BTS’ Natalie Dawes caught up with True Potential’s Talent Acquisition Specialist – John Lafferty, to chat about the values of the business and what they really mean.
“John, you’re True Potential’s Talent Acquisition Specialist but what does this really mean and how do colleagues within the business know you?”
“Well, they see me quite a bit, meeting with hiring managers but a lot of people know me just from the fact that we’re implementing a big change within the business, by bringing in our own in-house processes. A lot of people will see me helping to streamline what we’re doing here.
“My main role is making sure that we’re attracting the right people, but also giving a good accountability of ourselves and a good insight into what True Potential are all about as well.
“I’ve spent a lot of my time since I started back in September, getting a good feel for the office culture, understanding the type of people that we want to bring into our business, but also what we could offer an employee as well, which is really important.”
“If we can offer a suitable and exciting option for somebody to progress their career with True Potential, then ultimately, we both win as a business and as an employee as well. It’s about finding that balance and it’s something that I’m really passionate about, and I’m look forward to continuing with.”
“You’re coming up for working with True Potential for almost a year now, which isn’t that long really. However, you’re so well integrated within the business – how do you fund the culture at True Potential?”
“I’m in the office every day, so I’m immersed within the culture that we have here. It’s been a really refreshing time in my career actually. I get to the end of a weekend on a Sunday night and I’m actually quite looking forward to going into work the next day.
It’s a really exciting, progressive and genuinely, a positive place to come and do your work.
I think one of the most important things is the freedom and trust I have been given to go on and make a difference within the business. It’s not very common that you get to work for an employer that genuinely welcomes your ideas, asks what you can bring to the table and lets you run with it.
Walking around the office, you’ll get a real good sense for the collaborative environment that we’ve got. We’ve got a really big space to work in too, with plenty of places to rub heads together or work independently in a quieter area.”
“I’ve been mentally nodding through you talking about all of that and it’s because I often talk to True Potential colleagues who echo what you’ve said, they always speak so positively about the vibes in the office and opportunities to progress their careers.
Let’s talk about where all this positivity comes from, specifically around the True Potential values – ‘simple, effective, unique’. Let’s take the first one, ‘simple’ – what does this mean?”
“We have a complicated industry and if you also look at the skeleton of the True Potential business with it’s now many departments, it’s also quite complicated! To counteract this, our aim is to provide products and services for our clients that are clear.
We also want to provide training, for everyone in the business no matter what their role is, that is as simple as possible, that gives them the effective training that they need. So it’s about both our clients and our colleagues. The simpler we can make things, the better, for everyone.”
“And everything you’ve said there again echos what I’m told so often. You also mention the word ‘effective’ when you were talking about training, which is funny because that is the second True Potential value, which I think shows a real joined up approach – can you elaborate on this value?”
“It’s because the values are a part of me! They are also, all interlinked. The effective piece is about how we can make a difference, how we can affect the industry in a really positive way. It starts from within, upskilling everybody within the business.
What that does is enable us to look after our clients and their portfolios even better. They trust us to look after their money and we take ownership of that. We are proud of our client retention rate of 97% to date and I think our Trust Pilot reviews speak for themselves.
We spearhead fresh, effective ideas within the industry and we create products and services that are beneficial to everybody and ones that are unique to the market. True Potential have fostered a really positive and progressive environment and by us sticking to the core values, we have the building blocks of our company in place.”
“What clients think and feel is so important and you’re absolutely right, your stats do tell you an awful lot and shows that those building blocks in place are pretty solid. So let’s think about the third True Potential value then – ‘unique’.”
“I’ve touched on this already really, where we are creating brand new processes, products and ways of doing things. Things that make us different, that our clients and colleagues will benefit from. We are striving to be the front runners in all that we do and we think we have three values that combined, will support that goal.
In a complex market, we genuinely want to live by our simple, effective and unique ways of doing things – by always striving to do better – together. We have the right talent within our business to be able to do so and every person within the business can make a difference in all of this – by being the very best version of themselves, which we absolutely support them to be.”
“It’s quite empowering all of that isn’t it? There will be people out there aspiring to make a difference within the industry and they could do exactly that at True Potential, because everyone has a key role to play in that bigger picture. What type of individual are you ideally looking to recruit?”
“There is no ideal, we’re a very open minded business and have a really diverse workforce. People from all different background and all walks of life, it’s something we are really proud of. Diversity is actually the key to creating new and fresh ideas, which again links back to our values. If you don’t have a diverse workforce, then everyone tends to be thinking the same things.
Ultimately, if you’re passionate about the industry, you’re progressive, you want to make a difference, you’re motivated and you want to be part of a business that’s going to help you succeed, then we’re always interested in speaking.”
“What would you say to someone that is considering contacting True Potential about opportunities in joining the business?”
“We can offer a really supportive way of working, career progression, exposure to the many avenues of financial services and help in reaching personal goals.
We are proud of the environment that we have created for our colleagues here and as you have said, anyone you speak to will echo that. Whether that be our offices and the vibes that we have on a daily basis, our flexibility in working or the training provided in taking exams or upskilling across many areas of the business, there is something for everyone.
And it all starts with a conversation. I love speaking with people that are genuinely excited and passionate about getting into our industry or those that are already in it and are looking for the next step in their career.”
It really does start with a conversation! If you’re interested in finding out more about True Potential, why not connect with them via their BTS Featured Company profile page .
Find out more about the opportunities with True Potential by checking out their Featured Company Profile page.
You can also connect with True Potential by editing your profile and updating your connect with featured companies preferences to start a conversation.
You can also read another article from True Potential “True Potential Academy: An Insight” to find out more about the company.
