingency planning to protect organisations from future crises.

As we know, over the past few years, regulatory compliance has been steadily rising, with regulation tightening not just in the UK and Europe, but across the world.

During COVID-19, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has relaxed its regulations for financial firms by easing best execution reporting requirements and extending financial reporting deadlines. However, a lot of my network from the Financial Services sector is anticipating even more regulatory scrutiny and compliance in the new norm.

During the outbreak, compliance teams have had to adapt quickly to the new realities of working from home, and the challenges they have faced particularly when people have been unable to work due to illness. Smaller firms have been more susceptible to breaches in regulation due to key members of staff falling ill or being furloughed.

Manual processes are difficult to maintain at the best of times. These limitations to current processes have been magnified during COVID-19 and have highlighted the need for enhanced online systems and secure, cloud-based technology so compliance work can continue without interruption.

Services that are automated, with cost-effective advantages, are going to be of incredible value to most firms to help relieve the regulatory burden. The more they can automate, or outsource, the more protected they will be, mitigating the risk of fines from regulatory breaches.

Compliance is important. Firms will be very aware that an economic downturn will not be an excuse for any breach. As COVID-19 has highlighted weaknesses in process, is it also likely we will see regulatory changes implemented to business continuity planning and standards to address these?

The effect of COVID-19 on international legal recruitment

Tue, 12 May 2020 06:56:30 GMT

Although there has been a slow down in the international legal recruitment market, there is very much still appetite to hire as we continue to witness pockets of activity from many of our clients. Here is our latest market update of our key jurisdictions and the impact on hiring processes.

Middle East

I personally specialise in placing lawyers across the GCC, with the majority of our roles based in the UAE. Although associates in all practice areas in the region remain busy, the UAE has currently suspended the issuance of any new residential visas, and airlines are just beginning to run return flights for UAE residents stuck outside of the country. This has caused some difficulty for those due to start in new roles, however firms have generally been proactive in developing contingency plans with many associates starting work remotely from their home countries, with a view to relocating to the UAE as soon as is possible. Those that have recently received offers have been able to agree to delay handing in their notice at their current firms until there is more clarity on when they may be able to get to the region.

With the GCC being an expat-heavy market, interview processes generally are conducted virtually for those based outside of the region, with offers often being made without a face-to-face meeting if the candidate is located far away. Therefore, processes have been able to continue largely as normal via VC. Due to the visa restrictions at present, firms will not be likely to make any new offers at this time, however a number of our clients are very much still keen to review CVs with a view to progressing things once the lockdown is over, especially large international firms.

The busiest areas at present are disputes and corporate. Employment is a trend across other markets, however many firms in the Middle East have recently hired in their employment teams so this practice area seems to be settled currently. We also have a number of niche roles in areas such as funds and real estate where there is a specific client demand.

London

As the largest legal market, it is no surprise that our London team have remained the busiest in terms of live mandates. On the transactional side, restructuring and finance are key at present with interviews going ahead in leveraged finance, project finance and structured products. Disputes teams also remain busy, both in commercial and construction, along with employment associates. This is reflected in recruitment, with new roles being released in these areas.

Video interviews have been able to proceed as usual, and despite the difficult market, firms have largely still been able to secure visas and sponsorship for international candidates. Due to practical issues such as travel restrictions or time differences, it may be that there is a knock on effect in start dates for relocators, however there are still a number of active practice areas and impetus for candidates to join when possible.

Offshore

Offshore law firms generally remain busy, which has an obvious knock on effect to hiring. This, coupled with the fact the majority of the Channel Island law firms don’t have their own trainee intake, has meant that the best way to progress the traditional NQ hiring process for September is still being thought through in these uncertain times. The key barrier at present is the current air travel restrictions which are inhibiting visits of potential employees and also those starting new positions. Remote onboarding is effective where practical, however given time differences and regulations, it is not always possible.

Our team have continued to be briefed on new opportunities across the jurisdictions and expect corporate, banking, litigation, and trusts to be busy as things start to stabilise and travel resumes.

Ireland

In Ireland, firms are busy in insolvency and disputes, and also with ongoing transactions that began prior to the lockdown. Although firms are taking a cautious approach at present with regards to hiring, most are still open to reviewing strong profiles with a view to progressing to interview once there is further clarity at the end of lockdown. Irish firms often conduct VCs as part of their interview process but will usually want to meet face-to-face before extending an offer.

Europe

Due to some locations in Europe having different coping mechanisms in place for COVID-19 (for example, Germany and Switzerland), there has been less of an impact on hiring processes. In fact, a number of more commercial clients have used the lockdown as an opportunity to progress interviews more quickly, as it is easier for candidates to speak via VC from home.

Interviews via VC are becoming increasingly common, however face-to-face meetings before making an offer are still the norm, as many candidates are from elsewhere within the continental market. Some processes may therefore be delayed; however, organisations have generally been flexible and accepting in terms of any start date changes due to travel/visa difficulties. Candidates have been able to start remotely from their current locations, with onboarding and inductions taking place virtually.

Our Europe team works with a number of pharmaceuticals clients and, as you can imagine, these organisations are busy at present, with this expected to continue as the COVID-19 situation progresses. Restructuring is also a busy practice area at present, as in most locations.

Australia

Lawyers in the Australian market remain busy despite the lockdown, particularly in restructuring, employment and also disputes. This is a trend that we have seen reflected in other markets as a result of COVID-19. Further, privacy law has been a developing market in Australia for some time now, and we predict this will continue following COVID-19.

The lockdown has caused a slowdown in recruitment within the market, both private practice and in-house, however a number of pressing roles do remain open. With restrictions beginning to ease in parts of Australia however, some smaller organisations are able to release their hiring freezes quicker than those larger organisations. Typically, interview processes within the Australian market can be lengthy, especially given the international nature of the candidate pool, however organisations are well-versed in using VC technology to meet candidates for initial interviews.

Singapore

With the circuit-breaker in Singapore having now been extended until June, many clients are taking the time to assess their needs in preparation for when things return to normality. Some organisations that were hiring prior to the lockdown, for example a number of banks, continue to do so as they already have sign off for their active recruitment. Although it will be trickier at present to relocate candidates to the market, there are some busier sectors, such as niche areas of finance as well as in technology and many clients are expecting a bounce following the end of the circuit-breaker.

In summary

Overall, it is fair to say that there has understandably been a slow down in recruitment internationally. This is partly to do with practical issues and also a certain level of uncertainty in the market. That being said, in every market there are very much still live openings with firms always being receptive to particularly strong profiles.

Please do send me a message or email at jamiebaker@hydrogengroup.com with any questions or to arrange a phone call to discuss further.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail: will contingency planning be a permanent feature on the management agenda?

Mon, 11 May 2020 06:43:47 GMT

Those of you that have read my recent articles will know that I predict the new norm will include more remote working , an increased investment in the automation of business processes , and a reduction in the use of cash in the market place.

Another realisation to have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance for businesses to have short term, emergency contingency plans in place.

Most of the organisations that I work with have well established succession plans, with a steady pipeline of leaders ready to step into new roles. They invest heavily in their development of staff, make robust promotion decisions, and provide enhanced career development opportunities for their emerging leaders. They create strong organisational cultures, tend to have a more diverse portfolio of leaders, and seem to have greater stability and resilience.

However, the COVID-19 outbreak has now highlighted the importance of having emergency succession plans in place that account for disaster events. It has acted as a wake-up call for most businesses. In fact, according to a recent COVID-19 survey conducted in the US by Fortune , 38% of respondents said their boards and management teams had no succession plan should a leader get sick.

Leadership is more important than ever during a crisis. This pandemic has placed unusual strains on the entire leadership team; the protracted, ever changing nature of the pandemic; the challenges enabling work to be conducted remotely; having to adopt new management practices suitable for a dispersed workforce; and the need to continually review everything as the crisis unfolds. In addition to this, businesses have had to be prepared for leaders falling ill and being forced to take time out. This was most apparent when Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital and Dominic Raab took on his role.

CEOs and other key employees are not immune. As the coronavirus pandemic has escalated, management teams have been fortifying their succession plans and reviewing back-up operating procedures in case top executives or other critical employees fall ill.

What I think we will see more of in the new norm is businesses formalising and regularly reviewing their contingency plans that account for unforeseen emergencies like this one. Plans will include the identification of successors for unexpected sickness or absence, duties or responsibilities being shared to ensure continuity in management and daily operations and assigning caretaker roles and temporary cover for all areas of the business. It will be important that every effort is made to give those individuals the training and mentoring they require, including crisis response management, so they feel equipped should the need arise.

Plans should highlight essential and non-essential business operations and identify and develop knowledge transfer frameworks to allow for fluid transfer of information and communication among management and employees. It will be important to ensure the plans account for IT infrastructure needed to facilitate remote working and cyber and information security risks, along with the impact on the supply chain of any future unforeseen crisis (as explained in my colleague Steven Frost’s latest article: Coronavirus’ impact on the global supply chain ).

Effective contingency planning will protect businesses against the impact of future emergencies. With hindsight, we have seen that it pays to be prepared. What plans do you expect your organisation to make?

Will COVID-19 kill off cash?

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 06:39:47 GMT

Those of you that will have seen my article, ' I bet your Digital Worker hasn’t been furloughed ' , will know I am expecting to see a lot of my clients begin to invest, or further invest, in automation in the “next norm”.

Those that have seen the least impact on their processes whilst their teams have been working remotely, or furloughed, or worse still unable to work due to illness, have been the ones that had introduced automation to their tasks, and maintained a level of resilience amidst the chaos.

E-commerce and online e-tailing businesses will gain market share as consumer behaviours change. People will be more conscious of limiting human contact. We have already seen an uptake in online grocery shopping during the pandemic. When the lockdown is withdrawn and confidence eventually returns to spending, I expect some of the public will continue to avoid the High Street and prefer to shop online for convenience, and to avoid unnecessary human contact. Businesses will be investing in their digital channels and infrastructure, so they are able to fulfil consumer demand.

A by-product of this will be an increase in the contactless payments market. The world will be looking to make transactions as contactless as possible. We can already see a huge surge in this as new research reveals that more than 7 million contactless payments have been made since the limit was increased to £45 in the UK to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. Whilst the use of cash before the pandemic had been dropping year on year due to the emergence of contactless payment methods, reports at the end of March from Link, the operator of the UK’s biggest network of ATMs, said cash usage in Britain had halved in the mont h. The closure of shops, a shift to contactless payments, plus concerns that notes may harbour the virus contributed to the dramatic decline.

When the markets begin to see a resurgence, will our old behaviours return with it? Will you be keeping cash in your wallet or rely on contactless payments?

Tips for trainees approaching qualification

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 06:36:13 GMT

In light of the current market, we are likely to see some changes from the traditional route to qualification.

COVID-19 has certainly thrown some spanners in the works for law firms, and with the unknown timeline of restrictions is likely to raise concerns. Remember in 2019, when the Government was in flux? Back then we had suspicions of trainees being left without options on qualification, however this did not turn out to be the case as retention rates rose to an all-time high – so there is hope for the ‘next generation’ yet!

Typically, law firms will be on the cusp of their internal hiring process with opportunities being revealed, choices being made, and interviews being lined up. If you are a trainee in your final seat then now is the time to start making some important career decisions, and here are some useful tips to help you do so.

1. Keep Calm & Carry On!

Qualifying is a big milestone, and likely something you have been working towards for several years, so do not let the pressure get to you. The key is to remain focused and not lose sight of your end goal, whether that be a particular practice area, law firm or industry.

2. Pros & Cons of Staying Put

Competition has always been fierce, and in some markets extremely so which is ultimately out of your control. In some cases, the stars align; the perfect opportunity presents itself within the firm you trained with – lucky you! For those less fortunate, it is no bad thing to move onto pastures new or opt for a second-choice practice area with a view of moving on at a later date. Given the current climate, having a job is far more favourable than having no job, so it’s more important than ever that you explore all opportunities internally, even if second or third choice.

3. Safety First!

There are multiple platforms often giving the illusion they are making life simple for you; upload your CV, click ‘OK’ and we will find you the job of your dreams. However, this can cause you to lose control of your destiny and in some cases end up with your CV in a ‘spray and pray’ universe. Be certain you know exactly where you are applying to and what the opportunity is. Communication and research are essential, find a trusted agency, a credible consultant you feel comfortable working with and understands your goals before providing consent to make specific applications.

4. Basic Trust

It can be challenging to find an agency and individual in this seemingly ever-expanding industry, so it is important you find the time to do your own due diligence. It is always worth speaking with your peers to see if they can offer any recommendations. In addition to that, a simple ‘stalk’ online can unveil how long that agency, and individual, have been in the field as well as LinkedIn showcasing testimonials. Ultimately, if that recruiter can provide you with valuable market insights, guidance of your CV and interview processes and you feel confident they understand your goals then you are off to a good start! Personally, the cherry on top is if you genuinely gel well and have a nice chat over a call or coffee.

To find out more about what is happening in the trainee market, or for a confidential discussion to learn more about your options, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at louiseshearing@hydrogengroup.com .

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Coronavirus’s impact on the global supply chain

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:33:26 GMT

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted almost every industry and business area worldwide, and while some have thrived, the majority are finding the situation tough to navigate.

Both camps, however, have supply chain and procurement in common, underlining the significance of the sector. The drastic changes to life in lockdown have suddenly weighted the supply/demand dynamic to one side, with supply unable to keep up with demand, almost everywhere, which in turn has exposed some critical weaknesses in the supply chain industry.

To take one topical illustration of this, the “business” of dealing with the Covid-19 virus itself has been hampered for many countries due to poor supply chain management, which has resulted in a severe shortage of PPE, testing kits, ventilators and even refrigerated morgue space. Successfully managing a supply chain requires fast, efficient co-ordination between demand, procurement and delivery. Using the virus example, we can perhaps excuse demand management – the need for all of those items is of course unprecedented and it would be inefficient to stockpile in great quantities (and go against the trusted Just-In-Time inventory management concept). That may change of course, in a post-virus world. However, in terms of procurement, some reported statistics have shown the vulnerability of putting all your eggs in one basket. For example, 95% of surgical masks are apparently made outside of the US . And when the UK predicted a shortage of ventilators, manufacturing companies, who were ready to pivot into producing them much as car firms began making tanks in WW2, quickly discovered that certain components were only made abroad .

While we all hope the current pandemic is unique, there have been a number of high-profile natural disasters over the last decade that have had an enormous impact on the global supply chain. Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis and hurricanes hit the headlines frequently enough to no longer be considered rare, and a volcano eruption in Iceland in 2010 closed the airspace over 20 countries, which had a massive impact on supply chains. Despite these events, surveys have shown that most companies were still unprepared for the coronavirus pandemic and in terms of supply chain, the only way to minimise the impact of these events and mitigate risk is by investing resources into supply network mapping.

Mapping the supply network into as much detail as possible enables a business to be better prepared should a rare event occur. It provides visibility throughout the chain to show which suppliers, locations or products might be at risk, affording an early move to another channel. In the UK, as early as January, frozen food company Birds Eye made moves before their competitors due to some detailed and diligent research coming from their Italian team where the coronavirus had already hit. They changed their range of products to free up space in the supply chain to cope with the demand they could see coming and introduced social distancing and thermal imaging early in their factories, to ensure business continuity as much as possible.

The reluctance to map a supply network, particularly for large organisations, is the level of intense work and therefore cost involved, but again, in a post-virus world, this stance may change, and that investment may be considered worthwhile. Whether industries learn from their experiences during this pandemic remains to be seen, but the outbreak has shown just how crucial supply chains and procurement are to both battle the virus itself and still be in business the other side of it.

If you’d like to learn more about this topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be very happy to share my insights on the market.

Video interviewing: our top tips for candidates

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:24:18 GMT

In light of the current pandemic, most job interviews are now instead conducted online through tools such as Zoom, Skype or Teams. We have developed this new guide to walk you through our top tips and help you prepare better for your upcoming interviews.

Download our guide to learn more about:

How to prepare for your video interview
How to deal with any technological challenges
How to best represent yourself over video

Receive a complimentary copy of the guide direct to your inbox by filling in the form below:

Video interviewing: our top tips for candidates .

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:22:52 GMT

Download our guide to learn more about:

How to prepare for your video interview
How to deal with any technological challenges
How to best represent yourself over video

Receive a complimentary copy of the guide direct to your inbox by filling in the form below:

Why you should still be hiring

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 06:16:56 GMT

Despite drastic changes in many sectors decimated by the global coronavirus pandemic resulting in not just a hiring freeze, but some organisations disappearing completely, there are a number of sectors that are continuing to hire.

Aside from the much-publicised front-line efforts that are keeping the day-to-day operations of the country going, it’s business almost as usual for many others too, with the only change being remote working.

Many of the constants that traditionally result in hiring are still with us: succession planning; retirements; resignations; and relocations are continuing. Then there’s the move to remote working itself and the increased use of cloud technology, which has placed an emphasis on the importance of skilled tech professionals, as well as project and change management talent. That demand has increased further for companies that have also pivoted their services to move into a more digital line of work.

If you’re in a sector that is predominantly business as usual, then remote working shouldn’t alter your hiring and growth plans completely. In fact, for those that have one eye on the competition and view the current situation as a potential window of opportunity, we are seeing real risk and reward, where businesses are securing the services of top talent now, rather than waiting for life to return to normal. Moving to an online recruitment process is both streamlining what was often a lengthy process involving multiple stakeholders, as well as improving the candidate experience. There is less need now for out of office hours interviews, for example, or finding a diary window for both parties to meet up. Remote interviews have resulted in an efficiency that candidates have never experienced before, and those who are looking for a move are being rewarded with interview prep time at home and the whole process being completed in familiar surroundings.

The uptake in inexpensive video conferencing apps in recent weeks has been phenomenal, to the extent that what was once a novelty is now fast becoming the norm. Team meetings have moved online, for example, and there are more face-to-face calls in general, as people starved of human contact are choosing to see as well as talk to others. The results is that, as we all become more familiar with the software, which in turn is fast improving to become more robust, online interviews will become second nature with possibly no return to a physical meeting, certainly for the early rounds of the hiring process. While some forward-thinking companies were already on board with remote interviewing and hiring, the enforced move to its adoption for many others may have introduced them to the future of recruiting years earlier than they were anticipating, which when the dust settles may be an improvement all round.

If your recruitment plans are stagnating or you would like help in moving to a more efficient online process, don’t hesitate to get in touch .

ERP rate card 2020 - Benelux

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:09:10 GMT

Based on our meetings with organisations across the region, we've compiled the latest rates for SAP specialists in the Benelux.

Receive a complimentary copy of the 2020 rate card directly to your inbox by filling in the form below.

I bet your Digital Worker hasn’t been furloughed…

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 06:06:34 GMT

Last week I asked if you thought remote working would become the new norm in my post “ Will we ever go back into the office? ”.

Speaking to many of my clients over the last few weeks, I have noticed that those that had been investing in Robotic Process Automation (RPA) had mitigated some of the disruption we are experiencing by using Digital Workers to perform day-to-day tasks, maintain customer communication, and keep teams seamlessly connected. As we know, Digital Workers, unlike their human colleagues, can be duplicated as many times as required in times of crisis, affording a business absolute continuity for its critical functions, regardless of what temporarily happens to the human workforce.

The majority of disaster recovery plans focus on the hardware and software systems and how to temporarily manage without them while they are being fixed, retrieved or replaced. However, there is usually nothing in place to ensure continuity without a physical workforce, which we are seeing with some businesses as employees are becoming ill, unable to travel, dealing with children off school or not yet set up to work remotely. So, just as the disaster recovery plan has ensured that vital information and processes are retrievable from the cloud, Digital Workers are also safe and can be relied upon to ensure business as usual. While the human staff adjust and adapt to a new environment away from the office, the Digital workforce holds the fort when human capacity is stretched or diminished.

What do you think the norm will look like in your organisation?

More remote working? A greater mix of Digital colleagues?

Discover more about how Hydrogen can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

Will we ever go back into the office?

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 06:01:45 GMT

It’s a subject that has been debated for years, but it looks as though the discussions about remote working are finally over, with even the most stubborn opponents having to relent in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

While many forward-thinking businesses embraced remote working some time ago, thousands of other employers and employees are only recently adjusting to a new way of working.

For knowledge workers, where a physical location isn’t important to their work, it’s very possible that once processes are established to everyone’s satisfaction and the right tech is in place, there is no need for a blanket return to the office. Studies have shown that remote working takes frustrating commuting and office politics out of the equation and improves productivity and efficiency. In the past, the choice and flexibility aspect has resulted in more satisfied employees – though this would be a moot point if there was no office and therefore no choice of where to work. It’s also important to remember that not every employee has a conducive living environment that can easily be adapted to a workspace, and not everyone wants to lose the social aspect and daily interaction of office life.

For employers, while some have resisted a full remote working policy in the past, citing reasons such as culture or teambuilding or trust, there is no data to suggest any negative impact from remote working. It’s true that certain areas are harder for employers to measure or will require more effort to instil, but a strong corporate culture, full engagement and high levels of performance are all achievable with a remote workforce. There’s also the upside of the huge overheads that office space incurs coming off the bottom line.

That said, a global pandemic is no one’s preferred way of forcing remote working upon any company, and there are many that simply aren’t ready.

But, if employees start to question why they ever had to go into an office in the first place, or if organisations managing this for the first time see multiple benefits from it, will the new remote workforce become the norm?

Will we ever go back into an office?

7 simple steps to acing your video interview .

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 05:59:40 GMT

Taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses and employees have now adapted to new ways of working remotely.

Of course, as the hiring process never stops, most interviews are now being conducted online. It’s not uncommon to conduct interviews virtually, especially since technology is helping to make the process more flexible and convenient.

So, if you’re facing a similar situation, here are our top tips to help you make sure your video interview is a success:

The best benefit of a video interview is the fact that you can practice a run through of the interview with your recruiter or a friend. From both a technical point of view as well as a question preparation standpoint. This will help you to reduce your stress level that something might not work when dialling in. If you practice this with your recruiter, he/she will be able to provide you with tips on questions you will likely be asked.
Dress appropriately, just as you would if you had a face-to-face interview. This will show your level of professionalism, even though the interview is conducted from your home. Granted, you’ll probably only be visible only from the waist up, but don’t underestimate the power of this – it’ll help you boost your confidence.
Body language is vital. The way you present yourself is very important. Studies show that only 7% of your words count – the rest depends on you making eye contact, smiling (the most important), sitting up straight and nodding to show you’re following along with the interviewer.
Find the right space to sit, so you will feel both comfortable and confident that no one will disturb you. Kindly ask everyone in the house to keep quiet for the whole duration of the interview and make sure you have the appropriate background, most preferably a plain wall behind. You don’t want your interviewer to get distracted by your laundry sitting in the background!
Make sure your phone is also silenced and your notifications are muted. Your phone can be a big distraction and might interrupt you from your own thoughts, which could throw you off your train your thought.
Log onto the interview portal 2-3 minutes early, to show punctuality. Better to be safe, than sorry! Perhaps mute and turn off your camera while you wait – the interviewer will surely appreciate that.
Last but not least, prepare some questions to ask your interviewer. It’s important to show you are interested in the job and you want to find more – it can be questions about your role, the team you will be working with, or anything with will inform your decision if this is the right job for you. Three or four key questions is usually a good number to aim for.

A huge benefit to video interviews is that you save time travelling. Take advantage of sitting in your own home and let go of any stress factors. Conducting the video interview from a comfortable space should help you with this. Make the most of your interview and make sure you are doing your best to convince the person at the other end of the screen that you are the right person for the job! Good luck!

7 simple steps to acing your video interview

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 05:58:01 GMT

Taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses and employees have now adapted to new ways of working remotely.

So, if you’re facing a similar situation, here are our top tips to help you make sure your video interview is a success:

The best benefit of a video interview is the fact that you can practice a run through of the interview with your recruiter or a friend. From both a technical point of view as well as a question preparation standpoint. This will help you to reduce your stress level that something might not work when dialling in. If you practice this with your recruiter, he/she will be able to provide you with tips on questions you will likely be asked.
Dress appropriately, just as you would if you had a face-to-face interview. This will show your level of professionalism, even though the interview is conducted from your home. Granted, you’ll probably only be visible only from the waist up, but don’t underestimate the power of this – it’ll help you boost your confidence.
Body language is vital. The way you present yourself is very important. Studies show that only 7% of your words count – the rest depends on you making eye contact, smiling (the most important), sitting up straight and nodding to show you’re following along with the interviewer.
Find the right space to sit, so you will feel both comfortable and confident that no one will disturb you. Kindly ask everyone in the house to keep quiet for the whole duration of the interview and make sure you have the appropriate background, most preferably a plain wall behind. You don’t want your interviewer to get distracted by your laundry sitting in the background!
Make sure your phone is also silenced and your notifications are muted. Your phone can be a big distraction and might interrupt you from your own thoughts, which could throw you off your train your thought.
Log onto the interview portal 2-3 minutes early, to show punctuality. Better to be safe, than sorry! Perhaps mute and turn off your camera while you wait – the interviewer will surely appreciate that.
Last but not least, prepare some questions to ask your interviewer. It’s important to show you are interested in the job and you want to find more – it can be questions about your role, the team you will be working with, or anything with will inform your decision if this is the right job for you. Three or four key questions is usually a good number to aim for.

Virtual onboarding of remote employees: how to do it right

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 05:50:26 GMT

“The only constant in life is change.”

This famous quote from Heraclitus has perhaps never felt so relevant, given the situation we currently find ourselves in. And as with any change, those who come out the other side on top are the ones who adapt quickest. With the global COVID-19 pandemic, most companies have been forced to move their entire activity online, a big change for many of us.

Your employees are your best brand ambassadors, so it is vital to make their initial encounters with your business positive. Brand ambassadors can add credibility and a valuable facet to communication work, which positively expresses your company image. One way to do so is by creating a beneficial and trustworthy relationship between the new starter and the team.

Given the current climate, onboarding a new member of staff can seem pretty challenging, taking into consideration that most businesses have moved to remote working and human interaction is not recommended. But with so much technology at our fingertips, it’s not as difficult as it may seem.

Onboarding is often seen as both costly and time consuming. Therefore, it is important to find the right balance, and through digital onboarding that balance can be achieved.

How do you make virtual onboarding a success?

Firstly, whilst most governments recommend social distancing and there is no way to ask your new starter to come into the office, you will need to get IT to set up their laptop and all other devices remotely. Then the best method would be to courier all the necessary equipment to the employee’s home address where they can set-up.

Most companies do already practice digital onboarding, from a paperwork point of view, as all necessary documents are sent prior to the employee’s start date, to be filled and signed. This allows employees to get started with job training sooner, rather than later.

Traditional onboarding procedures require employees to participate in training sessions for hours, possibly days, and this also impacts the time of the participating managers. These sessions can instead be set up online, condensed and spread throughout several days, so that the new starter can also get started on work.

Digital onboarding helps when it comes to ensuring the materials that are presented to the new employee are consistent, since they can be stored and easily located on the central server.

Another benefit to digital onboarding is that employees can complete the entire onboarding process at their own pace, in a reasonable timeframe. This applies if you have pre-recorded training videos – if not, this might be something to consider working on in the future. Also, this ensures nothing is missed, as online checklists can be built into the process, easier for all involved to track.

