A specialist in the field of Payments, Technology Sales and Development recruitment, DP Connect has been uniting talent and technology with some of the UK’s leading organisations and specialist professionals for almost three decades.
Our consultants are experts in their fields; with an unrivalled knowledge of business systems, development platforms and emerging cutting-edge technologies, this ensures they are best placed to support you in finding the right hire or matching your skills to the perfect opportunity. Directing our expertise to our specialist sectors allows us to focus on providing a premium bespoke service, uniting the best talent in the market with the role that is right for both them and their future employer.
We offer a comprehensive range of opportunities as we work exclusively with some of the UK’s most prestigious organisations as well as fresh and exciting start-up businesses providing contract, permanent and fixed-term positions. We will consult closely with you to understand your skills and experience, requirements and aspirations and to accurately match them with the right employer.
Over the last 12 months, the pressure on organisations to digitally transform has been greater than ever. Whilst many knew they needed to adapt and adopt new technologies, during 2020 they had to react quickly to rapidly changing ways of working in order to survive and thrive. This coupled with the increase in personal and corporate cyber risks driven by an increase in the number of cyber attacks along with the switch to remote working has meant that skills for robust cyber security defences have taken priority. With many organisations investing in data security tools and capabilities to strengthen their security posture. Many CIOs and CTOs consider maintaining the IT security of systems as the top strategic priority for 2021. This shift has already led to an increase in the hunt for top security talent and will continue to rise. As organisations become more reliant on mobile devices and offsite and cloud-based technologies to run their teams and operations, they will need to focus on ensuring these are secure and protected from cyber security risks. A global survey from cloud security company VMWare found that 91% of all enterprises have seen increased cyber attacks since the start of the pandemic. This increase in security breaches is driving the search for a range of cyber security talent, the skills expected to see the highest demand include: Information security (InfoSec) - Including authentication/authorisation, malware analysis, incident response, risk management and data recovery. Network security - Including wireless network security, firewalls and IDS/IPS, VPNs and remote access, as well as endpoint security. Cloud security services - Including implementation of policies, controls, procedures, and technologies that protect cloud-based systems, devices, and infrastructure. Web security - Remote working means organisations need to secure their websites and web applications from threats including viruses, ransomware, and distributed denial of service (DDoS). In-demand skills span network, application, and OS security. Security architecture - Including knowledge of security hardware and software, analysis of organisational needs and the ability to manage cyber-security risks in relation to organisational policies and industry standards. To fill these skill gaps, organisations are looking to hire new talent as well as investing in their existing talent to develop their skills. Organisations must develop a recruitment program that attracts the right talent in order to meet their cyber security needs and ensure they are protected against security threats in 2021 and beyond.
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In today’s candidate led market, candidates want transparency and if they don’t feel they are getting it from your company they will move on to the next. During 2020 there was an increase in job uncertainty and redundancies, which may mean more talent is available to hire but it will also mean that they will be more careful about their next steps. Candidates have more access to online information about companies, such as employee reviews and hiring processes and they want to gain an understanding of what their working life could look like at the company they are applying to work for. This desire for transparency and information is why employer branding will take centre stage in 2021. Employer branding isn’t a new concept, but it is one that must take priority in 2021 and beyond not only to attract those that are actively searching for new opportunities but also those who are not currently looking. Improving your employer branding To stay ahead and ensure you are attracting the best talent, consider what your current employer branding looks like and how you keep talent engaged. Are there any areas that could be improved? Do you need more content that is focused on your employer brand or could you enhance how you engage talent? One of the most powerful elements of your employer branding strategy is your existing employees, these are the people that candidates want to hear about. Your employees have a story to tell and senior management should be encouraging them to do so. A day in the life style videos and career stories are a great way to showcase what your employees think about working at your company. Ask your employee’s real questions that will invoke an emotional response, ask them about their achievements, their career goals or how your company has helped them rather than what they like about the office. These stories should then be used in the career section of your website and on your company social media pages so they can be easily found and seen by candidates. It’s important to remember that employer branding is as much about retaining your existing employees as it is about attracting new talent. Creating these stories helps you engage with your current workforce and highlights the ways your company could help them with their career progression or skills development. Company accolades and social responsibility are other big factors in attracting candidates. They want to know that the company they are applying to work for are successful, but also care about social issues such as reducing their carbon footprint, helping their local community or supporting charities. Make sure your career pages and social media channels are kept up to date with your latest achievement such as awards and accreditations as well as your involvement in the local community, charity partnerships and efforts to be greener.
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Whether working from home or as part of a mobile workforce, remote workers are becoming more commonplace and the changes to our working patterns during the pandemic have contributed to the growth in remote workforces. Remote working offers many benefits from reduced costs for both employees not having travel expenses and employers reducing office costs as well as productivity efficiencies. But one area many employers may not have considered is how remote working can help drive their diversity and inclusion initiatives. A wider more diverse talent pool Removing the necessity of travelling to and working from a fixed physical location helps overcome the barriers of attracting diverse talent. Not being confined by geographical location or physical ability means employers can widen their net when searching for candidates. Those who have a remote workforce can advertise their jobs across the UK or even around the world to help them attract the best talent and also a more diverse talent. Another consideration is workplace accessibility for those living with a physical disability, many office buildings, in particular older ones, may not be designed to cater for varying physical abilities. But if employees are able to work from home, in an environment that already caters for their physical needs the talent available to companies increases. Reinforcing inclusion An inclusive workforce doesn’t happen overnight, it requires a sustained drive and effort to ensure employees feel supported and a valued part of the company and are encouraged to make meaningful contributions. Add a remote workforce into the mix and this can become a more daunting challenge, but it needn’t be. The shift in working from home in some ways has made us all more connected, but that does not guarantee greater inclusion at work and employers must lead by example to help drive inclusion across the workplace. This can be achieved by: Demonstrating vulnerability and empathy - team members should feel comfortable being open and vulnerable. They should feel they can share their feeling and should also support others to do the same. Asking about employees needs and respond with tailored actions - employees should be asked what they need to help overcome any challenges they are facing and employers should acknowledge and respond with tailored actions. Making space for diverse perspectives - diverse perspectives should be embraced and celebrated to enhance performance. Contributions at team meetings should be encouraged and facilitated. Allowing time for remote team building - if in-person interactions aren’t possible then employers should plan for remote ones. Employers should consider virtual interactions such as games, challenges or quizzes that require team working and ensure unfamiliar team members work together to help them feel a greater part of the organisation.
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