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Banking & Capital Markets Market Report & Salary Guide Autumn Review 2023
We are delighted to present our mid-year market report, providing a comprehensive analysis of market trends, salary, and bonus data over the past 12 months for Finance, Risk, Regulatory Compliance, Financial Crime, and Internal Audit roles across Banking and Capital Markets. Our market report and salary guide uses data gathered from candidate and new vacancy registrations gained throughout 2022/2023 and highlights trends, insights, salary benchmarking and more. Download your copy now.
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Eames Insights: Succeeding in the US Actuarial market - what are the key skills and qualifications required?
The US Actuarial market has never been busier. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average employment growth rate by 2031 in America is 5%, and with actuaries, it is 21%, far exceeding the average growth rate. With this employment growth, the expectation on actuaries continues to grow too. Today’s actuaries must have technical skills as well as the ability to present their idea, the ability to manage internal stakeholders as well as in depth product/market knowledge. We posed the question to some of the most influential market leaders in the insurance space: what would the actuary of today/tomorrow need to excel? The results and notes on this are below: What are the key technical skills or qualifications that candidates must possess to excel in the US insurance sector today? “Insurance product knowledge. If you’re going to become a strong actuary, you have to know your product, the premiums, the why, the policy, insurance principles and product knowledge is crucial. If you start with core policy principles and understand why and where variances occur, you’ll be set up.” – Head of Pricing, global commercial lines insurer “Product experience is key for me, if you know your product and you understand why your product is in demand, it’s key. I started in early rate filing and analysis of market trends to get the price we needed. That initial analysis got me further into commercial property, and since then, it’s all I have done. Being niche is only useful for niche markets, vanilla products are the biggest for a reason.” – Former Chief Actuary, life insurance“Coding and programming, I made a career off of being an AXIS user, not an AXIS modeler. You can be just as strong reading something than being a modeler.” – Pricing Actuary, commercial lines insurer “IFRS 17 was huge for us, hiring people with just IFRS experience was useful, but people that leveraged this to more project-focused work are invaluable. If the industry gives you the chance to be an expert and galvanizing people, leading them to a common goal - use it. Project actuaries are the future.” - Chief Actuary of a life insurer “The number of candidates that do not actually look at our financial statements or understand how big we are or where we specialize - understanding financial statements, ratios, and key financial metrics is important for evaluating the financial stability of the company you are going to join! Plus, it’ll impress in an interview.” – Former Chief Actuary of a personal lines insurance company “Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential in the insurance sector. Being able to interview well and have good eye contact, even over video – practice and film yourself on video and review. Prepare. If you’re interviewing out of necessity, not out of interest, we will pick up on it. The candidates we need always need to face off with business; you need to master technical as well as soft skills.” - A head of Talent Acquisition, at a US head-quartered speciality insurer “If you can’t code – you’ll be left behind. You have to use and manipulate data to stay ahead. Coding today is the key. Today’s actuary needs to be technical and have great soft skills, it’s no use having one without the other. In contradiction to this, the best actuaries I’ve ever worked with are also the smartest; there is a direct correlation between ‘high achiever’/ salary and high intelligence.” - Valuations Head, US Life insurance carrier I thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy conversations with senior market leaders. Should you wish to speak further on this, or you would like to have a confidential chat with me or any of the team about your next career move or business objectives, please do not hesitate to contact me at david.miles@eamesconsulting.comCheck out our US teams', Eames Insights, with Wise Stine covering conversations with senior market leaders surrounding the impact of natural disasters and increasing loss types on the P&C actuarial market and Richard Lazaro exploring the market changes across cyber and E&S within the insurance space in the US
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Eames Insights: How is the market changing across cyber and E&S within the insurance space in the US?
It’s no secret to anyone in the insurance industry that significant changes in the business are occurring every day. Between new and more severe loss types occurring, changing risk tolerances for established carriers and new entrants alike, and pricing fluctuations, it is critical for insurers to stay on their toes and evolve with the market. The question is not only how the market is changing today, but where is the market headed in the future? I have spoken with several Chief Underwriting and Claims Officers and other high-ranking members of insurance organizations to provide a deeper holistic understanding of the prevailing trends in the market and potential outcomes in the future. One of the main questions on people's minds is where the main areas of growth are in the broader insurance market. Can we confirm that Excess and Surplus Lines (E&S) and Cyber are currently the largest growth areas of the market? According to department heads of claims and underwriting, this generally holds to be true for the time being. However, the key difference between the two areas is the sustainability of said growth. E&S SpaceThe E&S space is more inclusive of different product lines but has taken significant strides along the property side due to decreased risk tolerances amid higher incurred loss severity and frequency. Carriers have taken action to correct the discrepancy between risk profiles and premium revenue, such as larger carriers offering lower policy limits, drastically increasing their pricing (in some cases tripling) or exiting the personal or commercial property space altogether. Due to these market shifts, the alternatives for insureds are to purchase coverage through non-admitted carriers or E&S coverage through reinsurance carriers to apply for these losses. Cyber CoverageFor Cyber coverage, the market is beginning to harden due to the volatility and rapid evolution of losses, increased competition in the market, and carrier reassessment of covered losses. In the infancy of Cyber coverage, most carriers were able to collect premiums with minimal payouts from incurred losses, with most insureds purchasing coverage as an “add-on” rather than a necessity. However, in the last five years, the market has exploded due to new large-scale losses resulting from intentionally coordinated acts, such as ransomware, phishing schemes, or cyber warfare. The increased need for Cyber coverage has led to new entrants in the market, as many carriers are offering this product line as a core specialty coverage and led to undercutting in pricing. These Cyber losses tend to be large in scale and require additional expenditures on defense costs through claims defense. There is also the potential to bring in additional losses within the E&O/D&O policies, as they are tangentially related to one another, and if one policy has an exclusion for that particular loss, there may be coverage that applies with another policy. One example that we can expect to see along these lines would be new AI-related losses, which could be considered a 3rd party Tech E&O loss rather than a Cyber loss. Regardless, carriers will be expected to pay for one form of coverage or another while paying defense costs for each policy as well. With the prolonged nature of these claims, they are now beginning to mature and become realized as losses against carriers’ books. This will necessitate pricing adjustments, as claims defense and indemnification expenditures currently exceed incoming premiums. We can expect to see an adjustment in pricing over the next year, which should help recalibrate the deficit in claim payments versus incoming premiums. Product Line trajectoryWith this in mind, can we count on these product lines to continue to maintain their current trajectories over the next 3-5 years? In the eyes of industry experts, growth will continue, but necessary adjustments will be made in terms of appropriate pricing models and covered losses. The E&S market will continue to increase in relevance as time passes on. While property is expected to make a relative comeback as premium pricing readjusts itself, there still will be pockets of high-risk geographical areas that require additional coverage. In general, as losses increase across the board and new loss types across different coverage lines continue to occur, there will be a need to have broader Excess coverage to serve as a method to protect the Insured from direct personal exposure. Carriers such as AmWins are heavily investing in bolstering their Excess lines and can expect to see strong growth over the next decade. Cyber coverage will continue to be a necessary coverage as the world continues to evolve digitally, but the policy language will need to be adjusted in a comprehensive and agile way. Lloyd’s has already announced their concern about the ambiguity of Cyber policies and potential exclusions needed for Cyber warfare attacks. Lloyd's has implemented exclusion requirements in stand-alone cyberattack policies for state-backed cyberattacks since August. The company is working through gray areas around cyber cover and is now seeking a more definitive approach. Along these lines, with the rapidly evolving nature of potential losses and technology in general, the onus will be on carriers to articulate coverages in a way that limits unnecessary and potentially damaging exposures. New Entrants to the marketOn a broader scope within the insurance industry, one aspect that cannot be ignored is new entrants into the market. With newer carriers and InsureTechs coming in with lower pricing to put pressure on more established carriers, can this trend continue in a sustainable way, or will this more aggressive strategy create long-term issues for these carriers? For the time being, the market is providing an opportunity for MGA programs, Insuretechs, or newer carriers with external funding to enter the market with highly competitive pricing for customers, which puts pressure on established carriers to keep up with pricing models. This can also serve to help afford coverage in filling a vacuum for spaces where established carriers are exiting the particular space in the market, such as Allstate and State Farm no longer writing homeowners’ coverage in the state of California. That said, it remains to be seen if this model is sustainable on the whole, as the aggressive pricing of new entrants can result in short-term cash infusions from new premiums but will face difficulties down the road when claims against their policies mature. Some carriers feel they are well equipped with their underwriting and actuarial modeling internally that they can write the risk more effectively, but the risk-to-reward ratio remains high given the potential exposure on specific loss types and product lines. The likely outcome from these new market entrants will not be a seismic shift in the power balance in the industry as a whole but will serve as a complementary portion of the market filling needs in specialty areas of expertise and force more established carriers to modernize their approach on the broader business structure. I thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy conversations with senior market leaders. If you are interested in discussing current and future market conditions, insights from the broader insurance market, your next career move or business objectives, please do not hesitate to contact me at: richard.lazaro@eamesconsulting.comCheck out our US teams', Eames Insights, with David Miles covering conversations with senior market leaders surrounding what it takes to succeed in the actuarial market and Wise Stine exploring the impact of natural disasters and increasing loss types on the P&C actuarial market
Eames Consulting acquires Hong Kong based recruitment firm Mainstay Asia
We are pleased to announce that Eames Consulting has acquired Hong Kong based recruitment firm, Mainstay Asia. The strategic acquisition allows us to enhance our talent solutions to better support our clients in Asia. We create opportunities that allow our clients, our candidates and our people to achieve their ambitions. The natural synergies between our brands are clear, from our customer-centric approach to how we operate, and our guiding values and purpose. “Mainstay offer unrivalled contract and SOW solutions in Asia. When meeting with Ross Carter, Mainstay founder, we shared a common vision for how we aim to serve the market, add value to our customers and develop our people. I am committed to enhancing our service offering and creating opportunities for our customers. This acquisition will enable Eames Consulting to continue to deliver for the Asian financial services and technology sectors.”, shared Eames Consulting founder and CEO, Matthew Eames. That was echoed by Mainstay Asia founder Ross Carter, who shared: “Peter and I are delighted to move Mainstay Asia onto a platform and into an organisation with aligned values and the same customer-centric focus. We are entering into a hugely exciting chapter as we focus on scaling our Statement of Work business for our customers.” To succeed in a constantly evolving and competitive landscape, businesses need capable and efficient partners who can help them be more strategic in how they hire and transform their business. By joining forces, we're now able to offer our clients a wider range of talent solutions, including both permanent and contract recruitment solutions, as well as Statement of Work (SOW). The acquisition will provide Mainstay Asia employees with the benefits of being part of a larger organisation, including access to a wider infrastructure, resources and support. We are excited about the opportunity to further enhance our service offering in Asia and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Eames Consulting team. --- About Eames Consulting Eames Consulting is a contingent recruitment business with international reach, founded in 2002, specialising at the mid-to-senior level of the insurance, financial services, and technology markets. We are driven by a common purpose: to make opportunity happen. With over 150 specialist consultants across the UK, Europe, USA and Asia, we are expertly placed to partner with our clients to provide effective recruitment and advisory services tailored to their specific business needs. www.eamesconsulting.com About Mainstay - Asia Mainstay Asia is a specialist recruitment consultancy, focused on delivering top talent within the financial services, technology, and commerce sectors across the Asia-Pacific region. With offices in Hong Kong and the Philippines, we offer a personalized service and pride ourselves on developing strong relationships with our clients and candidates. www.mainstayasia.com Contact:Sarah RoebuckMarketing Directorsarah.roebuck@eames-group.com
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Eames Insights: Embracing the transformation era
As technology and automation continue to advance, it's becoming increasingly important for organizations to transform their workforce to stay competitive. But where do you start? I gathered insights from senior HR and change management professionals in Singapore about digitalization, and advice on how to pivot into the workforce transformation space.What roles are increasingly important to invest in for the transformation era?Technology, including cyber security, as this is highly sought after given a lot of confidential communication happening online. We need to be creating more effective workplace collaboration tools and more strategic HR personnel, that can help navigate organizational challenges with regards to employee management. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorThe below roles are increasingly important to invest in and hire for in the current transformation era. Lead cross-functional teams, today's split of teams into digital and non-digital requires that leaders have knowledge of both the advantages and disadvantages of each department. Digital products and services are the next one because there is a growing demand for digital channels and to use or create products and services through them. The last one is engineers who understand cloud service, as many businesses already use cloud-based services, with more still converting. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerIn the insurance transformation industry, the growing popularity and capabilities of GPT-3 and GPT-4 are likely to create new opportunities for professionals with skills in AI and Machine Learning, as well as those who can analyze these large sets of data to better understand risk and develop more accurate pricing models. Transformation and Change Lead, Global InsurerIntegrators – I know this is not a widely advertised role but often I see organizations being disjoint in their transformation efforts because each division in the organization is trying to get on the bandwagon and have its own transformation department resulting in work silos. Transformations can only be truly successful when there are synergies in the transformation effort that each division is trying to achieve. We need integrators to bring these transformation efforts together. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerWhat is your advice when looking to pivot into the workforce transformation space?You need to understand the business challenges, and that no two businesses are the same. As well as employee motivations, which can be very different. You need to take the time to understand how much of the business has changed and work from there. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorBefore planning for a workforce transformation, organizations must consider what the key business priorities are, so workforce transformation processes can be measured against those goals. Businesses that focus on too many top-level goals at once may find that none are achievable. Effectively launching workforce transformation requires planning. Here are some considerations; you can conduct a skills assessment and recommend using a multi-faceted approach to measuring employee skills, including looking at existing job descriptions and performance reviews, talking to managers, and surveying employees themselves; identify critical needs and goals before embarking on a workforce transformation initiative, company leaders should identify and prioritize the most critical skills to fulfill those goals; you can create a plan for skills development which can help build employees’ skills such as external/internal online training and mentorship programs and lastly, measure and adapt. You should regularly check in to ensure your transformation strategies are effectively delivering new skills and meeting company needs. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerAccepting and the knowledge that every company is different is essential. Workplace transformation can take different forms in different companies. You need to be able to be flexible in pivoting plans and strategies and truly take time to understand the company culture. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerIf you are interested in talking about market trends, or help with your career planning, please drop me an email at :amelia.chan@eamesconsulting.com
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Eames Insights: Workforce transformation and building digital capabilities
Flexible working is here to stay, and with massive workforce transformation happening across the globe, we need to evolve how we manage teams and adopt the relevant technology and tools to be effective without being in the office. I have gathered insights from senior HR and Change Management professionals in Singapore on how to create an engaged workforce and some top recommendations on the attributes, skills, and tools that can help organisations remain successful. Given the world's recent move to hybrid working, how do you foresee the future? I think moving forward we will see more and more people wanting to continue with this style of working, as it seems to be showing positive impacts on mental health as well as work output. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorMy current organization would like to keep the hybrid approach because it promotes a healthy work life balance, which benefits both the company and the employees. Many people who work in Bangkok live far away from City Centre, and hybrid means they do not have to leave their homes when traffic is at its worst in the morning, sit in traffic for a couple of hours and get stressed about making it to work on time. However, there are clock-in and clock-out standards for teams like customer service, reception, and cleaning. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerThere is a move towards flexibility to work from home or come to the office. However, even though the relationship between workers and the office is changing, career growth, collaboration, and connectedness cannot be done remotely. The preference at my current organisation is still to have employees, who not just come to the office but want to come to the office. Transformation and Change Lead, Global InsurerIn my opinion, my organisation is progressive on this front. We have been piloting a 4-day week since last year and started offering employees alternative workplaces through the Switch app. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerWhat are the most pressing challenges organizations must address to build an engaged workforce? Engaging employees is my toughest challenge at the moment. Everyone is settled with working from home since it’s been proven effective and a less distractive way to work. However, that also leads to them being slightly, and a lot in some cases, disconnected from the workspace. With that said, ensuring employee engagement is tough. I believe it is time to change how we define “engaged” employees. It is no longer about how often they are participating in work activities or socials, but about how responsive they are on Slack. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorOne of my challenges is employee disparities between hybrid and non-hybrid, as working remotely is not a possibility for everyone. Frontline employees can feel like they are working harder while their desk-based co-workers relax at home. Employees who spend most or all their time working remotely may feel deprived of conversations and decisions because they are not in the same room as others. Another challenge is inefficient communication which slows down processes, and work gets done at a slower pace, and sometimes employees may feel confused or miss important information. We need to be focused on creating the right hybrid work environment, as hybrid means that fewer employees will be in the office every day. This can also cause a dedicated workspace to be seen as a waste of resources. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerOrganisations need authentic leadership; I have seen many leaders who promote a company culture because they feel they need to, but don’t believe in it or practice it. Employees are savvy, and they catch on quickly. Another one is servant leadership, we need to develop a culture where we do not ask what the people can do for the company but what leaders can do to make their work easier to bring growth to the organisation. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerConsidering workplace transformation and digitisation, what people or technology capabilities do you find most important moving forward? Collaboration tools, time and task management tools. Working remotely will need better methods to collaborate. Another important one would be employee engagement tools. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorFrom a people perspective, an IT network engineer, a data scientist, and a mobile developer are key. From a technology perspective, cloud base services, VOIP call and chat tools, big data, machine learning, mobile technology and AI and Robotics. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerEmployees need to be provided with the right tools to support their work in a digital environment, cyber security and remote access tools are the most important. When thinking about people, achievers and thinkers are the most important to build the future of the organisation. Transformation and Change Lead, Global InsurerIT savviness and the ability to easily and quickly pick up the applications that your organisation is using enterprise-wide. Soft skills are also important, such as the ability to articulate your thoughts and messages succinctly especially with virtual meetings when you may not have the attention of your audience as compared to face to face. With most organisations moving to Cloud, it will allow the flexibility of ramping up services, storage etc. quickly. Unfortunately, it is surprising some organisations are not prioritising budget upgrading legacy systems which gives them technical debt. Data governance is also a huge consideration, many organisations while trying to get onto the bandwagon of data science, AI, machine learning does not have the fundamentals of data governance structure which provides the foundation that will provide good data to these applications. In this case there will be a big set of the work cleaning up bad data and data governance structure will reduce the data clean up time. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerIf you are interested in talking about market trends, or help with your career planning, please drop me an email at: amelia.chan@eamesconsulting.com
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Eames Insights: A lens over the Singapore technology market
ChatGPT, blockchain, and cryptocurrency - all have implications for professionals both working and leading in the technology sector. But what are the opinions about the impacts they may have? I have gathered insights from three leaders in the sector to probe into each topic and how it relates to scenarios in business. With the emergence of AI and ChatGPT, what impact do you feel this will have on the market regarding software development and candidates using it to complete technical tests during the interview process? This is an amazing tool for engineers and data scientists, as it saves a whole lot of time. I believe in the long term, it will have a positive impact. It might affect the engineers with lower skill sets, as they may not be good enough to use as a tool to help them. We also need to recognise that it will be used to cheat on tests, and this will ultimately change the way people are tested. - Senior Engineering Leader at Financial InstitutionCandidates cheating on technical tests has always been a challenge for hiring. The emergence of ChatGPT further worsens this problem. Thankfully, solutions are being built to identify if ChatGPT was used for generating code or content. Companies should do away with offline technical tests and, wherever possible, get candidates for in-house interviews and have them whiteboard the solutions to minimize the risk. - Hari Thiruppathi, Engineering Leader Like many things with AI, the real power of this is in a human-AI collaboration more than anything. So, if anyone can use ChatGPT or Code Pilot to complete their technical tests, I think it's okay - they are being smart about it. It is similar to using Google to find the right syntax or StackOverflow to find the right design to solve the coding problem. When I hire someone into my team, I'd be interested in talking to them about their technical test, to understand why they chose a design or implementation. If they can defend their solution, ChatGPT or not, they are a good hire. - Archanaa Ravikumar, Head of Engineering at AutumnWhat impact do you think the current state of the cryptocurrency market will have on the financial market, and vice versa? I don’t see any big flow-on effects. But traditional finance might have an impact on crypto; if the recession hits harder it will hit the cryptocurrency as well. This might be a good investment opportunity. - Senior Engineering Leader at Financial InstitutionThe sell-offs happening in traditional assets due to the plunge of cryptocurrencies have an impact on businesses as their capital shrinks and they find it hard to innovate, grow or even sustain. This leads to things such as budget replanning and headcount reductions. - Hari Thiruppathi, Engineering LeaderHow do you feel blockchain can be adopted into traditional banking and payment systems? Yes and no; it has technological limitations. It is a more generic tool and will struggle to match traditional banking tools that are built specifically, for example, trading. Sustainability-wise isn’t too bad. - Senior Engineering Leader at Financial InstitutionBanks can issue new blockchain-based digital assets that are less risky than the decentralized currencies, by pegging them to assets that have an intrinsic value. - Hari Thiruppathi, Engineering Leader
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Buy-side Market & Salary Report - UK 2022
To say 2021 was a whirlwind of a year is an understatement and I don’t think many firms would have predicted the extent of hiring and movement of people that occurred.There was a sense of renewed confidence at the start of the year with multiple reasons why it was likely the economy would re-bound quickly from the doldrums of 2020: Brexit was ‘done’, the Covid-19 vaccine was going to be rolled out at breakneck speed allowing for a quicker reopening of the economy and society, M&A activity was expected to surge, and private equity was poised to finally start spending some of that dry powder. This sense of optimism allowed organisations to plan ahead for the first time in years from a resourcing perspective, which ultimately fuelled a busy and noisy recruitment market.Request a copy of our Buy-side Market and Salary report covering data gathered from candidate and new vacancy registrations across fund finance, corporate accounting, middle office, compliance and financial crime and In-house legal.
