13 September 2023
Matt Ebbrell, Chief Operating Officer at Fairway has worked in the finance industry for over 20 years specialising in HR, change management, and transformation initiatives. Matt is a key driver of change and culture within Fairway and recently sat down with BL Global to discuss the tough recruitment market and the importance of an organisation’s values to candidates today.
Post pandemic, remote and hybrid working practices have become commonplace within the financial sector, “the bar is ever raising. Three years ago, the idea of flexible working, four-day weeks and compressed hours would have sounded quite progressive. But now, it is arguably the norm. Firms need to constantly reset in terms of what they are offering to gain a competitive advantage when it comes to talent”.
Seemingly, flexible working practices make it harder not easier, to differentiate your business when trying to attract talent to your workplace. At Fairway we have ‘Woof Wednesdays’ where staff are encouraged to bring their furry friends along to work! “It was always a real talking point. We would be doing job interviews and candidates would see these dogs walking through the office and just be amazed. You would spend 20 minutes talking about it in the interview”.
Matt discusses the changing needs and interests of potential candidates. Prioritising a company’s culture and values have become increasingly important. People want to see that employers really care about their staff. Whilst “Work/life balance isn’t a new concept; it is something that employers continually get wrong. We are an owner-managed, consciously independent firm that generally promotes work/life balance. Yes, our people work hard, but we don’t want them tied to their desks at 6pm. We want them out the door to spend time with their families. We also want them to come to work and be themselves, to have autonomy and input into decisions. These are big differentiators”.
“More people are assessing their relationship with work and whether that relationship is a healthy one. Is the workplace a match and a fit with their personal values? They’re asking: What are our values? What do we do to reinforce those values? What is our approach to corporate social responsibility or environment, society and governance? They want us to give bona fide examples of what we are doing sustainably, ethically and in the community”. As a result, at Fairway we have developed a culture booklet which we give to staff outlining Fairway’s values and demonstrating examples that reinforce these. This way our staff and candidates can see exactly what kind of business we are.