New joiners – standing out!

New joiners – standing out!

It’s all about the small stuff, celebrating small wins, what some firms do well!

We regularly host sessions with Managing Partners and wanted to share some of the themes from a recent round table with leaders from a variety of different firms.

Rather than sharing the greatest challenges of which everyone is well aware: the war for talent, ESG, artificial intelligence implementation, fee pressure downwards, staff salaries pressure upwards … this time we chose to look at the way that some firms had managed to solve one or two of these rather thorny challenges.

People

A number of commentators have said that Professional Services have much to learn from other sectors when it comes to managing people and we would tend to agree. We’ve never really believed that the sector is filled with organisations that are driven by people, as we see the sector driven by timesheets. Far from being a people focused business we think most professional firms are client focused businesses where self motivated individuals can thrive – quite a bold statement, which is changing for some, but not all firms!

Attraction

How do you stand out?

What sets your firm apart from all the other Grey, Bespeckled, dare we say Dull… Accountancy firms. (we were reminded recently of the Monty Python sketch with Mr Anchovy the accountant who was despite his protestations, it transpired… simply very dull…)

One firms solution was… Penguins!

Why penguins? ….Why not?

Penguins are all across their recruitment literature, they appear (in great numbers) in adverts, at university fairs, in marketing material and indeed a large Harold penguin is dressed up in the office throughout the seasons in all manner of suitable sartorial garb, from Diwali to Christmas to Ramadan.

But what’s the point? Many people might ask?

The point is simply that any firm bold enough to have a marketing campaign around penguins is clearly not run by Mr. and Mrs. Anchovy! It shows that they have got a sense of humour, some fun, some sense of joint purpose that will appeal to Gen Z and successors.

Generation Z tires of hearing how worthy our organisations actually are and indeed how much fun it is to work there. They want evidence!

Question is… If they have taken penguins, which animal best reflects your culture ?

Recruitment

Some of the interesting approaches were in firms where remote working is the norm, and they choose only to recruit individuals who have at least two years experience of remote working successfully. From bitter experience they had learned that, it is indeed tough to train and manage young professionals if they have not already thrived in a remote environment.

Another firm recruits only in group scenarios, building on the confidence generated when a number of like-minded youngsters all come together to go through the recruitment process. We really do want to get the best out of these people when we see them and Gen Z are sometimes undermined by nerves and less strong communication skills.

Once they arrive

The on-boarding process is critical and many of us discussed the practical ways to ensure this is consistent across all departments. Many firms have systematised a process where the new joiners get to meet all the department heads over a period of time. But far too often your initial few weeks in the firm is just a case of laptop, coffee point, phone and then it’s off to BPP or Kaplan to get you started.

This causes quite the challenge for both new joiner and existing partner. Because for many of us, you’re never quite certain whether the individual behind that desk is new, or if you just haven’t seen them for a few weeks because they’re hybrid working… It’s extremely awkward, (as some of you will know), to approach said individual with a beaming smile and say “how are you, we’ve not met, how are you settling in?” Only to find that they’ve actually been in the firm nine months, but they usually work on a different floor (and you met them at the office party some months ago!)

One organisation gives newcomers a special coloured lanyard, and for three months they wear this as it broadcasts that they are new to the firm. I’m sure that many just want to fit in, but this opportunity gives everybody else is boundless. Sitting on their own… Go and join them, looking a bit unsure… go and help them. Walking through the office and seeing them, knowing they are new, means every senior manager and partner can go over and introduce themselves and chat through what they do and why they love the firm.

We think all these ideas are brilliant, not only because they work so well but because they are incredibly good value, they don’t really cost you a thing!

And they focus on people and mean so much in terms of building your culture.

So what do you do? and which animal best reflects your culture ?