Banking & Capital Markets Market Report & Salary Guide Autumn Review 2023
We are delighted to present our mid-year market report, providing a comprehensive analysis of market trends, salary, and bonus data over the past 12 months for Finance, Risk, Regulatory Compliance, Financial Crime, and Internal Audit roles across Banking and Capital Markets. Our market report and salary guide uses data gathered from candidate and new vacancy registrations gained throughout 2022/2023 and highlights trends, insights, salary benchmarking and more. Download your copy now.
Investment Management & Alternatives Market Report & Salary Guide Autumn Review 2023
We are delighted to present our Autumn market report, providing a comprehensive analysis of market trends, salary, and bonus data over the past 12 months for Finance, Compliance, Financial Crime, Legal and Internal Audit roles across asset and wealth management, and alternative investments. Our market report and salary guide uses data gathered from candidate and new vacancy registrations gained throughout 2022/2023 and highlights trends, insights, salary benchmarking and more. Download your copy now.
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Attraction and retention of mid-senior women in financial services
On the 19th of January, we welcomed over 60 talent acquisition and HR professionals from across the financial services space to discuss strategies to improve the attraction and retention of mid-senior female talent within the market. We heard from Laura Blaxland, Talent Acquisition Senior Manager at Fidelity Investments and Elizabeth Willetts, Founder of Investing in Women, and it was a fantastic and informative session. The rationale behind this event is that we, as talent professionals, are acutely aware of both the internal demand for greater diversity at senior level and the practical reality and challenges of a lack of candidate depth to be recruited. Using the gender pay gap as a metric, it is clear and obvious that women are not reaching the same career potential as their male counterparts, and there is a clear window where women fall behind, and some very common causes as to why.This creates a knock-on effect that, when hiring at mid-senior level (£90,000-150,000+), the talent pool of female candidates who have the skills and experience to compete with their male counterparts is very shallow and the ability to deliver diverse slates of candidates, and ultimately hire female talent is diminished. The current landscape:The gender pay gap is a well publicised metric, currently standing at 26.6% within financial services, well above the 12.1% for the wider UK marketThe top five sectors with the largest gender pay gap are within financial services The pay gap is low from graduate level to people in their 30s, then widens rapidly between ages 30-45The female employment rate is 72.2%, whilst the male employment rate is 79% The female economically inactive rate is 25.1% and the male economically inactive rate is 17.9%The primary reason for being economically inactive is caring responsibilities, with a significant difference in people impacted when comparing gender (Women – 1.3M, Men – 300k)Parents of dependent children are the highest employment rate group. with fathers 94%, and mothers 78%Lone parents with dependant children have the lowest employment rate at 65%What are the solutions? Mid-senior female talent, especially those with children, need and demand flexibility from an employer to balance work and parenting. This traditionally was challenging or sometimes impossible to achieve with a five day in-office culture. The shift post-COVID to hybrid working and the increase in men taking on more childcare responsibilities has allowed for greater potential to achieve a balance. The principle options that fall within the “flexible working” umbrella are: Hybrid 3/2 Fully remote Part-time Job share Term time 5 Days in 4The primary reasons for flexible working to be desired are: Child care – school runs/holidays/after-school needs Physical health and mental health– some health challenges can impact the ability to commute and/or affect the ability to work in an office environmentPreferred working patterns – larks vs night owls Increase in pet owners during and post lockdown Neurodiverse candidates that work better in quiet environments/homes. One strategy that has allowed those with career breaks to return to the workforce is a Returner Scheme. What is a Returner Scheme, and how can you ensure its success? “Female talent not necessarily hard to find, but can be hard to move” – Laura BlaxlandThe primary role of a Returner Scheme is to facilitate and support those who have had a career break (typically 2yr+) re-join the workforce, often on a 6-month fixed term contract initially, with 95% of those being offered and taking permanent positions. The biggest barrier is the attraction phase. It takes a lot for a woman to apply for a job, and typically women will seek to tick 80%+ of the “desired skillset” before applying, so if they do apply, there is a lot of thought that has gone into it. Ensuring the right language is used in a role profile, the advert is not laden with too much technical language and the requirements are clear and limited to a small number of points will increase attraction.During the interview process, it is essential to ensure there is a diverse panel of interviewers and that feedback is given quickly, clearly and in detail. Additionally, focusing on transferable skills and what can be trained in a 6-12 month window allows for candidates to be seen as a whole, and training requirements can be identified and built into the onboarding and development of that role.The biggest upside of embracing flexible hiring models is increased loyalty and retention. This is primarily because it provides balance that is the key priority. The lack of alternative options in the current market leads to employees staying with firms longer and therefore gaining more promotion opportunities - and driving gender balance at a senior level.Barriers to increasing opportunities that would benefit mid-senior women “A primary objection to flexible working requests is that it will open the flood gates and everyone will want it” – Elizabeth Willets It is prudent to highlight that not all roles and industries lend themselves to flexibility, such as fully remote. Financial services is one of those, as the culture is built around collaboration, quick decision making to respond to market changes and learning by osmosis from senior leaders. Traditional views from hiring managers are a significant barrier. However, these can be overcome by highlighting the benefits of a diverse hire. Examples to overcome objections can be:Returners are immediately available It is easier to find two people with complementary skills in a job share capacity than one that has all the skills but cannot be found Skills needed now that are going to be obsolete in 5-10 years’ time. Focus on future proofing skills and transferable ability Summary The overwhelming theme that came out of the event is to improve the attraction and retention of mid-senior women in financial services, the key is to embrace the opportunities it offers.This starts at the top of the firm, with visible senior stakeholders taking ownership of delivering diverse hiring and empowering hiring managers to lean into the process. Tailored support is needed from the beginning of the process, this needs to be consistent and continue throughout the attraction, onboarding and initial period of employment to allow people to fulfil their potential.What can be done to improve mid-senior female attraction?Improve the hiring process to be more open to flexible working Ensure advertising and engagement is done in a sympathetic way, and time is given to allow women to consider and make an application which may take longer than men to do Ringfenced headcount for diverse hiring and ensuring diverse hiring for roles are allocated within the budget and protected External search conducted on a retained or exclusive basis with longer timescales to allow recruiters to engage broader talent Visibility of senior female role models and active engagement of future talent from Day 1. You cannot be what you cannot see. What can be done to improve mid-senior female retention?Employee benefits are key. Family-friendly policies such as enhanced paternity leave, designated family days in addition to traditional leave for unseen issues that arise, open to all that also allows annual leave to be protected to ensure proper breaks and the ability to recharge C-Suite buy-in is essential. Having diverse hiring as a key performance metric for senior management and tracking performance against targets on a regular basis Hiring for future needs, looking past specific technical requirements and viewing the person as a whole Targeted support for those returning from a break. Regular review meetings with managers and HR, “buddy” systems of others on the cohort, or previous scheme members, clear communication in expectations in the role and respecting the requirements of the individual and not applying pressure to flex to “traditional” hours or needs during busy periods.Should you wish to speak further on any of these topics or how a recruitment partner can improve outcomes in mid-senior hiring, do reach out to speak further by contacting me at andrew.mackay@eamesconsulting.com.
