David Carswell, Managing Director – Corporate, explores how Hawksford's model of operational flexibility adopted during the pandemic is continuing to support resilience and innovation in meeting global client needs.
Post pandemic, the world has remained an uncertain place. Geopolitical upheaval, conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, disrupted energy supply chains and a sustained inflationary environment have come together to create a complex and challenging picture.
Additionally, the macro trend of globalisation that has been shaping the corporate landscape for some time has been amplified as clients reassess their priorities and ambitions around where they choose to live, work and centre their operations.
In tandem with this trend, widespread digital adoption and an appreciation of the need for sustainable, resilient, and long-term growth have also brought about a metaphorical erosion of borders, whereby businesses are adopting a truly global, balanced and technology-driven ethos as part of their strategies.
At a jurisdictional level, leading centres such as Jersey have sought to respond to this by asserting their stability and certainty through high quality regulatory and legislative frameworks, whilst simultaneously demonstrating an innovative mindset.
At Hawksford, meanwhile, we are seeing this manifest itself not only in an evolution in the type of work being sought but also in client expectations and how advisers can adapt their approach to fully meet their ambitions – and flexibility is absolutely vital in that.
People power
At a fundamental level, the pandemic served to underline what is most important in life – people and our relationships with one another. We have interpreted this as a firm by endeavouring to form working relationships with clients that are underpinned by a clear understanding of their individual needs, values and aspirations.
At the same time – and to deliver on that – we also look to nurture a collegiate spirit among colleagues. One example of this is in Hawksford’s approach to hybrid working. While many financial service businesses are returning to a more traditional, office-based model, Hawksford has maintained its flexible, hybrid approach. And the associated benefits for staff – and clients – are clear to see.
It’s an approach that has led to a boost in morale, staff retention and productivity while the adoption of an office/home model has increased the appeal of working with us to those expert practitioners looking for new horizons.
Meanwhile, from a client perspective, flexibility in working hours has enabled a more comprehensive offering with our expert teams being ready to respond to requests across locations and time zones.
For instance, for one of our clients – headquartered in Dubai but with structures and interests spanning Jersey, the Middle East and the Caribbean – having a team that was working flexibly and globally, provided them with the ideal solution to meet their requirements, offering easy access to regional and global expertise as and when they need it.
Resilience
Of course, globalisation stands only to increase this need for readily available specialist expertise – and flexible approaches to working can facilitate that.
Just as Hawksford has championed the importance of flexibility, so too has Jersey shown that it is ready to embrace that same sort of flexibility and innovative approach. It’s a model that flips the dial of an industry that is characterised as cold and inflexible, to one whereby employees are empowered to thrive alongside their clients.
And, as those clients become increasingly global in their outlook – as today’s event will no doubt show – it’s an approach that will bolster our resilience as an internationally capable service provider and enable us to realise our mantra of thinking beyond tomorrow.
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