Talking Talent with ISMS.online

We caught up with some of the team at ISMS.online who are regularly looking for new members to join their team, to find out more about life at their company and what they look for in new team members

One of the UK’s leading cyber scaleups, the rapidly growing ISMS.online SaaS platform provides organisations with an ‘out of the box’ management system for information security. Working with companies of all sizes across the globe, some of their clients include Improov, NHS Professionals and FDM Group. 

If you’re looking to make your next career move, read on to find out what they’re looking for in new team members...

 

Mark Darby, Founder and CEO 

What do you look for when interviewing someone for your team?

We are looking for people who have a winning mentality and are prepared to work hard to achieve company targets, whilst also encouraging this in their teammates. We want to find people who exceed our skillset expectations and who will complement our existing team and culture. We want personable people, team players and those who are willing to participate at every level. 

If you thrive on working in a fast-paced innovative environment and have a self-starter mentality with the personal qualities of confidence, positivity and energy, a job with us may be just right for you!
 

What kind of opportunities are there for progression at ISMS.online?

It’s an exciting time to join ISMS.online. We are scaling up quickly with lots of exciting opportunities being planned for. