Please note: This post was written by Highlander prior to their rebrand to FluidOne Business IT - Sheffield.
I’ve always felt that one of our biggest and most enduring strengths is the people at the heart of our business, and the experiences of recent months have only served to reinforce that view.
I’m incredibly proud of our team, and grateful for the way they have all stepped up to support each other over the last 18 months. Those who know us well or have seen our company video will know how we see ourselves as one big family. That means looking out for others, lending a helping hand when it’s needed, and being there to lift spirits in difficult times – exactly what everyone within our team has done throughout the pandemic.
Like so many of our customers we are in the process of rethinking our approach across a host of different areas within our business, but one of the things at the front of our minds is recognising the great culture that exists, and what we can do to maintain and nurture this over time.
This has been especially prevalent in recent weeks as we’ve been fortunate to make a number of important additions to the team. I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Rich, Daniel, Taylor, Rebecca, Chris, and Sumaiya to the Highlander family. It’s great to have them onboard, and I’m already sure that they will be valuable contributors to our future success.
It’s a boost to add their collective knowledge and experience to the business, but more importantly, we’ve been able to bring in people who embody all of the values that make our team what it is.
With that in mind, I’d like to share some thoughts about what we look for with our new recruits, as well as the steps we take to help our people grow and prosper as part of our team.
As an IT and technology business there is clearly a certain level of knowledge and technical skill that we expect any new recruit to possess, but a great CV is not the be-all and end-all.
Our approach has always been that finding the right person is more important than ticking off requirements on a job spec.
After all, we can support a new recruit with the acquisition of new skills, but we need to know that they are someone who will be able to integrate with not just their immediate colleagues, but the wider Highlander team and our customers.
That’s why we try to conduct an open and informal interview process. We know that any interview is a nerve-wracking experience, so we want to make sure that we can really get to know the person we are speaking to and better understand not only how they will fit in, but what they are looking for from both the role and their working environment.
Equally, we try to make sure that they get as good a feel as possible for how we work on a day-to-day basis so that they can get a real understanding for how it might be working with us.
As our business evolves there will always be a place for new additions to the team. That said, one thing that we’ve always taken pride in is guiding internal progression and development of our people.
This is evidenced by the longevity of our employees. 66% of our team have been with us for over 5 years, and 35% for 10 years or more. This is testament not only to the positive working environment that we’ve created together, but also to the trust we put into our team to take on new responsibilities when the opportunity arises.
Equally, it’s some reward for the efforts we take to support our people outside of their day-to-day responsibilities. Any decision we make is made not only with our team in mind, but also the people closest to them. That’s why we offer a number of benefits such as a late start one day a week, an extra day off on birthdays, additional holiday allocation for length of service, extra time off to support charity work, and an extended Christmas break.
We also take health and wellbeing seriously, and have implemented a number of different initiatives to help our team stay healthy and happy. A big part of this process is taking the time to canvas the thoughts and opinions of the team to better understand what will help them most. We’ve got some exciting plans in the works already, and we’re really looking forward to rolling these out as Coronavirus restrictions continue to ease.
Our recent recruits are further evidence of the growth we’ve seen over a number of years with our team now 70-strong people.
Despite our new additions, there’s still a number of exciting opportunities available to become a part of the Highlander family.
If you’re interested in a fresh start, take a look at our current vacancies, apply through the website, or get in touch with us to learn more.