Financial services is an incredible sector, yet there are connotations that come with this industry space, and not all are positive. Negative impressions were heightened in 2008 and the actions of a few left a stain on an entire sector. Fast forward to 2021 and the change has been seismic.

Financial services organisations are working hard to grow their businesses by understanding the needs of customers, exceeding expectations and preserving loyalty.  The same principles apply to talent acquisition and employer brand. Sounds easy, right?

But in an age of disruption, uncertainty, digitalisation and societal polarisation, just how do we achieve this? For me, we must make sense of this complexity by sticking to “world class basics”. We deliver what we say we will, when we say we will, again and again and again. It is that simple. By establishing our non-negotiables which become our best practice, we elevate our proposition for our employees and candidates.

I think talent acquisition got a little lost for a while focussing on the latest technology; automation was imperative, chatbots were essential and we went down the rabbit hole a little too far. Technology is wonderful but it must be evaluated, deployed and optimised with the goal of adding real, tangible value.

In addition, we need to create greater trust in the employer brand. We can no longer just talk about jobs, but we must bring purpose to the fore and offer environments where candidates and employees can thrive and belong.  We must adopt a truly blended model which deploys technology and connection with human intervention at all the right times. It is the only way we earn, keep and heighten trust.

The organisations we represent are more customer-centric than ever. They focus on responsible investments, financial guidance and meaningful customer relationships. We have an exciting opportunity to learn from our financial services clients and adopt their spirit of customer centricity. Again, these principles can easily transfer to talent acquisition, and they should.

You might think my view simplistic and you may not agree. That is okay. Discussion and different perspectives are healthy. If anyone would like to connect or debate further, find me on LinkedIn and let’s carry on the conversation!