Libertex Group: Interview with Global Head of Human Resources Andrew Williams

The Cyprus Mail recently spoke to Andrew Williams, the Global Head of Human Resources at LImassol-based Libertex Group.

The interview covered a number of areas, including what the company does to nurture and retain its talent, how employees should be made to feel in a modern organisation, as well as the next steps forward for both the company and Cyprus.

1. You have more than 60 employees in Cyprus. How do you ensure that employees stay motivated and satisfied at the company?

Maintaining the best working environment possible means having employees’ interests at heart by considering their progress and wellness at every stage of their career within the company. This has been essential to creating a culture where people feel a sense of overall satisfaction and belonging, as well as feeling that they are an integral part of the Libertex team. As with our clients, we are transparent with all aspects of Libertex’s daily operations and plans, creating a team effort in driving the business and individual roles forward.

We motivate our employees by ensuring they feel engaged throughout their careers. We monitor this by conducting ongoing real-time evaluation and feedback surveys which help us assess their personal experience and determine how to best move forward.

It’s a well-known fact that salaries within the fintech industry are competitive due to the demand for high quality and hard work. In addition to the highly competitive salaries we offer, we also offer regular performance-driven salary increases, a comprehensive global medical insurance plan which also covers the employee’s immediate family, a vast list of local discounts and frequent company events and parties.

2. You have recently been acknowledged as a Great Place to Work. How important is that for your company? What have you done, and continue to do, to remain an excellent place for domestic and international talent?

The Great Place to Work certification is a prestigious achievement for any company. We received it because our employees have always been at the forefront of our success, being the most crucial aspect of our company ethos and future growth. Despite anticipating this recognition, it is extremely important for us, as our hard work as an employer has now been formally acknowledged. Our company values are fairness, equality, respect, honesty and transparency for everyone and from everyone. These values apply from the onboarding process onward for both our employees and our clients. We consider and improve their experience every step of the way.

Libertex is committed to supporting its employees’ personal growth and development by offering access to various high-quality online courses and seminars at no expense. By creating a culture where people feel their personal experience is considered, as well as being involved in the business’s success, we provide a working environment where they feel engaged and committed to the company’s growth. We take time to listen to any concerns and needs of each one of our employees and promptly act on the information.

3. What is your view on the talent pool in Cyprus? Is it improving? What can the country do to help companies such as yours remain competitive in terms of being able to attract the best employees possible?

Over the last year, the Cyprus market has finally seen a drop in unemployment, which proves that we are slowly recovering from the effects of the pandemic. We must nurture this growth and continue providing safe and interesting opportunities for prospective talent. We must also take into account that the global working culture has changed since the pandemic, and many companies have introduced hybrid and flexible working hours. Employers should keep up with these changes to retain and nurture talent, as outdated policies and processes can have the opposite effect.

Cyprus is on a good path toward implementing more inclusive working environments, though there are areas for improvement. Along with reasonable salaries and overall job satisfaction, it has become a critical factor that many career seekers take into account. The island appeals to overseas prospects as a great place to live and work due to the excellent climate, competitive tax regime and laid-back attitude. However, salary and benefits packages must be competitive to attract top international talent, especially as senior talent can often choose in this new paradigm to work from more or less anywhere. To add to this, our new and modern office space, where we recently moved in, together with our excellent and flexible working conditions, and the charming social life created through them, should be attractive enough for any job seeker.

4. What are your objectives and goals for 2023 and how will you go about achieving them?

The Libertex Group celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and is rapidly growing, but this must not make us complacent. It is essential to continuously review and improve our processes and policies to continue nurturing a culture that sparks new ideas, attracts top talent, and achieves a further 25 years of success.

We aim to continue expanding our team both in Cyprus and internationally, providing exciting opportunities in an innovative workplace. The foundations are present, the plans are in place, and a prosperous future for the company and its people should be considered assured.