Occasionally, not all employees benefit from the same onboarding experience, when this is done traditionally. With digital onboarding set in place, companies can personalise each employee’s experience depending on their role, trying to adapt it to their personal experience. Why not arrange a virtual lunch, where you can send a free Uber Eats lunch to your new employee and you can video chat as you get to know each other? This is a nice personal touch, in a time where social distancing is key.

Digital onboarding is not only about providing tools for employees to seek information and complete documentation, but it is also about the ability to integrate the digital onboarding activity with learning management and other systems to ensure maximum productivity and connectivity.

A key part of this is building relationships with the team. One great way to do this virtually is to set up daily 15-minute virtual coffee meetings with the whole team where they will get to know each other better on both a professional and personal level. Another idea is to engage everyone in fun competitions, such as funniest baby photos of the team, or ‘guess whose home office’. Finding creative and fun ways to keep your team communicating regularly (and where you can discuss topics beyond work!) will really help your new starter settle in well and feel a part of your company.

Several studies have found that a structured and effective employee onboarding process is likely to boost employee performance by 11%, increase effort by more than 30% and that around 58% of the employees are likely to still be with the company three years later. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure your virtual onboarding process runs smoothly.

Virtual onboarding of remote employees: how to do it right .

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 05:48:07 GMT

“The only constant in life is change.”

Onboarding is often seen as both costly and time consuming. Therefore, it is important to find the right balance, and through digital onboarding that balance can be achieved.

How do you make virtual onboarding a success?

Digital onboarding helps when it comes to ensuring the materials that are presented to the new employee are consistent, since they can be stored and easily located on the central server.

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Hazel McDwyer

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 05:43:44 GMT

Hazel McDwyer is a Partner in the Intellectual Property & Technology Team at Gadens. In this role, she partners with clients from a wide range of industries ensuring that they can identify, secure, and commercialise their intellectual property rights and to protect their intellectual property rights from infringement. She also advised extensively on privacy issues.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I started out in Ireland over 20 years ago as a trainee solicitor at a boutique corporate firm in Dublin, which gave me fantastic general commercial law experience. I knew early on that I wanted to specialise in Intellectual Property, having studied it in my Masters. Therefore a couple

of years after I qualified, I joined a large Dublin corporate firm to work with one of the top IP lawyers in Ireland. I worked with her for three years across a couple of different firms and my experience having her as a role model was very insightful. She is still very much a mentor for me. In 2008, I took the plunge and moved to Australia, where I worked in the IP team at Henry Davis York for nine years. I then went to Addisons for another year and a half before the fantastic opportunity arose for me to be a partner in the growing team at Gadens last year and I just couldn’t pass that up.

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Coming from Ireland into Australia, have you noticed any differences between the two countries?

Irish people are open, honest, and have a good sense of humour, which are traits very similar to Australians. Of course, there are many differences. For example law firms in Ireland are a bit more hierarchical, where you need to do a 3-year traineeship on rotation before becoming qualified, so it takes a lot longer. Once you are qualified, you are very independent, with your own clients, so quite a different system to here. In Australia, I have found the structure of law firms to be lot flatter and more informal. Therefore, I’d say they are relatively similar but there are subtle differences here and there.

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Has your gender ever hindered or blocked any personal progression?

Overall I would say no, but looking back at my career there were definitely moments where stereotypes and unconscious bias were evident. Early on in my career, most of the partners were male and most of the solicitors were female, which was not unusual. Networking back then was more male oriented, such as through golf days and private members clubs, so junior female lawyers had less opportunity to be involved. I feel that has changed significantly now.

When I got married, there was an assumption in some quarters that I would immediately have children and put my career on hold in the meantime. There were senior people that would joke about having newlyweds on 'baby watch'. These type of assumptions make it difficult, as a woman, to progress your career. While I do think that this is changing, it’s surprising the number of times you still hear these types of issues from people.

Personally, I also feel that women undersell ourselves more than men, which, of itself, can hinder career progression somewhat.

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Can you pinpoint a time within the last few years when you noticed the tone of the conversation on diversity changing?

I would say it was around seven or eight years ago when I noticed it actually becoming part of a conversation. Before then, there wasn’t really a conversation on diversity and inclusion and its benefits. It wasn’t something that firms were openly discussing, certainly not law firms. People were talking about getting more women into the workforce, but not so much the advantages to business to get more women in senior positions and taking charge of decision making. Then the conversation changed with an increased emphasis on diversity and the realisation that it is good for business.

At HDY, for instance, programs were introduced such as Career Trackers, focusing on different forms of diversity like gender and LGBTIQ. At Gadens, we are committed to equality in the workplace and are focused on achieving gender pay parity as part of our focus on gender equality. Gadens is also a signatory to the Law Council of Australia's Equitable Briefing Policy, a policy intended to drive cultural change within the legal profession.

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What do you think are the benefits of having diversity in the workplace?

Diversity of thought is a major subject that has been discussed over the past few years. I feel that 'group think' is possibly one of the biggest obstacles to development and growth. Having a homogenised group, such as by gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic background makes it difficult to generate new ideas, compared to having a room with diverse people that have different abilities and strengths. Diversity generally leads to better decisions and better results. The legal profession, for instance, has been going through significant changes over the past few years and ensuring that we have a diverse workforce will enable us to face the challenges ahead.

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What advice would you give to individuals having children and trying to ensure that there is no compromise between their personal and professional lives?

While I don’t have any children myself, I have seen so many of my friends, family and colleagues struggle with the balance between family and work as they are trying to be the best at both and putting themselves under pressure. What I’d say is be open about any issues that you’re having and don’t try to be everything to all people, instead prioritise. If you need to get home in the evening for your children, make sure that you communicate this effectively in the workplace. Once people know why you’re doing something they generally are more agreeable to it.

So I think it’s having the courage to say to people “this is what I have to do” and not trying to do everything yourself. At Gadens we have a flexible approach. Staff can easily work from home if they need to, it really is not an issue. Many will leave the office to pick up their children, for instance, and then log on at home. Culturally, it is encouraged, so I think that this helps with the ongoing balancing act that parents undertake.

–

You mentioned that the firm is embracing technology in bettering the working environment. Are there any objectives or outcomes the firm is working towards in terms of having representation?

We’ve currently achieved 50-50 at the senior lawyer level and 33% of the partnership is female, which is much higher than average. Of course, there is a plan to make it more and more diverse but I believe we are going about it a bit more informally compared to other firms. There are no quotas or targets to hit, but there has definitely been a conscious effort to ensure we have a greater female representation at senior levels of the firm.

–

With this informal approach, are there any specific policies / initiatives that HR has launched or is it more of a gut-feel approach to carry on what has been working so far?

We have ongoing training for staff. For instance, we have had unconscious bias training for the whole firm. It was very interesting because something as simple as making people stand up based on their age group or whether they have been directly impacted by someone with mental health issues would hit home as to the diversity we have within the organisation, and help people deal with the unconscious bias around those type of things. That’s very much an area we are looking at, which I think is going to reflect in the programs and in our leadership.

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Where do you think we are on the journey and what do you think is next?

I think we are fairly progressed when it comes to gender diversity as everyone is aware of the issue. If you look at most boards now, either they already have a certain number of women or they’re trying to. But I believe there is still a long way to go, particularly in the Legal profession, and that goes for other types of diversity as well, like ethnicity, disability, and age. For example, there are many firms that encourage senior people to leave at a certain age, even some of the big firms around the world, losing a wealth of talent in the process. Businesses need to reflect society as a whole and I don’t think that many corporate law firms do at that well at moment, which is something that needs to be worked on.

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Do you foresee the emphasis on diversity continuing to be a part of the DNA of the business as you grow?

There is definitely an emphasis on attracting more female partners to the firm and I see this extending to other areas of growth in diversity. As a professional advisory firm, it’s important that you reflect clients and their values, that way you can resonate with them and work together better.

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Do you think the media's portrayal of the Legal profession reinforces the stereotypes that exist?

Yes I do. What we really see are two extremes of stereotypes. On the one hand, we have those television shows that show lawyers being glamorous, high powered, money driven (with cases completed within the hour long episode!) - a world of really attractive people under the leadership of someone who is, more often than not, male. On the other hand, we have newspaper articles that portray the Legal profession as archaic, insular, homogenous and privileged. Neither of these stereotypes reflects the reality, which, of course, is quite different.

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And I think some of it is also on the powerful women we see in those portrayals, they kind of lack feminine traits, which seems to have further perpetuated the myth about the legal profession.

Very much so, a powerful woman is usually portrayed as a 'ball-breaker' and a powerful man with the same traits is seen as a role model.

It has traditionally been more difficult for women to get ahead in the legal profession. For some senior female practitioners, they have had to fight to break through the glass ceiling. They have been up against a room full of men so they’ve had to work a lot harder to get where they are and sometimes have had to exhibit more male characteristics in so doing. However, I feel that this is changing and that there is plenty of room for women to embrace their feminine traits and still progress their careers. For instance, women can be the most amazing mentors and it is our responsibility to ensure that the young professionals who we are responsible for are encouraged to be themselves and to be the best that they can be, no matter what they do, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, background etc. This will hopefully lead to a happier and more engaged workforce, with the levels of diversity needed to keep ahead these days.

Elements - Why we care about Diversity & Inclusion

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 05:36:13 GMT

As recruiters, we often sit at the coal face of workplace market trends and the consciousness of broader society. It would not be a surprise to hear that for the last two weeks the main topic of conversation between candidates, clients and recruiters has been COVID-19. At other times in my career it has been the dot.com crash, the GFC, royal weddings or Liverpool winning the Champions League (again).

To this end, I can say with some authority, that when I left Australia to take up a role in China in late 2014, Diversity and Inclusion wasn’t a topic at the forefront of conversation in corporate Australia.

Whilst in China, I was surprised at the transparent bias which existed in some organisations when it came to the hiring process. Usually the bias focussed on gender e.g. “please find me a male candidate between the ages of 35 and 45” but at other times the bias could be based on race or other more nefarious labels.

It was fairly confronting to be exposed to such blatant exclusion in a recruitment process but certainly enabled me and the business I was working for to be very selective with the organisations we chose to partner with.

At the same time, this experience in China reminded me of multiple occasions in Australia when presenting shortlists and seeing people from the “right school” getting moved to top of the pile for interviews. Is this more furtive bias any worse than the explicit bias I encountered in Asia? For my mind, the answer is “no”.

Upon returning to the Australian market three and a half years later, I was pleased to discover that the dial had moved on Diversity and Inclusion. The majority of organisations were now talking about the issue and what needed to be done. A number of organisations actually had meaningful inclusion policies in place and were executing the same and then seeing the benefits as well.

At Hydrogen Group, walking into my new role running in Australia, I was received by an office of 100% white-Anglo Saxon males. So, I set the business on course to change our demographics and make our consultant base reflective of our customers. I’m pleased and proud to say that within our leadership group, 50% of the team are female and at a consultant level we have a healthy gender profile allied to a varied ethnic demographic with people from the UK, Ghana, Croatia, Turkey, India, Iraq and even a couple of Australians!

We know for a fact that diverse teams perform better . We have work to do though and certainly need to be conscious of our representation across the age spectrum. But as a business we are attempting to lead the charge on D&I.

In 2018 we began a blog series called ‘Inspiring Business Women’ . The genesis of this blog was to interview senior female talent, find out more about their career journey and then share their stories to inspire others. What we found by undertaking this initiative was incredibly valuable, as we were given access to so many do’s and don’ts when it came to inclusion and some sensational D&I agendas which are being further implemented across corporate Australia.

Interestingly though, the biggest learn from conducting these interviews was that whilst the IBW series was well intended, we were getting the concept wrong. D&I is so much bigger than just gender, it is about race, age, disability, sexual orientation, whether someone has children and the list goes on. Focussing on diversity is equally as folly, because you may have the most diverse workforce out there but if you don’t include it then you are missing the point. As Siobhan Hayden said to me (COO of Hashching at the time), “Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.”

That is why we started the #Elements interview series which is focussed on this broader notion of D&I. We hope it can become a go to website for D&I topics in Australia and we’re seeking contributions from people of all backgrounds. This can take the form of interviews, content or thought leadership. If you’d like to get involved, please contact me directly.

On a personal level, I was brought up in South Wales by two fiercely proud working-class parents. My mother started life as a paediatric nurse and often worked in aged care as well in order to be able to go back to University to study Child Protection Law. With support from my father, she brought up my sister and I whilst rising through the ranks of the Child Protection system in the UK. I saw first-hand how hard she had to battle to reach the position she has, the obstacles put in her way because of gender or background and I’d like to think that wouldn’t be the case today. I hope the work Hydrogen Australia is doing to further the D&I agenda will go some way to ensuring that. We also want everyone to share their advice and experiences to help our clients improve their own approaches to D&I.

–

Do you have a great diversity story to tell? I want to hear it!

Get in touch here >>

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CASS: The unwavering acquaintance

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 05:27:59 GMT

With the endless debates (arguments) about Brexit very much on the trough, the usual regulatory fillers have taken centre stage again, with CASS amongst this prominent pack.

The last ten years or so has taught us that regulations rarely fade away, in fact they typically evolve to be broader, more comprehensive and ultimately painstakingly difficult for firms to adhere with. Despite the challenges faced by firms to satisfy these more encompassing regulations, the fact of the matter is that in order for these firms to operate, meeting the regulations is requisite.

The world of CASS has shown us exactly that from the PS14/9 changes, to the introduction of the FRC Client Asset Assurance Standard (‘CASS Standard’), the MiFID II changes and most recently a revision to the CASS Standard. Just simply looking at the last 12 months alone shows us that the unwavering lens on CASS does not appear to dissipate. And why would it, considering the FCA’s first objective is ‘securing an appropriate degree of protection for consumers’ which is the essence of the CASS regime. If you needed further proof, CASS is one of the only sourcebooks within the FCA’s Handbook, that is in itself one of the 11 FCA Principles for business (i.e. Principle 10).

Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR)

The implementation of SMCR has been one of the key focus points for many firms in 2019, with the expansion of the regime to include all Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) authorised firms - including banks, building societies, asset managers, investment firms, insurers, mortgage providers, consumer credit firms and sole traders.

Interestingly, CASS is one of the only areas in which the SMCR requires a Senior Manager Function (SMF) and a Certified Person (CP) albeit this only applies to Enhanced SMCR firms. Typically within these Enhanced SMCR firms, there are two separate individuals who are accountable for the compliance of the CASS regime thus dispersing CASS across more levels of senior management.

Ultimately, the SMCR has given the regulator new powers to hold individuals to account who are truly reckless in the way they carry out that responsibility.

Skilled person reports (s166 reviews)

A widely used trend analysis for regulatory practitioners is to establish the number of skilled persons report commissioned by the regulator, and what the Lots (i.e. topics) relate to. The last five years has seen the number of CASS s166 reviews decline from the peak of 13 in 2015/16, to just four the following year (2016/17). Since then, the numbers have remained relatively stable at around four CASS s166 reviews per year. However, there appears to be a potential reverse in this trend since the UK planned to leave the European Union (EU) on 31 October 2019. In the quarter October – December 2019, there were three CASS s166 reviews commissioned by the FCA, the joint highest of any Lots. What is even more interesting is that all three were for firms in the bracket ‘Portfolio Supervision Firm’, indicating that the firms are either small or medium-sized firms. This should ring alarm bells for firms, in particular the small/medium sized firms who have perhaps been a little unwittingly laissez faire about their CASS compliance.

The revised FRC Client Asset Assurance Standard

The end of 2019 saw the publication of the revised CASS Standard which came into effect for reporting periods commencing 1 January 2020 onwards. Whilst the revised CASS Standard is not expected to materialise into significant changes in the expectation from auditors, it does however signify the constant appetite in the market to ensure firms are adhering with their CASS obligations.

An example of this can be noted in one the changes in the CASS Standard – going forward, the auditor will be reporting to ‘those charged with governance’ in addition to the FCA. Whilst this may appear to be a technicality, it indicates that CASS should no longer be perceived as the responsibility of the CASS accountable individuals (SMF/CASS Oversight Officer) but in fact the responsibility of the Board and its directors. This subtle yet significant change makes it abundantly clear that the FRC, perhaps in conjunction with the FCA, would like the directors of firms to share the responsibility of CASS compliance and ultimately pay more attention to it. Once the revised CASS Standard does kick in, do not be surprised if your company directors are showing an increased interest in CASS.

CASS = No respite

The spectrum of industries falling into the scope of the CASS regime is only increasing, with the most recent addition to the CASS fraternity being CASS 13 for Claims Management firms. Prior to that, it was Debt Management firms. The collective continues to grow.

So, what does this all mean for CASS regulated firms? As has been demonstrated here, if you opportunistically thought CASS was on the back burner, think again. It remains to play a major role in the regulatory universe and there are no signs of that receding.

If you’d like to find out how Hydrogen Group and I are helping firms with their CASS compliance, please get in touch with me.

Robots in the office: accept it or get left behind

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 05:21:27 GMT

The nature of work is going to be profoundly changed by intelligent automation and digital workforces in the next few years - that’s a given. What is not so certain, however, is whether or not every organisation that would benefit from these advances is ready to accept them and fold them into their existing infrastructure without causing unworkable disruption. It’s all a matter of perception, because whether or not you want them, robots in the workforce are coming and if you can’t accept it then you’re going to get left behind.

The dawn of a new era

We’re on the cusp of a future where humans and digital workers can work alongside each other to meet business goals quicker, better and cheaper. We’re talking about a hyper-networked, global workforce with humans from inside and outside the organisation that will work seamlessly alongside their digital counterparts.

It’s a bold change and one that requires a more agile operating model. This is where the disruption will really be felt, as organisations scramble to realign their models around a new purpose and re-skill their human workforce around necessary new roles as older, lower-skilled roles are taken over by our robot friends.

Currently, it’s an opportunity ready and waiting to be grasped by business leaders that are prepared to protect their workers and manage these changes. Give it five years, however, and it will be more a case of playing catch-up to everyone else. It’s in your best interests to act now and here at Hydrogen we’re prepared to help.

The Hydrogen solution

We build teams of people and digital workers and empower them to fulfil their potential and achieve great things, together. We have over 20 years of industry experience in embedding the best human and digital talent for clients in over 67 countries. We create elegant and powerful digital workforce solutions in the following ways:

Offering digital workers - An industry first, we have re-invented our services to provide digital workers alongside our successful Human Resources business. Digital workers are pre-configured to deliver services at half the cost of their human counterparts, with no up-front costs either. This is true “Automation as a Service”.

Deploying Intelligent Automation Consultants - Whether you are at the very start of your Intelligent Automation journey, or are looking to hyperdrive efficiency and scale, we have a range of Consultants, Solution Architects, Analysts and Developers available to be deployed on-site or remotely from an offshore Robotics Operation Centre.

Providing training programmes - For companies looking to build their own internal Intelligent Automation capabilities, we offer training programmes and on-the-job up-skilling to create accredited Analysts and Developers within your own business.

Delivering end-to-end enterprise-wide automation - Operating in partnership with you, we can deploy the right experts, tools and methodologies to create an enterprise digital workforce for your organisation from scratch that matches your needs and goals.

Our top tips for RPA success

Dip your toe in the water - Make a start in a business area where there is an opportunity and start learning. This could be an area you haven’t considered before.
Understand the digital worker opportunity - Ask yourself where can digital workers play best across your organisation? They might not work in all areas but focus on the areas where they could work and where they could represent significant scaling opportunities.
Understand the enablement gaps - What capabilities and infrastructures need to be built to align that ambition with your strategy and purpose? Not every business is prepared for a digital workforce from day one, so ensure that your staff and your systems are ready for it.
Look for innovation - Workshop and discuss with your team where and in what ways intelligent automation might be able to transform services and your business model.
Start planning the change - Think about the various aspects of an agile operating business model, the change that is required and how you will go about re-shaping the organisation and re-skilling your people.

As we’ve already explained, it’s not going to be an easy change and it’s certainly not one that will happen overnight. But with the right guiding hands behind you and the right amount of ambition, it’s a change that will be more than beneficial - it will be truly transformative! And with 71% of businesses anticipating at least 10% growth over the next year as a result of automation, it’s certainly not going to harm your bottom line either.

As leaders, it’s up to you to guide your employees through this time of change and lay the foundations for a major shift. Because the robots are coming, whether we’re prepared for them or not. So, let’s treat them not as job usurpers, but as helpful friends ready to take us boldly into the third decade of the 21st century!

Find out more about Hydrogen’s Robotics services and solutions here .

Hydrogen partners with in.coming

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 05:17:45 GMT

We are delighted to partner with in.coming to offer Hydrogen’s network 25% off their tailored online mentoring service. This will provide you with a wider support network of lawyers and recruiters from the world’s most elite firms and chambers.

Gone are the days where your university degree is the key differentiator to secure your seat at one of the world’s most elite International Law Firms. In fact, being a great lawyer is more than just about your academics. Skills such as motivation, resilience, attention to detail and communication are just as important.

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We are proud that one of in.coming’s mentors is our very own Rowena To , Head of Legal in the Middle East. Wondering how to master your interview? Seeking tips on communicating your personal achievements and extra-curricular achievements? Rowena takes a recruiter's perspective, sharing what firms look for beyond a university degree. As a highly experienced recruiter, and having placed over 120 lawyers at elite firms in the Middle East, Rowena will advise you on how to increase your chances of being recruited at a top tier firm.

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Insurance Transformation: making sense of the technology and data revolution

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 05:12:08 GMT

I firmly believe that over the next 10-15 years the insurance industry will be transformed through the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. This will be coupled with access to incredible amounts of data collected through real-time sensors connected to our homes, cars and bodies, as well as commercial assets such as trains, bridges, buildings. And let’s not forget transaction and behavioural data from all of the technology services we interact with such as banking, taxis, retail. The potential insurance products and services these will enable are as yet unknown, suffice to say that they will be much more tailored to meet the individual needs of customers, as well as more closely reflecting the risks presented by that individual customer.

The current insurance sector is a long way off this vision, although the essential building blocks are underway with various degrees of urgency and commitment across the sector. For example, real-time data and algorithms are providing 24/7 pricing in competitive markets such as car insurance; telematics in cars are beginning to provide real-time data to car insurers and breakdown services, allowing policies and pricing to be adjusted for actual usage, driving behaviour, or automatically activating claims processes following an accident; smart contracts on the blockchain are being piloted to dramatically simplify claims management. Each of these examples provides a glimpse of the future, yet we are very much at the early stages of the transformation of the industry, and like it or not, in order to survive insurance companies will need to become technology and data companies that specialise in insurance, rather than insurance companies that use a bit of technology and data.

Of course it is not quite so straightforward, as technology and data simply create a capability, but by themselves deliver no value. Value is created by the business delivering unique value to the customer. To achieve this insurance companies must be totally customer-centric, using technology and data (both proprietary and public) to generate real insights into understanding customers and more closely offering what they need. And it goes without saying that all of this must be done efficiently to ensure a level of profitability.

How to navigate all of this

This level of industry transformation is unprecedented, and requires a transformation of the business model and culture, as much as in the adoption of technology and data. No mean feat, not helped by the fact that the three main strategic challenges of customer-centricity, using technology and data to create differentiated products to meet the needs of targeted customer groups, and continuing to reduce operating costs through automation and process improvement, are inter-twined and mutually dependent. This drives the necessity to tackle these changes as part of a holistic, prioritised and joined-up change agenda.

Some firms will be undertaking large programmes of work whereas others will be focusing on smaller incremental goals. Whichever approach fits, there is a necessity to be proactively moving into a more technology enabled and digital operating model, shifting the processes, skills and culture of the firm to align to the emerging demands of the market. The industry may still be in the early stages of a major transformation, but it is now moving fast enough that firms will be left behind if they have not learnt to adapt.

Managing technology and digital transformation

Like it or not, technology and data will be at the heart of any transformation. Rather than list the pitfalls, here are a few tips for success.

Define and brand the transformation on the business outcome rather than the technology label – e.g. Artificial Intelligence Programme, even the more common Digital Transformation Programme – change is driven by a business need, and beware the technology driven initiative.

Break the transformation down into deliverable chunks that create value, reduce the risk of implementation, and allow the business change to keep pace with the technology.

Over-estimate the complexity and criticality of the data elements. In many businesses this is breaking new ground, and the current state of the data, along with the operational changes required to embed new processes to ensure future data quality and capture, often requires more work than anticipated. This can quickly breach the project critical path leading to delays and additional costs. Bring in expertise early and transparently manage stakeholder expectations throughout. Data issues often include fully understanding data definitions and make-up, data compatibility and integrity, data pathways and behaviour after it has been ingested onto the new platform, and complexity of integrations across multiple systems.

Stick to the essential scope required to deliver the core business value. This is a particularly tough ask, as there is huge temptation and pressure from the technology vendors to embrace all of the exciting functionality. However, all too often it is the ‘small’ additions that become the critical failure points.

Understand the dependencies across the full technology stack, from infrastructure through applications, mobile and data. Much new technology is now on the cloud and being offered by vendors as IaaS, or SaaS, or PaaS. These may be new arrangements for the business, that need to be integrated into the technology eco-system, with resultant changes in the roles and skills within IT, as well as the performance monitoring and network resilience protocols.

Pay attention to the quality and robustness of governance and oversight by the executive, business owners and the overall programme. This is standard stuff although it is all too easy to let the quality of governance fall under pressure. We need the leaders of the business to fully understand the risks, and be ready to take the prioritisation and trade-off decisions when they inevitably come.

Key Message

Technology, digital and data are all at the very heart of the industry transformation that has started, albeit in the early stage. Every insurance business will have to embrace the implications – greater reliance on technology, proliferation of data and data analytics, new skills, processes and governance, and in some cases wholesale changes to the operating model and culture.

For the incumbent firms in the market, they need to be proactively engaging in the revolution, otherwise they may well get left too far behind by their competitors as well as tech-enabled newcomers.

This article is the second in a series looking at Transformation in the Insurance Sector. You can read the first article here: Transformation in the Insurance Sector - a glimpse at the scale of the challenge

The key success factors in your automation journey

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 04:55:53 GMT

In such a volatile era, there is no choice but to re-invent at every opportunity and agility becomes a sustainable advantage. Adoption of intelligent automation (IA) is one of the most cost-effective routes to expansion for a modern business and it can mean growth at all levels and all areas.

24% of businesses cite revenue growth as a top strategic objective when it comes to IA and 30% claiming that improving customer service is their primary concern. This proves that, whether you’re looking to develop your business brand, your bottom line or both, it’s a strategy and a tool that no business should overlook.

The key attributes of an agile operating model

There are seven key attributes to focus on if you wish to develop an agile and more adaptive operating model for the future that involves both human and digital workers:

Adaptive purpose-led strategy - A strategy that focuses on responding quickly to changes in the market and seeing these changes not as challenges but as opportunities.
Customer-centric design - A system design built to benefit the customer first and prioritises the customer experience above all else. This means optimising the customer journey from end-to-end and connecting front ends with back end legacy systems to deliver an experience that’s seamless, simple and user-friendly.
Organisations configured as networks - The traditional ‘front, middle and back’ office paradigm that has existed for generations needs to be seriously rethought. The teams of the future need to be more fluid and able to be assembled and disassembled as the market dictates without missing a beat. The distinction shouldn’t be between front, middle or back anymore, but instead operate around different resource pools so that the business needs dictate the teams (or networks); not vice-versa.
Platform marketplaces for distributed work - Marketplaces that are able to orchestrate digital and human capacity within and outside the enterprise are crucial for businesses operating with a combination of remote and in-house workers.
Automation and modularisation - In order for a digital workforce to operate functionally as a strategic enterprise asset, it requires a Robotics Operations Centre - a unified approach to achieving strategic outcomes with automation at scale.
Evolving technological architectures - Technology is constantly evolving and that evolution is getting faster by the year. Businesses need to be able to take advantage of this maturing landscape and bring these evolutions to all of their innovative projects.
Human and machine decision-making - Decision-making is perhaps the most important component of any business and in the future, those decisions need to be made by humans and robots working together and utilising the best that each has to offer. The analytical power of a machine bolstered by the critical, creative and empathetic nature of a human workforce can lead to faster and better decision making.

The success factors of an agile operating model

Of course, every business is unique and not all are going to adapt to automation in the same way. Businesses will be investing in IA for several reasons. We’ve already established that 24% do so to drive revenue growth, but 12% wish to use it as a springboard to a new operating model and 18% wish to use it to improve how they are utilising their data analytics. As far as results, meanwhile, 23% wish to streamline their customer services and less than 1% are doing so to eliminate headcount. So, generally speaking, businesses are well aware that the goal of IA is not to get rid of employees.

There are also many factors at play when it comes to determining how an organisation chooses to tackle automation. Of course, any automation strategy needs to align with the overall business strategy to ensure that different steps are prioritised, but there are four critical areas for organisations to consider when extending scale and reach of automation by adopting

Intelligent Automation:

Opportunity assessment - Understanding from day one where the opportunity lies. Do everything within your power to ensure your methods are engineered and standardised across every level of the organisation and are based around achieving and capitalising on these opportunities.

Operating model - Setting up and utilising a reliable, competent and capable operating model for your digital workforce. The Robotics Operating Model (ROM) can be enhanced to help drive scaling using a rapid delivery and operations method drawn from a leading automation partner.

The IT environment - Getting the infrastructure in place and ensuring it’s scalable and secure. This might require a lot of investment and will also mean ensuring everything is structured alongside cloud computing policies.

Operational readiness - Are your operating units prepared and ready to operate in a completely new way? If everything is not planned and everyone is not prepared, then you could be looking at a potential disaster. Remember, your digital workforce is a major strategic asset, not just a ‘cool new toy’.

Managing change

Whilst workers should be aware of the significant changes lurking on the horizon, it is the job of business leaders to protect and prepare their people for the fundamental changes coming their way.

Everyone needs to be taken on the journey together and some will undoubtedly require more support than others when it comes to re-skilling. Change is not going to happen overnight either - it will come in waves. It will, however, be a challenge; a worthwhile challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.

The important thing is to make sure you are accurately communicating your vision for how automation will change the lives of workers for the better and what critical steps are necessary to help you all get there, as well as what steps each individual needs to take. It’s a big ask, but as long as your communications are relevant, human and real, you should encounter little residence and you could soon be well on your way to creating your own successful digital workforce.

Need some support? Discover more about how Hydrogen can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

The importance of agility in reinvention

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 04:52:26 GMT

One thing that all innovators have historically held in common is that they are agile enough to change and respond to trends when they appear to be having a major impact on either the industry, the world at large, or both. Intelligent automation (IA) and digital workforces might represent change, but they should also be seen as tools that allow businesses to make those necessary changes without causing detrimental disruption.

Indeed, if pitched right, it’s a change that can completely reinvent the business and its operations by allowing for greater agility. Without the need to hire and train more staff or divert key resources, productivity can flourish, and it won’t cost you a small fortune.

Speed and agility

It’s been estimated that around 50% of the tasks workers do could potentially be automated with today’s technology. Not only that, but automation will increase the speed and efficiency of those tasks. This leaves ample room for intelligent automation to step in and help to speed up the execution of everything from coding and customer service to more intricate back-end systems. Automation can also be deployed in little more than a few weeks and will seamlessly integrate with existing applications and cognitive services. And as we all know, faster is always better, particularly when it comes to ROI.

Aside from speed, IA also allows for greater operational agility, with 24/7 work as standard and the ability to automatically balance workloads, address peaks and troughs in demand and react to unplanned events. A digital workforce operates in a borderless workplace that allows them to switch tasks to meet demand without requiring human resources or training. This can be incredibly freeing.

Playing at both ends

Many companies tend to focus their digital transformation on front-end applications, at least at first. They often struggle with their back-end legacy systems, however, as there are antiquated legacy systems woven deeply into many businesses that can be incompatible with intelligent automation.

Front-end applications (design, SEO, accessibility and web-based compatibility) can easily be integrated into legacy systems to speed up innovation and improve the customer experience. The back end, however, is more problematic.

Still, IA is able to move useable data from one application to another, which means when it comes to enabling long-term organisational agility it can be an incredibly useful tool. Freed from such constraints of siloed systems, everything can together seamlessly and automatically.

Intelligent automation in action

A perfect example of intelligent automation being used in an agile way is a wealth management company we worked with recently. They wanted to use IA to enhance the experience of clients submitting Surrender Requests (essentially “give me my money” messages).

Asset managers needed to be able to carefully balance their compliance and security obligations against the needs of their customers. Their existing process simply wasn’t working; even a simple call was driven by complex system checks and long periods on hold as advisors had to manually manipulate systems and check external databases. This would take, on average, around 15 minutes.

Intelligent Automation was deployed to automate this work in under two minutes, leaving the organisation and its advisor as much time as was necessary to talk the client through the process and the options. Client satisfaction went up significantly as a result, as did retention of funds and efficiency. Advisors were much happier too as they could focus on the jobs they wanted to.

This is, in a nutshell, why the digital workforce exists - to take the jobs that were laborious and drawn out and automate them so that they take a fraction of the time. This means an increase in customer satisfaction, brand image and (crucially) the bottom line.

Digital replacement

72% of workers are worried about a future in which robots can do many human jobs. The truth is, however, that this eventuality is already a possibility. OECD Secretary-Genera Angel Gurría, states that in order to achieve true agility, businesses require “an effective system for lifelong learning, offering opportunities to the low-skilled, who are the most at risk from automation.”

These unskilled workers are beholden certain physical rules - they can’t (and won’t) work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are often limited by a siloed skillset. Bots don’t work shifts are multi-skilled (and always able to learn new skills) and most importantly of all they require no organisation. These new workers are very different from their flesh and blood counterparts and need to be treated as such - this is a fundamental change to the nature of work.

That’s why businesses hoping to benefit from a digital workforce need to understand how the nature of work is changing and ensure a place is found in this bold new work for their human workers. Because without a human workforce to drive creativity and innovation, a digital workforce is frankly useless.

Humans and robots

The future of work needs to represent a meeting of the minds; a bot-human workforce that is able to match the agility of intelligent automation with the empathy and creativity of human specialists. This will enable improved customer journeys at all levels because human inventiveness will create new products and services, which increases productivity and will lead to new work that can eventually be automated.

It will always be up to the humans to have the ideas, but robots can take those ideas and make them work faster, cleaner and with greater reliability. It’s a perfect match of practicality and creativity that will lead to a world where innovations can be actualised faster and all businesses that are willing to adapt can do so with strength and agility.

If you are about to embark on automation or are scaling up your digital workforce, we’d love to talk to you. Whatever stage in your journey, we can help. Find out more about our Robotics services and solutions here.

Building a digital workforce

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 04:48:16 GMT

When it comes to building your first digital workforce the key is to start small but think big. Begin with ambition and strategy, by all means, but don’t throw everything against the wall right away and hope that it’ll stick.

What you’re building here is not just a team and not just a new toolbox but a multi-purpose enterprise asset that is going to fundamentally change the way your organisation works. So, baby steps are to be expected at first, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make progress quickly and start making serious wins and building confidence right out of the gate.

Before we discuss how to build your scale digital workforce, however, it’s vital to understand the individual components (or workers, if you will) that make up an operations-led and IT-enabled digital workforce in 2020.

Centre of Excellence (CoE) - Traditionally speaking, a centre of excellence is, essentially, an oversight group that brings together people from different disciplines under a shared banner that prevents siloed working methods and makes sure all teams are sharing their knowledge and skills. In AI, a CoE provides the means to fulfil the mandate for intelligent automation that is set by leadership. It’s essentially the brains of the operations - where the headcount and budget lie and where all skills and methods are built and organised. A survey of US executives found that 37% of firms had already established AI centres of excellence, so this should be your first port of call.

The Head - If the CoE is the brain then the head is the mind inside that brain - the thought-leader and the agents that get things done for the Intelligent Automation agenda. The Head helps define what actions the digital workforce will actually take and is responsible for overseeing both their implementation and operations. Other key appointments in the CoE include the Solutions Architect, Technical Architect and Senior IA Analysts.

The implementation area - This is the component that designs and deploys automations. The automations may be grouped into projects in order to deploy them for different areas of the business.

The control room - This is the operations team that schedules the automations, handles exceptions, reviews the logs and improves the processes. To achieve optimal operational agility, this should be consolidated to optimise performance across all runtime digital worker resources; balancing workload and addressing peaks and troughs.

RPA - Robotic Process Automation in this instance refers to the IT department, who host a resilient, secured, virtualised IT infrastructure. Hosting, governance, security, support, scalability and assurance are governed by IT, which requires very close collaboration between the IT and RPA functions, all of which are facilitated by the CoE.

Orchestrating distributed work requires a resourcing platform

In a landscape where so much work takes place outside of the traditional office environment, it’s never been more vital for businesses utilising a combination of digital and human workers to have a cohesive platform from which all can share ideas, data and workloads.

Work is not only fragmenting but is being resourced virtually: homeworkers, outsourcers, the gig economy (freelancers) and other members of the extended enterprise, including suppliers and customers, are all accessing the same systems and require the same information.

A strong resourcing platform will be required in order to orchestrate the actions of both digital and human workers from internal and external sources, to manage service level agreements (SLAs), work queues and adjustments based on planned and unplanned peaks and troughs.

The ability to manage the workforce is also something that needs to be considered if the business is going to be able to implement their bold new automated intelligence strategies efficiently and without hampering the customer experience.

It’s also worth noting that all external workers will require a different management model to ‘in-house’ workers and will require conscious communication and engagement strategies that help them feel like a part of the team, even when they are not physically in the office. Values, behaviours and policies also need to reflect the purpose and the ‘brand’ of the organisation so that the right ideas are progressed, and the right decisions are made.

As a fitting example, a major utility company recently wanted to develop a set of smart energy and smart homes products utilising the latest IoT and Intelligent Automation technology. They set up a separate unit to be the “speedboat outside the super-tanker” that adopted new technologies which were unencumbered by the rest of the organisation.

Having successfully prototyped, tested, evolved and deployed the initial products after several years, the unit was subsumed back into the main organisation and embedded within the core products and operating units, evolving business as usual.

Continual learning, change and an adaptive culture

Building a successful digital workforce is not something that will happen overnight. It’s a constantly evolving process that needs to reflect and adapt to the shifting foundations of an increasingly intelligent and automated workplace. This means it needs to be able to learn and to remain one step ahead.

The same is also true of the human workforce. Indeed, people will need to be able to adapt their skills to remain employable for jobs that we may not even have heard of yet. Increasingly, these jobs will be about creating digital solutions or will focus on the human skills that bots don’t or can’t have; empathy, critical thinking, creativity and imagination.

As simple tasks are automated, increasingly complex work will be what’s left for the human workforce and this will require a major increase in skills. The resulting work will be much more satisfying, but it will require education and investment.

The key is in lifelong learning. We are so used to the paradigm of ‘early learning’ and allowing what we’ve learnt as children and young adults to carry us through life, but that needs to change. It’s all about being able to conceive the workforce of the future and planning the marathon, rather than being disputed by consecutive sprints. So, continual learning is the only way forward if we can hope to build a digital workforce made up of human and robotic employees.

Discover more about how Hydrogen can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

ERP rate card 2020 - DACH

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 04:44:24 GMT

Based on our meetings with organisations across the region, we've compiled the latest rates for SAP specialists in the DACH region.

Receive a complimentary copy of the 2020 rate card directly to your inbox by filling in the form below.

Argyll Scott UK has rebranded to Hydrogen

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 04:40:20 GMT

We are pleased to announce that, from the 1st of February 2020, Argyll Scott UK has rebranded to hydrogen.

We are aligning our business across the UK & Europe, in order to provide our clients and candidates with an enhanced level of service. Operating as a single brand in this region will allow us to provide a more consistent and effective experience.

For our candidates, this change will enable us to give you access to more opportunities as we open up to more clients and develop our presence in the region.

And for our clients, this will allow us to provide a more consistent and effective experience across all of your hiring needs. By being closer to the rest of the Hydrogen Group and leveraging the brand and platforms of a global PLC business, we’ll be able to offer an even better service to you.

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Jo Masters

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 04:36:04 GMT

With over 20 years of experience working in the IT industry, Jo Masters is currently the CEO at Tquila ANZ , where she is responsible for the strategic direction, resourcing and performance of the company, as well as building a values-aligned culture across the organisation. As recognition for being the key driver to the tremendous growth of Tquila ANZ in the past three years, Jo was recently included in the Top 25 Women Leaders in Tech Services and Consulting of 2019.

You've had and impressive career to date, can you tell me about your progression into your current role?

I started my career working in the finance department in hotels, where I later became the General Manager and managed several hotels at once. At one point I was asked to assess the system they’d implemented, which

hadn’t been done properly as the support was poor, so I got the manuals out and started training them. That software company then headhunted me to work for them. While I wasn’t sure if IT was going to be as exciting and fun as hospitality, I’ve never looked back. Soon, I started running a software company in Australia, before being promoted to look after APAC, then the Americas and eventually I ran it globally. When the company was sold, I decided to come back to Australia for better work-life balance and to spend more time with my son. I was headhunted to be the CEO at Tquila, which was too good an opportunity to pass on, especially after meeting the two co-founders, seeing their passion and realising how aligned we were.

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I know that you're heavily involved in sport, can you talk a bit about that and how it's impacted your leadership style?

Over the years I’ve created, captained and coached several softball teams. I get more satisfaction from seeing somebody else hit a homerun or be the champion, being a part of that and celebrating together. I’ve found a lot of similarities between creating a high performing softball team and a high performing work team; in a way, it really comes down to having empathy for people. I’m lucky to have attracted a lot of great people in my life all around me.

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Is there anything you'd attribute your success to?

I’ve been raised to be a hard worker. When I was young, I always worked for either my parents or grandparents. I was one of those kids who thought it was more fun working in the business than playing outside. My dad also raised me to believe that there’s nothing I can’t do because I’m a girl, he’d knock down all the barriers and raise my sister and I to believe in that. Plus, seeing my mum and grandma’s success and the drive behind them also helped.

Another crucial thing is the support of my husband. When we had our son, I had a more senior role, so we agreed that I would take four months off work and he would take over after. That was a real struggle because I wanted to be a stay at home mum. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go back, but he told me I’d regret it if I didn’t. I’ve got to thank him because he put his career on hold for many years to be the main carer of our son; while he still worked, he let me shine and supported me. He’s taken a more senior role recently and it has put a strain on the family, which made me reflect. So my advice would be that if you have both parents in senior roles, get help if you can afford it. Just like one of my favourite sayings, “you can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once!”

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Given you're both extremely busy and have a son going through final years of school, how do you manage your time effectively?

It’s tough. Sometimes, I see my husband getting up before our son does to get some work done, then there’s also working at night. Both of us try to balance that and put our son first. We do manage a family calendar but sometimes there are a few battles, so diary management is very important. We also have some good friends who we can lean on to look after our son.

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Have you had any mentors or role models in your career? Do you see value in having a mentor?

Absolutely. I’ve had informal ones, those I didn’t realise were mentors but who I looked up to and learnt a lot from. I’ve also had formal ones when I was working in America, where every Executive had to select someone from the senior leadership team who they’d like to mentor. I was lucky to have two select me, so I got two mentors, which made me feel fairly special. When I asked them the reason they selected me, they said it’s because they saw how much potential I had. They’re both really kind, gave so much to me and still celebrate my successes today.

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Do you find females are always supportive of each other? Or are there instances where some feel that they've had to overcome hurdles and that others should therefore have to do the same?

I did have some not-so-nice experiences when I moved to America, where a female I was supposed to report to got her nose out of joint when the company gave me a promotion. She ended up resigning over it and told me I was “too nice to ever get the top job”. It was disappointing but the world has been changing. Before, women felt they had to try and be like men to compete in a male-dominated field. Now we’re supporting each other more, and more networks are being cheerleaders for other women, like Women in Technology and SheEO. Women bring something different and unique to the workforce. You don’t have to be like a man to compete with men, you can supplement the workforce – diversity supplements it.

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Do you think your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal or professional progression?

Not really. I used to sit in boardrooms as the only female but I wouldn’t notice it until someone else pointed it out. I’ve never given it much thought or made an issue of it, I kind of just ploughed through. But I’m not naïve, I know a lot of people are passed over for jobs because of their gender or race, which is really sad and narrow-minded.

There was an instance where a Manager and mentor of mine asked me to promise I wouldn’t fall pregnant for the next two years. I genuinely wasn’t planning to at the time, but I did fall pregnant, and he felt I betrayed him and accused me of that. The way he managed me after that was very different. I could tell he was bringing in someone else to take over my job, to do it temporarily when I was gone. I wasn’t going to worry about that because it wouldn’t have been the best for my child. I just had to trust in the universe and worry about getting another job when I returned from maternity leave to find I’d been replaced. Quite the opposite happened, however – my replacement did wrong by the company and I was begged to come back early, which was quite satisfying! Despite this, my relationship with the manager was never the same. I just thought the way he handled it was so wrong – he should have been supporting his people instead.

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So what advice would you offer females to help them avoid that type of situation or help them ensure taking maternity leave doesn't halt their career progression?

There’s no perfect timing to have a child, just have the child when you’re ready to do so. I’m a big believer in not leaving it too late - I actually think you’re supposed to have children when you’re younger and more energetic. I know a lot of people think they should have a career first, but there’s always a time to build a career, especially with how fast-paced the world is today, you can come back and quickly train yourself up on something. The ecosystem I work in is a perfect example; businesses can’t find enough people who know Salesforce. Therefore, consider finding something you can do online while on maternity leave and upskill yourself in preparation for coming back.

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What does diversity & inclusion mean to you? Why is it important in the workplace?

Having diversity & inclusion in the workplace is about empowering and respecting people, making sure they feel safe and included. I know not everyone is going to accept other people’s beliefs and opinions, and you don’t need to, but you need to respect them. That’s what we try to have here at Tqulia. I think that’s how you have a more interesting workforce and a higher-performing team. We’ve got people from many diverse backgrounds – for example we’ve recently had someone from Russia join us. He’s quite direct and to the point which can bring so much value to a project. I’ve always worked with so many different cultures around the world so I really value that.

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As someone who has worked in many different roles, across varied industries and locations, have you noticed any differences around diversity & inclusion initiatives or progressive workplace attitudes between these roles, industries or locations?

I’ve found that in America, they are more politically correct and do more training and education around it. Even though it was 10 years ago, there was already so much training around what’s right, what’s wrong and how to make people feel included, which is very valuable. Fortunately, the company I was working for had a great HR department, so when I was setting up an offshore team in India, they proposed doing cultural training. At the time, training was only provided to us to learn about the Indian culture. I suggested also providing training to the offshore team for them to learn about our culture, which they then implemented. I had teams all around the world so thought to myself, why not have everyone learn about other cultures and open up our minds? That was really powerful and helped us become a better team.

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What are your thoughts on diversity in the tech consulting and technology sectors here in Australia?

There are some industries women flock to and some that men flock to traditionally. When I go to IT conferences it can be 80% male, versus a beauty conference I recently attended which was probably 80% female. We need to ensure all people feel welcomed in those traditionally male or female dominated areas, that’s the big barrier. I’ve seen over time that women don’t tend to believe in themselves as much as men do. I’m very proud because I’ve always had a lot of women working for me, I have a lot of direct reports who are women because they’re the best person for the job. I’d push them along the way, encourage them to put their hand up for jobs. A lot of times I’d be encouraging them to take my previous role, which I’d already know inside out. I’d tell them “I know you’ll be better than me, because this is where I lacked in expertise and this is your strength”.

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Coming back to Tquila, you have some pretty impressive stats in terms of diversity in the business, can you tell me more about that?

Currently, 38% of our workforce is female. As for my direct reports, it was 80% female 12 months ago but is now 60% - I’ve just promoted a male as he was the best person for the job.

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I know that Tquila is involved in many diversity and gender related initiatives, can you tell me a bit more about those?

One of those would be our “Workforce for Women” initiative where we’ve partnered with Salesforce to help women facing disadvantages; whether it’s someone over a certain age, someone who’s gone through domestic violence, or a recent widow who feels out of touch with the workforce. Under our partnership with “Fitted for Work”, we educate these women on what the Salesforce ecosystem is, what opportunity there is for them, have them apply for roles and employ them here at Tquila, which has been very rewarding.

Another one we have is our Women @ Tquila group, which I was very careful in implementing as I didn’t want the men to feel sidelined. One of my direct reports asked me if it was the right thing to do and I told her “You and I are brave, we can stand up to any men, other females can’t.” With this group, we aim to give them a safe environment, educate them while reflecting on whether we have the culture we think we have. It’s also a place where they can feel safe to come forth if they ever feel they’re encountering gender discrimination.

Apart from that, we also have “Equality at Tquila” which has a much broader scope and sees us taking part in different initiatives. We allow employees to bring forward their cultural celebrations and embrace this together as a team. For example, we celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with traditional costumes, food and stories about family traditions. As another example, we embrace “Wear It Purple Day” which brings awareness to the LGBTIQA community within the team. “Harmony Day” is something we also intend on celebrating which highlights how Australia lives in harmony with all cultures.

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Following on from your point about not sidelining males - have you ever encountered any pushback or resistance from males in relation to your initiatives? How have they been received?

No issues at all - I’ve had quite the opposite in fact. A big part of why I came to work here was because of the co-founders (who are both male). I could tell straight away they had high integrity, were passionate, fair and cared about people, so I could tell we were culturally aligned. They love all these initiatives and the fact that they have a female CEO - they really get behind everything. Among other colleagues, I’ve actually had men come up to me and say I’m an inspiration to them, teaching them things they can do for their daughters to make sure they feel brave. I’ve had more support from males than anything else. They’ve been very supportive of the women programs, so we’re trying to implement a celebration day for them as well.

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What advice would you give other leaders in the tech industry who are looking to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace culture?

Educate yourselves first. When I was working in America, I was appalled when I saw the news saying Australians were racists because of the riots in Cronulla. I had to challenge myself to realise that there might indeed be racism in Australia. Maybe I was a little naïve but the more I learn about Australia the more I recognise the racism that exists in this country, especially towards the indigenous. That makes me the saddest, because we haven’t taken the time to understand them and have messed up their world.

Also, a quick win is to just do a quick survey with your staff and ask what’s important to them in the workplace and how they think programs should be rolled out. You can also reach out to employees to find out how they’re feeling, offer them a safe space to come forward if they’re experiencing inequality and have someone they can safely talk to. Another way would be to roll out education programs about how people are feeling. Take alcohol as an example, some cultures drink and some don’t. We shouldn’t judge people who don’t drink or question why. Instead, we should be accepting of other people’s choices. Understanding what are the right questions to ask and what’s offensive is critical.

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Anything else you'd like to add?

I think there’s a lot of push for gender equality at the moment, but my advice for businesses is to not take it so far that it ostracises the other gender. I saw this happen at a conference I was at recently - it was an amazing IT event with the highest number of women they’d ever had. They took a photo with just the women to attract more women, which was great, but there was a lot of backlash from the men asking why there wasn’t an all-male photo as well. There have also been suggestions that females are getting jobs because they’re females. None of us want that, we want to get the job because we are the best person for the job, not to fill a gender or diversity quota. We just want an equal running and playing field. I just want to make that point - let’s not go too far, because what we want is equality.

Elements: diversity and inclusion - tell us your story!

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 04:25:07 GMT

Do you have a great diversity story to tell?

We want to uncover more inspiring stories of how people and businesses are successfully executing D&I campaigns in the workplace. Do you, or someone you know, have experience doing this and want to share your story with others?

Re-imagining the workplace around a digital workforce

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 04:21:29 GMT

Every organisation wants to be “the Uber” of their industry, but Uber were innovators by design. Their entire business model was built around innovation and a bespoke and entirely new system.

For businesses that are hampered by outdated legacy systems and organisational structures, it can seem almost impossible to tear down everything that’s been built in order to start again with more digital foundations. You don’t necessarily need to tear everything down though; you just have to reimagine how the workforce fits around the new paradigm.

Steve Burke , the CEO of DigiBlu, a company that specialises in implementing intelligent automation solutions, explains: “Once people start to see the impact that Intelligent Automation can bring, they quickly move from ‘what can we automate?’ to ‘what should we automate?’.” This is the approach that organisations serious about expanding their digital workforce should take to heed and it’s one that underpins the concept of a platform business model.

Disrupting the business model

By definition, a platform business model is one that creates value by facilitating exchanges between two or more interdependent groups. Like Facebook, Uber, or Alibaba, these businesses don't directly create and control inventory via a supply chain the way linear businesses do and are the ideal proving grounds for the digital workforce.

These digital disruptors don’t have outdated legacy systems to fight against nor an existing customer base to potentially disappoint so are free and able to set the standard for seamless, high quality, transparent customer experiences. For businesses that don’t have the luxury of being able to start from scratch, however, intelligent automation and AI investment could be the perfect route into re-imagining business models and services without having to change their operating platforms.

End-to-end customer experiences can be subtly re-invented around a digital workforce that’s more cost-effective and flexible (not to mention reliable) than its traditional human counterpart. A digital workforce can catalyse a re-imagining of what is possible from a business model perspective and it’s within the grasp of any business with an internet connection and the ambition to compete with even the most forward-thinking Silicon Valley startups.

Adapt or perish

The market is uncertain (and is about to be even more so in a post-Brexit world) and highly volatile. In an increasingly fast-paced economy, your next competitor might not even have chosen a name yet. It might not even be in the same market! To thrive in such an environment, any business worth its salt needs to be agile enough to adapt but do so with purpose and integrity.

The first key challenge, however, is in giving operating teams a tangible idea of the kind of challenges these emerging technologies can solve and the opportunities they represent. This is particularly true in situations where most IT resources are allocated to operating platform stability and security rather than innovation.

Organisations are shifting away from traditional structures to more connected network structures to deliver innovation because we’re stronger and more innovative together than when fractured. By partnering with internal Centres of Expertise, supply chain partners and outsourced vendors, innovation is not only easier but it’s more practical too.

This great leap, however, requires ‘intrapreneurs’ (those working with the mindset of an entrepreneur from within an existing enterprise) to establish this network organisation and have the power and flexibility to rapidly build and collapse teams of both internal and external resources. Making these leaps requires the authority to act across traditional boundaries and be more flexible within our business roles. But moving from a managerial to an entrepreneurial mindset is not going to be easy for large organisations.

