Wow. Jumar and me, one month in.

Remarkably, it’s been a month since I joined Jumar as Chief Digital and Information Officer. Time goes very quickly when you’re busy, and I’ve been drinking from the fire hose, learning about the service lines and capabilities that we are building and delivering to our customers, also the people, their aspirations, and the various short-, medium- and long-term objectives that we have as a group.?I couldn’t be happier with the welcome I have received and the opportunities that are laid out in front of us, not least because I am one of several new hires, all of whom will bring a lot to the party.

Jumar is about providing technology and skills.?Technology via our various practices such as Architecture, Software Development, Azure, and Testing, and skills via our recruitment team who are doing an amazing job in a very challenging market.?So, one of my key tasks is to look at what we do now and work with our teams to ensure that we’re building the capabilities that our customers and the market will need for the future.?This means lots of conversations about forward planning and strategy, and a focus on our being prepared for the next question before it’s asked.?Alongside this, I’ve also started looking at our skills strategy.?I’ve long been a supporter of apprenticeships and the idea that as companies we have a duty to grow these skills in our communities rather than just fishing in the same pools time after time.?We have several apprentices in our teams right now, and we just completed our latest, and very successful,?graduate day, looking for people with the aptitude and attitude that means they will have a successful career in technology.?

I promised myself I’d do some honest “working out loud” when I took on this role, so what are the current topics on my mind???Some of the key ones are

• How can we work with our customers to use a mix of experienced and junior staff, in order to build skills across teams, reduce risk, and support career development and company growth?
• How do we better understand motivation across our organisation and make sure we’re meeting the needs of our people, so they stay with us and can progress in our business?
• Are we missing any technology strands that will come into high demand in the next 1-2 years?
• How do we best use our technology to ensure everyone that interacts with Jumar, be they an employee, a contractor, a customer, a supplier and so on, feels like we are easy to work with and are delighted with their experience?

Of course, the rubber has hit the road already in terms of delivery, so I can’t spend all my time scratching my chin ?? but these are some of the questions I am considering now – they may well change by the end of month two!