I am Laura and I am a Manager at Deloitte, I work in Audit Centre of Excellence in Newcastle. My husband and I share the same profession which made it clear to see just how much having children had halted my career.
FLEXIBLE WORKING WITHIN DELOITTE
Press – 18th June 2021 Deloitte gives 20,000 people the choice of when and where to work
I became increasingly frustrated and found it harder and harder to share in his successes as my career stagnated, knowing I could have had similar successes if I hadn’t taken a side step to raise our family. I actually made the decision to leave my full time job at one of the other big 4 firms whilst on maternity leave with my first child, as I couldn’t see how I could physically attempt either job (career and mother) well, let alone both! Not only could we not afford for me to be a stay at home mum, but I didn’t want to completely lose my identity and career, therefore I took a massive pay cut and began working for a smaller firm.
Then Deloitte approached me whilst I was on maternity leave with my second child. It actually seemed too good to be true; back at the big 4, my challenging and rewarding career back on track and a reinstated pay pack to help with the child care fees! However once I was back I realised that Deloitte actually felt just as lucky to have us working parents on-board! I feel like my three-day-a-week contribution is really valued and I am respected and appreciated just as much as my full time colleagues.
The team was established in June 2015, by three dedicated and determined managers and under the guidance of a female director, Nicky Cooke. Within a few months Carey Stuart, a senior manager came on-board to assist in over-seeing the team’s growth and development. Nicky and Carey – who both work part-time – recognised that the team was a prime candidate for the implementation of WorkAgility, Deloitte’s agile working approach.
WorkAgility ensures that everyone at Deloitte is able to work in a way that enables them to balance a successful career with their commitments outside of work. It focuses on both formal arrangements and informal day-to-day practices for working flexibly and is underpinned by three core principles: trust and respect, open and honest two-way conversation and judging only on output. While relevant to everyone in the firm, WorkAgility is widely used by those with family responsibilities.
Fast forward two years and the centre has gone from strength to strength, to the point where it is almost unrecognisable, however the close-knit and supportive nature of the team remains intact. We have grown to encompass 23 members, with agile working still being fundamental to its continued success. In fact, 65% of the team work less than full time, whilst 78% of the team frequently use other agile working arrangements. Take Harry for example, who works three days a week to enhance his experience and improve upon his technical knowledge, whilst keeping his qualification in good standing and up to date. Harry spends his remaining two days each week developing and building his own personal training business, a long term goal of his.
We at Deloitte really do believe that we break the mould of the traditional corporate environment. Natalie, who joined us from a large plc, says ‘I feel very fortunate to have found a role which lets me keep more on top of my technical knowledge than I have ever felt in the past, thanks to the wealth of training and developmental opportunities on offer to me, whilst affording me the ability to flex my hours around attending to my two very young son’s needs.’
The broad range of agile-working options aren’t the only perk of a career at the centre. One of the most inspirational factors is that having an agile working arrangement is neither a barrier to an exciting and varied career or to opportunities for progression. Given the remit of the centre, the teamwork on a wide range of clients and industries, including but not limited to retail, property, manufacturing, advertising, solicitors, charities, public sector, pharmaceuticals, transport providers and recruitment firms. The breadth and complexity of the work undertaken presents several opportunities for progression and with minimal travel it is a fantastic opportunity for flexible working within Deloitte.
Find out more about why Deloitte implemented agile working.
#Flexible Working Within Deloitte