Fundamentally at the very core of Arnold & Baldwin, at the beating heart of the business, are a group of people who all uphold the company’s core values. These core values are not just words. They are how the team described their own ways of working. The words they chose collectively were HONEST, APPROACHABLE EXPERTS.
I believe these are an accurate reflection of what is at the centre of the way we treat our clients, our customers and our fellow colleagues. We’re always honest. That’s number one. Always. We forgive mistakes because we’re all human and without error there is no learning. We share that learning with our team mates, getting stuck in when someone has a query they’d like to discuss with a colleague. And that’s easier to do than you may think. Why? Our technology for starters. Instant messaging tools and all of our technology make it simple when you work with a group of APPROACHABLE EXPERTS.
We use competency-based interview questions to ensure we hire like-minded individuals and we all thrive when working in such a transparent environment. It’s the attributes, such as these, that our staff possess which drives the company forward and has led to us building a fantastic reputation in the industry.
We run the business in an ethical manner and believe ourselves to be fair and decent people. We don’t over-sell to our customers, for instance. We try to do the right thing and always treat our employees and clients with respect. As a business we are all for learning and development. For the vacancies outside of London and the South East, we are hoping to hear from applicants with experience of undertaking building surveys and residential valuations.
At HQ in Croydon, South London, we have the infrastructure to train surveyors through various pathways. We currently have staff on apprenticeship, MRICS training and studying for their AssocRICS qualifications. Some of the team have also attended various courses funded through the business, such as party wall awards (FPWS) and expert witness training (EWI). We encourage everyone to take ownership for their own career development. We pay for all relevant subscription fees and CPD. We also have a dedicated in-house member of the team who you can speak to about all things CPD and training, and of course I’m on hand too.
At Arnold & Baldwin, we believe in combining a commitment to our core principles of being honest, approachable experts, with continually looking to evolve and improve our proposition. 2018 was no exception and the changes we have made have helped us to achieve a 300% increase in private client business. We have rebranded, built a fully responsive website and digital marketing strategy, which have helped to deliver a significant uplift in business. We have launched new cloud-based technology, which means our surveyors are able to collect data on tablets and visit portals whilst in the property. This gives them access to historical land use maps, soil conditions, planning portals, even mobile phone coverage and internet speeds. This helps our surveyors to reduce the time taken to report to our clients. We’re always looking for innovative ways to improve efficiencies and work smarter. Technology enables surveyors to communicate on-site sharing any complex issues via live video feeds.
We also hold monthly company-wide meetings at HQ (virtually for home-based surveyors) as a forum for discussing technical issues, industry updates and market changes. We produce a snapshot of the leading industry market updates, along with any local issues arising to ensure our surveyors are fully aware of everything they need to know. We use this expertise to provide free information for clients and the industry and we have invested in content to help raise understanding about the homebuying process. Here’s the November 2018 edition if you’d like to take a look.
Along with all of this support from the wider team also comes a high degree of autonomy. I’d describe the working environment as being ‘grown up’ in that respect. We’re not about micro-management or checking up on people. Again, this comes down to the high level of trust and respect we offer our employees.
We offer competitive rates of pay, a bonus scheme for qualified surveyors, and an extensive benefits package. Full details can be found on the job specifications on the careers page, but while we’re on the topic it’s worth noting that we do not believe on working on our birthdays. Birthdays are special and as such every single Arnold & Baldwin employee gets to take their birthdays of as paid leave, on top of 26 days annual leave.
If you’re still unsure as to whether a&b is right for you, why don’t you see what our existing team have to say about working here:
“Positive, proactive and modern place to work !!! with great surroundings.. :)”.
“Great environment to work in and really love the team we have”.
“A great team which draws on each others wealth of experience and expertise to ensure the client receives the best possible service”.
“For me, the best aspect of working at Arnold & Baldwin is who I get to work with. The office is full of friendly and approachable people who are never too busy to share a problem or lend a helping hand”.
“The newly built office is second to none and a really great environment to work in. All of the team are well equipped, knowledgeable and more than happy to help with any queries be it internally or to help our customers”.
“Working within a team of experienced surveyors from a wide range of backgrounds makes A&B a great place for a newly qualified surveyor to learn and grow”.
Whether you’re looking to make a change now or later in the year, please do get in touch for a private and confidential conversation. My email address is talent@arnoldandbaldwin.co.uk.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Best wishes,
Jo Newton.
Talent Manager
Arnold & Baldwin Chartered Surveyors
Email Talent Manager Jo
Visit Jo’s Linkedin profile
