Advocate Chris Austin, Head of Employment Law, Parslows
“In the 20 or so years I have been working in Jersey as an employment and HR lawyer, the question has resonated with me: “Should an employer focus on recruiting employees with a deep knowledge of a relevant area or aim for employees with a broad knowledge?”
“In the past, employers tended to seek out the more specialist skills and to value this segment of skilled workers more highly. The advice to employees had been to avoid portraying themselves as a generalist. Being a ‘jack of all trades’, ‘master of none’ was not seen by employers as a benefit.
“However, recent surveys suggest that this mind-set may have started to change in some sectors of the economy. Organisations are trying to do more with less and this includes employees. In Jersey, for example, with almost full employment and a government which places restriction on recruiting foreign employees, employers have had to look for solutions. Employing generalists can provide cover to most areas that an organisation trades in.
“My team and I are aware that many Jersey businesses focus on engaging generalists, but bring in outside specialist support ‘consultants’ if and when needed. There are pros and cons to both sides of the issue. Recruiting generalists may provide you with employees who can deal with all eventualities in your business. Recruiting specialists may provide you with that certain niche as the ‘go-to’ company for businesses. Some sectors will need specialists, others generalists. Ultimately, it very much depends upon your business sector.”
Priya Khare, Regional HR Director – APAC & Mauritius, Sanne
“When recruiting, neither deep knowledge of a relevant area or broad understanding of many areas is as critical as a positive can-do attitude! At SANNE, we pride ourselves on being able to coach our staff to develop advanced expertise in one area or many areas through our highly successful learning interventions. Hence what we look for in a potential candidate is the right attitude and character; that, for us, is critical.
“Being a global business based across 15 jurisdictions, we continue to strive in recruiting for the right attitude which embodies the SANNE values not only at work, but also in the communities in which they live and serve.”
Laura Belo, HR Recruitment & Reward Business Partner In the Human Resources Division at JT
“I think it is largely dependent on the role: for some of our technical or specialist roles at JT, we need that deep knowledge and experience; but for other roles, a broad understanding is also important. At JT, we hire across the knowledge spectrum. Obviously technical roles will require good qualifications and a strong CV, but a willingness to upskill and training is also extremely important.
“In addition to the functional specialty, you need to be able to relate to people, communicate well, perhaps manage people and budgets, create reports and deploy other skills broader than your job description. On-the-job training also allows employees to learn the skills they need in real circumstances faced by the business. At JT, we offer our teams the opportunity to improve their skills, re-train and transfer into new areas.
“We also encourage and help everyone to achieve their personal career goals. Often, we see colleagues who have been with us many years move through several areas of the business, progressing to senior management or becoming technical specialists. Having a broad knowledge of our business, a varied skill set, and a real understanding of each department’s day-to-day tasks and how these impact on others is an invaluable asset to us.
“In summary, the need for deep or broad knowledge-based skills will depend on an individual’s career goals but, in an ideal world, we’d like people to have both. Above all, we look for adaptable people who can apply their knowledge, broad or detailed, to a variety of situations.”
Renny Gould, Senior Consultant at Optimus
“As recruiters, Optimus specialise in placing people within the financial services sector and knowing this environment intimately. It is an industry that our team of staff have not only serviced for more ten years, but also worked within to senior levels, and across a wide breadth of roles.
“Insight into the finance market allows us to better service our clients, understanding exactly what employers’ expectations are from a candidate, ensuring we find the right candidate for the right role. Our knowledge helps us articulate and elaborate on vacancies, adding more colour to a role, and discussing career paths and ongoing opportunities within the Jersey marketplace.
“Collectively as a varied and experienced team, we have a sound grasp of the technical aspects of local businesses, from Trust & Company Administration, Funds to I.T. and Investment Management, amongst others. This allows us to have intelligent conversations with our clients and candidates.
“Alongside maintaining a good understanding of our clients’ businesses, we recognise the importance of keeping up to date on external influences and challenges faced by sectors. Keeping apprised as to changes in law, fiscal policies and regulation within the finance industry enables us to empathise with the firms we work with and helps us find the staff they need to meet these challenges.
“While it’s impossible for one person to have a deep understanding of all the sectors that make up the finance industry, as a team we feel very well placed to provide our expert opinion, staying one step ahead of our competitors.”
Read the full ‘Viewpoint’ column and CONNECT magazine’s other features here.