Post COVID-19, as mobility constraints recede and life pivots toward a new normal, a key trend emerges within the digital space, for clients, consultants, and users alike.
The digital experience has surged since the adoption of remote work. It has adapted and evolved to keep up with the changing needs of users. Functionalities beyond the scope of working from home have prompted the need for the Banking, Technology, Investment and Asset management domains to ramp up their response to accommodate and maintain online functionality amidst the pandemic and lockdown.
Remote work and flexibility has been a theme in almost every facet of the overall market, but in the world of Banking, Investments, Wealth & Asset Management, the need for professionals with the experience, maturity and hard and soft skills to execute in this space are in demand for the long term.
Key Growth Areas within Financial Services
Core areas of development and strategy surrounding mobile and digital access are being created and implemented. The growing need and user base means that companies are moving toward having automated, streamlined functionalities to meet the increasing growth. The Banking and Investment Management sector have stepped up their offerings and their capabilities and processes are being automated to keep up with digital traffic. Cyber security is being enhanced, deployed, or updated to keep up with growing mobile, digital access and storage needs. Marketing analytics is another sphere that is picking up, the data insights to document and track metrics are becoming richer and strategy is vital in the new future.
The demand for experienced talent in all these areas has firms in the industry and the consulting ecosystem hiring for a wide array of skillsets: Business Analysts, Project managers, architects, developers, engineers, user experience designers, web content consultants, data analysts and marketing consultants are just the beginning!
Introductions – How YOU Show Up
In response to how companies are gearing up to accommodate remote work, the virtual process has been streamlined resulting in faster onboarding of consultants to projects. Companies are responding to the rise of virtual introductions, by providing more detailed insights regarding culture and project specifics. This results in talent aligning more accurately with client needs and getting engaged sooner. When presenting your talents via videoconference, it’s important to showcase a professional, quiet background and remote work environment conducive to thoughtful engagement. This is your one and only opportunity to create a first impression of who you are and how you show up.
What do YOU Want? – Motivation is KEY
As a consultant, it’s an opportune time to consider your motivations for work. As the pace of hiring accelerates, consultants are having to respond by evaluating decision factors prior to virtual introductions. The project details, company culture, compensation and length of engagement need to be compared to other opportunities, so that once you have had a virtual introduction, you know if it’s right for you. With location constraints no longer acting as a barrier, competition is steep and understanding your motivations before-hand will make the decision-making process go more quickly. Gone are the days when you can take days or weeks to come to a decision – In this market, hesitation could cost you that opportunity.
References – Who’s in YOUR Corner?
Following closely to that point, consultants need to recognize the importance of references now more than ever. From now on, it’s crucial to start working toward ensuring that you have accessible references that you are willing and able to put forward during the introduction phase. With onsite, in-person interviews phasing out and the new norm of online introductions, having your references at hand put you in a strong position to ensure that your experience can be corroborated quickly. References indicate intent and showcase your motivation to get engaged with the project.
What’s Next? Who can I talk to about joining the GSG Global Team?
If you’re looking to hear more about the types of projects we are working on and the practices that we are investing in for our clients, or just want to discuss your current skills and experience to hear what opportunities we have on the horizon, get in touch with us so that we can work with you to secure your next engagement. Send your profile with a brief introduction of yourself to applicants@granitesolutionsgroupe.com today and one of our amazing talent acquisition specialists will be in touch guide you on your journey to an amazing career with Granite Solutions Groupe!
Astrid Gravenor is a Senior Talent Acquisition professional for GSG Global based in Cape Town, South Africa. Committed to learning through interaction with diverse talent, her insights are continuously evolving to align consulting expertise with delivery opportunities.
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