Disruption in action

Of course, this is all speculative without proof, so let’s look at an example:

Mining is not perhaps the market you would expect to find a digital workforce, but this example proves it can work in any environment where automation is achievable. Mines are remote by nature and are typically situated in far-flung places where normal connectivity simply isn’t available. Satellite Communications providers can equip a facility to transport data to and from these locations, but the real challenge is sifting through huge volumes of data to find the signals that need affirmative action.

To cut through the noise, we took data from an IoT (Internet of Things) kiosk and started using a set of bespoke rules to process it through a digital AI worker that was able to create valuable insights and trigger automated alerts. Within a week our digital worker had spotted one mine with a dam experiencing dangerously high water levels and was able to alert operations (who were unaware) immediately. Action was taken and a potential crisis was averted. Perhaps more importantly (for our purposes, at least) a valuable new service was created.

Act first and act fast

Business models need to change if they are going to have a chance to thrive in this new world. In the coming years, we’re likely to see more specialists offering streamlined automated and semi-automated services and businesses adopting models that challenge ‘shared service’ and BPO (Business Process Outsources) models. These models are traditionally built on per seat or head costs and they are going to be seriously challenged if clients embark on more affordable and scaleable automation programmes.

Ultimately, it’s all about being the ones to act fast and act first and get both internal and external RPA expertise into your teams sooner rather than later. Disrupt yourself before somebody does it for you. As Amazon’s Jeff Bezos explains: “If your business is competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering.” And Mr Bezos certainly knows more than a few things about innovation!

UK Business Transformation: 2020 Market Trends

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 07:39:40 GMT

We often look ahead to the coming year with analyses of trends and give some predictions of what we expect to see, based on how the previous year has played out. This year it feels a more momentous task at the threshold of a new decade, particularly with Business Transformation being inextricably linked to the Fourth Industrial Revolution set to shape the next few years.

We will no doubt see further technological developments that organisations must embrace to survive and thrive. While regulations will be sure to evolve too, it’s a long-term strategic view of adopting the right, efficient methodologies and technologies that will pay dividends. Here are some of the areas where we expect to see higher demand for skilled professionals this year.

Digital transformation

Digital transformation has been huge for several years now and will continue to be a key area for all businesses, either beginning their transformation or evolving their existing projects in new directions. While much of AI is still “on its way” and will be debated again much like last year, certain elements that are already with us, such as automation and robotics, will be vital to adopt, with expertise in these areas already much sought after. For those businesses beginning their digital transformation journey, we expect to see ongoing transition to cloud technology this year, though with the hindsight of seeing a number of high-profile failed implementations over recent years, these may be more considered, better planned projects, taking longer in the initial stages to ensure a positive outcome.

Data

Data transformation is set to be a busy area this year as organisations look to better understand customer needs by utilising increased volumes of consumer data and acting upon those insights as quickly as possible for competitive advantage. As such, automation platforms that enable data teams to provide rapid strategic information should become more commonplace this year.

Payments

By 2022, online payment fraud is estimated to rise to €100bn across Europe. As part of PSD2, Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) was introduced by EU regulators to reduce this amount and make the web a safer place for transactions. The SCA’s two-factor authentication came in towards the end of last year, but the FCA has now given firms extra time this year to implement a full conversion to the new regime. As the customer journey and customer experience are also set to play more important roles for organisations from every sector in the coming years, fast, user-friendly digital identity and authentication will become must-haves this year.

Linked to customer experience, 2020 will inevitably see the launch of new digital payments vehicles, such is the speed of innovation in that sector. The digital payments market is expected to grow at an average of 18% a year until 2023, with mobile and contactless platforms already responsible for more than 20% of all card payments worldwide. Payment tech is already moving into voice assistant devices such as Alexa, Siri and Google Home and we expect to see the adoption of these, and new methods, increase this year.

Agile

Specialist Agile talent was in serious demand throughout 2019 and we see no sign of that relenting through 2020. With the number of digital transformations either underway or yet to begin, combined with the sheer volume of legacy systems across all sectors that are on their way out, the need for Agile professionals is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Software development is by nature a progressive sector, so the role of the Agile expert may change with advances in tech combined with some streamlining through experience, but we expect demand to remain as high as ever.

Information Security

espite best intentions, 2019 saw a number of high-profile cybersecurity incidents in organisations from a range of industries, with the result that more resources are to be invested in cybersecurity this year, particularly by financial institutions. Improved technology doesn’t only end up on the side of security of course, meaning cyber criminals are also more equipped and sophisticated and therefore able to exploit any weaknesses. The battleground may move more to the cloud or mobile this year as more businesses increase activity in these areas, but the hackers will be set to expand upon and add to the buzzwords of 2019 – deep fakes and ransomware – especially in the face of a skills shortage in cybersec.

M&A

Much the same as in 2019, there is still enough geopolitical and economic uncertainty worldwide to theoretically slow down activity in mergers and acquisitions, but in our experience of hiring patterns, it is only having a minor effect. Tech disruption continues to drive deals and strategic partnerships; and tough times in some sectors should see an increase this year in stressed and distressed M&A, as businesses either diversify or offload. Transformation requirements mean that again this year M&A will be a faster route for some than doing it organically, so we expect to see similar results to last year in terms of demand for skills in this space.

Regulatory

IBOR (interest rate benchmarks that have been used for decades) are undergoing global reform and the impact is expected to be huge. LIBOR, the most widely used, is due to be replaced at the end of next year, so 2020 is expected to be a challenging year for many in terms of risk and disruption as they prepare for the adoption of its alternative reference rate (ARR) replacement.

On top of the usual everchanging nature of the regulatory landscape due to the introduction of technological advancements or geopolitical changes, IFRS17, the incoming new global financial reporting standards in the Insurance sector, will be back on the agenda in 2020, despite its effective date still being debated and potentially delayed. Set to transform this industry, its impact will be huge and specialist skills will be in great demand.

Transformation in the Insurance Sector: a glimpse at the scale of the challenge

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 10:48:53 GMT

Having worked across financial and professional services, I continue to be both surprised and intrigued by the potential for change across the insurance industry as well as the enormity of the task, whichever part of the industry you sit in. To be fair, the insurance industry covers a diverse spectrum, from the highly competitive personal lines sector, where margins are tight and regulatory pressures high, through to the business carried out in the hallowed halls of Lloyds of London, where ways of doing business have changed little for decades. Yet as an industry, change has been fairly slow coming, and many insurance businesses are struggling with legacy systems, clunky processes and out-dated operating models. These strategic issues then spawn significant transformation programmes underpinned by large technology spends. However, in an industry that is relatively immature in the delivery of change, this in itself creates a massive challenge – how to manage and deliver the transformations in a way that avoids the usual pitfalls of escalating costs and a failure to realise the benefits.

So this short article provides a brief overview of some of the industry challenges and a few age-old truths we need to be reminded of when it comes to delivering change.

What is driving the need for transformation?

The case for whole-scale change is probably most acute in the Property and Casualty arena, in particular motor and home. Fiercely competitive markets, where traditionally the insurance companies lose money on new customers and look to build profitability off customer inertia on renewal. However, with the FCA’s review of ‘dual’ pricing, the pricing differential between new and existing customers may well diminish. Coupled with ever increasing price competition insurance providers will need to focus on three key areas, namely customer retention, data analytics and pricing to create innovative products that exploit market opportunities, and continued driving out of operational costs through automation, self-serve and digitisation.

In the realms of commercial and speciality insurance the pressures may not be quite as intense, however the same three focus areas are driving significant change – customer centricity, sophistication of products and pricing, and operational efficiency. The investments required to deliver change are often much larger, but my experience in these sectors is that despite large IT functions and change teams, they struggle with the same delivery disciplines and challenges described above.

Each one of these key areas requires a complex mixture of change across technology, data, processes, roles and capabilities, governance and organisation. However, many insurance businesses are faced with the need to be driving change in all three areas at the same time. Without exceptional leadership and change expertise this could well lead to taking on more change than the business can handle, which often manifests itself in cost and time over-runs, management exasperation, and failure to deliver.

A few home-truths

Delivering meaningful change is tough, often because the big investment in money, time and effort is in technology, and increasingly in data, yet the actual value is not delivered by the technology or the data, rather by changes to the way the business operates and uses the technology and data to deliver value to customers. All too often the complexity of the technology and data implementation starts to take over the programme and the leadership attention, such that the real business change is de-prioritised, and a good chunk of the real value is lost. In a slow-moving industry with decent margins this is not ideal, but in the competitive, margin-driven world of insurance where the speed of change is accelerating, this is a recipe for disaster.

Typical challenges

An indecent rush to start the project, with insufficient clarity and business ownership on setting out the strategic aims and the core outcomes, as well as robust challenge to limit the scope to the essentials rather than trying to build the perfect solution with all of the ‘bells and whistles’

Too many different programmes going on at the same time, usually due to a lack of strong portfolio planning and decision-making to identify the priorities and the sequencing roadmaps that best support the overall strategic objectives.

Over-optimistic timelines and budgets, especially in the technology and data areas, leading to implementation delays, de-scoping, additional budget and other critical programmes being delayed

Insufficient engagement and ownership from the business, in the design of the technology and data solutions, as well as in designing the new processes, roles, responsibilities, operating model, decision accountabilities, and in the testing and roll out approach

A programme ownership and governance approach that maintains transparency and honesty. Sounds simple yet it is remarkably easy to find yourself in a position where you start to promise delivery against increasingly impossible timelines, especially as key relationships with stakeholders come under stress.

The above issues are present in all change initiatives, but here I am looking at major projects or programmes that are significantly changing the way a business operates. For example, if a motor insurer is implementing a new cloud based, sophisticated pricing tool with a view to compete in the aggregator markets, then the entire business needs to increase its speed of operation to match the 24/7 nature of the market – real time data and algorithms to support quotes, automated policy administration and documentation, increased system resilience and emergency response times. This will require, in addition to the technology and data solutions, redesigned processes, roles, governance structures, new reporting metrics and a roll out approach that helps the overall business move to a new way of working, as it will not just happen by chance. These programmes must be set up, managed and measured on the overall business outcomes and benefits, which is why these are business programmes supported by IT, not IT projects with a bit of business input.

Stating the obvious

This article is not offering any new insight into the issues set out above, as most professionals have seen these challenges. The insight is that despite our accumulated knowledge and experience, these issues arise again and again. Why? Because the issue is rarely about the technology itself, it is about the business fully and relentlessly taking ownership of the transformation programme, rather than letting IT do their thing, and the ability of the leadership of the programme and the business to bring their expertise to bear in a constructive and open environment. To do that all parties need to trust that the right expertise has been recruited, is operating effectively as a team, and that when difficulties arise, honesty, transparency and collaboration will make the best decisions for the business. Transformation is never easy, and is certainly not an individual sport, as it succeeds or falls on the joint commitment to deliver the business outcome.

If you’d like to find out how Hydrogen Group and I are helping businesses to understand and implement change, please get in touch with me.

Digital disruption: how innovators survive and thrive

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 10:44:56 GMT

In 1900, 50% of global workers were employed as farmworkers. Today that number is 2%. So why is there no global jobs crisis and how do we have almost full employment in the UK? Because our jobs have evolved as the economy, industry and culture have done likewise. Industrial revolutions might be disruptive but human beings are notoriously resilient creatures that are always changing and adapting to their shifting environments.

The digital revolution is arguably one of the most profound of the last thousand years and AI sits poised at the tip of that revolution like a sharpened arrow waiting to tear through the technological antiquation. There’s no doubt about it, the next few years are going to be disruptive, but enterprises shouldn’t look ahead with fear; they should be looking ahead with ambition.

It's going to be disruptive

Like all industrial revolutions, in the long run, the digital workforce will benefit the wider world tremendously – but in the short term, it’s going to be tough for those businesses not willing to put in the groundwork.

The OECD worked with Oxford Economics to predict where automation is likely to have the most impact and how displaced staff could move to adjacent roles. They predict that 5% of the workforce will need to be retrained over the next 10 years .

That’s an enormous task for organisations, educational bodies and governments. It’s also at odds with our current educational model, which ‘front-loads’ our early lives with education and then leaves us to fend for ourselves during a lifelong career of work. The disruption caused by forcing people who might have been working in a job for their entire lives to retrain for a role they might not be immediately equipped to fulfil could be incredibly stressful and will undoubtedly lead to societal and political turmoil if not handled delicately.

Indeed, how this transition is handled is perhaps the most important thing to consider here and our role as leaders is to anticipate trends and prepare our organisations and people as best we can. It’s certainly not impossible. The older ‘baby boomer’ workforce will be retiring soon, of course, but even those that are choosing to carry on in work (or are unfortunately forced to, due to financial circumstances) are more switched on. Add the fact that by 2025, 75% of the workforce will consider themselves digital natives and it’s a task that doesn’t seem quite so insurmountable.

The most tangible proof that it’s possible to survive and thrive amidst such disruption, however, can be found by putting a spotlight on the innovators who have already invested their resources in AI and robotics. These are the companies that saw which way the tides were turning years ago and acted accordingly. You could do a lot worse than following their example. At least, to a degree.

The great Amazonian innovator

When it comes to utilising digital workers to reduce costs and improve efficiency, Amazon is arguably leagues ahead of the competition, though their workers have certainly paid the price for that innovation. The tech and retail giant spent $775 million on a young robotics company called Kiva Systems back in 2012 that allowed it to lay the foundation on which it would build its warehouse robotics team.

Earlier in 2019, the company rolled out these machines that are capable of automatically boxing up and shipping customer orders; a job traditionally only humans were capable of. There are now over 200,000 mobile robots working within its warehouse network; a move which has had a seismic impact on the historically old-fashioned warehouse industry.

These robots, however, have resulted in widespread condemnation from a workforce that was already unhappy after being pushed to breaking point, some being forced to walk up to 12 miles a day. Indeed, many have complained that the robots have actually increased the risk of serious injury. And this is before we even mention the fleet of Amazon delivery drones that are set to make a widespread launch this year.

So, Amazon represents both a cautionary tale and a litmus test for those smaller businesses looking to invest in the digital workforce. By no means are we dissuading companies from investing in digital and robotic workers, but they should do so whilst also considering their human workforce. If Amazon had heeded these words they wouldn’t be staring down the barrel of such damningly negative press .

Reinvesting the savings

“How Robots Change The World" by Oxford Economics suggests that “boosting robot installations to 30% above the baseline forecast by 2030 would lead to an estimated 5.3% boost in global GDP that year.” This equates to adding an extra $4.9 trillion per year to the global economy by 2030; some serious savings indeed! For many workers, it also means less work and more free time and how do we as a society manage that extra time?

Fewer workdays or a shorter working week perhaps? Even then, what do we do with the rest of our time? More creativity, more entrepreneurship, more education, more sport, more family time - or just more entertainment? We are still many years away from having to face this quandary head-on, of course, but US Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang has proposed a Freedom Dividend ; a universal basic income linked to societal contribution as opposed to work. A radical proposal, perhaps, but we’re certain other creative proposals will follow in the coming years.

Catalysing positive change

With 87% of the US workforc e wiling to resell alongside a digital workforce, the workers themselves are obviously aware that change is coming and they are ready and willing to accept automation. Now it’s up to their employers to ensure that the process is as painless and as positive as possible for everyone involved.

Learn more about how we can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

How AI is making work more human

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 10:38:55 GMT

According to James Cameron, the robot apocalypse was supposed to kickstart in 1997, but here we are over 20 years later and the pessimism and scaremongering that once dominated the tech landscape has now dissolved into something altogether more optimistic. Although, as many of us are fearful of AI as those who are enthused by it.

However, as the famous American journalist, Sydney Harris once said: “The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men begin to think like computers.” Indeed, there is no reason to fear AI mimicking human behaviour, particularly if it can do so convincingly.

Whether we accept it or not, AI is becoming a part of our everyday lives, with 26% of consumers believing that they interact with AI at least once a day. The actual number of interactions, however, is probably far higher and that speaks to how organically AI has been implemented into so many facets of our lives. When we’re checking into our online bank accounts, we don’t stop to think about the algorithms that sit behind every click and when we click on an online retail deal, few of us consider how that ad found its way to us, even though it seems perhaps a little too convenient - almost like your computer is listening to you.

The truth is, when many people (who don’t work in the industry, of course) think of AI, they think of robots, self-driving cars and dystopian science fiction. The future, however, is far more benevolent and infinitely more useful.

The ghost in the machine

Human and AI/robot collaboration is undoubtedly going to form a major part of ‘industry 4.0’ and not in the manner that Frey and Osborne predicted in their notorious 2013 study “The Future of Employment”. They posited that AI would lead to 50% of US job losses over the next two decades, but this study was seen by many as scaremongering, with dire predictions based largely on pontification.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), meanwhile, used an alternative model to produce an estimate that stated only 9% of jobs in the US were at risk due to automation and only 14% of jobs in OECD countries (including the UK and Japan). This study argued that Osborne and Frey took an “occupation-based” approach, whereas the OECD asked machine-learning experts to judge the “automatability” of an occupation. It pointed out that it’s not entire occupations that will be automated but specific tasks within those occupations. So who’s right here? Maybe a little from column A and a little from column B.

Are robots going to change the world?

Yes, of course they are, but not necessarily in the way many people think. Another comprehensive study was undertaken by Oxford Economics on the US workforce for the OECD. This study aimed to accurately evaluate how automation would impact jobs by income and sector. The study singled out three key factors that could drive what they refer to as a “hollowing out” of jobs.

The displacement effect - Automation leads to low and middle-skilled jobs being displaced disproportionately.
New jobs - Automation creates more jobs than it displaces, with analysts, automation configurators, automation control room staff and more jobs that didn’t exist before and will need to be filled now.
Income effect - As more businesses invest in automation, productivity increases, and these gains are re-distributed to lower prices and increased demand in other industries. This leads to the creation of more human jobs in IT and also in areas that require more human skills (e.g. sales, negotiation and healthcare).

So, this study appears to point not to a deficit of jobs being caused by automation, but a surplus of jobs. It’s true that many lower-skilled jobs might eventually be rendered obsolete, but as long as the human workers in those roles are retrained and upskilled, there will be better (and more lucrative) opportunities waiting for them on the other side of the digital revolution.

Robots are our friends

Yes, robots and AI are going to change the world of business, but arguably for the better. By 2027, judging by current standards, it’s predicted there will be some incredible skill shortfalls - 23% in negotiating skills and a whopping 59% in programming skills. There will also be a 4% increase in healthcare workers and a 7% increase in salespeople.

The solution? Retrain lower-skilled workers in the areas where deficits are set to appear and allow the simple work to be automated. Freeing human workers from dull and monotonous tasks will add more value to their work lives (and their bank accounts) and allow them to focus on the actual human tasks.

A great example is the fraud analysis sector in banking. Roughly 50% of the effort of a typical fraud team is taken up by assembling the data they need to conduct their analysis. With regulators putting increasing pressure on banks to do more checking, intelligent AI automation can immediately take away 50% of the task. This gives these highly skilled workers the chance to do more with their time and focus on the tasks that an AI simply couldn’t achieve. (You can read more about this in another of our recent articles here . )

So yes, AI is going to make work more human, but it’s going to take a little bit of effort on the part of businesses and workers alike.

If you are about to embark on automation or are scaling up your digital workforce, we’d love to talk to you. Whatever stage in your journey, we can help.

Discover more about how we can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

Changing your FinCrime perspective through the use of RegTech

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 10:33:43 GMT

Financial Services firms are under significant compliance pressure. According to Thomson Reuters there has been an increase of 492% in regulatory change between 2008 and 2015.

The rate of change has continued through the 4th and 5th Money Laundering Directive and we’ve seen even more changes in Bribery and Fraud prevention with legal and supra-national expectations such as European laws in MiFIDII. The implications and challenges of managing regulations and multiple data sources from a variety of systems is not straightforward.

The advent of advanced technologies over the last five years and changing regulations has led to the evolution of Regulatory Technology (RegTech). The reduction of cost in managing complex technologies has been assisted through the use of cloud computing, processing cost reduction and the formation of languages to support Artificial Intelligence (AI)[1], Machine Learning (ML)[2] and Natural Language Processing (NLP)[3]. Within banking, the arrival of Open Banking initiated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) allows adoption of RegTech on a more level playing field within differing types of institutions to ensure they are being customer and community focussed.

The ‘bulge bracket’ banks and other large Financial Institutions (FI’s) have an appetite for a future-looking framework around the infrastructure and how this supports their business needs better and quicker. This includes the use of blockchain, Application Programming Interfaces (API’s)[4] and big data. However, the disparate architectures with multiple data sources has created challenges when working with RegTech providers.

The innovative mid-size and smaller banks may not have the infrastructure spend, but cloud computing and use of third-party solutions allows them to demonstrate compliance and integrating RegTech requires less organisational manoeuvring and technical deployment. Where large firms will have bigger legacy systems that are expensive to change and update, smaller and more agile firms find it easier to change, often resulting in more pragmatic solutions. Irrespective of size, there is significant value in deploying more cost-effective solutions around data mining, predictive analytics, smart contracts and visualisation, rather than ‘throwing’ more people at this.

Multiple systems across clients, transactional data and numerous jurisdictional sources across different data sources proves to be a continued challenge. According to IBM and Chartis, 70% of their respondents were using AI in different ways with ML and NLP the most prominent techniques to employ.

Additionally, the shortage of data skills is a consistent challenge and the disparate systems at large institutions require a comprehensive data strategy that not only answers questions on FinCrime but categorises data for multiple purposes. The value of data can be utilised in different ways including the scenarios that impact the diaspora of regulation as mentioned earlier.

One use case looks at the appropriate segmentation of clients based on the products and services, understanding how to interpret FinCrime and how RegTech solutions and managing ongoing data quality are able to rely on results for multiple stakeholders, e.g. senior management, regulators and law enforcement. This may be around client segmentation, ultimate beneficial ownership, the potential of politically exposed individuals and the use of transactional logic to identify the potential of FinCrime opportunities through the FI’s community.

The RegTech market is growing rapidly and the continued challenge will be on selecting the right supplier, initial configuration investment (time and/or money) and understanding the use cases that are pertinent to your specific business model and deployment, given some of the data challenges you may face. The exogenous factor is the changing regulations that continues to be a challenge to keep up with.

The future of FinCrime: technology trends and challenges

The priority is to embed technologies that will create efficiencies and identify process and data improvements. These allow opportunities for analysis, safeguarding compliance adherence and generating better ideas on automation and future efficiencies. The benefits of technology pervade FinCrime. One of the largest catalysts are that FinCrime prevention will allow the move to a single customer view across products. Our intricate knowledge of data, process and compliance has experienced people to advise on how to achieve your firm’s goals.

Historically, FinCrime evaluations have been manual and subject to interpretation. The advent of RegTech AML techniques allows each firm to empower their staff to focus on what is important. This applies for onboarding, re-reviews and transaction monitoring, to name a few. Wider regulations have equivalent providers in this market. Ongoing refinement of rule calibration and adherence to changing policies can be affected using technology more easily. Staff will need to be trained to ensure they understand the logic of the process through both technology and people.

More automation can be achieved but requires a change in culture to help staff understand how to interpret technology rules. The data challenges for large financial institutions are significant. There are a myriad of legacy systems and new technologies to integrate. Understanding data management and conformance is critical to ensure that a taxonomy can be consumed by RegTech technologies. Multiple failures have occurred as a result of insufficient initial configuration, poor data understanding and use of inappropriate interfaces between systems. This is not necessarily the fault of the systems, given that they have not been built for this specific purpose. However, separation of the data from the application layer will allow complex AI, ML and NLP systems to achieve their goal.

Footnotes

[1]Artifical Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition and machine learning. AI technologies are quickly evolving, primarily because AI processes large amounts of data much faster and makes predictions more accurately than humanly possible.

[2]Machine Learning is an application of AI that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. The primary aim is to allow the computers to learn automatically without human intervention and adjust their actions accordingly.

[3]Natural Language Processing is the technology used to aid computers to understand our natural language. The ultimate objective of NLP is to read, decipher, understand, and make sense of the human languages in a manner that is valuable. Most NLP techniques rely on machine learning to derive meaning from human languages.

[4]An Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. Each time you use an app like Facebook, send an instant message, or check the weather on your phone, you’re using an API. Basically, an API specifies how software components should interact.

About the authors

Kiran Sudhakar

Financial Crime prevention specialist
Kiran has worked in Financial Services across multiple sectors for over 20 years. He has worked for different consulting firms and has an understanding of how technology can enhance compliance with Financial Crime regulations while also identifying areas for improved insights to risk and finding cost savings for firms.

Follow Kiran on LinkedIn here >>

Steven Newman

Financial Crime prevention specialist
Steven is an internationally experienced Financial Crime, Risk & Compliance leader with extensive knowledge of developing, implementing and reviewing strategic risk-based frameworks and transformation projects. Steven has significant knowledge of the international legal and regulatory environment. Steven is experienced in influencing politicians and c-suite executives, he sits on the Cross Sector Advisory Group that gives advice to the Cabinet Office on the Governments Financial Crime strategy, has been commended by the UN Ambassador to NATO on his Anti-Corruption work, mentored Foreign Government officials and given advice on their financial crime frameworks.

Follow Steven on LinkedIn >>

Exploring the workforce of the future: vectors of change

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 10:22:49 GMT

There are certain cognitive capabilities that we, as humans, are naturally blessed with and machines are still decades away from being able to negotiate that uncanny valley. The nuances of real human conversation, for example, are still lost on even the most advanced algorithms. Machines, meanwhile, can offer intelligent automation and complete certain tasks in a split second that it might take minutes or even hours for a human counterpart to accomplish.

The future of the enterprise workforce isn’t robots replacing humans but robots working alongside humans and integrating naturally. This much is clear, but whilst teams might be virtualising, there are other factors at play shaping the workforce of tomorrow - work is fragmenting, talent is now viewed globally rather than locally (meaning more competition) and there is the potential for a crisis of meaning as roles are restructured and redefined.

5 vectors of change

Charles Darwin said it best: “The species that survive and thrive are not the strongest or most intelligent, but those that are most adaptable to change.” These wise words will form the backbone of the workforce of the future as change is not only likely but necessary in order to build an enterprise that can weather whatever might be thrown at it.

Of course, the workforce of the future will be impacted significantly by digital workers, but there is a multitude of other factors that will shape it into what it needs to be. We refer to these as the “vectors of change” and can be broken down into five categories:

1. Data

Have you ever heard the phrase “data is the new oil?” It might sound like a rather bold statement, but data is by far the most powerful and valuable currency in today’s enterprise economy. Indeed, 97% of businesses now use data to power their business opportunities because it is not just a currency but a useable resource. Every piece of consumer data, whether it be what websites they’ve visited, where they live or where they ‘check-in’ on social media, is another insight into your existing and potential customers.

The beating heart of the future workforce will be formed around the ‘big data’ that can be drawn from various disparate sources and combined to facilitate a better experience for their customers. We might live in an age of data consent and privacy worries, but even post-GDPR, most people are pragmatic about sharing their data , because they know it will result in more personal and optimised experiences. It’s all about finding that perfect middle ground between how much they are willing to give away and how much they covet that extra convenience.