Dive In 2022: How do you think organisations can build braver, psychologically safe work cultures – both on and offline – that allow people to feel safe, valued, respected, and free to express themselves?
This year's annual #DiveIn theme is #bravercultures. Focusing on both online and offline culture – Dive In is opening up the conversation on how to build a workplace that truly allows people to feel psychologically safe, valued, respected and free to express themselves authentically. If you can create an environment where people are free to speak and express themselves, naturally they'll consider that a 'safe' place to do so. Initially, I think you have to assess where you're at, where you want to be and crucially, why you want to be there. This should, in my opinion, be replicated in the work produced, we're not creating drones, we are creating the leaders of tomorrow so ensuring that these people are safe to express themselves in their work as well as socially, is crucial. An expression I use is 'we create the framework, the designs and materials to create a house but how you build it and what it looks like, is up to you'. A couple of things you can do: Set the tone, what you do as a leader people naturally think is ok to do. Set a tone and environment where people see you asking, listening and taking care to pay attention. In team-based or individual one-on-ones, it's so much more powerful to go around and ask everyone their opinion rather than just telling them what to do. Listen before speaking. Actually taking time out of your schedule as a leader to ask how someone is, and get to know your team. Each one-on-one meeting you have should be considered a free space to speak, again this will encourage not only a freer environment but crucially, it'll help you get to issues before they become issues. 360 appraisals. Your team should be comfortable holding you accountable too and you should be mature enough to take that without getting defensive! All of this should create a culture and environment to encourage growth and speak freely.
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Recite Me accessibility technology now available on Eames Consulting website
Our purpose is clear: we create opportunities for businesses and people to succeed. Those opportunities are only possible if we hold true to our values and drive the business forward with diversity and inclusion at our core. With Recite Me accessibility technology now available on our website, visitors are able to customise their online experience in a way that best suits their individual needs. Having secured a Bronze accreditation with Clear Assured in January 2022, this is another step forward in our equality, diversity and inclusion efforts. It is estimated that 20% of people have a disability that can prevent them from reading and understanding online content. Those who are most susceptible to access barriers are those who struggle with decreased vision, learning difficulties, literacy, language/linguistic problems, attention disorders and physical disabilities. Recite Me accessibility software implemented on our website provides users with the opportunity to customise their online experience. The toolbar includes screen reading functionality, multiple reading aids, an on-demand live translation feature that boasts over 100 languages, including 35 texts to speech and styling options. This includes changes to the font size, type, and colour. To access the assistive toolbar on the Eames Consulting website, click the circular red accessibility icon at the bottom right of the website. --- Recite Me functionality is also available on our brand sites: Eames Group, Eames Partnership and ECMS. For more information on Recite Me, please visit their website here. For information on our partnership with Recite me please contact Sarah Roebuck, marketing director.
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IWD: #EmbraceEquity with Chu Mansfield, Compliance Manager at Ingenia Consultants
This International Women's Day, I interviewed Chu Mansfield, Compliance Manager at Ingenia Consultants, and she shared her thoughts on how we can #EmbraceEquity.Equity can be defined as giving everyone what they need to be successful. The IWD 2023 campaign theme seeks to forge worldwide understanding about why equal opportunities aren’t enough, and a focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.International Women’s Day belongs to everyone, everywhere. Collectively, we can all help create a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.1. How can companies strive for more equitable talent attraction?In order to attract talent, companies should be more flexible, such as flexible work arrangements, hybrid working environments, or even working sharing arrangements. Companies should explore the working from anywhere concept as well. This will greatly assist in equitable hiring, as it will provide greater opportunities for equity in home life, such as sharing childcare responsibilities, and will allow for greater work-life balance.2. Within your market/industry sector, what progress have you seen businesses take to progress gender equity? A lot of progress has been made in recent years in terms of hiring in the areas of compliance. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in the hiring space in terms of global markets compliance or product specialist compliance, such as commodities, breaking through the male-dominated arena. 3. What is one action companies can take to further balance their talent attraction strategies?Companies should embrace cultural change and be more inclusive and flexible in their approach and throw away the one-size fits all attitude. 4. What is your top advice for making job descriptions more inclusive?Companies should walk the talk. HR should ensure that the job description is drafted thoughtfully and inclusive in nature. 5. Do you think that more companies adopting a hybrid working pattern has helped to shift pre-conceived conceptions about flexible working for women, and why? There is still a long way to go in terms of flexible working hours for women. Companies should adopt a flexible working day for women, without set hours but centred on getting the job done. 6. What does being an effective ally for women look like to you?Be courageous. Speak up when companies undertake discriminatory policies or actions, even if minor. Minor actions allow for the snowballing of major developments, which can affect change. 7. What advice would you give aspiring women in the industry you work in?Do not be afraid. Push yourself and get outside your comfort zone. Champion yourself, and do not sell yourself short. 8. International Women’s Day is also about celebrating women and their achievements. What woman/women inspire you?I am lucky to have a few good friends and even in the face of adversity, they have risen to the challenge. They inspire me as a woman to act with bravery in both my career and as a mother.9. What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?There is always a perceived glass ceiling for women.
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IWD: #EmbraceEquity with Mark Nicholls, Head of Information Security, Risk & Compliance at Ramsey Health Care UK
This International Women's Day, I interviewed Mark Nicholls, Head of Information Security, Risk & Compliance at Ramsey Health Care UK, and he shared his thoughts on how we can #EmbraceEquity.Equity can be defined as giving everyone what they need to be successful. The IWD 2023 campaign theme seeks to forge worldwide understanding about why equal opportunities aren’t enough, and a focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.International Women’s Day belongs to everyone, everywhere. Collectively, we can all help create a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.1. How can companies strive for more equitable talent attraction?I think the first step is for organisations to recognise the benefits of what a diverse workforce brings to the organisation. This includes different approaches, different ways of problem-solving and, of course, being able to challenge the status quo. The organisation needs to make it clear in its brand through recruitment campaigns that they want to attract the best diverse talent. For women specifically, I think this is publishing employee case studies demonstrating equity in the workplace that can be used as part of the recruitment campaign. It should include employees from all levels in the organisation.2. What does being an effective ally for women look like to you?For me, my allyship with women means using my personal privilege to support women, be that personally and/or professionally. I do this by taking action that I feel promotes equality. A recent example was I was asked to speak on a conference panel on the subject of building diverse teams. I suggested to the organisers they needed a more gender-diverse panel. They wanted to charge a female potential panel member a fee to speak, whereas I was not being charged. I publicly called out the behaviour as unacceptable and removed myself from the panel. I will not take part in panels that are not diverse.3. What is your top advice for making job descriptions more inclusive? Unfortunately, research has shown that women tend to only apply for roles where they match 90+% of the role description. I think when writing job descriptions, we need to be very clear about the must-haves and desirables. Too many job descriptions list everything as “must haves”. Language is also really important, depending on the gender of the author or their preconceptions, the use of certain language and terms can result in a gender bias in the job description, thus putting women off from applying as they believe the role may be for males only. 4. International Women’s Day is also about celebrating women and their achievements. What woman/women inspire you? There are many inspirational women that I know, but one person I would like to call out is Dame Lynne Owens – Deputy Commissioner Met Police, formally Director General NCA and Chief constable Surrey Police. I had the pleasure of working with Dame Owens when she was CC of Surrey Police. I spent a day shadowing her and learned so much from her leadership style. For me, what I learnt during my time working with her certainly made me a better leader and was instrumental in my career development.5. What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?Unfortunately, in leadership, there is still an imbalance when it comes to gender sitting at the top table, it's getting better but there is still some way to go. I think some of this is down to many top companies not having female leadership. In fact, only seven companies in the FTSE100 have female CEO’s. I think this potentially creates a negative view that women cannot succeed in top jobs, which of course, is rubbish! We need more strong female leaders to come forward and speak out to demonstrate that you can be successful in top jobs.
