James right here! I head up Octopus’ seek for expertise in our Operations staff. As Head of Expertise, Tradition & Area, it’s my job to make sure our recruitment, onboarding and studying and growth processes work for our fledgling staff members, but additionally meet the excessive requirements we set for ourselves.
I began as one in every of Octopus’ first Power Specialists 4.5 years in the past, and alongside the best way I’ve learnt a factor or two about creating sensible groups who put prospects first.
I wished to speak just a little bit about how we recruit nice folks for our Operations staff.
What’s happening with Operations recruitment?
Just lately I’ve been reflecting on our recruitment course of, and I’ve began to ask the staff questions on scaling, inclusivity and delivering higher outcomes for Octopus and all our candidates.
Our enterprise is rising quickly, and within the Operations staff our job is to satisfy that development. We work to take care of and enhance the requirements we’ve set ourselves with regards to placing smiles on prospects’ faces.
As an agile tech firm, we’re continually making our processes extra environment friendly, so every Power Specialist might be more practical than ever earlier than and may do greater than ever earlier than. Nonetheless, persons are on the coronary heart of what we do, they’re those who speak to prospects, and in easiest phrases, we’d like extra folks to match our fast buyer development. Because of this in 2021 we successfully want to rent double the quantity of folks that we’ve ever employed in a yr earlier than.
Making certain Inclusivity at Octopus
The BLM motion began a deep dialog throughout the enterprise about our tasks. I’ve discovered a lot from that dialog and wished to guarantee that in Ops, and notably in Ops recruitment, we have been main the best way with a good and inclusive course of that delivered a consequence that displays the varied society we serve.
I wished to guarantee that everybody concerned in resolution making understood bias, each acutely aware and unconscious. Once we engaged candidates, I wished to ensure that we purely targeted on competency and that each candidate had an equal alternative to show their price to us.
We rolled out unconscious bias coaching and we proceed to debate inclusivity – it’s an ongoing dialog, deeply ingrained in each component of our course of, not simply a day’s coaching session a number of months in the past.
Our final purpose is to take away CVs from the recruitment course of fully. We’re 75% of the best way there and solely the preliminary phases of the method embrace the CV.
Lastly, we solely use your first identify and the primary letter of your surname within the course of. We found an abundance of analysis that means this successfully reduces bias.
Who’s concerned within the recruitment course of?
One other change we’ve made is to contain the Ops staff in selections about who we rent. As we speak, round 25% of the staff will get concerned within the recruitment course of. They every supply a singular and useful perspective. It’s a matter of actual satisfaction to supply some latest recruits the chance to participate within the course of, alongside their Power Specialist position.
Why are we making these adjustments?
Change is sweet. Change is on the coronary heart of what we do at Octopus.
The Ops recruitment staff wished to ensure we have been doing greater than ever earlier than to make sure that our staff was various. We discovered quite a bit in 2020 about how society must do extra to be truthful and inclusive. The vitality trade particularly lags on this. We noticed no cause as to why we couldn’t lead right here. We’re already seeing extra range in recruitment outcomes and our enterprise is all the higher for it.
One more reason we made adjustments was to drive candidate expertise by the roof, particularly in a digital world.
When our groups are within the workplace, there’s a lot pleasure about what we do. Since lockdown, we had struggled to share that pleasure with candidates. The Discovery Day has given a platform to staff members, and permitting them to speak about what they do has actually engaged candidates. Our NPS (candidate happiness/suggestion) has fluctuated between 80 & 95 over the previous couple of months, and that is above our common buyer NPS, so all the staff deserve reward for his or her position in that.
Lastly, like each a part of the Octopus staff, we all the time have to deal with being extra environment friendly. The Discovery Day particularly, has helped us to succeed right here. Our conversion charges have elevated from 40% to 55% and we’ve saved a median of half-hour per profitable candidate.
What ought to a candidate anticipate?
Candidates can anticipate a course of that focuses on attending to know them as a person. It’s thorough and it requires lots of dedication. For people who make it by and meet the staff, they’ll anticipate an excellent excited bunch of individuals. We’re wanting to share what it’s wish to work right here, and in addition eager to know how they reply to conditions and prioritise sure issues.