2. Consumer power

The consumer has more power now than ever before thanks to the wealth of information at their fingertips and the connectivity catalysed by social media. These consumers yearn for richer and more heavily integrated experiences that make their lives easier and more fulfilling. These are also consumers that trust other consumers more than they trust brands, with 81% of consumers trusting customer reviews and ratings over ‘official’ advertising.

This is reinforced by the popularity of services like Uber and Airbnb - businesses where the brand sits in the background and it’s the individual front and centre. Customer experience is the key differentiator for enterprises today, with the most trusted brands those that can be seen as consistent and innovative. Amazon, Apple and John Lewis didn’t get to where they are by ignoring their customers, but by adapting to cater more to them and provide value to the consumer.

3. Fragmentation

With enterprises struggling to keep up with the sheer pace of change, more and more are reaching out to the gig economy to create an extended enterprise with more to offer. The gig economy (which refers to freelancers working on demand) is currently worth around $50 billion globally and accounts for around 4.7 million workers in Britain alone. Remote work was once seen as a fantasy, but thanks to faster and more reliable internet and improved infrastructure, it’s now a proven business model.

Virtual teams are now being formed globally, with video conferencing and cloud-enhanced collaboration tools and content management systems allowing the workforce to not only grow virtually but in real terms too. Remote workers are more flexible, of course, but a fragmented workforce comes with challenges that will require new models of management and communication. When it comes to the fragmented workforce of the future, traditional office-based models will definitely need to be reevaluated, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

4. Globalisation

We currently sit at 76% full employment in the UK and the same is true of most western economies. The global population is also ageing rapidly, with the same proportion of 30 to 45-year-olds in work currently as 45 to 60-year-olds. This leaves a shortage of talent in its wake. This means the power is increasingly held not by the enterprises, but by that talent, with a new generation of workers looking for greater ‘purpose’ in their employers.

Talent Acquisition Managers are continuing to report challenges and shortfalls, particularly in the data science and robotics sectors. This has led to many businesses starting to look outward towards global talent in developing countries, where they can have their pick of the talent and not have to pay through the nose for it. Indeed, global mobility assignments have increased by 25% in the last year and the prediction is that the number of mobile employees will increase by 50% in 2020.

5. Social crisis

The final vector of change is perhaps the most difficult to control. For decades, people have been defined by their work, so with more jobs being automated and outsourced, that means a potential loss of purpose and identity for many.

In a world where people are increasingly looking for a purpose in what they do, the concept of our jobs disappearing (and our identities along with them) is sobering indeed. It’s up to enterprises then, to ensure that where automation is implemented for the good of the company, it is done so without sacrificing the worth and the value of the individual. Because what is an enterprise without its employees?

If you are about to embark on automation or are scaling up your digital workforce, we’d love to talk to you. Whatever stage in your journey, we can help.

Discover more about how we can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

Why the digital workforce is going to be a game changer

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 10:17:14 GMT

As the name suggests, the idea of a digital workforce is to mimic the behaviour of human workers only with greater speed and accuracy. As long as it has been properly optimised, a digital system should be able to complete a task without error and in a fraction of the time that it would take a human worker. Not to mention the cost savings.

Indeed, the use of robotics looks set to trigger a productivity surge in years ahead, with the Boston Consulting Group predicting that by 2025, the adoption of advanced robotics and AI will boost productivity by up to 30% and lower labour costs by 18% in many of the world’s largest countries.

We are sitting on a better, cheaper and faster workforce that doesn’t take breaks, can work 24/7 and 365 days a year and is willing to switch tasks on a dime should the need arise. This workforce also dramatically reduces the burden on IT and has the potential to provide a 200% ROI in just one year according to our studies. But what does the digital workforce look like in action?

A digital workforce case study

Last year, a telecommunications contact centre staffed by 6000 people deployed digital workers across their existing platform. This reduced call-handling time significantly and as a result, systems complexity and associated training time were also reduced.

In this example, the digital workforce was able to interact seamlessly with multiple systems, automating end-to-end tasks and providing natural, fluid automated conversation. The bottom-line results? A 25% reduction in cost within nine months with less customer and employee effort required. The main driving force of this strategy was the chatbot at the heart of its solution and it is chatbots that are very much the virtual face of the digital workforce revolution.

Rise of the chatbots

A lot has changed in business over the last hundred years or so, but one constant that has remained is the value of customer control. Yes, technology and cultural progress might have changed almost everything else about how we do business, but all these years later the customer is still king.

That’s why it’s so vital for businesses to have a healthy relationship with their customers and that means instigating customer-centric practices that retain existing customers and entice new ones. That’s where chatbots can prove so vital, as 69% of consumers list them as their preferred means of communication due to their speed and impartiality.

Whilst the first chatbot was technically birthed around 50 years ago by MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum , it’s only in the last decade that the technology has caught up with the concept. China’s WeChat was arguably the first company to perfect and popularise the practise ten years ago, but it’s only been in the last few years, as major players like Facebook and Google have opened their platforms up for chatbot developers, that the hype train has finally pulled into the station.

Chatbots have already been proven game-changers in many industries, with 80% of businesses planning to incorporate them by 2020. They are a key member of the digital workforce, but the way that businesses can get the best out of them is to use them sparingly and always in tandem with a human workforce who can offer more specific feedback, should the chatbot be unable to solve a query. These chatbots should include effortless, automated escalation protocols , to allow users to speak to a human being when the digital worker hits a wall.

Competitive advantages

We’ve explored some examples of the digital workforce in action and have touched on why it has the potential to be a game changer for any industry that utilises digital technology (and are there any that don’t these days?) but our surveys reveal that 90% of enterprises still have fewer than 20 bots deployed. More damningly, very few of them are automating at scale, so whilst the results and the benefits might be compelling, few are really breaking through.

This creates an opportunity for those enterprises willing to go that extra mile and approach automation strategically by understanding how work is changing and how they can adapt to those changes to create a scalable digital workforce. If enterprises want to take advantage of the truly game-changing opportunities offered by the digital workforce, however, they are going to need to get their heads around the concept of intelligent automation.

What is intelligent automation?

Artificial intelligence is a term that everyone understands, and intelligent automation relies on AI to function. Essentially, it’s a system that utilises robotic process automatio n (RPA) enhanced by greater cognitive capabilities and digitisation tools with rich user interfaces to automate processes from end-to-end for the users. Machine learning, neural networks and AI are bringing fresh intelligence to digital workers and allowing them to make more informed decisions faster and more efficiently.

This includes everything from voice recognition and optical character recognition, which means machines are able to not only recognise patterns in digital data but in printed and handwritten text too. Intelligent automation isn’t just about automating manual digital tasks either; it’s about platforms that enable bots to interact easily with human workers and platforms that use cloud services to offer seamless access to AI, data analytics and more.

Intelligent automation is either achieved through an RPA platform , which is augmented with compatible tech and individual platforms, or an all-in-one solution, which features a suite of integrated solutions but features an RPA platform at its heart.

Changing the game

Has the game already been changed or is it in the process of changing? We see 2020 as a turning point that’s somewhere in between. But within the next few years, we will hopefully have reached a point where humans don’t need to understand the language of technology anymore because it’ll be up to technology to understand ours!

Discover more about how Hydrogen Consulting Solutions can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

An overview of the NQ Offshore Legal market

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 10:13:33 GMT

Our Offshore Legal practice has been placing NQ and Junior lawyers into private practice and in-house roles since 2001. In the Channel Islands, the demand for top Legal talent has never been greater due to most local firms not having their own trainee intake and having a smaller pool of local junior lawyers on the islands. With increasing demand in litigation, finance and corporate areas, there’s never been a better time to consider an opportunity Offshore, with its associated salary and lifestyle benefits.

2019 market review

This year, we have seen a number of clients in the Channel Islands begin their search for NQ’s earlier than usual to make sure they secure the best individuals. Those qualifying in September 2020 are already interviewing, which is a full six months earlier than in 2018.

Scotland has become a popular hunting ground for NQ’s this year, with lawyers from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen able to double their salaries with a move to the Channel Islands, as well as take a step up in terms of higher value work. A number of junior lawyers from South Africa and the Commonwealth have also opted for the quality of life and range of Legal opportunities that the Channel Islands affords. Despite the tax incentives, a slightly smaller network of London-based NQs have chosen the Channel Islands this year, most likely due to Offshore salaries not tracking as well as expected in 2019.

2020 market forecast

We expect to see more movement in 2020 from those qualifying in London as salaries are changing, with most practices moving towards £65,000. This will continue to attract candidates from Scotland and the regions too. In light of Brexit, we expect Offshore firms to have another real push to attract lawyers coming from the UK as they have done in previous years. Because of this, we expect 2020 to be a busy year Offshore.

If you would like more information on the NQ opportunities we have across a number of popular Offshore locations, or just some advice on relocating, don’t hesitate to contact me at chloelam-moores@hydrogengroup.com.

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What is the digital workforce and will it replace us?

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 10:10:45 GMT

It’s a common cliché in science fiction: our machines advance beyond us to a state that they no longer require us to function and begin the process of replacing us entirely. Before you know it, we’re living a genuine dystopian nightmare!

The truth, however, is a little less Terminator and a lot more Silicon Valley.

It’s only natural to be dubious of change, but the digital workforce shouldn’t be seen as an enemy; if used properly it’s an ally that can help your workers to make better decisions and work more efficiently and effectively.

Industry 4.0

We sit on the brink of a fourth industrial revolution that will bring with it the kind of changes that businesses often baulk at instinctively before eventually realising the fundamental benefits they represent. It was certainly the case with internet adoption, as it wasn’t until the 21st century was properly underway that many businesses decided to digitise their operations and move online.

The benefits of embracing new technology in business are well-known but there will always be those that lag behind. Indeed, a study from 2017 that questioned 400 senior managers, 31% admitted to a lackadaisical approach when it came to technological innovation.

There’s no doubt that this new industrial paradigm is going to be disruptive but as long as businesses can harness this disruption and the opportunities it represents by moulding their practices around it then they certainly stand to benefit and benefit big. The key lies in achieving this disruption whilst mitigating the effect on the human workforce because there are bound to be those you employ who are worried about being replaced by intelligent automatons.

Intelligent automation

Intelligent automation refers to a more advanced form of what is commonly known as RPA (robotic process automation). In essence, it represents software mimicking end-user behaviour by finding, evaluating, cutting, calculating, transforming and entering data according to set business rules: Digital workers that can work alongside human workers, taking care of what amounts to the ‘grunt work’ and allowing human workers to spend more time on the work that requires more creativity and flexibility. It has potential applications in several sectors where processes are labour-intensive and easily automated and can give businesses a serious competitive advantage thanks to its low-cost scalability.

A 30% annual growth is expected in the sector over the next five years and that means that digital workers are going to be an unavoidable part of most businesses, whether they like it or not. To get out ahead of the pack, the forward-thinkers must have a keen idea of where the human workers will fit in a digital world, how the relationship between “bots” (as they tend to be known colloquially) and humans will work and how the structure of the organisation will need to change to accommodate this new status quo.

The digital workforce

According to Microsoft founder, Bill Gates: “In the short term, people overestimate the impact of new technology and in the medium term they always underestimate it.” Such is the case with digital workers or bots. Only a few years ago, when the technology was still nascent, enterprise bots were heralded by many industry scaremongers as the great human replacement operation. Today, however, with the ‘medium term’ very much in full swing, enterprise bot adoption is soaring, with chatbots (arguably the most common members of the digital workforce) to be utilised by 80% of enterprises by 2020 .

The problem is, many businesses are still unsure of what exactly to do with their digital workforce and how to make it work alongside their human workers. The ‘big boys’ are, of course, leading the charge: IBM and Accenture have both spent the last few years re-skilling and up-skilling their workforce to work alongside these new digital co-workers and Amazon recently pledged to spend $700 million to train 100,000 employees by 2025.

Still, these examples are few and far between, with only one in five organisations claiming they are prepared to handle the looming capability gap that is set to widen as the digital workforce becomes mainstream. They should really consider acting with some urgency, as we estimate that around 20% to 30% of all enterprise activities in the next five to ten years will be automated and 60% of those activities will require human to ‘robot’ interaction.

So, the key for businesses is not asking whether or not these bots will replace us, but how they can be used to augment human productivity and vice-versa; how humans can be trained to augment the work done by their digital counterparts.

Adaptation, not replacement

The digital workforce is going to profoundly change how we work, the skills required, and the operating models we deploy, but it’s not going to replace us. 90% of the FTSE 250 have instigated some form of automated programme in recent years and the vast majority of these programmes are not replacement schemes, but programmes engineered to automate the tasks that human workers would find tedious and do them that much more efficiently.

Market forecasts by Juniper Research predict strong growth in chatbot interactions from 2.6 billion in 2019 to 22 billion in 2023 , with enterprises expected to cut costs at that point by up to $439 billion a year. With those kinds of figures staring you in the face, it seems ludicrous to deny the potential here and this is just chatbots, which are allowing human call centre workers to focus on the cases that genuinely need them, leading to increased productivity for the business and increased satisfaction for the end-user.

If the digital workforce is scaled and positioned as a strategic enterprise asset and operating models are able to be reorganised around it then the age of the intelligent, helpful and ‘friendly’ digital workforce might finally be upon us.

Workforce of the future

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 10:06:17 GMT

How digital workers are changing the nature of work and the shape of organisations.

The Intelligent Automation market is predicted to grow at 30% per annum for the next five years. Digital workers, enabled by Intelligent Automation, are going to be unavoidable. But where do they and humans fit best? How will this change organisations and the nature of work? How will the relationship work between bots and humans?

In this whitepaper we’ve pooled our collective expertise and reviewed the latest thinking by others to try to answer the big question: what does the workforce of the future look like? We don’t profess to have all the answers but hope you are inspired by it.

Download the whitepaper to discover:

How robots are making work more human
How we can reimagine business models and services
And how to set yourself up for success

An overview of the NQ Middle East Legal Market

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 10:03:04 GMT

Having placed more than 135 lawyers in the Middle East, predominantly in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh, Hydrogen’s Middle East Legal team is best placed to help NQ or junior lawyers considering relocating to the region find the right position.

If you are due to qualify in the UK over the next year, there is no need to requalify to be able to practice in the Middle East, and now is the time to take advantage of the opportunities we have for you there. We had more newly qualified opportunities in 2019 than the previous two years combined, and we expect to see more of the same demand at that level in the coming years.

2019 market review

Although some firms have prioritised candidates with previous experience in the Middle East, or with Arabic language ability we still had numerous roles for NQ lawyers in corporate, banking, TMT, FS regulatory, dispute resolution and construction this year.

Many of the Magic Circle, Silver Circle and US firms continued to grow their associate ranks over the course of 2019 and we also experienced an increase in demand for projects and energy lawyers and corporate lawyers at the mid to senior level in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

2020 market forecast

The Middle East has a number of large scale projects on the horizon, including Expo 2020 in Dubai and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and these are driving significant investment in the region, alongside some strong M&A activity. The knock-on effect of this will be increased demand for lawyers in a number of specialisms.

In TMT for example, innovation and consumer demand means the space is constantly evolving and therefore so do regulations, licensing and data protection laws, as well as associated areas such as IP infringements. Dubai is also positioning itself as a global leader in the fintech industries. We already have roles for star corporate and TMT NQs, currently at US and Silver Circle firms and we expect this to continue as new tech drives the sector forward next year.

If you would like more information on any of the opportunities we have across a number of locations in the Middle East, or want some advice on relocating to the region, contact me at rowenato@hydrogengroup.com .

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Life beyond London - Isle of Man

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 09:59:56 GMT

So far this year we have put the spotlight on the Channel Islands and Caribbean as being key jurisdictions that fall under the Offshore umbrella. In this short article, I’m keen to turn our attention to the Isle of Man, a jurisdiction that is often overlooked as a good alternative to the Channel Islands, both from a personal and professional perspective.

With unemployment rates below 1% and a population of 85,000, the Isle of Man is quickly becoming an increasingly popular destination for those who are looking for a change of environment away from the City. Arguably made world famous for it’s TT races, it is an independent English Country between England and Ireland offering favourable tax regimes. The island is also perhaps more accessible than the Channel Islands, with regular flights to Liverpool, for example, taking 20 minutes and 50 minutes to London.

The Isle of Man is a leading centre for E-business, Finance, Space Commerce, Insurance, Aviation and Shipping. Traditionally known too as a strong trusts market, Manx Foundations are becoming increasingly popular and sought after. The market also remains buoyant in the Corporate and Disputes space as well as across funds and commercial property.

Although there are fewer options to join an Offshore practice in the Isle of Man, there is a continued demand for lawyers coming from common law jurisdictions, at any level. Outside of the Offshore remit, there are a handful of strong home grown practices on island that offer fantastic quality work.

Should you wish to explore the market further, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Offshore: Looking back in 2019

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 09:56:24 GMT

With global legal recruitment markets seemingly slowing down a little in 2019, the offshore markets haven’t seemed to have taken any notice. I can’t remember a stretch in recent times, such as 2019 has been, where there has been so much demand across the jurisdictions and also general personnel change.

Coming off what was an already busy 2018, firms seemed set to grow their presence in previously small jurisdictions for them, while we also saw a few new entrants along the way.

In the Channel Islands, Jersey maintained its position as the largest hirer in terms of pure headcount of all the jurisdictions, while Guernsey, quieter in recent times, seemed to bounce back. All the traditional areas of corporate; banking; funds and litigation continued to be most in demand but there were odd busy periods within Real Estate; Trusts; and Regulatory which have their own difficulties when looking to hire.

It is clear that firms are broadening out their search when looking for associates and South Africa proved extremely popular once again this year given the training and high quality of work undertaken by the lawyers. Given the continued lack of supply for the Channel Islands, I think we are safe to assume that this trend will continue. The change to Jersey immigration will hopefully also go some way in making the sponsorship process where needed much simpler.

One of the main reasons 2019 felt so busy was the sheer amount of hiring undertaken in Cayman by pretty much all the firms. Corporate; Litigation; and Funds lawyers found themselves in a situation with multiple options and a very fast-moving market. I also think it is the first time in a long while that we have seen salaries in Cayman start to shift upwards slightly.

Australia and Canada, to a certain extent, continued to prove popular as destinations for relocation, with London associates keener than ever to make the move. The impending legislation changes in Cayman could change the recruitment landscape somewhat, but until there is more clarity on exactly what it will impose firms are continuing in the same vain as always.

The one piece of respite this year was to be found in the BVI . After an exceptionally busy 2018, it was always going to be a quieter 2019. Firms seemed very settled and aside from a few departures here and there, generally didn’t lose too many people. The market seems to be picking up as we head towards the end of the year and litigation in particular is showing signs of being a key area of growth for 2020.

The surprise package of 2019 has by far and away been Bermuda . Notoriously quiet for many years, there has been an unprecedented amount of hiring throughout 2019, focused not just on the customary key players but also the newer entrants as they look to grow their Bermuda bases. Traditionally a destination passed over by candidates looking to move due to lack of options, the quality of work and lifestyle on offer has naturally proved very attractive. Demand remains high and we very much expect this growth to continue into the New Year.

Looking at the onshore bases of the offshore firms, London was unusually busy during 2019 and we found ourselves inundated with needs, mainly within the transactional space. I think it is unlikely that there will be significant further growth in 2020 but I would expect some senior hires, as firms look to gain market share.

Given the current political turmoil in Hong Kong , it has slowed down significantly in terms of hiring later in the year but proved as popular as ever in the first half with firms growing in both litigation and transactional. I think we will have to wait and see how things unfold before we get a sense of what 2020 will hold for Hong Kong and Asia offshore in general. Singapore was mostly stable throughout the year, as was Dubai .

Whatever the bigger global impact of Brexit, the offshore market has thus far proven resilient to the recruitment slowdowns elsewhere and if things continue as they are, the flow of candidates from the major financial centres is only going to continue.

If you’d like to know more about recruiting or working offshore, please do get in touch on +44 (0)20 7002 0217 or thomashartwell@hydrogengroup.com.

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Claire Ledder

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 09:50:24 GMT

Claire Ledder is an Executive Manager in the Group Technology area of IAG. With accountability for a growing team of senior professionals, she is responsible for optimisation of a multimillion-dollar technology portfolio as an integrated commercial business partner.

What are the most common mistakes in our thinking about diversity & inclusion?

Diversity and inclusion is not about ensuring everyone is treated the same - it is about taking steps to remove barriers, perceived or actual, which prevent individuals from equitable consideration for employment, promotion, experience, benefits and participation. There has been a lot of focus on gender diversity in recent years, however this is just one aspect of a broader issue being faced.

–

What does diversity & inclusion mean to you? Do you think it's changed over the years?

I have observed over time, that embracing diversity and inclusion in the workplace has come to be more than just preventing discrimination against minority groups in the workforce. It has evolved from being seen to “do the right thing” or at least “not do the wrong thing”, into drawing strength from the variety of skills and experiences brought to the table by diverse teams that resemble the community we operate in and the customers we serve.

Being a diverse and inclusive organisation has now become closely aligned with being an employer or a strategic partner of choice and having an organisational culture that supports D&I methods and practices has become a lot more important.

Having spent most of my career in finance and in the FMCG sector, I have witnessed strong progress over the past 10 years in how this industry has embraced diversity and inclusion, particularly gender diversity. After recently moving into a role within technology, I have noticed a significant difference as to where this sector is on the D&I journey, they are facing different challenges but are leaning into them and catching up. There is strong support for developing a truly balanced workforce for the future.

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What areas of diversity & inclusion are you less familiar with and would like to go about updating your knowledge?

Ageism is one I’d like to explore a bit more as I value different levels and years of experience within my team. Particularly in some of our highly specialised teams, the experience of older workers is invaluable, however as the population ages, lives longer and seeks to stay in the workforce, the oldest person is not necessarily the most senior anymore. This presents both challenges and opportunities, and we need to face into this in a meaningful way.

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What do you think are the benefits of having a diverse team and organisation?

When an organisation reflects the diversity of its customers more accurately, there is an increased awareness of customer requirements across the diverse customer base. This enables the organisation to more closely meet their customers’ needs and also be recognised as an employer of choice. Caring about diversity and inclusion also makes good business sense, because it widens the candidate pool to 100% and creates an employee value proposition that appeals to everyone.

When I reflect on my current team, we have a diverse representation in terms of gender, age, ethnic background, education, life experience, etc. We learn a lot from each other every day and working with people who are different from us is also interesting and fun – we embrace and celebrate the fact that we are different.

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Does your company have a diversity program in place? If so, can you tell us more about it?

IAG has a strong focus on diversity, inclusion and belonging, with policies and processes that focus on many aspects including gender, age, culture, indigenous, and accessibility, as well as having flexible work practices that support these areas. IAG is actively committed to improving the number of women in management roles and is incorporating diversity & inclusion as parts of graduate programs that will shape the future workforce.

Having worked in many different organisations over my career, I can say that IAG has a genuine commitment and focus from the top to drive and support D&I initiatives that will change and shape the culture and performance of the business.

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In order to drive change, we need to start with ourselves, is there anything we can do as an individual when trying to drive diversity & inclusion within the company?

It is important to be self-aware around how we view the world and how we approach hiring, promotion, capability and success. We all need to acknowledge that this is tainted by our own identity, experiences and values, and critically assess whether these are valid in the evaluation of others in the workplace and take responsibility for our decisions in this regard. We need to ask ourselves if someone is the ‘best person for the job’ and ‘does my team represent the company values and the customers we seek to serve’.

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In your opinion, how can we get the entire company on board with diversity & inclusion initiatives?

First and foremost, managers need to be made aware of their unconscious bias for them to embrace diversity and inclusion. They must recognise where they may be acting in contradiction to the company policy and the message this might send to their team and customers. Shared accountability for change and correcting the bias and injustice through positive steps like self-awareness training and workshop examples would be the goal.

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As for leaders and HR, how can they take a more active role within their organisation?

Positive discrimination can be difficult to justify and implement, although it can speed up the process of establishing a more diverse, inclusive and balanced workforce. However, accountability for decisions made, investments backed and privileges awarded should be transparent, overt and easily justifiable in the context of a diverse, inclusive and non-discriminatory workplace culture.

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Are there particular strategies when it comes to under-represented communities? How do you go about challenging stereotypes and promoting sensitivity and inclusion?

Some key challenges for these groups include lack of voice or recognition, missed opportunities and underperformance in line with perceived expectations. Therefore, communications should be broad, overt and inclusive alongside a proactive promotion on overall diversity and inclusion. One thing we do at IAG is to ensure that we also celebrate the wins and strengths of others, highlighting scenarios when diversity results in success, change and gain.

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What would you say is the most difficult part of implementing D&I programs?

It’s difficult to measure and the results usually take some time to be evident. As with all cultural change, it’s not quick and generally cannot be fast-tracked. Incremental steps will add up to meaningful progress over time, so it’s part of a longer-term cultural journey. Also, statistics don’t always tell the full story.

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What do you think companies in ANZ can do to better address diversity & inclusion in the workplace?

Introduce programs to include older workers, support senior females, and assist English as a second language (ESL) employees improve their communication skills.

How to hire in Technology: Steps to ensure gender diversity

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 09:40:09 GMT

There have been countless studies in recent years that show the benefits of diversity in the workplace on everything from team performance to the corporate bottom line. But, despite its cutting-edge, contemporary image and pace of change in other areas, Technology lags some way behind other sectors when it comes to diversity.

For such a huge sector in the UK, particularly one that is facing a skills shortage, it’s an issue that needs addressing fast. Aside from the expectations of clients, research shows that organisations with one or more women on the board significantly outperform those with only men. One global consulting firm recently showed that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were more than 20% more likely to enjoy above-average profitability. Among the FTSE 100, there is around 30% female representation on boards today – the tech sector has less than half that number.

Only 19% of those working in tech in the UK are women and while the numbers are better at smaller businesses, female-led start-ups suffer by comparison to male-led when it comes to chasing funding. Of the women who do make it in the tech sector, more than half say that it has been put to them that their gender will hinder their career; the biggest barriers to advancement are perceived to be a lack of mentors and female role models; and the quit rate of women is more than twice as high as it is for men, which points to an inherent retention issue to address too. In terms of attraction to the sector, only 3% of women say a career in tech is their first choice (compared to 15% of men).

Plus, there is huge opportunity for more girls to get into this area of work – often the perks, benefits and salaries that developers can get straight out of university are better than average so girls shouldn’t be missing out on this! My friends and I often joke about how if we were to have girls, we’d be encouraging them to get into coding from a young age. With the rise of companies such as Code Like A Girl , Girls Who Code & Women Who Code , more and more women and girls are learning. As a recruiter in the tech market, I have to be careful not to apply bias to our candidates, but the truth is that we couldn’t be gender biased even if we wanted to as there is such a lack of female candidates for certain skillsets.

So, how can we improve our recruitment processes to improve diversity hiring? Organisations need to identify and remove potential biases in sourcing, screening, and shortlisting candidates that may be ignoring, turning off, or accidentally discriminating against qualified, diverse candidates. Here are some steps we believe clients should be taking.

Improve job descriptions

Research shows that women are much less likely to apply for a job if they don’t meet all the stated criteria (compared to men who will apply if they meet 60% of the requirements), so the language used in job descriptions needs to be scrutinised for terminology that might deter female candidates, for example, phrasing that emphasises the opportunity to learn, can encourage women to apply.

