The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 17: Autumn 2020 | Page 8

RECRUITMENT Novia feels the need for speed Bath’s Novia Financial is on the look out for top talent. Dave Howard, the firm’s Chief Technology Officer, tells us more. In a nutshell we are looking for IT professionals to join our crack team of business analysts, developers, testers and DevOps engineers to help us enhance our award-winning wealth platform. Covid-19 is the biggest accelerant our industry has ever seen; what would have been five-year development and adoption cycles have had to be compressed into months. So, if you are ambitious, love personal accountability, and are motivated by achievement and being part of high-performing teams then joining our expanding group on “Novians” could be your next move. Located in the centre of the historic city of Bath; Jane Austen observed “who can ever be tired of Bath?”. I agree, but I find the Dave Flatman’s (ex England International and now, without doubt, the best rugby pundit in the 20 stone and over category) views more compelling, “Bath is best city for a nightout followed by a curry”. Back to the speed analogy, we are looking to increase our metabolic rate with the adoption of Scaled Agile and DevOps culture so that we can redefine what a good wealth platform looks like. This means developing features that help our advisers’ growth their business and at the same time operate with greater efficiency. All in unprecedented timescales without compromising quality or service delivery. We are recruiting for behaviour and talent and if you have the skills we need then great, if not we will train you. You would need to be willing to shape what we do, how we do it, bring passion and a point of view to the table and have fun along the way. We are privileged to be working with exceptional product providers and delivery partners, operating as a one-team culture where everyone gets stuck-in. We want to be famous for changing the way wealth platforms are built and operated so that our advisers are genuine advocates because we help them grow and run their business and deliver demonstrable value to their clients. If you feel you have the makings of a Novian then get a wiggle on and knock our door down! Launched in 2008, Novia Financial provides a wealth management service or ‘full wrap platform’ for investment advisers and their clients. Novia has a global reach and competes with some of the major institutions. To find out more about job opportunities at Novia Financial email: [email protected] “We are recruiting for behaviour and talent and if you have the skills we need then great, if not we will train you” How to go forth and forge your future in a pandemic The jobs most in demand now Covid-19 has given the permanent recruitment industry a battering. In many instances, recruitment firms have been propped up in recent months by temporary departments, with many companies putting their plans to recruit permanent staff on hold. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and there are some industries that are seeing growth through the crisis. Sam Laite, Founder of FWD Thinking Recruitment gives us his insight. Which industries have continued to hire through the crisis? The key sectors that have seen an uplift during the pandemic are technology, customer services and communications. Digital transformation projects which may have been put on hold, became business critical during Covid-19 to keep businesses in business. This has created a demand for more tech experts in the marketplace. The pandemic has also furthered the need for organisations to invest in their cyber security, with cyber criminals taking advantage of staff working from home and away from secure office environments. Creating a positive customer experience has also been heightened this year, with businesses understanding the importance of looking after their customers, to generate further business and maintain their reputations. During lockdown, with people at home and more people using social media and the internet than ever, it has become paramount for businesses to keep on top of social comments and respond in a timely and acceptable manner. How does this impact the labour market locally? We are lucky that Bath and its surrounds is strong in the technology and communications sectors (just look at the Top 100 table on page 20). This bodes us well through any recession and sets us apart from other areas of the UK. The furlough scheme coming to an end may result in job losses, but employers and those looking for new opportunities need to think about the importance of cultural fit and transferable skills. FWD Thinking Recruitment specialises in marketing, digital and sales recruitment and I’m passionate about helping people forge new careers and supporting organisations as they grow their empires. I’m always up for a virtual or socially distanced chat to see how I can help you. We’re currently looking for top talent for a number of key positions in the South West, and we’re always looking to work with organisations who need help or advice with their recruitment drive. To connect with Sam email: [email protected] or call: 01225 436 229 “The key sectors that have seen an uplift during the pandemic are technology, customer services and communications” 8 www.tbebathandsomerset.co.uk