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IWD: #EmbraceEquity with Shamane Tan, Chief Growth Officer at Sekuro
This International Women's Day, I interviewed Shamane Tan Chief Growth Officer at Sekuro, and she shared her thoughts on how we can #EmbraceEquity.Equity can be defined as giving everyone what they need to be successful. The IWD 2023 campaign theme seeks to forge worldwide understanding about why equal opportunities aren’t enough, and a focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.International Women’s Day belongs to everyone, everywhere. Collectively, we can all help create a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.1. Within your market/industry sector, what progress have you seen businesses take to progress gender equity?There’s definitely more awareness and recognition of the need for diversity. More businesses and hiring managers have become more cognizant of the gender gap, especially in the cybersecurity and tech industry. I’ve seen many security leaders targeting their recruitment and awareness efforts, focusing on attracting talent via their organisational culture, career progression, leadership and mentorship initiatives, as well as their diversity and inclusion program with family-friendly benefits, wellness care packages and flexible work arrangements. 2. What is one action companies can take to further balance their talent attraction strategies?I’m going to list a few key actions. But first, a quick-win action for companies would be to review their current recruitment and hiring process and check if any particular group would be unfairly disadvantaged. Focus on removing biases, this means taking steps to ensure that job postings are intentionally inclusive and the language used is gender neutral. Having a diverse interview panel (not just across gender, but in experiences and cultural backgrounds) also helps. Finally, instead of just relying on job applicants, have a process where the talent team actively seeks out diverse candidates. 3. What is your top advice for making job descriptions more inclusive? Check and see if your job requirements are overly restrictive and if it’s just a checklist. Prioritise the specific skills and qualifications needed for the role while keeping any non-essential requirements as broad as possible. Avoid overly restrictive criteria, such as setting a minimum number of years of experience, which could discourage younger applicants or those who have taken time off from work for caregiving. I need to also highlight, I’ve heard many similar stories where people were deterred from applying for jobs as they self-disqualify upon seeing gender-coded languages. 4. Do you think that more companies adopting a hybrid working pattern has helped to shift pre-conceived conceptions about flexible working for women, and why?Definitely! Hybrid working patterns have helped normalise flexible work arrangements and showcase its feasibility and productivity. This shift has made it easier for those with caregiving responsibilities to participate without the traditional stigmatisation.5. What does being an effective ally for women look like to you?Lala, and no, it’s not the seafood clams. LALA: Listen, Affirm, Learn, Advocate. Listen, affirm your peer’s ideas by amplifying their voice, take time to learn different perspectives and experiences, and then advocate for diversity by supporting inclusion initiatives, mentorship, and championing their career advancements and progress. 6. What advice would you give aspiring women in the industry you work in?Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for mentorship! People are more willing to help and share their experiences, more than we might realise. Also, let’s continually challenge ourselves in overcoming all the different syndromes, such as the imposter syndrome all the way to the tall poppy syndrome. I was invited to share my personal journey and growth at the TEDx stage (https://www.ted.com/talks/shamane_tan_the_imposter_syndrome_of_the_tall_poppies) and yet, constantly have to remind myself of the same as well.
![Inside the Auditorium Podcast: Sandro Boeri [Episode 2]](/rails/active_storage/blobs/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBNTZzVEE9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--b6c03b202e3f61ee8a5cbed3b947c9e0999ee305/Inside%20the%20Auditoriuj%20Podcast%20-%20Episode%202%20Sandro%20Boeri%20.png)
Inside the Auditorium Podcast: Sandro Boeri [Episode 2]
The second episode of ‘Inside the Auditorium’ discovers the business-critical role of the internal audit profession.I’m joined by Sandro Boeri, a leader and audit specialist with an impressive career trajectory from head of audit to audit recruiter and trainer and now head of culture assessment for Deutsche Bank, as well as the president of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors. In this episode, Sandro shares invaluable perspectives on auditing culture and retention, his advocacy for the industry and moving the dial on diversifying talent outside the mainstream system. This episode explores:Diversifying internal audit entry points: Sandro challenges the conventional notion that an accounting background is the sole gateway to a successful career in internal audit. He advocates for a diverse range of entry points, encouraging professionals to embrace the expansive nature of the field.Nurturing Talent and Culture: Internal audit has a critical role in shaping organisational culture. Sandro shares his experiences in fostering career progression, investing in people, and creating a culture that retains and develops young talents.Crafting a dynamic career path: Retention is paramount. Discover how internal audit can be a stepping stone to a varied and dynamic career path. Sandro advocates for mobility within a business to gain an understanding of day-to-day business pressures and laying the foundations for returning to internal audit at a more senior level.This episode shares deep insights that will reshape your perspective on internal audit careers and the spectrum of opportunities available.Listen and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Click here to read more about the IIA Audit & Risk awardClick here to see Sandro’s book recommendation: Beyond Agile AuditingNote: The views expressed by Sandro are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of his employer.
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Inside the Auditorium Podcast: Fortune Chigwende [Episode 1]
In the inaugural episode of the ‘Inside the Auditorium’ podcast, the often-underestimated role of internal auditors takes centre stage. I’m joined by Fortune Chigwende, a career auditor who has worked in senior roles, managing audit teams within investment managers. In this episode, Fortune sheds light on a skill set that distinguishes internal auditors in the corporate landscape, challenging preconceptions and underscoring their pivotal role in shaping strategic business decisions.This episode explores:Digital Risk Management for Auditors: Fortune explores digitisation and IT risks in internal audit, focusing on cyberspace and AI. Learn how auditors can lead in managing these risks for resilient organisations amid technological advancements.Unlocking Internal Auditors' Strategic Value: Discover the underestimated value of internal auditors and their strategic role. Gain a unique perspective on their indispensable role in shaping businesses.Promoting Audit Team Mobility: Fortune stresses the importance of mobility in internal audits, enhancing audit value through diverse skill sets. Learn why encouraging mobility drives success for audit professionals.A must-listen for all internal audit professionals looking to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of risks and opportunities.Listen and subscribe on Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms. Note: The views expressed by Fortune are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer.
Inside the Auditorium Podcast with Hazel Rowe: Coming Soon!
My new podcast, Inside the Auditorium, launches next Tuesday, November 21st 2023!The show unlocks the secrets of success in the internal audit profession and aims to spotlight big names and influencers within this industry, delving into their passion for the role and uncovering what makes their teams and organisations extraordinary places to work. Each week, I'll be meeting with an influential leader in the audit space, who share their passion, insight and advice and I've already got a great lineup of guests joining us. Subscribe for free, on Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms to be sure to catch the latest episodes.
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Behind the Desk... with Chris Wyard, Chief Data Officer, Beazley
Welcome to Episode 20 of the Behind the Desk Podcast! Join me as I chat with Chris Wyard, Chief Data Officer at Beazley.Chris joined Beazley nearly 18 months ago in a key leadership role, leading their data strategy as the business embarks on a major multi-year modernisation agenda. Chris has previously spent 12 years working for Allianz, where he joined as a grad and evolved into becoming their Chief Data Officer.I've known Chris for a few years now, but it was great to understand how he found his passion in data, going back to the start to understand how he shaped his career over the last 15 years. He shares brilliant insight and advice, especially around the importance of curiosity and finding niches within the industry. He is a great person, and I could have spoken to him for hours about his journey and his views on the insurance sector. Let’s get behind the desk with Chris.Listen and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or other podcast platforms.
Behind the Desk... with Kim Gray, NED and DE&I champion
In the seventh episode of Behind the Desk, I am joined by Kim Gray, who has recently left her role at NTT Dataas Head of Insurance and Head of Diversity and Inclusion to build her own company called Inclusive City, with a focus on insurance and diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I) advisory consulting. Kim has a 20+ year career history in insurance, banking, and management consulting and has seen a lot in the financial services sector over the years. I was absolutely engrossed in this chat from start to finish. Kim provides brilliant insight and advice for people at all levels in their careers. She talks about her early life, how she climbed the ladder as a ‘dubious hire’, her advice for changing the narrative for women in leadership and her golden rule for success, with some interesting stories thrown in between.Kim might be my favourite guest so far... let's get behind the desk with Kim Gray. Listen on Apple and Spotify.Note: In February 2023, Kim Gray was invited to join the Board at Eames Group. Read more about Kim's appointment here.
Behind the Desk... with Joanne Safo, former CIO at Digital Partners
In my second episode of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I'm joined by former Digital Partners (Munich Re Group) Chief Information Officer, Joanne Safo.Joanne left her role (in July 2021) at Digital Partners, part of the MunichRe Group, where she spent the last two and a half years as their CIO. In this episode, we talk about the early years of her career in banking, the transition to insurance and being one of the first people in the startup, which was Digital Partners.It's clear from this interview that Joanne is undoubtedly an inspiring young tech leader and a true example of how you can progress in this sector given the opportunity!Let's get behind the desk with Joanne Safo.
Eames Consulting acquires Hong Kong based recruitment firm Mainstay Asia
We are pleased to announce that Eames Consulting has acquired Hong Kong based recruitment firm, Mainstay Asia. The strategic acquisition allows us to enhance our talent solutions to better support our clients in Asia. We create opportunities that allow our clients, our candidates and our people to achieve their ambitions. The natural synergies between our brands are clear, from our customer-centric approach to how we operate, and our guiding values and purpose. “Mainstay offer unrivalled contract and SOW solutions in Asia. When meeting with Ross Carter, Mainstay founder, we shared a common vision for how we aim to serve the market, add value to our customers and develop our people. I am committed to enhancing our service offering and creating opportunities for our customers. This acquisition will enable Eames Consulting to continue to deliver for the Asian financial services and technology sectors.”, shared Eames Consulting founder and CEO, Matthew Eames. That was echoed by Mainstay Asia founder Ross Carter, who shared: “Peter and I are delighted to move Mainstay Asia onto a platform and into an organisation with aligned values and the same customer-centric focus. We are entering into a hugely exciting chapter as we focus on scaling our Statement of Work business for our customers.” To succeed in a constantly evolving and competitive landscape, businesses need capable and efficient partners who can help them be more strategic in how they hire and transform their business. By joining forces, we're now able to offer our clients a wider range of talent solutions, including both permanent and contract recruitment solutions, as well as Statement of Work (SOW). The acquisition will provide Mainstay Asia employees with the benefits of being part of a larger organisation, including access to a wider infrastructure, resources and support. We are excited about the opportunity to further enhance our service offering in Asia and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Eames Consulting team. --- About Eames Consulting Eames Consulting is a contingent recruitment business with international reach, founded in 2002, specialising at the mid-to-senior level of the insurance, financial services, and technology markets. We are driven by a common purpose: to make opportunity happen. With over 150 specialist consultants across the UK, Europe, USA and Asia, we are expertly placed to partner with our clients to provide effective recruitment and advisory services tailored to their specific business needs. www.eamesconsulting.com About Mainstay - Asia Mainstay Asia is a specialist recruitment consultancy, focused on delivering top talent within the financial services, technology, and commerce sectors across the Asia-Pacific region. With offices in Hong Kong and the Philippines, we offer a personalized service and pride ourselves on developing strong relationships with our clients and candidates. www.mainstayasia.com Contact:Sarah RoebuckMarketing Directorsarah.roebuck@eames-group.com
The MND Association is our 2023 UK charity partner
We’re delighted to share that the Eames Group charity partner in the UK this year is the MND Association. The entire UK team is given the opportunity to nominate and then vote on a corporate charity partner, and an overwhelming majority of #TeamEames backed the charity. The MND Association focuses on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by motor neurone disease (MND). MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. It is life-shortening, and there is no cure. In recent years, sports stars like Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow and Stephen Darby bravely shared their MND diagnosis, which has helped raise public awareness of a disease that many knew not much about. MND has also impacted a member of our team who recently lost her father to this cruel disease. We’re delighted as a business to be able to support another charity this year that has a personal connection to a very valued member of #TeamEames. Driving the fundraising support is a volunteer group of employees who have pulled together a series of events to raise money and awareness throughout the year. We are looking forward to contributing to the efforts for greater awareness, access to care and research for the MND community in the UK. For more information on the MND Associate and the work they do, or for ways to support, please visit their website: mndassociation.org
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We're celebrating 100,000 followers on LinkedIn!