Gender-biased words and phrases also need to be removed across the board and there is even AI to help do this! Certain words resonate differently with men and women, so avoiding language considered too masculine can have a considerable impact. One Australian software firm hired 80% more women into technical roles in two years after changing the wording in its job ads.

Highlight diversity in your values

Workplace diversity will attract candidates from diverse talent pools. 80% of participants in a large survey by a multinational professional services firm said that an employer’s policy on diversity, equality and inclusion is an important factor when deciding whether or not to work for them. So, highlight your commitment to diversity on your website; list it as one of your company’s top values; and include photos and quotes of your diverse employees too.

Try ‘blind hiring’

Blind hiring is increasingly being used by larger organisations, after initial research revealed that applications with ethnic origin names were returning a poorer success rate than identical applications with “whiter” sounding names. The technique has since been expanded to any personal information about a candidate that might lead to a biased, unconscious or conscious, decision. Removing names, gender indications, nationality, and even education can eliminate unconscious bias during the hiring process, leaving applications to be considered purely on skill set and experience.

Interestingly, one of our clients, a global Life, Pensions and Investments company, has recently started trialling blind hiring with great success. Yes, it takes a little bit more time to anonymise CVs, but it’s worth it to ensure they get the best person for the job regardless of gender, ethnicity, or any other bias. And yes, it’s not a perfect process yet and the client might select a “blind hired” candidate for interview who has a bad reputation within the company but that’s very unlikely. What’s far more likely without blind hiring is that the client applies unfair prejudices to certain groups and therefore misses out on the best person for the job. I’m not the only one who thinks this – every candidate we’ve told about the blind hire process has been overwhelmingly positive about it.

Implement diversity training

On the subject of unconscious biases, training hiring managers in diversity will equip them with an ability to avoid certain biases and be generally more aware and sensitive of diversity issues. Automatic judgements that we all make, such as affinity bias where we might gravitate towards or favour people similar to ourselves, can be minimised once they are put in the spotlight and identified.

Introduce a diverse interview panel

Another way of avoiding unconsciousness biases is to not leave the hiring decision down to either an individual or a group of similar individuals. Making the selection process collaborative, by including diversity in the interviewing panel will eliminate the aforementioned affinity bias immediately, as well as give the candidate a better, hopefully more encouraging, view of your workforce and company ethos.

Offer workplace flexibility

Remote working and flexible hours will attract more diverse candidates, as well as improve retention rates, research showing that long commute times are a major reason why employees quit. Distance from downtown office locations is often correlated with more diverse neighbourhoods, and from a gender diversity perspective, working mothers are drawn first to those employers who offer flexible working hours. Again, companies need to champion these policies and benefits in all the right places, to widen the net on diverse talent.

Does your company have any of these measures in place? What has been the impact on your hiring?

[Sources: McKinsey, PwC, CWJobs, Diversity In Tech, Credit Suisse, Harvard Business Review, Hewlett Packard]

FinTechs: Time for your first in-house lawyer?

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 09:34:54 GMT

FinTechs... your legal bill is how much?!

The FinTech boom in London is showing no signs of slowing down, despite the backdrop of political and economic uncertainty. In 2018, it was reported that investment in the UK FinTech sector leapt to a record $3.3 billion. With more and more FinTechs scaling quickly, the need for dedicated, specialist legal support is increasing. Whilst ad hoc law firm support has been the convenient go-to, many of these companies now stand more to benefit from hiring their own in-house lawyer (and in many cases growing a legal team).

Reducing Costs

One of the primary goals in establishing an in-house legal team is to reduce costs incurred by overusing external counsel. With private practice lawyers now charging up to £500 an hour, bills can quickly rack up. Many FinTechs, particularly small ones in their nascent days, don’t have the resources to justify hiring an in-house lawyer immediately, however, the volume of legal work can quickly increase and tip the balance of cost effectiveness away from external legal support in favour of bringing the expertise in-house. Everyday issues include general commercial contracts, technology agreements, financial regulation, financing and employment matters. Many top lawyers, particularly those who enjoy the commercial side of their roles, aspire to move in-house, meaning FinTechs have the opportunity to hire outstanding talent and at the same time reduce costs.

A lawyer that really works for you!

An in-house lawyer knows your business inside out in a way that external counsel never could. The best in-house legal teams are an integral part of the business. Rather than engaging lawyers when something goes wrong, successful companies recognise the benefits in bringing lawyers into the business and using their expertise to make better commercial decisions.

Efficiency

An in-house legal team can cut costs by reducing spend on external counsel as well as mitigating the threat of litigation. However, there are still occasions where outside support may be needed. In such cases, an in-house lawyer can manage external counsel and act as a conduit between law firms and internal stakeholders, thus freeing up the time of senior leadership.

Reputation

As well as the practical benefits of reducing risk and managing costs, having an in-house legal function is a sign of a well-run business and gives reassurance to customers, regulators and current / potential investors. With the onset of more and more financial regulation – not to mention the potential disruption to our regulatory framework that Brexit could bring – it’s never been more important to have a robust legal and compliance function, both as a means of protecting your business from risk and to protect your image as a credible and responsible firm.

Hiring your first lawyer can be daunting, especially if you don’t have a legal background yourself. Using a specialist legal recruiter means that we can do all the work for you to find the best candidates to suit your team. At Hydrogen, we have a specialist in-house Financial Services team that cover both the FinTech sector and first legal hires. If you'd like to discuss the market and how we can assist you either now or in the future, please email caitisimpson@hydrogengroup.com.

RegTech: The Opportunities

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:23:48 GMT

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the regulatory landscape has undergone a significant shift resulting in a steady increase of compliance requirements, expectations and an unexpected increased impact on staffing.

Compliance has evolved from a mandatory checkbox to a key business function, with risk awareness and management supervision at the top of every corporate agenda. Emerging disruptive technologies have entered the regulatory space over the last couple of years to enable organisations to reduce costs, risk and maintain compliance.

From money laundering to MiFID II and Basel III (plus CRDIV), frequent regulatory change has been the only constant in the finance industry, increasing the need for considerable resources and budget. Under pressure from stakeholders to avoid reputational damage, reduce risk and maximise customer retention, the need for new technology to assist finance professionals has become increasingly apparent.

RegTech, whether utilising machine learning, biometrics or insights from large data sets, are available for every niche aspect of risk and compliance from client management, transaction monitoring to identity management, as well as bigger picture compliance. Embedding this technology into wider operational processes ensures that regulatory compliance is an integral part of business practice and brings a number of other advantages:

1. Improved accuracy

Augmenting key processes with RegTech significantly reduces risk by taking human process and error out of the equation. In the AML space for example, it can reduce the number of false positives for investigation.

2. Improved efficiency and insight

As the technology can be continually running, compliance and risk professionals can focus their time on bigger priorities. RegTech can help you to obtain an edge through frictionless client management, training of the right staff to engage with clients and the ability to demonstrate your compliance quickly. Up front work on calibration of technology leads to longer term gains but requires continual reassessments.

3. Lower staff costs

Aside from the initial investment in the tech, there will inevitably be a reduction in headcount, resulting in longer term savings and more value, both to the client and the firm. However, it’s important to remember that specialist talent will still be needed. According to a recent study, skills shortages were cited by 44% of senior business and technology managers as the biggest or second biggest obstacle to adopting AI solutions for onboarding, Customer Lifecycle Management and KYC.

“Whilst RegTech enhances the ability to identify client onboarding risks and investigate suspicious transaction monitoring events more effectively, it will continue to depend upon the ability of skilled subject matter experts to interpret the output of technology alerts. RegTech is not the panacea but an enabler to identify potential further investigations to maintain the firm and the wider market.”

Stephen Newman , Financial Crime prevention specialist

4. Improved services

AI allows for greater personalisation of products and services to customer profiles, and faster onboarding of new customers for these products. 50% of senior business and technology managers state that improving the overall process of onboarding a customer is their top or second-ranked area for AI implementation. RegTech can help businesses get closer to their clients: compliance, if implemented correctly, can help to increase revenue.

Such is the uptake that the global RegTech market revenue is expected to reach $7.2 billion in the next three years. The figures are huge because it’s not just those in finance adopting the technology, but the regulators too, themselves struggling with human resources to keep up. Robotic Process Automation helps them process cases and become more efficient, whilst AI can be used to help monitor and identify insider trading, for example. Furthermore, if they use the same RegTech solutions and data sets as financial services organisations, with both parties speaking the same ‘language’, they can monitor and assess all their relevant data quickly and accurately, freeing them up to implement other regulatory requirements and thus the cycle continues!

On both sides of the fence, it’s important that any corporate governance process, regardless of its risk severity or security level, is not outsourced to the adopted technology alone. Compliance professionals will continue to play a pivotal, more valuable role, with the support of the right tech. Personal judgement or intuition cannot be replicated by RegTech, in fact, studies have shown that decisions made exclusively on the basis of tech results can be riskier. Any organisation that puts the tech before human experience and acumen will see their corporate culture change for the worse – the successful ones will have a healthy mix of both sets of expertise. Automated analysis combined with the experience and intuition of a qualified individual will give a truer picture of a risk scenario, allowing a company to react with agility rather than take remedial action later.

“The emergence of technologies, while managing geopolitical and regulatory changes, has enabled firms and regulators to identify opportunities to restructure the use of people and processes. Given the size and severity of the fines, and the reputational risk associated, this has focussed stakeholders’ attention on compliance challenges. However, this is an unfinished story and we look forward to reforming the industry to ensure we are viewed as contributors to the wider global economy.”

Kiran Sudhakar , Financial Crime prevention specialist

To ensure success, financial organisations should assess how RegTech can be assimilated into their overall current firm structure and how it will benefit from a revenue, compliance and cost perspective. New banking and insurance firms have identified opportunities to achieve this through understanding the balance of people, process, monitoring and technology.

What other opportunities does RegTech bring to your business? We'd love to know - leave your comments here!

Ro’s story: progressing into legal recruitment

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:17:04 GMT

Rowena To manages our Middle East Legal recruitment team, helping law firms and companies across the region find and attract the best lawyers from all over the world. Despite having a law degree, before joining Hydrogen she was a recruiter in the Construction industry, so we talked to her about how she made the transition into Legal, how it differs to her previous sector and what she thinks it takes to be a successful Legal recruiter.

Why did you decide to make the move from Construction to Legal?

After I graduated in Law, I spoke to a rec2rec, who got me thinking about sales and recruitment, and without giving sectors much thought, I ended up in Construction, sourcing senior executives for the major house builders. I had a friend at Hydrogen who later told me about their successful Legal team and their great company incentives, and who thought I’d be a great fit – so I went for it!

Aside from my law degree, Legal was attractive because you get to spend more time consulting, getting to know candidates, and providing career advice due to the set career trajectory for most lawyers. At Hydrogen, we’re in the fortunate position to be able to service all our candidates’ career goals and motivations, whether they’re interested in a move in-house or internationally, as we have specific teams covering all these areas.

How difficult did you find the transition into the Legal market?

I thought that my law degree would help me, having a few contacts in the sector, but in all honesty my sales experience was more useful as it’s so transferable. You don’t need a technical knowledge of law to move into Legal, as there’s thorough product training at Hydrogen. A good sales background makes the transition so much easier.

What's the best thing about working in Legal?

The fee sizes! Our average fee size in Private Practice is now £22k, and the biggest perm fee is around £168k. You couldn’t get that level from most other professions. I also love the professionalism of our client base and the fact that they want to speak to you, because they have certain points in their career where they need to engage with recruiters. It gives us the opportunity to build long-term relationships from a very early stage in their career.

What is the average deal length in Legal recruitment?

Most perm candidates are on three months’ notice and then when you’re dealing with partners, you’re talking six months’ notice. So, it can take time to build up your network and a name, and it may take you longer, on average, to make your first placement. But there are always exceptions - Eóin in our Ireland team had his first acceptance within two weeks of working client-side!

What is the ratio of BD to resourcing?

When you start at Hydrogen, you focus on candidate generation because that’s the best way to learn about the market. Once you move onto a desk, our teams have warm accounts they can give you straight away, which is a huge selling point because you don’t have to go through mapping a market. I do the majority of my BD when I go to meetings, and then the rest of my quarter is very much candidate focused. I speak to clients 5-10 times a week on average, and the rest of the time will be email correspondence. In London, we attend briefings and events with clients who want to work with us, so it’s just a question of having the right candidates to bring to them.

What is the hardest thing about Legal recruitment?

It’s a really competitive field – there are lots of other experienced recruiters out there who specialise, so that’s challenging. Lawyers and partners are also on three or sometimes six to 12 month notice periods and the interview process itself can be between two and four rounds for associates and up to 15 rounds for partners so you need to have patience and the ability to keep up the momentum in a process even when there is sometime a long time lag.

What are the characteristics of a good recruiter in the Legal industry?

You need to genuinely have an interest in building long-term relationships with candidates as we engage with them a lot, prepping and debriefing, and meeting them face-to-face. We also look for people who aren’t afraid of the phone. It’s easy to hit 1,000 contacts at once on LinkedIn, but lawyers, who can be from a different background or very senior, want engagement with someone who knows their market and can talk confidently with them about it, so you need to be credible and assured enough to hold those conversations.

There’s a misconception that legal recruiters are all ex-lawyers. But in fact, the skills need to do our job are so different to that of a lawyer.

What are your top tips for someone considering a move into the Legal market?

Research which Legal recruiter you want to work for, because they can have very different client bases and reputations. At Hydrogen, we work with City firms, Magic Circle firms, US firms and many of the top 20 UK firms, rather than high street, personal injury, claimant or criminal firms. We have also been around since 2001 and have a strong network and reputation.
Invest time in learning about the practice areas and the major players in them because it helps you stand out from your competitors if you are able to fluently discuss the market, any big moves, changes or trends.
Approach Legal with the same volume and enthusiasm as any other recruitment sector. Don’t think of it as different just because the fees are bigger, keep picking up the phone!
Take advantage of meeting with people in person, you’ll learn so much more about the markets.

What is your best moment at Hydrogen so far?

I have been here a long time and have some amazing memories, such as the incentive trips we’ve been on - Las Vegas, Hvar and Tokyo. We’re lucky to have such a great team, systems and support and it’s been amazing seeing the people around me develop over time too.

Diversity and inclusion - Elements

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 07:56:11 GMT

Diversity and Inclusion: Elements

In this day and age, simply implementing a diversity program without paying attention to its composition and effects wouldn't be enough; therefore, organisations are beginning to refine what diversity and inclusion mean to them and if they are ready to create an environment that's truly inclusive. In this series, we interview leaders from various industries and discuss the elements of a successful D&I campaign, the benefits of having different elements in the workforce, and offer advice on how to approach this topic in the workplace.

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Suzanne Scozzi

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 07:43:45 GMT

Suzanne Scozzi is the CEO at Suzanne Grae, an iconic Australian retailer with over 190 stores across Australia. Suzanne Grae is part of the Sussan Group owned by Naomi Milgrom, along with the Sussan and Sportsgirl brands. Originally joining Suzanne Grae as a Buying Manager, Suzanne became immersed in the brand and worked across multiple departments, and progressed to CEO of Suzanne Grae in 2013. With a love for fashion, strong entrepreneurial skills and super high energy levels, Suzanne has embraced the challenge of Australia’s retail industry and is passionate about her role as the CEO of Suzanne Grae.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

My career was kick-started when I moved from an extremely competitive retail industry in London to a far smaller fashion environment in Sydney 30 years ago - I was highly sought after simply because I was from London, never mind that I had very little experience. I used this to my advantage and my career took off.

After 2 years in Australia, I landed a Buying Manager role at Suzanne Grae Corporation - a role that would have normally taken at least 6 to 8 years to reach in London. From there, I became GM of Buying and Marketing and later progressed to become CEO, which was 7 years ago.

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What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

It would have to be my passion for fashion! If I didn’t love the industry I was involved in, I don’t think it would have been so easy to incorporate both family and professional commitments into my life.

I have been incredibly lucky to have been able to work in an industry that I love and to be involved in such a creative working environment. From a very young age I have loved to make things and sell them; there is nothing more satisfying to me than having a best seller!

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How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

This is always a challenge for anyone in a high-level role but it is especially challenging for women with school-aged children. When your husband has an equally demanding role and travels twice as much, the complexity is even greater (I had children very late in life and was determined to be a very involved mother and enjoy every minute of them growing up). There were times when the kids were small and my husband would meet me at the airport as I land and hand over the kids and the car keys before jumping on a plane himself.

I like to think I am organised, well-planned and have high energy levels. However, there have been many occasions when I have taken kids to birthday parties etc. on the wrong days. There is so much going on in my life that it’s probably no surprise I sometimes make mistakes.

In my current role, I have taken on additional responsibilities which have added another layer of complexity. Luckily, I have an amazing EA who manages to keep me on track. I would not be able to manage my current responsibilities without her, so having a great executive support is an absolute necessity.

I always try to leave the office at a reasonable hour to be able to have dinner with the family and try to contain any after-hours work until after the children are in bed (now they are older and have their own school work to do). Luckily for me (and the kids) my husband is the cook in our house. It certainly gets easier as they get older and become less reliant on you.

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Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

Time for me is the most precious commodity. You have to be prepared to be very efficient with your time so you can juggle everything, including time for yourself. For me, my priorities are my family and my work. I like to keep fit and this aspect of my life has always been important to me and is where I make time for myself. I get up at 5am to make lunches for my kids to take to school and then head off to the gym at least 3 times a week. I enjoy this time immensely, along with morning walks with my dog, a glass of wine on Friday and a bit of retail therapy on the weekend.

I am also lucky in that fashion for me is a personal love, as well as the industry I am involved in, thus keeping abreast of what is happening both locally and overseas is a pleasure as well as a necessity.

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Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

Not at all. I have been fortunate to have worked for a leader, Naomi Milgrom who promotes a workplace culture that supports women in leadership roles, with all 3 CEOs of her brands (Sportsgirl, Sussan and Suzanne Grae) being women. We have all been mentored into our roles by Naomi and supported throughout our careers with Sussan Group.

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What are some of the obstacles you foresee for future generations of women, and is there anything we can do about them?

I believe that re-launching a successful career after an extended break due to responsibilities as a full-time caregiver for children or aging parents may be challenging for future generations of women. Through my own experience and with how I have supported women in my workplace, my advice to future women would be to rebuild confidence, re-establish a network, dust off old skills and develop new ones. In saying this, women returning to the workplace will also need to ensure they catch up on new technology.

I have worked with many female leaders who have been successful in their roles and have taken a break from the industry and returned to be successful by utilising these key principles. There are definitely ways that future generations of women can make this work, as have I, and a supportive work culture is essential to being successful in both areas of life.

Middle East legal market update and overview - September 2019

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 06:54:05 GMT

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

Following on from our final trip of 2019 to the UAE, please see below for an overview of the legal market so far this year and heading towards 2020.

At the beginning of 2019, the market in corporate was fairly patchy across the region, with many firms needing to seek internal sign off even for replacement hires. Going into summer, the reverse was true with the majority of our clients reporting that this summer was unusually busy. This was reflected from a recruitment perspective, as we were mandated on many new roles whereas usually recruitment activity slows over the summer months. Going towards the end of the year, a large amount of firms are hiring for their corporate teams, and some firms are even looking at growing their teams. This leaves us feeling optimistic for 2020, as M&A activity is usually a good indicator of the market overall.

This year, banking and finance does seem to have been a little quieter than corporate however, with some firms reporting that their banking teams have found it to be a tough market. Most of our roles are in project finance, as opposed to general lending or Islamic finance. Similarly, the projects, energy and non-contentious construction market is booming, with many firms hiring across the UAE and Saudi. Oil and gas experience is still proving to be very valuable, with an increase in specific private practice and In-House opportunities in this space. This remains an extremely candidate short area with some of our clients hiring for multiple associates in projects and energy.

On the contentious front, construction disputes remains a key area for many firms, with hiring being consistent throughout the year. Commercial disputes has slowed down over the summer, however in the first half of the year there was a lot of interest in associates with experience in investigations and white collar crime, with some firms even finding those skills by hiring members of the UK Bar.

Niche practice areas such as commercial TMT, real estate and employment have been ticking over, most firms hiring only for replacements.

How to hire in Technology: What do Tech candidates want?

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 06:46:44 GMT

Recent estimates suggest that 600,000 vacancies in the UK tech industry far outnumber the skilled talent available, meaning that finding good candidates is an increasing challenge for our clients.

In such a competitive market where the talent is able to call the shots, it’s vital that employers understand what motivates tech candidates to choose between their options, so that they can differentiate themselves and attract the best.

Turnover rates in tech are also higher than other industries – recent reports suggest 18.3% compared to an average UK rate of 15%. This is due to a number of factors in the industry: the ‘project’ nature of implementation and integration work; the start-up culture which presents new challenges; and the speed at which tech itself evolves. However, these numbers underline the need for employers to carefully consider what tech candidates want from a role if they want to attract and retain these specialist skills.

Talking to our candidates across the sector, here are some of the key things they look for when considering a new role. Whilst there may not be any surprises here, we consistently see these as the top requirements from the market. By making just a few basic changes, you too could attract some great tech talent!

Flexible working

According to a recent survey, 84% of employees in tech have the option of flexible working, compared to the UK average of 65%, no doubt driven by the example set by some of the tech giants such as Dropbox, which lets its workforce set their own hours, and Dell, which is aiming to have at least half of its staff on flexible hours by next year.

This means employers must consider their own flexible working policies, as they are fast becoming the norm. Taso Du Val, CEO of Toptal , said "by embracing remote work and flexibility, you strengthen your organisation rather than hinder your organisation. This is a very, very serious retention tool and talent acquisition tool when it comes to companies at large. It can no longer be thought of as this, "Oh, it's nice to work from home" idea. It needs to be thought of as we're literally winning because we embrace flexibility and remote work."

What our clients say:

“The two key areas for success when hiring the best talent in technology is firstly to have a recruitment process that attracts smart people whilst keeping the process as lightweight as possible. We have also found flexi hours to be extremely beneficial in attracting and retaining talent: from being able to work from home one day a week, to core office hours that enable staff to attend to personal matters when convenient. When you respect your employees’ work-life balance, they will respect you in return, and rise to any challenges when required.”

Huw Evans – Software Development Manager at deepmatter.io

The right environment

Today’s tech professionals, unsurprisingly, don’t wear a suit to work and don’t want to work in a stale environment. Again, inspired by the tech giants, candidates are getting used to contemporary office spaces where they can be themselves. While start-ups will often have a relaxed dress code that suits them, larger corporates may find that their more formal dress code policies will be seen as a negative. It may sound trivial, but it’s important to address this, given 36% of tech candidates say that corporate culture is key when choosing who to work for.

Employers must see the importance of cultural engagement and give employees the ability to influence how the company evolves. The stronger a company's culture, the better employees understand what is expected of them and what they're working toward.

What our clients say:

"At Onzo , we are constantly evolving our culture to ensure our colleagues contributions are recognised and rewarded. Every single staff member is involved in this process. Furthermore, as a small engineering team, the positive impact of every feature we push to our customers is seen immediately. We have passed several milestones throughout 2019, and all members can directly tie their own efforts to these. We are very proud of what we are all creating.”

Scott Krueger – Engineering Lead , Edinburgh

Opportunities to grow

Tech candidates work in one of the fastest changing sectors, and as such are predisposed to learning and adapting. It’s in their nature to want to expand their skill sets and try something new. However niche their specialism, most candidates don’t want to code in a single language forever, and a particularly attractive route for them is to experience the full software lifecycle. An organisation structured to offer genuine development opportunities is much better placed in terms of attraction and retention of tech skills compared to those who place an emphasis on a single, short term requirement. DevOps is a particularly sought-after discipline at the moment among candidates for this reason.

Other perks and benefits

Although work/life balance and corporate culture are bigger drivers for tech candidates, they are as interested in good employee benefits as everyone else. Communicating your attractive staff perks and lucrative extras such as pension schemes or generous healthcare can give you a competitive advantage over the other companies they are interviewing with.

Final tip: If you’re using a recruiter, make sure they’re fully clued up on all of these things. We always ask our clients questions that will help unearth this information, as we know it makes all of the difference when we are engaging with top tech talent.

In your experience, are there any other key things you see tech candidates asking for? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

A big thanks to our contributors to this article, deepmatter.io & Onzo . Find out more about DeepMatter on their blog .

[Stats taken from recent research by Monster, XpertHR, CWJobs, Smarter Working Initiative and e-Days]

Hydrogen launches its fifth office in the USA: Los Angeles California

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 06:25:46 GMT

Building on positive trading and significant expansion - with four new US locations launched in the last 16 months alone - this move further demonstrates Hydrogen’s commitment to provide business critical staffing solutions to core STEM markets. Initially the Life Sciences industry will be Hydrogen’s primary market in LA, built on existing increased customer demand within contingent contract markets.

Ian Temple, Hydrogen Group CEO comments:

“Expanding our presence in North America has been a key focus of ours over the last 18 months and we’re delighted to announce further investment into our capabilities in the West Coast. Supporting our customers drives our business and building out this regional operation enables us to be closer and more connected to them.

This move builds on a period of significant momentum for our Group and combined with our Minority Interest model, which allows select individuals the ability to maximize reward and share in the Group's success, we’re attracting and retaining top talent to work across our operations in North America.”

Oliver Coughlan, Chief Operating Officer, USA adds:

“Having a presence in Los Angeles bolsters our capabilities in the West Coast, alongside our established San Diego operation. As a Group, we are excited by the opportunity in California, both economically and for our growing customer base we are committed to. As specialists in providing critical business talent to STEM markets, LA extends our reach and is a strong next step for us, with significant opportunities in Life Sciences and Technology sectors. We look forward to being closer to our customers and expanding our offering to more businesses here.”

-ENDS-

For additional information, please contact:

Claire Southern, Senior Marketing Communications Executive
clairesouthern@hydrogengroup.com

STEM recruitment firm Hydrogen expands into Los Angles, California

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 06:05:47 GMT

Ian Temple, Hydrogen Group CEO comments:

Oliver Coughlan, Chief Operating Officer, USA adds:

-ENDS-

For additional information, please contact:

Claire Southern, Senior Marketing Communications Executive
clairesouthern@hydrogengroup.com

Inspiring Female Leaders: Michelle Turner

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 14:07:49 GMT

Michelle Turner is a Regional HR Director ASEAN, Japan & Korea at RB. She is an experienced, commercially-focused senior Human Resources professional with a demonstrated history of success and impact working in the healthcare and consumer goods industry

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?New Paragraph

I joined RB 2 years ago, but I’d only been with the company for 3 months when they asked me to move to Singapore into my current role. I’m very motivated to have an international career, but that was particularly fast! One of the reasons I joined RB was because I knew I would get the career stretch I was looking for and my move to AsiaNew Paragraph was the perfect example of that.

Looking back at my time before RB, my most enriching career experiences have been through moving into different roles within HR across commercial, global functions and manufacturing, which is where I started. Those kinds of roles, combined with moving internationally, have given me a commerciality and a holistic view of how a business operates, as well as the diversity of experience that you need to grow your career quickly.