What can we search for in a candidate?
The staff and I rent people who find themselves type and caring. They should be options targeted and resilient to assist sad prospects. They need to have grit and willpower, they usually really want to reply nicely to challenges.
There may be not one single mould at Octopus. We’ve a fantastically various staff all throughout Operations and wish to proceed this fashion. A few of the staff are latest graduates from a wide selection of programs, others have been taking care of prospects for many years. Folks succeed within the recruitment course of in the event that they genuinely care about prospects, in the event that they actually wish to be a part of a staff, and if they’re good in how they method work.
How does the Discovery Day work?
They’re 2.5 hours, normally on a Thursday morning, they usually at the moment happen on zoom. We carry between 12 to fifteen candidates collectively from all throughout the nation for all of our Power Specialist roles.
I kick issues off by setting the context almost about who we’re and what we’re on the lookout for. My intention is to essentially give a way of our ambition and the problem we’ve set ourselves. This normally lasts 10 minutes and it’s promptly adopted by an ice breaker (led by among the most boisterous members of the staff). This half is all about eradicating nerves and demonstrating we’re not a stuffy formal company.
We then cut up into smaller teams and deal with drawback fixing workout routines which are precisely like among the buyer queries we get in Operations on a regular basis.
We even have a analysis problem in smaller teams, the place you’re tapping into your analysis expertise and creativeness, working with a small staff to pitch an concept to us.
We then have a pointy competency-focused 30 minute interview, adopted by quite a few Q&A panels the place members of the Ops staff will reply any questions you throw at us! We get some sensible questions, protecting all the pieces from the everyday position to what makes us get off the bed within the morning.
Round 22 members of our Operations staff normally participate in every Discovery Day, and after chatting with all of them, it’s clear that that is one in every of their favorite duties. We’re all tremendous excited to satisfy our colleagues-to-be!
Every other recommendation?
Do your analysis. Assume exterior the field. Hold excessive requirements. Overlook how legacy companies deal with their prospects.
Meet the staff
These are the oldsters who dedicate themselves to serving to prospects, day in and time out, so that they’re greatest positioned to assist seek for new expertise. Study a bit extra about them and see what issues to every of them!
Sameera
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I am Sameera and I work as a Digiops squad lead at Octopus. Right here at Octopus we kind a various household & are on the lookout for enthusiastic individuals who have robust work ethics & the drive to succeed, so allow us to Octopi your coronary heart 🐙
Gaby
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Hey, I am Gaby! I am an vitality specialist, credit score specialist, and now a part of the recruitment staff based mostly in Brighton. I am a one girl present! Convey your greatest personalities, your drive, and your greatest jokes to our enterprise and hopefully I am going to see a few of you with us shortly! From our little Octo-family 🐙
Ben
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Hello I am Ben, I’m one of many staff leaders within the Warwick workplace who transitioned from one in every of our partnerships – Co-op Power. We’re looking out for assured, exhausting working and decided candidates to return and be a part of our various and ink-redible household! Have you ever bought what it takes? 🐙
Tiff
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Hiya, I am Tiff! I am one of many trainers right here at Octopus and I additionally just lately joined recruitment in Brighton. We’re on the lookout for decided people with a real ardour for delivering wonderful customer support and the drive to develop alongside this ever-evolving firm. When you see this for your self, do get in contact – we might love to listen to from you!
Sotiris
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Hello I am Sotiris, I handle lots of the Leicester recruitment and lead among the Discovery Days we have launched! The staff has labored extremely exhausting to restrict the bias concerned in our recruitment course of whereas giving everybody the perfect likelihood to succeed. If you wish to make a constructive impression in prospects’ lives whereas taking part in your half in making a greener future, then we wish to hear from you!
Christie
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I am Christie, I am an vitality specialist right here in London. I assist out with recruitment typically throughout our websites, unconscious bias, and in addition assist with our great Discovery Days. We’re on the lookout for the brightest stars in customer support – useful, motivated and exhausting working! A very powerful factor is you might be your self right here at our Octopus household 🐙
