BT is the latest major financial services players to partner with Striver, further backing the recruitment work being conducted by the firm led by founder Alisdair Barr.
The Panorama developer cited the advice profession’s talent shortage as the catalyst for collaboration, following through on CEO Matt Rady’s intention to further enable the financial advice profession.
During the last decade, Striver has delivered speed networking sessions to put junior talent in touch with organisations as part of a broader suite of to engage potential talent to the financial advice profession.
The partnership will include more than 20 events across the country with two virtual speed networking events being held in Sydney and Brisbane, resulting in 85 first-round job interviews for new entrants.
Striver founder Alisdair Barr tells Professional Planner the organisation continues to hold conversations with major players in the industry about how they can participate in the drive to attract new entrants.
“We went around to all the contributors to the profession and broader wealth management industry,” Barr says.
With financial advice competing with other professions for talent at the early stage of the pipeline, Barr has led the outreach for the profession.
“We’re out at universities all day, every day, jumping up and down, really being positive about the opportunities because we know how great it can be and what a difference it makes,” Barr says.
“Being able to pull our partnerships together to be able to say what can the participants in the profession do to give us more and more firepower to do more of what we do.”
The conversation with BT started through the distribution and marketing channels, with senior executive leadership later coming on board.
“BT was really excited about that and is on the same page with what our cause and purpose is and they want to be supportive of the profession,” Barr says.
BT chief executive Matt Rady says the collaboration with Striver takes what the firm is currently doing to the “next level” by incorporating education channels like university programs and online training and mentoring for existing advice staff.
“These activities, along with the speed networking events we are holding with Striver, help to ensure there is a strong pipeline of talent in the advice industry, to service the advice needs of Australians,” Rady says.
Thousandfold
Striver was founded in 2013 and has since facilitated nearly 1000 successful placements in wealth management and advice.
Including BT, Striver has six corporate partners – CFS, Zurich, Clime, Insignia Financial, and Futurity Investment Group.
“Our longest standing partner in licensee land is Insignia and they’ve been a really big supporter for the last four years,” Barr says.
Futurity is an APRA-regulated education bond provider. “They support us around diversity, equity and inclusion,” Barr adds.
Additionally, Striver worked with Diverger last year to co-host a program to target first year university students.
Barr hopes Striver can conduct more roadshows, hoping to make a bigger “song and dance” about the benefits of the profession and to show it can be an attractive and fulfilling profession to be apart.
“We have a roadmap of what we want to do,” Barr says. “These partnerships give us enough fuel to be able to do them.”
Big backing
BT is committed to supporting advisers, including helping them keep abreast of regulatory developments and compliance obligations, and meeting continuing education requirements.
Since the start of the Continuing Professional Development season in 2023, BT’s technical services team has delivered 45 events, equating to 15 CPD points, and reaching over 3,000 advisers.
In the six months to March 2023, BT has either organised, sponsored or participated in 125 adviser-focused events and similar activities.
Looking ahead, BT will be raising awareness on career pathways in advice by showcasing experienced advisers through podcasts and social media channels.
Rady says the aim of the podcast is to put the spotlight on the various career paths in financial advice, as well as showcase the talent in the profession.
“We’re really excited about the podcasts we are producing, as well as connecting with more advisers and their teams – and those aspiring to be part of the advice industry – on social media,” Rady says.
BT is also launching a podcast series focusing on female leaders in the industry called HerAdvice.
“Our aim with this particular podcast is to engage with and encourage women to enter financial advice, or remain in financial advice and grow their careers,” Rady says.