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It's a great advert for RB that you mobilise talent internally

Our ambition is to grow our internal pipeline for our senior management roles. As an HR leader, I get to help people move on in their careers internationally. The amount of internationally mobile talent we have in RB is amazing; the commitment our people have to move overseas with RB is phenomenal, because they know they’ll get the right support, sponsorship and development. The support the company gives makes that possible, which is pretty special.

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Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion?

Working in HR, there’s always been D&I on the agenda at every business I’ve worked for, but I think for many businesses it’s a checkbox exercise. I found it very refreshing when I came to RB to see how alive the D&I agenda has been. We have a program called DARE – developing, attracting, retaining, engaging talented women in RB. We plan to increase the number of women in senior leadership and have a target of getting to at least 40% women in senior leadership roles by 2022, from about 25% today. Within the DARE community, we have an Accelerate program to develop and sponsor our female leadership potential, where those with high potential are partnered with mentors; we also have a strong maternity and paternity policy; and a DARE network that fuel the women in work agenda. In Singapore, we have a DARE council run by people from other functions, who are all passionate about supporting women at work; this team is currently working on normalising flexible working within RB. I’m very proud that as a business it’s not just HR coming up with policies, but that others are active as well.

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Can you expand upon the Women in Leadership program?

Accelerate is a global program aimed at our up and coming female workforce. It’s a 3-day bespoke program we run with an external provider to support women through their leadership journey. Senior female leaders come in and share their stories of their careers, we teach core skills and techniques to use every day plus we have one-on-one coaching follow ups. Those I know who have done it have found it very empowering. The one piece of feedback we’ve had is how do we also make sure that men in the organisation are learning about how to enable female leaders, which will be our next step and we are currently trialling a dual program. If we fully engage our male leaders in our efforts, more progress will be made than when efforts were driven exclusively by women or ethnically diverse talent. To drive cultural change, we believe in moving beyond just creating initiatives to being proactive in our leadership actions.

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What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Leaders need to be open-minded to new ways of working and able to share with their teams how they operate and what their expectation is of their team members. A transparent and honest relationship means that there are no surprises for anyone. For example, I don’t expect anyone to ask for permission to work from home, but I do expect that they tell their manager up front that that is what they are doing. That’s the kind of frank relationship that needs to be forged to foster a good relationship. Secondly, leaders need to lead by example. I firmly believe in being authentic as a leader and doing what you say you’ll do. If you’re going to support a specific approach or allow things to be done differently, you need to demonstrate the flexibility to make it happen. If you commit to something, like our 40% target in RB, then you must do something really targeted to reach it. It’s great to make those commitments, but it means everyone must do things differently, including leaders.

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When you have senior women as new starters, do you get feedback on these initiatives?

Not really in any such formal manner– things like Accelerate are for people who are further into their RB careers rather than new starters. But for senior women who join, we get them involved in lots of our activities from day one. For example, our relatively new Finance Director for the region, within 4 months of her joining, was sponsoring one of our Accelerate programs. I think most senior women are impressed by what we do and want to be involved.

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How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

This is something we talk about on the Accelerate program. Throughout my career, I’ve often felt that because I’m not a mother, I don’t have a reason to leave the office at a reasonable time. Many of the delegates on Accelerate don’t have kids yet, so I do stress that you shouldn’t feel like you need permission to leave the office at a reasonable hour or before others. Many businesses have a presenteeism culture, but when I came to RB, I decided that I would overcome this old habit. It’s about managing the peaks and troughs, and taking a blended approach to life and work. Until you make a decision to leave before other people with no embarrassment, then I don’t think you’ll get that work/life balance right. If someone gets their job done, is talented and delivers great results, it doesn’t matter what hours they keep. Who cares!? This is one of the agile ways we need to work differently these days. So, I consciously made that decision to get my balance in check when I moved to Singapore because our time zone does often create unusual work hours, and flexible hours is the way to achieve that.New Paragraph

LPM Supper Club: August recap

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 05:33:15 GMT

Last week we hosted our first Hydrogen LPM Supper Club! This quarterly networking group is aimed at Legal Project Managers in and around London and brings together like-minded people to share ideas and innovations in the legal project management space.

We were delighted to see a great turn-out for the first event, and a good mix of LPMs from 10 different law firms, 1 consultancy and 2 in-house teams.

We were also very excited to welcome Mark H Clark as our guest speaker. Mark is a Transformation Consultant with over 30 years’ experience in B2B/B2C consulting across several industries including legal, financial, retail and pharma sectors. During the last 6 years he’s spent in the legal sector, he’s led complex end-to-end transformations that have involved operating model changes, deployment of LPM, technology programmes and other innovation initiatives. Mark has advised and led Business Services improvement programmes in several law firms.

It’s this breadth of experience that made him the perfect person to present to us on ‘Integrating LPM into Law Firms’, reflecting on what he’s found so far and what the future could look like.

There were a few key messages within his presentation which really stood out to me:

The story so far: LPM provides a consistent approach, but if deployed in an isolated, case-by-case manner, the achievements and benefits are fleeting, with the learnings, shared knowledge and experience benefiting only a few.

Where we are today: LPM is a ‘Way of Working’ and not a silver bullet. Law firms need to continually remind themselves why they deployed LPM and what they need it to deliver!

Many firms are only at ‘stage 1’ of deploying LPM, that’s to say a member of the LPM function supports the Partners and Associates in a very focused isolated way.

The next phase that firms need to focus on is on building an integrated & sustained approach, where LPM is better connected to other functions – evolving and increasing the value of LPM.

LPM, as with other innovations, can help manage the opportunities and threats that face law firms today – client demands, competition, the need to grow and an uncertain future – but only if its benefits are firm wide, not case by case.

Don’t forget, real change is achieved and sustained by people!

Here are the key slides from his presentation:

Hydrogen's LPM Supper Club - Aug 2019 from Hydrogen Group

I’d like to extend a huge thanks, once again, to everyone who joined us and made it such a fun evening. We had some brilliant feedback and are looking forward to planning our next Supper Club!

Join our next event

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in attending our next LPM Supper Club, please do get in touch. I’m also keen to hear from anyone who has any strong ideas around what topics you’d want us to cover at future events, as we want to keep these topical and relevant.

In the meantime, watch this space for details of the next event in a couple of months!

Posted over 4 years ago

Delivering business transformation in law firms

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 13:44:34 GMT

This is the third blog in a series looking at change and transformation within law firms. The legal sector is particularly unique, and on the precipice of significant change. There is a genuine interest across the sector, yet the reality is that high levels of profitability and relatively low client demand for transformational change means that whilst there is lots of activity, delivering meaningful change is a tough challenge.

Previous blogs have looked at ‘ 3 Reasons Why Law Firms Need to Invest in Change ’ and ‘ Key Transformation Challenges Facing Law Firms ’ . Here, I will address some of the more practical challenges that I have encountered across the legal sector when it comes to actually delivering change and realising business benefits.

Priorities and decision making

There is an historic tendency within law firm partnerships for the support functions to be a little subservient and to simply do as they are requested. If a partner insists on wanting a new piece of technology, or the Managing Partner asks for a review of Knowledge Management, there is a danger that work commences without much further clarification. This tendency leads to an overload of projects and initiatives, often poorly scoped, and with little chance of success. In this environment, the only things that actually get done are the initiatives that are the pet projects of the most senior people.

To counter these challenges requires a robust Portfolio Board accountable to the Executive for identifying, prioritising and allocating resources, and assuring delivery. Whilst these are well established across other industries (e.g. financial services), they do not exist in many legal firms or are not robust enough. The essential success criteria for these Portfolio Boards include executive membership, clear mandate and visible reporting, a well-defined business strategy, along with strong sponsorship by the leadership otherwise it will be circumvented and rapidly become ineffective.

Change governance

Expertise

Law firms can be a little too reliant on trusted, long standing personnel who have been promoted through the ranks. This definitely ensures in-depth knowledge of the firm and the issues, but can also severely hamper effective change delivery. Experienced people from outside the firm, either in permanent, interim, or consulting roles, bring both leading edge technical expertise, as well as best practice and a fresh perspective, required to identify the challenges and to find the momentum and energy to manage the end-to-end change approach.

Stakeholder engagement and buy-in

For any business change to deliver a tangible benefit, business leaders must fully own the challenge, be engaged as decision makers throughout, and be accountable for delivery of the business benefits. We all know this, although with the nature of lawyers and the partnership model, this is every bit as tricky in the legal sector as elsewhere. Engagement is absolutely critical, as law firms do not operate top-down, rather every partner has a level of autonomy, and engagement is often very bottom-up, helping individuals and teams find a reason to adopt and champion the new ways of working. Sounds a painfully slow process, and it can be, although once you demonstrate success and create some advocates, momentum can start to build. There is no ‘quick-fix’ in this area, and requires resilience, creativity and persistence.

Momentum

Much of the above is about frontloading the change initiatives to give them the best chance of success, but maintaining momentum is the only way to ensure complete implementation. It is important that those leading the change remain involved after implementation to support firm-wide adoption, and this could include:

Ongoing training and development projects
Subtle nudge theory to accelerate adoption (making legacy systems or processes harder to access or perform)
PR and communication, or revised marketing about the firm after change
A visible Innovation Programme to continue driving implementation, showcasing the benefits to clients and employees alike.

Change and transformation in the legal sector isn’t the same as in other industries, it requires specialist knowledge and often a light touch, bearing in mind the sensitivities of compliance in law, and the subtlety of the partnership model. But, like other sectors, the world of work is changing, and both lawyers and clients will ultimately want to associate themselves with a firm that is forward thinking and happy to challenge the conventional ways of working. Adapting to this doesn’t just have to be about survival – it can be about leading the way too.

If you’d like to find out how Hydrogen Group and I are helping law firms to understand and implement change, please get in touch with me.

Digital Disruption Series: Amit Gupta

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 13:30:07 GMT

Amit Gupta is the CTO at Canopy. He has 17+ years of experience in software engineering, product development & digital transformation, he has also co-founded three technology start-ups and has proven expertise in building for scale.

What are your thoughts on the digital transformation landscape?

Digital transformation started from the day technology started as technology is dynamic at its core. As the great philosopher, Heraclitus said, change is the only constant. It’s just that in the digital world, it’s happening at a very fast pace, one that is dramatically different than what it was a few years ago. The way in which we’ve adopted technology has changed who we are, down to our inert behaviors. The way we behave – eat, relax or whatever we do, is affected by technology, to a point where we need technology to move away from technology.

If you look at the obstacles in starting a business, they have come down massively. Very established businesses are getting disrupted by somebody who nobody knew. Technology advancements like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality coupled with gig economy people who are working for themselves, as open-source contributors, and as researchers, all contributed to the digital transformation landscape.

If you look at the example of Lambda School, it’s a new education concept where you learn to code without paying anything upfront, but abide by an ISA (Income Share Agreement) which kicks in when you are employed and have a defined repaying capacity, then you’ll have to pay a certain percentage of your monthly income for a fixed period of time. We humans have always been thinking in a linear way where everything is designed as a step-by-step process, and that’s how all businesses have been thinking. Colleges and universities have always thought that classroom education is something essential and never thought about disruptions. Lambda, on the other hand, is a digital transformation initiative that is changing the education business model and how we look at the industry.

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How is your company utilising Artificial Intelligence and what real-world problems are they solving?

If you look primarily at what Canopy does, we are a technology-enabled data company that provides account aggregation, portfolio analytics, and client reporting solutions. For a typical case with a high net worth individual, they would invest across geographies to hedge risks, which will, in turn, create the problem of it being hard to track. In the absence of standardisation across banks, it would be virtually impossible to run analytics and figure out what’s happening with their combined wealth. That’s where Canopy comes in, we bring all that data together in one place and allow you to run analytics, compare across data and infer actionable insights. To do this, we connect to various data formats – structured and unstructured.

As every bank speaks a different language, we employ a lot of machine learning and intelligence to help convert those into a common language which investors can look at and understand. Having to touch around 100+ banks’ data continuously, we use an AI solution to process the PDF bank statements to extract, identify, tag, transform, enrich, escalate (on need basis) and insert the data into our database where our clients can look at in a matter of minutes. The solution has massively helped define who we are, helping us reach more clients and serve them at a faster speed.

We did this without any efforts from our banking partners, which would’ve otherwise taken them 2 to 3 years and a lot of money to achieve. Apart from using it to better keep track of their wealth, we also see our clients using Canopy for financial reporting such as income tax filing and regulatory reporting, and those would be some of the problems that we’ve helped solve.

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Have you encountered any challenges in recruiting the best talent in Canopy?

Both yes and no. I’d say yes because it is difficult to find and retain talent. Being a start-up there are limited resources, that coupled with the limited talent pool in Singapore may pose as a challenge because we might not be able to offer as much as what other companies do. On the other hand, I’d say no because we have cracked the magic sauce of maintaining a healthy balance of remote with in-house. We have successfully hired great remote developers, spread across different geographies, who are able to produce the same consistent output as our regular developers. It did take us some effort to reach there but we are here and content with the situation.

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Can candidates upskill for machine enabled programming?

Absolutely. For me, the most important thing is always the attitude and whether you are respectful. It’s not rocket science to learn anything, so if you have the right attitude and really want to learn, it’d just be a matter of time. We’ve had someone who joined not knowing anything about cloud or machine learning went on and became an expert in the matter one and a half years later. We care about our employees and focus on upskilling them, helping them become who they want to be and realise their full potential.

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What qualities and skillsets would your ideal candidates have?

The right attitude, respect, and good communication skills. Having the ability to listen to someone, to focus, strive towards finding a solution and get something out of conversations are very crucial skills.

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Any success stories in Artificial Intelligence/Digital Disruption that you can share with us?

Banks have two kinds of data - transactions and holdings. We are a transactions booking system and use transactions to arrive at holdings, which requires a lot of heavy lifting to reach and match. The data provided by the bank is not categorised in a clear and concise manner and the calculation formulas also vary across banks; we use machine learning abilities to help us match it to the cent.

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What advice would you give to companies looking to invest in artificial intelligence?

First of all, figure out if you really need artificial intelligence, is there a real application for it or are you simply looking to employ a buzzword. If you do have an application, setting the right expectation throughout the organisation would be crucial, because often at times people have unrealistic expectations from them. While machines can learn and not risk forgetting, their learning depends on the data you give them. Figuring out the data definition layer across the organisation is crucial. Therefore, finding the right talent, setting the right expectations, setting up realistic timelines, having an understanding of data and finding the right methods would be instrumental to successful implementations. Such decision-making requires experience, if you don’t have it, ask for help or find other ways to acquire that knowledge.

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What do you think would be the next frontier for Artificial Intelligence/digital transformation?

Just as the world is constantly changing, possibilities for AI and digital transformation would be endless. One example would be my shoulder injury, where the recovery process is a rigorous physiotherapist regime. In this day and age, not everyone can afford such a regime, primarily because of time and money concerns. I went beyond the brief and made a small mobile app, it records all the exercise I do at home and tells me in real time the rights and wrongs, and measures joint movements and restrictions. It has brought unparalleled clarity in my impairment.

These are the kind of possibilities which are waiting in the next frontier. If you want to learn dancing, you may not have to go anywhere and someone can teach you remotely and offer insights that are far greater than what’s possible in-person, because a machine would be able to look at and analyse your movements more thoroughly than what a person can normally do.

Machine-based solutions that focus on solving specific problems will soon become the order of the day. It will not be limited by physical presence, disabilities or class, because technology will then be omnipresent.

The thing about common sense is that it's not that common

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 09:19:47 GMT

François-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume “Voltaire”, was an 18th century French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher, famous for his wit and his advocacy of freedom of speech. One of his most popular quotes is the beautifully simple:

“Common sense is not so common.”

Although the meaning seems fairly obvious, what we call “common sense” seems to be pretty rare these days. But it was as true for Voltaire in the mid 1700’s, over 250 years ago, as it is today... and it’s still a problem!

What’s this got to do with delivering projects?

What we call “common sense” is a core of knowledge and wisdom that we have and think others should have as well.

Throughout a project (in fact, in any walk of life), different groups of people have different specialisations. For an information security professional for example, it might be common sense not to write down your passwords – but how are the rest of us supposed to remember them all? For a software tester, it might be common sense to see what happens when you close the browser half way through a mortgage application – for the software developer that might seem inconceivable. One of the problems with common sense is the lack of commonality of experience and viewpoint.

Despite these differences, common sense exists as a label of what a particular group of people value as a fundamental set of facts and experiences. Together, these form a sort of social contract whereby everyone has a similar idea about what should and should not be done, helping to bind them together.

How can I apply this to my projects?

Good common sense is the foundation of all successful projects, and while it may seem like a slightly condescending and obvious point to make, I’m surprised how often it’s overlooked.

One of the foundational pieces of common sense project management is to be the voice of realism. If, for example, timescales or budget aren’t realistic, call it out! No-one will be impressed by the project manager who agrees to a delivery timescale or budget that will be missed or exceeded (despite any early pressure they may be put under).

The best way to do this is to detach and be objective. Your responsibility as project manager is to make sure that you hold a mirror up when making a decision or putting together a project plan: How will this actually pan out? What can scupper your plans? How can we mitigate risks before they become issues? It’s better to have a tough conversation up front and set everyone’s expectations as opposed to when you’re in the midst of delivery. We’ve all been there!

Top tip – make sure your Nan can understand it

As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power” – unless, as I have found, it’s not. One of the most controversial viewpoints I hold which I find myself in disagreement with others on is that for me, project managers should have little or no knowledge of the expert subject matter they are delivering. (They should, however, have as much general experience in the field as possible, and have subject matter expertise within their team).

“Madness!” I hear you cry? “You’ve lost it this time old chap!”.

Well, allow me to challenge that view for a moment.

My hypothesis is that too much expert knowledge is a hinderance to effective communication to your stakeholders. It is human nature to make assumptions – overtly or covertly – and when you know too much, it can be a blocker to getting to the root of the issue.

It’s better to be in the position to question and re-question everything that does not make basic common sense. This very principle has been one of the cornerstones of my own experience.

If something doesn’t make sense, ask. Then ask again. Then ask some more. There are only ever two possibilities – either the person providing the answer has not explained themselves clearly enough OR something is amiss. (The 3rd explanation is that you’re not very clever, but as you’re reading this article, I’ll assume that’s not the case )

If an expert is unable to explain themselves in a simple, straightforward manner, I would contest that they do not understand it enough themselves, and that something is not quite right. Dig, ferret away, get that crystal-clear explanation.

Imagine going to visit your Nan (or any elderly relative with absolutely no knowledge of what you do in work). Could you tell them what you do in simple terms? Could you explain the problem(s) you’ve been wrestling with all week so she “gets it”?

Would your Nan think what you’re doing is “common sense”?

If the answer is “no”, then ask more questions!

4 key challenges faced by today’s Financial Crime and Compliance Leaders

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 11:40:37 GMT

Since the global financial crisis a decade ago, the compliance function has grown in importance to become a key element within organisations of all sizes, from Financial Services and Banking to Professional Services and Industry.

In the face of potentially multibillion-dollar fines from regulators for non-compliance, boards are more risk-aware today, pumping increasing resources into compliance teams in order to surf the relentless waves of regulatory change. Both these fines and the increased spend are factors that didn’t exist a decade ago, but which impact on a business’s bottom line, bringing the effectiveness of the highly skilled compliance specialists into the spotlight and under scrutiny from stakeholders.

As if that wasn’t enough pressure, the role of these specialists has also changed drastically over the last 10 years, each year bringing new challenges to their desks, from AML in recent years to GDPR and data privacy in 2018. Talking to our clients and candidates in this space, we’ve highlighted four key themes below that are top of their agendas right now.

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Miriam Andrews

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 08:55:49 GMT

Miriam Andrews is a Partner in Buddle Findlay's Banking and Finance team. In this role, she specialises in banking and finance, with a focus on leveraged and acquisition finance, agri-business, syndicated lending, asset sale and purchase and restructuring. She also advises lenders on cross-border lending and property finance transactions.

Does your firm tackle gender diversity with any programs or flexible conditions?

At our law firm, I think gender is considered the easiest diversity element to tackle. I don’t think this is necessarily true - but maybe it’s the easiest and more obvious thing to measure. In saying that, we don’t have a Women in Leadership program or any programs or groups specifically for women – our diversity initiatives are broader and try to cover all elements of diversity. Within the profession, there are many groups targeted at women (that we as a firm are involved with) – including the Auckland Women Lawyers' Association and Women in Insolvency and Restructuring. Our firm does offer flexible working - I work from home one day a

week, and we’re replicating that with the male partners in our group too, which they have bought into. Men in our industry have just as much of a role to play in this. Men today want more responsibility for the domestic side of life and the sooner that happens, the more change we will see for women in the industry.

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Do you find in New Zealand that the male/female representation issue is more pronounced at certain levels?

It’s hugely pronounced at Partner level (74% of our partnership is male). In New Zealand, we have had more women than men coming out of law school since the early 1990s – this year, our firm didn’t have any male graduates in Auckland (our biggest office) and over the past seven years, our graduate recruits, on average, have been at least 70% women. We see that majority represented up to about Senior Associate level (over 65% of our Senior Associates are women), but it’s that next step up to Partner where we see the numbers change. Most law firms in NZ have around 20%-30% female partners, and though that is increasing, it’s still a big discrepancy. The drop-off rates must be interesting because at Senior Partner level, it’s almost all male.

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There seems to be an increasing trend for young Partners now and that those in their 50s and 60s might be seen as too old?

I have real concerns about the fact that we are starting to stop valuing people when they are at the top of their game. It’s potentially even worse for women who may have had a career break to raise a family. If they come back to face a cap or a mandatory retirement age, which at law firms can be very young, then you’re creating a system where women are never going to get to the top in time or be the boss for very long.

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Have you noticed any differences around progressive workplace attitudes between geographies or between companies like law firms and corporates?

I think the UK has better employee benefits than New Zealand, such as the amount of holiday you get, and significantly better maternity leave terms, but I think we are ahead in terms of not having that hierarchical class structure. We are much more informal, which can make things easier. I think banks have been more progressive than law firms over time. For example, when I was at Lehman Brothers back in 2005, I had a female reporting line, there were groups supporting women in leadership and everyone had mandatory unconscious bias training. It seems that investment banks, particularly American ones, have been ahead of the curve for a while.

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Have you had any mentors in your career? And do you think all female leaders are supportive in the same way?

My boss at Lehman Brothers was an amazing, supportive mentor and role model who wanted to make things easier for the next generation. However, I have seen both sides of the coin – her boss for example, was definitely “closing the door behind her”, but she was from a very different generational perspective. The women in the generation above me seem to believe that they got to where they were by acting like a man and so their advice would be to do that. My mentor’s boss didn’t even stop work to have her children, they really were polar opposites! My generation is much more supportive and collaborative, though some people believe that the supportive stance can actually be detrimental to your own career progression in some areas. For example, if you become seen as a mother-figure role model in the organisation, then that can hinder your progression or hold you back in other areas.

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In TV and film, senior law professionals are always portrayed as having male characteristics. Has that ever been a problem for you?

Yes, I’ve seen a lot of unconscious bias because of that. I’ve had private equity clients, for example, who are very aggressive professionally, and that’s what they are looking for in a lawyer. When I take that approach I find that I'm tarred with a negative brush in a way that my male colleagues taking the same approach are not. I also find that the drinking culture can exacerbate the 'old boys club' to the detriment of female lawyers.

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Is there anything formal in place at your firm to position themselves as leading the way in diversity?

We have a national Diversity & Inclusion committee who drive various initiatives in this space. For example we recently gained the Rainbow Tick, ran a series of fora on safety, wellbeing and culture, and undertook at national culture survey. We also have local sub-committees that feed into our national committee in order to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute to our D&I strategy.

We are also establishing relationships within the Maori and Pacific Island students’ associations at the Universities. We met with them in 2018 to understand why we were not receiving many applications through our graduate recruitment process. They talked about some of the reasons and barriers and we’re working to strengthen current relationships and build new ones through support of these associations by way of sponsorship and discussion.

We are looking at masking information on CV’s to eliminate bias. One of the difficulties we have is that New Zealand is very small, and we know most of the women in the sector, so from a gender point of view, that’s not very helpful. Similarly, at Senior Associate level, we will usually already know the person. At the moment, there is a really strong demand for Senior Associates, so I don’t think there is bias when it comes to hiring. Aside from gender, we’ve also looked at blanking out details such as prestigious schools in the interests of fairness.

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So, socio-economic diversity?

In the last 20 years in New Zealand, there’s been a real divide between the haves and the have-nots, and we’ve become much more aware of income inequality, so it’s going to become an important driver. When you realise all your colleagues are from the same prestigious schools, then it’s time to look at the diversity of people representing different economic backgrounds. Those students are held back from getting into the system by not having friends whose dads are partners in law firms giving them a hand. Furthermore, people from the prestigious schools and backgrounds have often had things come easier to them in life, which actually is a negative, compared to someone who has had to fight to get to law school. We’re also trying to think outside the box around applications, considering ideas such as bypassing the written application system with the chance to answer a question on video, for example. Late last year, because of our relationship with the Halberg Foundation, we found out that members of their Youth Council, mostly university students, find it difficult to get work experience so, with the Foundation, we created the Buddle Findlay & Halberg Career Experience programme. Our main objective is to assist the university students from the Council, who all have physical disabilities, to gain practical work experience. The work experience will take place at Buddle Findlay’s three offices in June and July and if it is a success, we may also roll out the program to our clients too because obviously not everyone wants an opportunity in law.

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What's next in terms of change?

I think that law firms have been successful recently with flexibility and technology has been an important part of that. There is more recognition that you don’t need to be sitting in the office to do legal work, and face-to-face meetings happen less frequently. I think the next step will be looking at how we bill clients in terms of value rather than just in terms of hours. Law firms are very bad at presenteeism, so we need to grow the culture of visible leavers from the top. ‘Leaving loudly’ needs everyone to buy into it, it can’t just be the female partners leaving to deal with family, it needs to be across the board, and I can see this being adopted in the near future.New Paragraph

Brexit skill shortages

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 11:05:19 GMT

Three in five firms say the UK's skills shortage worsened in the last year.

Additionally, more than half expect the situation to further deteriorate, all of this according to research from the Open University.

The lack of available talent is already affecting 91 percent of employers surveyed. Collectively, those businesses said they spent £6.3bn last year to combat a shortage of required skills.

Uncertainty about future visa arrangements and the “right to remain” for EU citizens has left many employers concerned about access to international talent, with 48 percent of those polled saying they expect Brexit to further restrict availability.

Senior positions have so far presented the most difficult for companies looking to hire - 56 percent of those polled said they had struggled to fill management positions over the past year.

According to the research, the Government 'will struggle to fill low-skilled jobs after Brexit', as Brexit has already created an unnecessary rivalry between EU and non-EU migrants.

Nine in 10 UK employers are struggling to find skilled workers. David Willett, corporate director at The Open University, said uncertainty caused by Brexit was further deepening problems for companies looking to recruit because employees are choosing the safety of their existing role rather than entering the jobs market for a move.

“Essentially, we have a supply and demand issue, which is seeing employers pay more to recruit or plug gaps with temporary workers - at a total cost of £6.3bn,” he said.

“But this approach is treating the symptoms rather than the illness; the reason business leaders are forced to spend so much is down to the fundamental lack of high-level skills.

