‘Why would we have an end point to an employee’s development?’

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Saltgate aims to be a ‘great employer, both for now and for the future’. Michala Wright tells Meg Winton that the firm’s commitment to its team is a long-term arrangement

INVESTING in the best doesn’t just apply to the calibre of clients to whom Saltgate provides its fund administration services.

As a “people-first” business, Saltgate, says head of people Michala Wright, is committed to supporting its colleagues to have fulfilling and thriving careers.

And the firm really means the investing part.

Saltgate has invested the time and resources to empower its team members to achieve their individual career ambitions, where continuous learning, collaboration and professional development are prioritised.

In her role, Michala has direct involvement with the firm’s people proposition and the career opportunities on offer to the teams spanning Jersey, London and Luxembourg. She calls it a “privilege”.

“I work to make sure we align the people strategy with our business objectives, and it fosters a culture of learning and employee engagement,” she said.

“Multi-faceted” was how Michala described Saltgate’s commitment to career progression. A key element was its Career Pathways roadmap for each function of the business.

“These pathways outline both the technical and competency requirements for the role, and provide incremental learning and development opportunities,” she said. “They give a very clear visual on the type of learning interventions that will help them demonstrate their readiness for promotion.”

The roadmap prioritised transparency, Michala highlighted, in that employees gained a full understanding of what was expected of them when they progressed up the ranks, and they saw the “story of a complete career pathway”.

This structure, she noted, “set them up with the skills to succeed”, and “inspired” colleagues to see a career with Saltgate as a “long-term decision”. The firm’s annual programmes for learning complement the Career Pathways roadmap too, as they focus on future managers and “equip them to be effective and inspirational leaders”.

“Career Pathways engenders that sense of purpose and commitment on the employee’s part, as well as Saltgate’s people proposition, which is that we ‘invest in the best’,” Michala added.

Resources such as Career Pathways, which clearly lays out the journey and opportunities available, are key to a motivated workforce, she says.

“It helps break down that journey into little success moments,” she explained. “When you demonstrate incremental pathways, rather than one journey from administrator to managing director of a client team, it helps employees stay focused and engaged.

“It connects their contribution in their own personal and professional growth to Saltgate’s journey.”

Michala said this benefited overall job satisfaction, which was essential to “propelling” the firm forward.

“When I think about a programme of learning as part of the people proposition, my assessment is, will this make them feel like we are a great employer, for now and the future?” she asked.

“That’s my measure of success. I want somebody to consider Saltgate as their next employer, not just their current employer.”

Saltgate’s commitment to career progression is also demonstrated through its additional offers to the expected professional qualification support and training and CPD sessions.

The weekly Enrichment Hour initiative applies a “holistic approach” to learning and development. It is a dedicated hour each week for initiatives such as extra training, speaker sessions or internal presentations.

“It ensures employees have access to development that will prepare them for future challenges and make them more aware of different demographics and cultures,” Michala explained. “Everybody in the business has access to that Enrichment Hour of learning.”

The culture Saltgate has built, Michala says, also supports that.

“An employee on a qualification journey has access to peers and people who have walked that pathway before them,” she shared. “That openness to share learning experiences and guide and mentor them through preparation for exams is key.”

There is also an element of role modelling that Michala says encourages collaboration and support.

“We have a very open office space and flat cultural hierarchy. That allows our leaders in the business to role model the values, culture and professional expectations for Saltgate,” she explained. “Colleagues are inspired and can go on to curate their own style for their own career journey.”

The level of support doesn’t waver as a colleague becomes more senior, either.

“We don’t cap learning and training opportunities when you become a
senior manager, for example. It goes beyond that, but it presents differently,” said Michala.
“Your training needs will change, and the interventions for that development are now different.”

The firm’s Towards Leadership programme is an example of this.

“The programme is an investment into identifying talent and supporting them through senior internal promotions, like associate director into director,” she added.

This approach to continuous learning and well-rounded support means Saltgate can retain and nurture its top talent, so they can find themselves in leadership roles at the firm in the future.

“It ensures employees are ready for the next professional challenge and fosters a culture of success, excellence and continuous learning,” Michala said.

“By investing in our people, we ensure that they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in their roles and contribute to the overall success of the organisation.”

And colleagues don’t have to look far for inspiration. Just one example is the fact that two-thirds of the C-suite at Saltgate has been there since the company was founded in 2007.

“For me, that’s one unique element of the business. We see people who have walked that pathway themselves,” she shared. “They have worked at Saltgate for a number of years and have successfully progressed through various role levels to hit that point of associate director, director and onwards.

“It really magnifies that one goal, one purpose, one objective,” Michala added. “Everybody feels they are connected with that journey.”

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