We might wish that a new broom has swept clean as we motor into 2010 but it is much more likely that, in business at least, the same problems we have confronted day in, day out for the last 18 to 24 months are still there to be dealt with. Financial services remains a highly unstable environment to work in, particularly for advisers and intermediaries, and while there may be a hint of a green shoot, the reality is that at present at least it’s much more likely to be buried under 10 inches of snow. The fact remains that we have all had to dig deep to unearth the opportunities that do exist and this is unlikely to change much in the next 12 months.

I don’t wish to be overly downbeat however because one can really sense a shift in attitudes and a much greater degree of optimism from the financial services community than was apparent this time last year. Towards the tail end of last year I attended the Mortgage Business Expo and was surprised, like many no doubt, to speak to business colleagues and new contacts, and find a much more positive outlook than I had anticipated. Yes, times were still deemed to be particularly tough, however the majority felt the light at the end of the tunnel was growing stronger and it seemed that the entrepreneurial nature of many in this market was beginning to shine through.

One sensed that firms were slowly taking themselves off ‘survival mode’ and were looking for greater growth by taking advantage of the one truism of the Credit Crunch and liquidity crisis, namely that ‘all bets are off’. There have been no certainties over the last couple of years and while this can be quite frightening for those who wish for a return to the old days, it can also be liberating for those who have often come up against a glass ceiling or a proverbial brick wall when attempting to break into new sectors and/or forge new relationships.

This is no longer the case. While relationships have survived and continue to be built on, many firms I have spoken to no longer feel like ‘outsiders’ in their own industry. This is because if they have something to offer or can deliver business then they are in a position to achieve greatness. I fully anticipate 2010 to be the turning point for many businesses; as I say, survival has been achieved and firms are looking at ways which they can now develop and exploit the opportunities that exist.

This all means that a significant number of firms are on an expansion footing and in order to achieve these ambitions they are going to need people to make it happen. While many firms will have spent the last couple of years cutting costs and, unfortunately, jobs from their operations now it seems that there are roles available. Which leads us on to the unenviable task of recruitment and developing a team which is able to deliver exactly what the firm wants. For example, many firms will now be looking at their sales teams and wondering whether these can be expanded to enter new product areas and meet new targets. Alongside this sales expansion often comes with it the need for more back-office/administration staff; in essence, your firm could need a number of quality personnel to fulfil the vacancies.

Many individuals will have gone through the recruitment process themselves, and each will have their own take on how it has gone. For every hire which fulfilled expectations and made a significant contribution to the business, there will be another which did not go to plan and ended up at best causing tension in the workplace, at worst disrupting the entire flow of the business. Hand on heart many business owners and managers will probably be unable to put their finger on what made one hire so right and another so wrong.

In a former life I, and a couple of business partners, ran a successful packaging firm and from personal experience we often had a bumpy ride when it came to recruitment. Due to the ebb and flow of our own business levels we would often bring in staff at short notice through a temp agency. Whilst not ideal it would allow us to meet demand very quickly, however, the disruption some employees brought with them was simply not worth the bother.

The simple fact of the matter was that many of the individuals who passed through our doors (and left soon after) were just not suited to the financial services market, they did not have the attitudes or skills or ambitions necessary to be a success in the role. Of course, as an employer you only ever learn this through the experience of having taken on an individual; all candidates were interviewed however it is often difficult to get a real feel for the person and, while a CV might show the person to be perfect for the job on paper, this may never translate into reality particularly if they do not fit within the company culture.

This is a very important point with regards to recruiting the right person. Before you go ahead and begin the establishment of that expanded sales team it is often a good exercise to look at your own firm and truly understand what the company culture is and what you are actually looking for with any new hire. The added bonus of course will come with being able to understand a candidate without even having to look at a CV or interviewing them. Many firms have used an array of traditional, some would say archaic, psychometric testing in order to help them in this area. Let me be the first to say that this type of testing has had its place however the fact remains that is particularly limited in providing the true information about a person an employer actually wants and needs.

When many candidates are told they will be undertaking a psychometric test of any kind, the first thing they will do is to buy or borrow a book which will show them how to ‘pass it’. Psychometric tests are set up in such a way that they almost encourage individuals to try and cheat them, and this can be achieved. This is because the testing essentially delivers a self-report to the employer based on only what the individual is willing to say about themselves; they do not give a true insight because, let’s face it, how many people are truly willing to be completely open about themselves, especially when it comes to applying for a job? The mantra is often: ‘say what the interviewer wants to hear in order to get the job’ and it would take a very perceptive interviewer not to be taken in by this. Interviews are often based on the art of the first impression, and if the interviewer is only armed with a stock series of the same questions which they ask each person, then the likelihood is they are going to get stock answers and little understanding of the true motivations and skills of the prospective employee.

So if ‘all bets are off’ in respect of market norms post Credit Crunch, what are firms doing differently in terms of the recruitment process, does your firm, for example, even have one – just using a recruitment agency doesn’t mean you have the right process in place. How can a firm ensure they get the right person in the right role every time? Essentially, they need to firstly understand their own company culture and the type of person who would thrive within it. They also need to have a clear view about exactly what type of individual they are looking for; what are the qualities beyond, simply the right qualifications that are needed at the firm? What values and drivers should the person have in order to be highly productive and successful in the role?

In terms of the provision of advice and achieving sales, many CVs will look similar. As stated, if they don’t have the necessary qualifications they’re not even going to make it on to the short-list. There is therefore a much greater focus on soft skills which will not be marked up on a CV. This is where an employee profiling tool like the Axia profile could be worth its weight in gold; firstly, it is impossible to cheat and it gives an accurate profile of the candidate, warts and all.

Axiology is the science of value which means the profile can highlight the internal valuing systems that influence everything we do. It is different to other self assessments as it does not ask someone to describe themselves the taker simply has to perform a ranking task making it a totally objective measure. Firms who use the profile will be provided with a much more rounded picture of the candidate; they will also be armed with an interview guide in order to ask the right questions. This allows the employer to put the interviewee into situations where they can gauge exactly how they will work and react in a real-life employment scenario. Importantly, of course it saves time and money by clearly identifying those candidates who would not be right for the firm, even if their CV shows that they might be suitable.

The recruitment process can be fraught and it takes a considerable amount of resource and investment; often this is still not enough to get the right person in the job. At a time when time is money for most advisory firms, arming themselves with all the relevant information about a potential candidate before they begin the interviewing process, could mean the difference between getting it right and getting it wrong. In a sales-based environment you want the top performers but you also want those who can make a real difference and add a considerable amount to the firm. Using a profiling system like will certainly put you one step ahead of the competition and in this environment that crucial head start could deliver real rewards.

Martin Gilsenan is Partner at AxiaMetrics LLP