“Organisations need to take a more sustainable, long-term approach, building talent through training rather than buying it in.”

Resource Planning will be key in a post-Brexit Britain. Availability statuses of individual resources, internally as well as the wider market, should take centre stage - we can no longer rely on traditional hiring methods.

How will your business overcome the Brexit skills gap?

Working and living offshore - a lawyers guide

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 09:24:40 GMT

Want to know more about the in-demand legal skills that employers are looking for in all the main offshore locations? Unsure what to expect and keen to learn more about the realities of a move?

In this new brochure, Hydrogen’s specialist offshore legal team provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision.

You’ll find market overviews and local insight for the following destinations:

Caribbean: Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands
Channel Islands: Guernsey and Jersey
Offshore Firms: Asia, Middle East and Mauritius

To download your definitive guide to the Offshore legal sector, please complete the form below:

A journey down under: Karim's story

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 09:12:18 GMT

New PaKarim has been with Hydrogen for four years, and last year made the move from our London office over to Sydney. We interviewed him to find out more about his move.

What made you want to get into recruitment in the first place?

Like a lot of people I know who get into recruitment, the main reason was financial. I’d always thought of going into Financial Services and found it an interesting industry. But recruitment allows me to combine learning the Financial Services sector with the ability to determine my financials, so I kind of get the best of both worlds! I’ve been doing this for over four years now and I can see myself continuing to progress in Sydney and reaping the rewards.

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How did your journey end up with you moving to Sydney?

Well, I started in Hydrogen’s London office in 2015 and spent about two years there before deciding to take some time out to go travelling around Australia. It was during that time where the opportunity to work in our Sydney office came up. I took the opportunity because I thought it’d be an amazing chance to get to know the people in the Sydney office, as well as the market and whether it differed from London. The fact that it was made possible for me to do this was a testament to Hydrogen’s flexibility and how accommodating they are to their employees.

How has Hydrogen changed and evolved since you joined?

I think, as a company, it would’ve been easy to have gone down the corporate route due to the level of growth we have experienced in recent years, but I’m really pleased we didn’t. Instead, we adapted to the changing environment and retained our relaxed culture. The reason why I chose Hydrogen over other companies is down to the fact that the culture is embedded into the heart of what we do. We work hard and play hard. The added flexibility makes a difference and that’s the only thing I think has changed dramatically. The fact that we can work a day a week from home in Sydney is great!

What are some of the challenges you faced when you first moved to Sydney?

The distance and the fear of unknown! Acclimating myself to the idea that I’m moving somewhere permanently was challenging. You know, for a week or two on holiday is okay, but picking up and leaving everything I know for the fear of the unknown was difficult. I committed to a two-year working visa and had no idea if I would even do well – the fear of failure also playing a part! Luckily, Hydrogen has been very accommodating in putting plans in place to prevent this from happening. It also really helped to have spent 3-months there before making the decision to move out, as it allowed me to get to know the team, markets and lifestyle.

What do you like doing for fun in Sydney?

As a team we’re a really close and outgoing bunch of people. We spend time together outside of the office and do a lot of activities together. We have Friday lunches, incentives drinks, and play 5-a-side football too. It was great because when I initially came over for three months, I got to know the team better and enjoyed the culture they have in Sydney. The incentive and team culture is great for performance because it just reinforces that we’re working towards a common target.

What would be your advice for other Hydrogen Group employees thinking about taking the leap into international travel?

Just do it. I know that’s easier said than done but knowing now how it is here makes me realise that the worry and fear of the unknown was for nothing. I would just say, be the yes wo/man and embrace the change. Think about the opportunity and how it has the ability to change your life. In Sydney, the main difference I found was the weather and the fact that people are a lot more chilled out!

What do you value most about Hydrogen as an employer?

The commission structure. It’s very competitive and unlike the majority of recruitment companies out there. I also think the main sell is the people that Hydrogen employs. It’s a good mix, and the company is big enough to be corporate enough and being in the Sydney office we have the added benefit of having a start-up feel.

Want to find out more about working in one of Hydrogen Group’s international offices? Check out our vacancies for Experienced Recruiters and Graduates now!

Irish Lawyers in London Networking Event

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 08:46:39 GMT

Unfortunately we have no more spaces left for this event - we're fully booked!

Event details

Date: Wednesday 18 September 2019
Time: 6:30 pm - 10 pm
Location: Searcys at The Gherkin, London, EC3A 8EP

6:30 pm : Arrival and refreshments
7:15 pm : Welcome by Walkers Managing Partner, Garry Ferguson
followed by live comedy from Gary Cooke and John Colleary
10 pm : Close

Elements - Diversity & Inclusion: Betsy Westcott

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 05:57:27 GMT

Betsy Westcott is the Director of Retail Banking at Xinja Bank, an independent Australian digital bank that enables customers to make intuitive, optimised, rapid & better money decisions without the angst.

Looking at your career to date, have you encountered any unnecessary obstacles because of your gender?

Certainly not in the early stages of my career as the gender split amongst entry level roles were basically even - I think the statistic was around 44% female in entry level roles. At that point in my career, I felt very confident that my performance would be rewarded according to merit.New Paragraph

It’s a well-documented fact that as role seniority increases the percentage of women who hold those roles decreases. This has certainly been my observation too. In saying that, I have had an exciting career and don’t feel that my gender has ever stopped me from progressing or taking on more responsibility.

What I have personally experienced in a handful of environments is that I needed to be extra prepared and thorough with my work, because on face value I was assumed to be less competent than other colleagues, and that was frustrating at times.

Sometimes you see that through interactions as well. When you say something but it’s not heard until someone else says it, or when you put forth an idea and must have had every scenario mitigated for it to be deemed well thought out. I don’t think this is purely due to gender, I think it’s a combination of gender, age and my own challenges in overcoming ‘imposter syndrome’.

I’m actually grateful for the experience because it’s made me more resilient, fostered great habits such as being thorough and diligent, and increased my own confidence in my abilities.

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Having worked in different industries/sectors, what have your experience been like in terms of diversity?

My observation of both hospitality and finance is that the level of diversity is increasing. The challenge to have more women represented in senior position remains. The fintech industry is definitely male-dominated, however, companies like Xinja are bucking the trend by deliberately focusing on building diverse teams. It’s literally rule number 9 of the Xinja’s 10 golden rules.

I think as organisations and society as a whole we have much work to do to enable parents, particularly mothers, to continue to participate in the workforce after starting a family, if they want to. For my cohort of friends and I, the conversation about starting a family circulates around the question of can we afford to, what will it do to my career, how and when could I return to work, how do you juggle it all and so on. The greatest underutilised resource in our economy is mothers in their childbearing years. According to the Grattan Institute, if Australia had the same level of working mothers as Canada, there would be a $20 million boost to our economy. I don’t have all the answers but I know that enabling both parents to partake in child rearing activities through better policies, improving the affordability of childcare and making our workplaces more accommodating to family responsibilities would help.

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Is there a point in time when you noticed an emphasis on diversity?

I think it happened at once in both my private and professional life, when conversations around gender, relationships, and workplaces arose. That was around 6 years ago, when I really started to notice programmes aiming to sponsor women to get to those leadership positions.

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How do you balance between your work and personal life?

I set myself clear priorities each day and stick to them. I focus on output over hours worked. In a lot of workplaces people confuse working long hours with being productive. Presenteeism does not equal productivity. I’ve learnt to work efficiently during the day, so that I can leave work at a reasonable hour and make sure I get to the gym, have a home cooked meal, see my friends, and check in with my husband, before coming back on the next day and doing it again. To be innovative, creative and happy, you need to be well rested.

Having clear priorities helps me to know what to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to. This allows me to create the time and space needed to get the important things done. You’ll never get everything done so it’s important to prioritise getting what matters done.

–

What do you think might be the problem with some companies' approaches and why is D&I important?

My belief is that organisations should be reflective of the society that they serve. When half of the population is female, why wouldn’t your organisation reflect that? Diversity (in all of its forms - gender, age, race, religion, experience) and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but it leads to better business outcomes. Boston Consulting group did a study that found that diverse companies actually produce 19% more revenue due to better risk management and innovation. What this tells us is that diversity is not something to simply be strived for, it’s an integral part of a successful revenue generating business.

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Are there any initiatives at Xinja that aims to promote diversity and inclusion?

We place a heavy focus on diversity and inclusion here at Xinja. Currently two of the six Xinja board members (including the Chair) are women. Three of the seven Xinja Executive are women. And of the 39 full time employees, 21 are women. This is a great start, the challenge is in maintaining the balance as we scale. We are looking to extend that to other forms of diversity like cultural and sexual orientation.

In terms of practices, we remove names or any other identifiers from CVs that might cause unconscious bias. As an organisation, we also try to set ourselves up to work cross-functionally, to have people from different disciplines and backgrounds giving varying perspectives on how to achieve particular business outcomes. That way, we can work towards creating a robust and energetic environment, making sure that we’re validating our assumptions and also getting to the right answers.

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Where do you think we are in the journey?

We’ve come a long way but there is still a lot more to do, especially around unconscious bias in terms of gender and cultural backgrounds. Currently there are societal changes taking place, where we see gender roles at home changing. Having the option to choose is great for everyone, as women are no longer shamed for choosing to work and men are no longer patronised for choosing to take a more active role in parenting.

–

And what do you think would be next?

Over and above promoting diversity and inclusion, I think organisations need to change their expectations of their staff always being on and available 24/7. This expectation leaves them no time to play or rest, and it’s really hurting us as the human race. Personally, I appreciate that getting the balance between work and life takes conscious effort. It’s a daily practice for me. As a leader I encourage my team to work smart and efficiently, I don’t support presenteeism or working long hours when it’s not productive. We work to live and not vice versa.

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As the business continues to evolve, do you foresee diversity and inclusion staying as a part of the DNA of the business?

Yes, we are very committed to it. Obviously, there would be more governance and framework as we scale-up, but we are very deliberate in maintaining the practices we started in the beginning, and have been clear about the kind of workplace we want to create – flat hierarchy, lots of diversity in terms of skills, gender, background, and thought. We want a diverse team that’s united by a shared ‘why’. As in “why” we’re all here. It’s something that has always united us at Xinja in building a bank that’s here to help customers get ahead and do more with their money by understanding it better.New Paragraph

The impact of Brexit on your SAP system

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 08:10:00 GMT

According to recent research from Standard & Poor’s , Brexit has cost the British economy £66bn in under three years – approximately 3% has been shaved off GDP. The knock-on effect is that manufactures across Europe could end up taking the brunt of newly imposed tariffs, along with the impact of harsher borders between the UK and Europe.

Once Brexit happens, European countries will impose stricter policies on imports from the UK. And the UK, respectively, will restrict goods from the EU being imported – creating additional costs for manufacturers who currently rely on supplies from EU countries.

A skills shortage

Over the last six months, we’ve been contacted by a number of manufacturers in Belgium who are in desperate need of SAP CO PC consultants. These roles have primarily been created due to Brexit and the changes in product costing elements that will affect the European manufacturing industry. New data requirements and changes to off-the-shelf SAP systems has become a real hot topic amongst the manufacturing sector. There is extensive work being done to reconfigure product master data in SAP systems with information such as revised routings or sourcing information, BOM & cost data, supplier data, invoicing, dispatch note requirements, tax reporting, customs duty and shipping costs. But crucially, there are a limited number of people with these skills!

It’s likely that Brexit will call for SAP systems to handle more complexity in terms of the information held and frequency of data submission for customs declarations. It is important for businesses to consider how much systems changes Brexit will cause, including short-term fixes, so that they will be able to move more quickly when the situation becomes clearer.

How we can help

Contact us if you’re considering the impact of Brexit on your SAP system. Our virtual bench of local Dutch and French-speaking SAP consultants will help you assess and map the impact on pan-European supply chain & manufacturing operations.

Argyll Scott are specialists in postmodern SAP solutions. We believe that the effectiveness of any ERP system depends on the effectiveness of the people who incorporate it. Postmodern ERP is about ensuring the value of an integrated core ERP system augmented by user-centric, cloud-based best of breed solutions.

We cover the full spectrum of SAP resource across both functional and technical disciplines, our talent pools are predominately offline, with that in mind my team and I would be happy to provide comparable resources against your current suppliers / third party system integrators.

SAP expertise areas:

Core SAP (FI, CO, SD, MM, PM, PP, QM)
Process experts R2R, O2C, P2P and S2P
Technical SAP ABAP, Data migration, SAP MDG/M and Basis
Niche areas SAP BRIM, Hybris, Ariba, Hana and S/4 Hana Suite

Who benefits most from the end of the 'job for life'?

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 07:51:00 GMT

Job-to-job moves are on the up , and over the last ten years have given rise to talk of ‘job hoppers’ and ‘career nomads’. While job hopping triggers thoughts of dissatisfied employees haphazardly moving from one employer to the next, ‘career nomads’ are seen to be more planned in seeking out new opportunity.

Both, however, have come under fire from HR teams who find that creating a strategic people plan populated by nomads is a challenging task! There’s a common frustration associated with short tenure employees who are seen to compromise resources, increase training costs, and erode business continuity - and who do not fit into the conventional organisational structure.

But in a world where change is a constant, are career nomads in fact forward-thinking individuals who have learned to make the most of uncertainty and fluidity? And who will therefore thrive in a world of work where agility is a highly desired characteristic?

Turn back the clock

If we turn the clock back 40 years, employees got a job for life. They had security and (perhaps limited) progression but often got stuck doing something for which they had no passion. And at the end of it, they retired.

But then, organisations started to transform every few years. Mass redundancy programmes become more commonplace and could mean the end of employment for older workers who struggled to find employers that would recruit them.

That change broke the bond between employee and employer and changed the relationship with work forever.

Employers, not individuals, were the trigger for this shift (we can’t pin it all on an unprompted change in employee mindset), but individuals have learned to embrace it. In response, forward-thinking organisations are rethinking the way they attract the best.

When constant change is the norm

People (in developed markets at least) now have more choice than ever on how and where they are employed. Recruiting in this climate needs a re-think:

As organisations, we need to reinvigorate our people strategies to fit an environment where transformation and change are the norm. Are you open to contract and gig workers? Is it easier for people to find a new opportunity within or outside your business? Do you know who you’d welcome back? Do you treat your people as you do your customers, (after all, they treat their careers as cosumers)? Do your employees have the chance to move roles and get promoted regularly?
Some of the obstacles faced by organisations in dealing with the point above are exacerbated by the UK Government’s position on flexible working practices. The 2017 Taylor Review called out many poor practices but we are not moving quickly enough to support organisations that want to use more flexible ways of working to attract the best.

Where next?

Many leaders we work with at Hydrogen Group embrace the fact that their business is going through ongoing transformation. Attracting people who want to work on short tenures or contracts can afford scalability and flexibility that traditional structures cannot.

New models such as gig working, contract working and the human cloud have encouraged workforce participation from a broader population including females, older people and those with a disability. Although these models are not without criticism, one of the great benefits is improved diversity in the workforce.

For organisations that are responsive, innovative, employers of choice, welcoming more ‘nomadic’ employees and maintaining positive relationships when they leave, will enable them to attract the best - and allow them to shine.

I’m interested in your thoughts on this topic. Do you immediately avoid a candidate whose CV screams ‘job hopper’? Or, alternatively, are you a ‘job hopper’ who is progressing faster by switching jobs more frequently? Leave your comments – I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment on my LinkedIn profile here >>

Who benefits most from the end of the 'job for life'? .

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 05:27:37 GMT

A skills shortage

How we can help

SAP expertise areas:

Core SAP (FI, CO, SD, MM, PM, PP, QM)
Process experts R2R, O2C, P2P and S2P
Technical SAP ABAP, Data migration, SAP MDG/M and Basis
Niche areas SAP BRIM, Hybris, Ariba, Hana and S/4 Hana Suite

Key transformation challenges facing law firms

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 07:01:09 GMT

Law firms, large and small, are on the precipice of the most significant period of change to hit the legal sector.

Big name clients and solid results are no longer enough to remain competitive, with client demand, changing expectations of staff, and the advent of new technology and ways of working driving business transformation across the board. If you’d like to read more on this, check out my previous article: 3 reasons why law firms need to invest in change.

Despite the growing pressure for law firms to transform the way they operate and deliver legal services, the industry is still at the early stages of the change cycle and face multiple challenges delivering tangible transformation benefits to clients, staff and the business. This article looks at several of the key challenges facing transformation within law firms. Of course, each firm will have a different starting point, and a different journey depending on many factors such as client-base, industry specialisms, geographic spread, ambition and strategic vision. Some firms are figuring out what they need to do to remain competitive and relevant, whilst others are determined to be the pioneers of the future law firm. Despite this, these are the most common transformation challenges facing them all.

1. Finding the motivation for change

I do not want to get into a debate about how much or how little the legal industry has changed to date, suffice to say that law firms continue to grow in profitability, whilst operating fairly inefficiently, with a reasonably low demand for change. Change does not happen unless there is a motivation, not simply a rational case for change, but a ‘what’s in it for me?’ emotional reason. Finding that motivation within law firms is made harder by the change maturity of the clients, the partnership model encouraging autonomy rather than top-down management, and the complexity and established protocols of legal work. Every innovation and change initiative needs purpose, sponsorship and benefit. It is one thing buying a new technology, or investing in a new capability, it is quite another challenge to drive take-up and adoption.

Key places to find motivation for change;

Individual clients – proactively work with clients to offer innovative solutions to their business and legal issues.
Market pressures – identify market changes that require a response, such as new entrants, falling prices, new technologies.
Competitive advantage – find new value and revenue opportunities, that often emerge from new technologies and capabilities being combined with your own unique insights and know-how.
Talent retention and attraction – a growing motivator for change lies in the need to attract and retain top talent throughout the organisation, in a market where the needs of the workforce are changing; flexible working, career breaks and progression, new skills and roles, engagement in collaboration and innovation, as well as up-to-date technology and an innovative culture.
Regulatory change – sometimes you just have to do it, although the trick is to make it easy for people to comply.

2. Building a change culture

This one is more difficult to articulate, as it covers many tangible and intangible elements within a firm. The difference in a firm that is really committed to change and transformation is in the fabric and culture of the way the firm operates, from staff engagement and encouragement of ideas and initiatives, the design of new offices and the clarity of the business strategy, to the structures, skills and governance in place to deliver change.

Focus areas to kick-start a change culture;

Strategy – whether at business, division, function, or country level, there is a need to articulate what is important for the future of the business. Not always easy to do, but the process of creating a strategy will help to clarify where you are now, how far you are willing to go, what the critical success factors are and where the opportunities, threats and priorities are. This equally applies to the positioning of the global business, to the challenges facing a particular practice area or geography, as well as to the technology, HR, marketing or innovation functions.

Engaging all staff – I would advocate an explicit approach that encourages all staff to engage in innovation and change. At my last firm, this was a crowd-sourcing ideas platform where we ran innovation and improvement challenges both globally and locally. However, like all things, this type of approach must be visibly sponsored by the local and global leadership and must lead to tangible outcomes that are communicated across the firm. The best approach is to ask for volunteers to get involved in shaping and delivering the best ideas. A clear process is required to evaluate ideas, prioritise and provide funding and resources, otherwise the initiative will quickly fall into disrepute through lack of action.

Prioritisation and governance of the change and investment portfolio – in many industries the planning, prioritisation and governance of the change portfolio is an established capability. However, in law this is often quite immature, yet is essential to prevent a proliferation of fragmented initiatives that are competing for the same scarce funding and skills (such as IT project resources), as well as to provide focus on actually delivering benefits.

3. Invest in new capabilities

One of the critical transformation challenges is to help lawyers change the way legal work is delivered, through adoption of new technologies and new roles such as legal technologist, legal project manager, process designer, or resource manager.

The need for these new roles quickly becomes clear when you go into a firm without any of them. These new roles bridge the gap between lawyers doing legal work, and support staff providing the business infrastructure. Sitting close to the lawyers, these roles directly work with them to deliver the legal work in a way that provides greater value to clients, through understanding the work, sharing best practice, driving adoption and take-up, and providing professional expertise in the non-legal elements of the solution. As the legal industry changes, and routine work is increasingly automated or eliminated, clients will expect much greater collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams to deliver the solution, and this is the beginning.

Capabilities to create value for your firm might include;

Legal technologist – not an IT specialist, rather someone who understands how the legal technologies can be used to support legal delivery, what best practice looks like, and how to drive adoption.

Legal project manager – often a dedicated role on large, complex matters, where there is real value in professional project management rather than an expensive senior lawyer trying to do the best job possible. On the largest matters these roles are becoming chargeable to the client as the value is clearly visible. On smaller matters LPMs can help pricing, resourcing, planning and client reporting. LPMs can also lead training initiatives to up-skill the legal community and introduce the role of project manager more widely.

Process designer – there are limitless opportunities to improve the way legal work is undertaken, and re-designing the end-to-end process can identify ways to eliminate and simplify the work, and use technology where applicable to automate. This delivers lower production costs, often vital in low margin fixed price work. This process design capability is also attractive and offers a valuable service to key clients.

Resource manager – other professional service firms have long ago professionalised the way that expert staff are allocated to projects to maximise business benefits as well as match the development needs and ambitions of the individuals. The legal sector is now moving in this direction with the increasing introduction of the Resource Manager role, supporting partners and individuals to ensure the right people areinvolved in the right work. This approach brings benefits in talent recognition and development, utilisation management, and improved integration of people returning from secondments or maternity/paternity.

Innovation leader – a new role with many different remits, these specialists are involved in leading the challenge of engaging the wider organisation in innovation and ideas. Often includes supporting some type of innovation committee, and may involve running incubators, hackathons and crowd-sourced ideas platforms.

Data scientist – law firms hold a unique set of knowhow and data, from time recording and activity, to best practice contract clauses and insights. With the increasing availability of Artificial Intelligence and computing power, firms are recruiting data scientists to create client and business value out of the data held within the firm.

Change for law firms can seem like a leap into the unknown without the right expertise in place to own, shape and run the transformation. But with this help, firms can stay ahead of the competition as well as abreast of everything evolving in the industry, making the right decisions when it comes to technology and building a new culture fit for the future.

If you’d like to find out how Hydrogen Group and I are helping law firms to understand and implement change, please get in touch with me.

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United States: The Continuing Evolution

As we move further into 2026, fresh from recent travels and conversations, it’s increasingly clear that the market is shifting even faster than many expected.

Change and transformation Offshore: The evolving cycle of fiduciary buildouts, sales and reinvention

Offshore law firms have spent the past two decades oscillating between three models

Legal Salary Guide

How Do Offshore Legal Careers Compare to City Roles?

﻿ Over the past 15 years that Hydrogen has been placing lawyers into offshore jurisdictions, the market has changed significantly. Career success was often linked to working in major financial centres such as London or New York but that view has shifted.

Key Insights from Oceanology International London 2026: Technology, Data and the Growing Demand for Subsea Talent

Oceanology International London 2026 brought together leaders, innovators and specialists from across the global subsea and offshore energy sectors.

Legal Salary Guide 2026

Women in Law: Nisrine EL MIR

AI Is Reshaping Roles. Is It Also Reshaping Your Leadership Pipeline?

AI Is Reshaping Roles. Is It Also Reshaping Your Leadership Pipeline?

Life Sciences Insights 2026 Report

The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences

High Volume, Low Signal: Why More Candidates Are Making Hiring Harder

Life Sciences Insights 2026 Report

The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences

Lean Hiring Isn’t About Fewer People, It’s About Different Capability

Life Sciences Insights 2026 Report

The New Hiring Equation in EMEA Life Sciences

Rising Legal Star: Neisha Joseph

Women in Law: Sinead Murphy

Women in Law: Jennifer Shen

Are We Growing the Right Leaders?

The hidden cost of outdated talent models

Women in Law: Roula Khaled

Women in Law: Tabitha Jenkins

Introducing Tabitha Jenkins – Head of EMEA Enterprise Legal Team, Worldpay

Seven million clean energy skilled workers missing by 2030. Will your projects survive the shortage?

The clean energy race is on. Are you ahead of it, or already falling behind?

Strategic Talent Delivery in Life Sciences: Why SOW is the model of the future

An evolving talent challenge in Life Sciences

What is SOW and why should workforce leaders care?

Why life sciences needs new talent models now

Five ways SOW solves these challenges

Where SOW delivers most impact in life sciences

Why Hydrogen Group?

Want to understand ho w S OW works in practice?

Ready to unlock faster and more compliant programme delivery?

Cell and Gene Therapy: The Talent Challenge Defining the Next Decade

The Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) sector is booming. Market forecasts are extraordinary. Regulators are moving faster than ever. Demand for specialized manufacturing has never been higher.

Project RPO, SOW, and MSP: choosing the right workforce strategy for your business

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, marked by skills shortages, digital transformation, and heightened regulatory pressures, organisations must rethink traditional hiring models

Doing More with Less – The GC Challenge of 2025

Empowering Women in the workplace: A conversation with Sasha Mauu

How SOW solutions drive project success

How Project RPO can solve your biggest recruitment challenges

The rise of skills-based hiring: a smarter way to build future-ready teams

AI in Workforce Management

Women in Law: Maria Scanlan

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

How AI and Data are Transforming the Legal Sector

There’s a quiet revolution happening in the legal sector, and AI and data are powering it.

Preparing for Generation Beta: The future of STEM talent retention

As the STEM sector continues to grow at a rapid pace, businesses are facing increasing challenges attracting and retaining top talent.

Women in Law: Anna Szyndler

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

From women in STEM: A 6-step guide to inspiring and attracting more women to the industry

Building an Engaging Culture for Remote STEM Workers: Tackling the 36% disconnection challenge

In a world where remote work is the norm, especially within STEM industries, keeping employees engaged isn’t as simple as adding more communication tools. If you’re relying on Slack or Teams to be the sole solution to engagement, you’re missing the bigger picture.

What truly drives engagement is the culture you build - a culture where employees feel valued, motivated, and genuinely connected, no matter where they're working.

We’re here to show you how a strong People function, strategic use of platforms, a compelling value proposition, and effective performance measures all come together to create that culture.

Let’s get into it!

Building relationships

Leveraging platforms properly

Employer Value Proposition: A culture that goes beyond perks

Performance measures – trust and impact

Women in Law: Michelle Nelson

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

Career Milestones, Challenges, and the Future of Law in the Middle East: An Interview with Mohammad Abandah

Gender biased algorithms and replacing human interaction: A deep dive into the ethical considerations of using AI in your recruitment process.

Women in Law: Radwa Elsaman

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

How to prepare for career-driven Gen Z as they become one-third of the workforce by 2025

Women in Law: Ravi Gill

We're back! We're thrilled to announce the return of our interview series, Women in Law, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women making waves in the legal world. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their challenges and triumphs and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

FIVE generations side-by-side: How to thrive in a multi-generational workplace

Hydrogen Group and Argyll Scott appoint Joel Forrester as Global Managing Director - Client Services

Over the past 15 years that Hydrogen has been placing lawyers into offshore jurisdictions, the market has changed significantly. Career success was often linked to working in major financial centres such as London or New York but that view has shifted.

4 June, 2024 - Hydrogen Group is excited to announce the appointment of Charlie Sell as its new EMEA Chief Operating Officer (COO).

How can companies make people feel more secure in their jobs? Is it just a matter of increasing communication?