We’re celebrating a HUGE milestone! Eames Consulting has hit 100,000 followers on LinkedIn!To the recruitment sector, LinkedIn is so much more than a social media platform. It’s a tool that recruiters and agencies can use to build meaningful partnerships, nurture their relationships, and build their brand – both personal and business.This is a significant milestone, having grown 40% in the last 12 months alone - a testament to the value we add to the recruitment industry and the markets we serve.We’ve got followers from all around the world from across the financial services sector and the recruitment market. Our continued aim is to provide you with updates that are interesting and engaging– so a big thank you to all those who read, like, share and comment on our posts. If you aren't already, give us a follow on LinkedIn!
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Secrets of Success: Vincent Yao [Episode 28]
We welcome Vincent Yao back to the Secrets of Success podcast, to share some insight into his incredibly successful year. In 2022, Vince will have spent most months at the top of the leaderboard at Eames Consulting, supporting a record number of clients and candidates in the Singapore compliance, risk and governance space. In this episode, Chanel Wee digs into how Vince has developed such a successful recruitment career. Vince is reflective on what he calls a “very rewarding year”, and what still keeps him motivated to grow and develop.There is absolutely something for everyone in this episode - for insight into how he’s developed his career to this level, and his secrets to success are, take a listen. Listen on Apple, or Spotify or watch the full episode below.
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Secrets of Success: Heather Yardley [Episode 27]
In this episode of Secrets of Success, we're joined by Heather Yardley, a principal consultant, specialising in commercial and personal lines at Eames Consulting.Listen on Apple, or Spotify or watch the full episode below.
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Secrets of Success: Jared Cave [Episode 26]
In this Secrets of Success podcast episode, we meet Jared Cave, a specialist technology recruitment consultant in London.Listen on Apple, or Spotify or watch the full episode below.
Eames Insights: Embracing the transformation era
As technology and automation continue to advance, it's becoming increasingly important for organizations to transform their workforce to stay competitive. But where do you start? I gathered insights from senior HR and change management professionals in Singapore about digitalization, and advice on how to pivot into the workforce transformation space.What roles are increasingly important to invest in for the transformation era?Technology, including cyber security, as this is highly sought after given a lot of confidential communication happening online. We need to be creating more effective workplace collaboration tools and more strategic HR personnel, that can help navigate organizational challenges with regards to employee management. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorThe below roles are increasingly important to invest in and hire for in the current transformation era. Lead cross-functional teams, today's split of teams into digital and non-digital requires that leaders have knowledge of both the advantages and disadvantages of each department. Digital products and services are the next one because there is a growing demand for digital channels and to use or create products and services through them. The last one is engineers who understand cloud service, as many businesses already use cloud-based services, with more still converting. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerIn the insurance transformation industry, the growing popularity and capabilities of GPT-3 and GPT-4 are likely to create new opportunities for professionals with skills in AI and Machine Learning, as well as those who can analyze these large sets of data to better understand risk and develop more accurate pricing models. Transformation and Change Lead, Global InsurerIntegrators – I know this is not a widely advertised role but often I see organizations being disjoint in their transformation efforts because each division in the organization is trying to get on the bandwagon and have its own transformation department resulting in work silos. Transformations can only be truly successful when there are synergies in the transformation effort that each division is trying to achieve. We need integrators to bring these transformation efforts together. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerWhat is your advice when looking to pivot into the workforce transformation space?You need to understand the business challenges, and that no two businesses are the same. As well as employee motivations, which can be very different. You need to take the time to understand how much of the business has changed and work from there. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorBefore planning for a workforce transformation, organizations must consider what the key business priorities are, so workforce transformation processes can be measured against those goals. Businesses that focus on too many top-level goals at once may find that none are achievable. Effectively launching workforce transformation requires planning. Here are some considerations; you can conduct a skills assessment and recommend using a multi-faceted approach to measuring employee skills, including looking at existing job descriptions and performance reviews, talking to managers, and surveying employees themselves; identify critical needs and goals before embarking on a workforce transformation initiative, company leaders should identify and prioritize the most critical skills to fulfill those goals; you can create a plan for skills development which can help build employees’ skills such as external/internal online training and mentorship programs and lastly, measure and adapt. You should regularly check in to ensure your transformation strategies are effectively delivering new skills and meeting company needs. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerAccepting and the knowledge that every company is different is essential. Workplace transformation can take different forms in different companies. You need to be able to be flexible in pivoting plans and strategies and truly take time to understand the company culture. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerIf you are interested in talking about market trends, or help with your career planning, please drop me an email at :amelia.chan@eamesconsulting.com
Eames Insights: Workforce transformation and building digital capabilities
Flexible working is here to stay, and with massive workforce transformation happening across the globe, we need to evolve how we manage teams and adopt the relevant technology and tools to be effective without being in the office. I have gathered insights from senior HR and Change Management professionals in Singapore on how to create an engaged workforce and some top recommendations on the attributes, skills, and tools that can help organisations remain successful. Given the world's recent move to hybrid working, how do you foresee the future? I think moving forward we will see more and more people wanting to continue with this style of working, as it seems to be showing positive impacts on mental health as well as work output. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorMy current organization would like to keep the hybrid approach because it promotes a healthy work life balance, which benefits both the company and the employees. Many people who work in Bangkok live far away from City Centre, and hybrid means they do not have to leave their homes when traffic is at its worst in the morning, sit in traffic for a couple of hours and get stressed about making it to work on time. However, there are clock-in and clock-out standards for teams like customer service, reception, and cleaning. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerThere is a move towards flexibility to work from home or come to the office. However, even though the relationship between workers and the office is changing, career growth, collaboration, and connectedness cannot be done remotely. The preference at my current organisation is still to have employees, who not just come to the office but want to come to the office. Transformation and Change Lead, Global InsurerIn my opinion, my organisation is progressive on this front. We have been piloting a 4-day week since last year and started offering employees alternative workplaces through the Switch app. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerWhat are the most pressing challenges organizations must address to build an engaged workforce? Engaging employees is my toughest challenge at the moment. Everyone is settled with working from home since it’s been proven effective and a less distractive way to work. However, that also leads to them being slightly, and a lot in some cases, disconnected from the workspace. With that said, ensuring employee engagement is tough. I believe it is time to change how we define “engaged” employees. It is no longer about how often they are participating in work activities or socials, but about how responsive they are on Slack. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorOne of my challenges is employee disparities between hybrid and non-hybrid, as working remotely is not a possibility for everyone. Frontline employees can feel like they are working harder while their desk-based co-workers relax at home. Employees who spend most or all their time working remotely may feel deprived of conversations and decisions because they are not in the same room as others. Another challenge is inefficient communication which slows down processes, and work gets done at a slower pace, and sometimes employees may feel confused or miss important information. We need to be focused on creating the right hybrid work environment, as hybrid means that fewer employees will be in the office every day. This can also cause a dedicated workspace to be seen as a waste of resources. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerOrganisations need authentic leadership; I have seen many leaders who promote a company culture because they feel they need to, but don’t believe in it or practice it. Employees are savvy, and they catch on quickly. Another one is servant leadership, we need to develop a culture where we do not ask what the people can do for the company but what leaders can do to make their work easier to bring growth to the organisation. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerConsidering workplace transformation and digitisation, what people or technology capabilities do you find most important moving forward? Collaboration tools, time and task management tools. Working remotely will need better methods to collaborate. Another important one would be employee engagement tools. HR and People Specialist, Tech VendorFrom a people perspective, an IT network engineer, a data scientist, and a mobile developer are key. From a technology perspective, cloud base services, VOIP call and chat tools, big data, machine learning, mobile technology and AI and Robotics. Change and Strategy Manager, Global InsurerEmployees need to be provided with the right tools to support their work in a digital environment, cyber security and remote access tools are the most important. When thinking about people, achievers and thinkers are the most important to build the future of the organisation. Transformation and Change Lead, Global InsurerIT savviness and the ability to easily and quickly pick up the applications that your organisation is using enterprise-wide. Soft skills are also important, such as the ability to articulate your thoughts and messages succinctly especially with virtual meetings when you may not have the attention of your audience as compared to face to face. With most organisations moving to Cloud, it will allow the flexibility of ramping up services, storage etc. quickly. Unfortunately, it is surprising some organisations are not prioritising budget upgrading legacy systems which gives them technical debt. Data governance is also a huge consideration, many organisations while trying to get onto the bandwagon of data science, AI, machine learning does not have the fundamentals of data governance structure which provides the foundation that will provide good data to these applications. In this case there will be a big set of the work cleaning up bad data and data governance structure will reduce the data clean up time. Strategic Change Manager, Global InsurerIf you are interested in talking about market trends, or help with your career planning, please drop me an email at: amelia.chan@eamesconsulting.com
