Darcy Douglas from Taulia explains how a talent and equality programme can drive true cultural change within a fintech.
There are many experiences in my career that have brought pleasure and pride but very few provide the same ongoing sense of achievement as deepening our culture at Taulia. Devising and implementing the LIFT – Leadership Initiative for Taulia, a programme that has been truly impactful and created real business change. LIFT is a mentoring and advocacy programme that has established a network of people within the company that champion each other. As a fast growing business we knew that talent and equality would be essential to ensuring the company’s growth.
Life is about learning
I have been fortunate enough to always have colleagues who have championed and supported me as I have progressed. I greatly valued their mentoring, so I embarked on building a programme replicating this so that others may benefit as I had. The programme created was LIFT and it has impacted the company beyond my expectations.
My colleagues have influenced my mindset on how to foster talent and help teams reach their full potential. They have taught me that there are two types of roles that can provide support to colleagues. Firstly, a mentor can be crucial – a person who will listen and talk to you about your experiences and, where possible, provide sage advice that draws on their own career. The second, and fundamental role, is that of a champion. A person who will represent you, extol your virtues and stake their reputation on your success. When people observe a colleague excelling in their role, they should hold them up, talk about it and encourage others to recognise it.
Fintech needs to nurture
Creating diversity is crucial to success in every sector and the fintech sphere is not immune to that. Since Taulia was established 12 years ago we have seen great progress, but the problem has by no means been solved. We wanted all employees to know that they were joining a company that would believe in them and embrace their career growth. Fintech startups are an incredibly exciting place to work, hard work is encouraged and talent is everywhere. One of the key principles we had in mind as we grew, was that our employees were growing with us.
Introducing LIFT
The LIFT programme has evolved over time, but the driver has always been to make sure our people grow and bring each other up.
The mentoring programme establishes a network within the company that is not only a support structure but also builds a natural connection to different teams and departments. Similarly, our workshops emphasise the talent within our company as well as facilitating knowledge sharing.
Thirdly the leadership programme builds strategic thinking and builds our future leaders.
Success and Expansion
Looking back at the impact of the programme, I believe it is clear that the mindset of our company has changed and evolved because of it. Today sees over 50% of our employees participating.
As the company continues to grow so must the programme to ensure it delivers for all of our employees and the company. Investing consistent time, passion and energy into our investment into talent and equality has enabled us to create a culture within the organisation that is central to our success – and long may that be the case.
