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In the last edition of CompTIA “Spotlight on Success” blog series, our CEO Perry Ashby, a member of CompTIA’s UK Channel Community Executive Council, shares his insight about the impact, cultural changes and positive results of growing talent.
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CompTIA: What has been the biggest achievement in the last few years?
Perry: We have been very successful in developing a client lifecycle process that ensures we are always communicating with our clients at every level, strategically and operationally, resulting in a significant reduction in attrition within our client base.
CompTIA: Have you invested in any particular areas to facilitate growth?
Perry: One key area for us was ensuring that we had the right talent to support growth, and the skill sets needed to move with the fast pace change in technology. This initiated our development programme of identifying, supporting and training new talent.
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We work very hard to develop a culture and workplace that reflects the passion and talent that we have. We want our employees to feel part of who we are.
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CompTIA: We know you have had success with apprentices – what interested you in going down this route?
Perry: We wanted to feel like we were doing more than a straight forward hire of a new technician, we wanted to offer an opportunity to a young person and give something back. Both my business partner and I benefitted from apprenticeships as part of our journey into business, and speaking personally I found the support, guidance and mentorship invaluable in shaping both my career and life. From the business perspective we knew we would be getting a motivated, mouldable keen young individual who was ready to commit to a career path within our industry. We would be able to shape them to work in the ‘Urban’ way, with our company ethos and ethic underpinning their development.
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3 tips on taking on an apprentice
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Whatever time you think you need to put aside forthem, double it! But the effort is worth it.
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Remember they are young and will need your help in personal development in addition to professional development.
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Be prepared before you employ, and be patient.
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CompTIA: Do you feel that investing in talent and training is important and why?
Perry: The old saying that “A business is only as good as the people in it” rings true. We work very hard to develop a culture and workplace that reflects the passion and talent that we have. We want employees to feel part of who we are and invested in. Every team member has a roadmap of skills training and personal development created for them as soon as they join, this is reviewed every 3 months via our “Keeping in Touch (KiT)” programme. By investing in the team we have solidified bonds and hopefully have created a wealth of loyal talent to support the business into the future.
CompTIA: Do you think you have seen a positive return on your investment?
Perry: Undoubtedly. Being able to give young people an inspiring start to their chosen career, as was given to us many (many) years ago is return enough, but their enthusiasm and willingness to learn is infectious throughout the business.
Click on the image to read the full interview >>
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