Eames Insights: A lens over the Singapore technology market
ChatGPT, blockchain, and cryptocurrency - all have implications for professionals both working and leading in the technology sector. But what are the opinions about the impacts they may have? I have gathered insights from three leaders in the sector to probe into each topic and how it relates to scenarios in business. With the emergence of AI and ChatGPT, what impact do you feel this will have on the market regarding software development and candidates using it to complete technical tests during the interview process? This is an amazing tool for engineers and data scientists, as it saves a whole lot of time. I believe in the long term, it will have a positive impact. It might affect the engineers with lower skill sets, as they may not be good enough to use as a tool to help them. We also need to recognise that it will be used to cheat on tests, and this will ultimately change the way people are tested. - Senior Engineering Leader at Financial InstitutionCandidates cheating on technical tests has always been a challenge for hiring. The emergence of ChatGPT further worsens this problem. Thankfully, solutions are being built to identify if ChatGPT was used for generating code or content. Companies should do away with offline technical tests and, wherever possible, get candidates for in-house interviews and have them whiteboard the solutions to minimize the risk. - Hari Thiruppathi, Engineering Leader Like many things with AI, the real power of this is in a human-AI collaboration more than anything. So, if anyone can use ChatGPT or Code Pilot to complete their technical tests, I think it's okay - they are being smart about it. It is similar to using Google to find the right syntax or StackOverflow to find the right design to solve the coding problem. When I hire someone into my team, I'd be interested in talking to them about their technical test, to understand why they chose a design or implementation. If they can defend their solution, ChatGPT or not, they are a good hire. - Archanaa Ravikumar, Head of Engineering at AutumnWhat impact do you think the current state of the cryptocurrency market will have on the financial market, and vice versa? I don’t see any big flow-on effects. But traditional finance might have an impact on crypto; if the recession hits harder it will hit the cryptocurrency as well. This might be a good investment opportunity. - Senior Engineering Leader at Financial InstitutionThe sell-offs happening in traditional assets due to the plunge of cryptocurrencies have an impact on businesses as their capital shrinks and they find it hard to innovate, grow or even sustain. This leads to things such as budget replanning and headcount reductions. - Hari Thiruppathi, Engineering LeaderHow do you feel blockchain can be adopted into traditional banking and payment systems? Yes and no; it has technological limitations. It is a more generic tool and will struggle to match traditional banking tools that are built specifically, for example, trading. Sustainability-wise isn’t too bad. - Senior Engineering Leader at Financial InstitutionBanks can issue new blockchain-based digital assets that are less risky than the decentralized currencies, by pegging them to assets that have an intrinsic value. - Hari Thiruppathi, Engineering Leader
Attraction and retention of mid-senior women in financial services
On the 19th of January, we welcomed over 60 talent acquisition and HR professionals from across the financial services space to discuss strategies to improve the attraction and retention of mid-senior female talent within the market. We heard from Laura Blaxland, Talent Acquisition Senior Manager at Fidelity Investments and Elizabeth Willetts, Founder of Investing in Women, and it was a fantastic and informative session. The rationale behind this event is that we, as talent professionals, are acutely aware of both the internal demand for greater diversity at senior level and the practical reality and challenges of a lack of candidate depth to be recruited. Using the gender pay gap as a metric, it is clear and obvious that women are not reaching the same career potential as their male counterparts, and there is a clear window where women fall behind, and some very common causes as to why.This creates a knock-on effect that, when hiring at mid-senior level (£90,000-150,000+), the talent pool of female candidates who have the skills and experience to compete with their male counterparts is very shallow and the ability to deliver diverse slates of candidates, and ultimately hire female talent is diminished. The current landscape:The gender pay gap is a well publicised metric, currently standing at 26.6% within financial services, well above the 12.1% for the wider UK marketThe top five sectors with the largest gender pay gap are within financial services The pay gap is low from graduate level to people in their 30s, then widens rapidly between ages 30-45The female employment rate is 72.2%, whilst the male employment rate is 79% The female economically inactive rate is 25.1% and the male economically inactive rate is 17.9%The primary reason for being economically inactive is caring responsibilities, with a significant difference in people impacted when comparing gender (Women – 1.3M, Men – 300k)Parents of dependent children are the highest employment rate group. with fathers 94%, and mothers 78%Lone parents with dependant children have the lowest employment rate at 65%What are the solutions? Mid-senior female talent, especially those with children, need and demand flexibility from an employer to balance work and parenting. This traditionally was challenging or sometimes impossible to achieve with a five day in-office culture. The shift post-COVID to hybrid working and the increase in men taking on more childcare responsibilities has allowed for greater potential to achieve a balance. The principle options that fall within the “flexible working” umbrella are: Hybrid 3/2 Fully remote Part-time Job share Term time 5 Days in 4The primary reasons for flexible working to be desired are: Child care – school runs/holidays/after-school needs Physical health and mental health– some health challenges can impact the ability to commute and/or affect the ability to work in an office environmentPreferred working patterns – larks vs night owls Increase in pet owners during and post lockdown Neurodiverse candidates that work better in quiet environments/homes. One strategy that has allowed those with career breaks to return to the workforce is a Returner Scheme. What is a Returner Scheme, and how can you ensure its success? “Female talent not necessarily hard to find, but can be hard to move” – Laura BlaxlandThe primary role of a Returner Scheme is to facilitate and support those who have had a career break (typically 2yr+) re-join the workforce, often on a 6-month fixed term contract initially, with 95% of those being offered and taking permanent positions. The biggest barrier is the attraction phase. It takes a lot for a woman to apply for a job, and typically women will seek to tick 80%+ of the “desired skillset” before applying, so if they do apply, there is a lot of thought that has gone into it. Ensuring the right language is used in a role profile, the advert is not laden with too much technical language and the requirements are clear and limited to a small number of points will increase attraction.During the interview process, it is essential to ensure there is a diverse panel of interviewers and that feedback is given quickly, clearly and in detail. Additionally, focusing on transferable skills and what can be trained in a 6-12 month window allows for candidates to be seen as a whole, and training requirements can be identified and built into the onboarding and development of that role.The biggest upside of embracing flexible hiring models is increased loyalty and retention. This is primarily because it provides balance that is the key priority. The lack of alternative options in the current market leads to employees staying with firms longer and therefore gaining more promotion opportunities - and driving gender balance at a senior level.Barriers to increasing opportunities that would benefit mid-senior women “A primary objection to flexible working requests is that it will open the flood gates and everyone will want it” – Elizabeth Willets It is prudent to highlight that not all roles and industries lend themselves to flexibility, such as fully remote. Financial services is one of those, as the culture is built around collaboration, quick decision making to respond to market changes and learning by osmosis from senior leaders. Traditional views from hiring managers are a significant barrier. However, these can be overcome by highlighting the benefits of a diverse hire. Examples to overcome objections can be:Returners are immediately available It is easier to find two people with complementary skills in a job share capacity than one that has all the skills but cannot be found Skills needed now that are going to be obsolete in 5-10 years’ time. Focus on future proofing skills and transferable ability Summary The overwhelming theme that came out of the event is to improve the attraction and retention of mid-senior women in financial services, the key is to embrace the opportunities it offers.This starts at the top of the firm, with visible senior stakeholders taking ownership of delivering diverse hiring and empowering hiring managers to lean into the process. Tailored support is needed from the beginning of the process, this needs to be consistent and continue throughout the attraction, onboarding and initial period of employment to allow people to fulfil their potential.What can be done to improve mid-senior female attraction?Improve the hiring process to be more open to flexible working Ensure advertising and engagement is done in a sympathetic way, and time is given to allow women to consider and make an application which may take longer than men to do Ringfenced headcount for diverse hiring and ensuring diverse hiring for roles are allocated within the budget and protected External search conducted on a retained or exclusive basis with longer timescales to allow recruiters to engage broader talent Visibility of senior female role models and active engagement of future talent from Day 1. You cannot be what you cannot see. What can be done to improve mid-senior female retention?Employee benefits are key. Family-friendly policies such as enhanced paternity leave, designated family days in addition to traditional leave for unseen issues that arise, open to all that also allows annual leave to be protected to ensure proper breaks and the ability to recharge C-Suite buy-in is essential. Having diverse hiring as a key performance metric for senior management and tracking performance against targets on a regular basis Hiring for future needs, looking past specific technical requirements and viewing the person as a whole Targeted support for those returning from a break. Regular review meetings with managers and HR, “buddy” systems of others on the cohort, or previous scheme members, clear communication in expectations in the role and respecting the requirements of the individual and not applying pressure to flex to “traditional” hours or needs during busy periods.Should you wish to speak further on any of these topics or how a recruitment partner can improve outcomes in mid-senior hiring, do reach out to speak further by contacting me at andrew.mackay@eamesconsulting.com.
Dive In 2022: How do you think organisations can build braver, psychologically safe work cultures – both on and offline – that allow people to feel safe, valued, respected, and free to express themselves?
