Recruitment: coding and collaboration

Mark Eastham at Homeprotect, part of the Avantia Group, explains the benefits of having universal skills within your team  

Adaptability and agility are cornerstones for success in today’s rapidly evolving and highly competitive business landscape. These days, many jobs are including more technical elements, and whilst currently around 50% of jobs need employees to have technology skills, it’s estimated that by 2030, this will be 75%. 

Many of these roles demand some form of coding proficiency, with employers constantly seeking employees with such skills. In fact, half of the jobs in the top income quartile are in occupations which commonly require coding skills from job applicants. 

Even if a role doesn’t necessarily entail coding, having the capacity to understand and work with code provides a competitive edge in several associated posts. This translates to improved earning potential and an advantage over candidates lacking these skills. Plus, given the growing significance of technology in both our personal lives and workplaces, it’s likely that an increasing number of professions will require at least some coding ability.

How to build a team with coding skills 

The insurance industry is a sector that is particularly tech heavy, driven by the need to stay competitive, meet evolving customer expectations and reduce costs. As a result, insurance technology plays a central role in reshaping how products are developed, with the global insurtech market valued at $9,415.28 million in 2020, and projected to reach $158,994.52 million by 2030.

A significant portion of the Homeprotect team possesses coding skills – a combination of inherent abilities and a deliberate recruitment strategy. By using open-source tools we have the advantage of naturally attracting individuals with coding expertise.

While we do seek candidates with specific skills and thought processes, open source tends to draw naturally curious people who are driven to create an impact. These individuals often exhibit an agile and entrepreneurial business mindset. 

Culturally, we operate in a decentralised way, where the coding community is deeply entrenched in our three growth pillars. Unlike many large insurance companies, which traditionally hire experts in specific fields and then approach IT if they want to build something creative, we aim to eliminate such delays and possible misinterpretations. 

Instead, we recruit individuals who are experts in their respective fields but also possess practical skills – for instance, someone skilled in marketing who can also build their own landing page. We encourage ownership and self-sufficiency, allowing individuals to develop their own solutions, thereby fostering a more proactive approach. 

Learning and development

It is a good idea to promote continuous learning and skill diversification by encouraging the integration of different teams with different skills to facilitate mutual learning. In contrast to many big companies that separate business experts from IT teams, taking this approach encourages teams to collaborate. 

This arrangement places IT technicians alongside pricing managers and marketing experts, for example, fostering a natural learning process through daily interactions. Empower your people to explore innovative approaches open-mindedly – success requires an ongoing commitment to learning and a proactive attitude.

Collaboration and problem-solving 

These universal skills within a team promote empowerment and reduce conflict because they allow different departments and individuals to build knowledge and understanding of other areas of a business. For example, developers understand marketing and product managers acquire coding skills, ensuring everyone moves in the same direction. 

In contrast with traditional scenarios where the expert and IT teams struggle to communicate their needs, team members work closely together and make changes themselves. This fosters a deeper understanding of tasks, limitations, and possibilities. Negotiations become unnecessary because everyone shares the same objectives, eliminating resistance to challenges. 

Example of cross-functional project success 

The flagship example is our own Cortex platform, symbolically named after the brain’s cortex. We hired data science experts, some from insurance and others from non-insurance backgrounds, to help build cutting-edge pricing models. We found these experts often grew frustrated with other existing pricing models.

Cortex is a collaboration between data scientists, pricing experts, developers, and data engineers to ensure its effective operation. It has become a significant attraction for talent as people want to work with this platform rather than insurance-specific systems. Rather than dictating pricing solutions to developers, we foster collaboration between IT and data scientists so the latter can build pricing solutions based on people’s individual circumstances. 

This approach is also rooted in transferable skills, as data scientists prefer to use programs like Python, which Cortex supports. Our team is empowered to build or buy technology solutions as needed and also to change tact as the market evolves. We emphasise the interchangeability between building and buying tech, allowing people on the ground to make informed decisions about what’s needed.

Why other businesses should consider it 

This multiskilled approach to work can offer significant benefits to businesses. It enables quicker problem resolution, the development of customised solutions that precisely fit the purpose, and the freedom for teams to unleash creativity in problem-solving. 

It also creates a fast-paced business environment where priorities may change rapidly – having employees with versatile skill sets ensures the team can swiftly respond to new challenges. Also, as team members acquire coding skills and grasp their practical applications, they discover opportunities to improve and optimise the programs and tools they already use.

A team with universal skills can also serve as a distinct selling point for a business. It showcases adaptability and versatility to clients, partners, and investors, potentially providing the company with a competitive advantage. 

Fortunately, businesses might soon benefit from the Generation Z cohort. The digital age has seen a surge in young individuals acquiring coding skills at school, a prized asset in an era where technology continues to advance and play an integral role in our lives.  

By nurturing a diverse range of abilities with a focus on upskilling and independence, teams can navigate the ever-changing landscape of challenges with resilience and creativity - ultimately helping to achieving success in a world where versatility is the key to progress.

Mark Eastham is CEO of Homeprotect, part of the Avantia Group

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com