This year's annual #DiveIn theme is #bravercultures. Focusing on both online and offline culture – Dive In is opening up the conversation on how to build a workplace that truly allows people to feel psychologically safe, valued, respected and free to express themselves authentically. If you can create an environment where people are free to speak and express themselves, naturally they'll consider that a 'safe' place to do so. Initially, I think you have to assess where you're at, where you want to be and crucially, why you want to be there. This should, in my opinion, be replicated in the work produced, we're not creating drones, we are creating the leaders of tomorrow so ensuring that these people are safe to express themselves in their work as well as socially, is crucial. An expression I use is 'we create the framework, the designs and materials to create a house but how you build it and what it looks like, is up to you'. A couple of things you can do: Set the tone, what you do as a leader people naturally think is ok to do. Set a tone and environment where people see you asking, listening and taking care to pay attention. In team-based or individual one-on-ones, it's so much more powerful to go around and ask everyone their opinion rather than just telling them what to do. Listen before speaking. Actually taking time out of your schedule as a leader to ask how someone is, and get to know your team. Each one-on-one meeting you have should be considered a free space to speak, again this will encourage not only a freer environment but crucially, it'll help you get to issues before they become issues. 360 appraisals. Your team should be comfortable holding you accountable too and you should be mature enough to take that without getting defensive! All of this should create a culture and environment to encourage growth and speak freely.
Recite Me accessibility technology now available on Eames Consulting website
Our purpose is clear: we create opportunities for businesses and people to succeed. Those opportunities are only possible if we hold true to our values and drive the business forward with diversity and inclusion at our core. With Recite Me accessibility technology now available on our website, visitors are able to customise their online experience in a way that best suits their individual needs. Having secured a Bronze accreditation with Clear Assured in January 2022, this is another step forward in our equality, diversity and inclusion efforts. It is estimated that 20% of people have a disability that can prevent them from reading and understanding online content. Those who are most susceptible to access barriers are those who struggle with decreased vision, learning difficulties, literacy, language/linguistic problems, attention disorders and physical disabilities. Recite Me accessibility software implemented on our website provides users with the opportunity to customise their online experience. The toolbar includes screen reading functionality, multiple reading aids, an on-demand live translation feature that boasts over 100 languages, including 35 texts to speech and styling options. This includes changes to the font size, type, and colour. To access the assistive toolbar on the Eames Consulting website, click the circular red accessibility icon at the bottom right of the website. --- Recite Me functionality is also available on our brand sites: Eames Group, Eames Partnership and ECMS. For more information on Recite Me, please visit their website here. For information on our partnership with Recite me please contact Sarah Roebuck, marketing director.
Inside the Auditorium Podcast: Sandro Boeri [Episode 2]
The second episode of ‘Inside the Auditorium’ discovers the business-critical role of the internal audit profession.I’m joined by Sandro Boeri, a leader and audit specialist with an impressive career trajectory from head of audit to audit recruiter and trainer and now head of culture assessment for Deutsche Bank, as well as the president of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors. In this episode, Sandro shares invaluable perspectives on auditing culture and retention, his advocacy for the industry and moving the dial on diversifying talent outside the mainstream system. This episode explores:Diversifying internal audit entry points: Sandro challenges the conventional notion that an accounting background is the sole gateway to a successful career in internal audit. He advocates for a diverse range of entry points, encouraging professionals to embrace the expansive nature of the field.Nurturing Talent and Culture: Internal audit has a critical role in shaping organisational culture. Sandro shares his experiences in fostering career progression, investing in people, and creating a culture that retains and develops young talents.Crafting a dynamic career path: Retention is paramount. Discover how internal audit can be a stepping stone to a varied and dynamic career path. Sandro advocates for mobility within a business to gain an understanding of day-to-day business pressures and laying the foundations for returning to internal audit at a more senior level.This episode shares deep insights that will reshape your perspective on internal audit careers and the spectrum of opportunities available.Listen and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Click here to read more about the IIA Audit & Risk awardClick here to see Sandro’s book recommendation: Beyond Agile AuditingNote: The views expressed by Sandro are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of his employer.
Inside the Auditorium Podcast: Fortune Chigwende [Episode 1]
In the inaugural episode of the ‘Inside the Auditorium’ podcast, the often-underestimated role of internal auditors takes centre stage. I’m joined by Fortune Chigwende, a career auditor who has worked in senior roles, managing audit teams within investment managers. In this episode, Fortune sheds light on a skill set that distinguishes internal auditors in the corporate landscape, challenging preconceptions and underscoring their pivotal role in shaping strategic business decisions.This episode explores:Digital Risk Management for Auditors: Fortune explores digitisation and IT risks in internal audit, focusing on cyberspace and AI. Learn how auditors can lead in managing these risks for resilient organisations amid technological advancements.Unlocking Internal Auditors' Strategic Value: Discover the underestimated value of internal auditors and their strategic role. Gain a unique perspective on their indispensable role in shaping businesses.Promoting Audit Team Mobility: Fortune stresses the importance of mobility in internal audits, enhancing audit value through diverse skill sets. Learn why encouraging mobility drives success for audit professionals.A must-listen for all internal audit professionals looking to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of risks and opportunities.Listen and subscribe on Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms. Note: The views expressed by Fortune are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer.
Inside the Auditorium Podcast with Hazel Rowe: Coming Soon!
My new podcast, Inside the Auditorium, launches next Tuesday, November 21st 2023!The show unlocks the secrets of success in the internal audit profession and aims to spotlight big names and influencers within this industry, delving into their passion for the role and uncovering what makes their teams and organisations extraordinary places to work. Each week, I'll be meeting with an influential leader in the audit space, who share their passion, insight and advice and I've already got a great lineup of guests joining us. Subscribe for free, on Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms to be sure to catch the latest episodes.
Eames Consulting acquires Hong Kong based recruitment firm Mainstay Asia
We are pleased to announce that Eames Consulting has acquired Hong Kong based recruitment firm, Mainstay Asia. The strategic acquisition allows us to enhance our talent solutions to better support our clients in Asia. We create opportunities that allow our clients, our candidates and our people to achieve their ambitions. The natural synergies between our brands are clear, from our customer-centric approach to how we operate, and our guiding values and purpose. “Mainstay offer unrivalled contract and SOW solutions in Asia. When meeting with Ross Carter, Mainstay founder, we shared a common vision for how we aim to serve the market, add value to our customers and develop our people. I am committed to enhancing our service offering and creating opportunities for our customers. This acquisition will enable Eames Consulting to continue to deliver for the Asian financial services and technology sectors.”, shared Eames Consulting founder and CEO, Matthew Eames. That was echoed by Mainstay Asia founder Ross Carter, who shared: “Peter and I are delighted to move Mainstay Asia onto a platform and into an organisation with aligned values and the same customer-centric focus. We are entering into a hugely exciting chapter as we focus on scaling our Statement of Work business for our customers.” To succeed in a constantly evolving and competitive landscape, businesses need capable and efficient partners who can help them be more strategic in how they hire and transform their business. By joining forces, we're now able to offer our clients a wider range of talent solutions, including both permanent and contract recruitment solutions, as well as Statement of Work (SOW). The acquisition will provide Mainstay Asia employees with the benefits of being part of a larger organisation, including access to a wider infrastructure, resources and support. We are excited about the opportunity to further enhance our service offering in Asia and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Eames Consulting team. --- About Eames Consulting Eames Consulting is a contingent recruitment business with international reach, founded in 2002, specialising at the mid-to-senior level of the insurance, financial services, and technology markets. We are driven by a common purpose: to make opportunity happen. With over 150 specialist consultants across the UK, Europe, USA and Asia, we are expertly placed to partner with our clients to provide effective recruitment and advisory services tailored to their specific business needs. www.eamesconsulting.com About Mainstay - Asia Mainstay Asia is a specialist recruitment consultancy, focused on delivering top talent within the financial services, technology, and commerce sectors across the Asia-Pacific region. With offices in Hong Kong and the Philippines, we offer a personalized service and pride ourselves on developing strong relationships with our clients and candidates. www.mainstayasia.com Contact:Sarah RoebuckMarketing Directorsarah.roebuck@eames-group.com
The MND Association is our 2023 UK charity partner
We’re delighted to share that the Eames Group charity partner in the UK this year is the MND Association. The entire UK team is given the opportunity to nominate and then vote on a corporate charity partner, and an overwhelming majority of #TeamEames backed the charity. The MND Association focuses on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by motor neurone disease (MND). MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. It is life-shortening, and there is no cure. In recent years, sports stars like Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow and Stephen Darby bravely shared their MND diagnosis, which has helped raise public awareness of a disease that many knew not much about. MND has also impacted a member of our team who recently lost her father to this cruel disease. We’re delighted as a business to be able to support another charity this year that has a personal connection to a very valued member of #TeamEames. Driving the fundraising support is a volunteer group of employees who have pulled together a series of events to raise money and awareness throughout the year. We are looking forward to contributing to the efforts for greater awareness, access to care and research for the MND community in the UK. For more information on the MND Associate and the work they do, or for ways to support, please visit their website: mndassociation.org
We're celebrating 100,000 followers on LinkedIn!
We’re celebrating a HUGE milestone! Eames Consulting has hit 100,000 followers on LinkedIn!To the recruitment sector, LinkedIn is so much more than a social media platform. It’s a tool that recruiters and agencies can use to build meaningful partnerships, nurture their relationships, and build their brand – both personal and business.This is a significant milestone, having grown 40% in the last 12 months alone - a testament to the value we add to the recruitment industry and the markets we serve.We’ve got followers from all around the world from across the financial services sector and the recruitment market. Our continued aim is to provide you with updates that are interesting and engaging– so a big thank you to all those who read, like, share and comment on our posts. If you aren't already, give us a follow on LinkedIn!
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Secrets of Success
A series for recruiters, by recruiters.
In each episode, we have candid conversations about careers in recruitment with some of the best talent Team Eames has to offer. They'll be giving you a glimpse into the highs and lows of their recruitment careers, their motivations, their drivers, and their secret to success in this industry.
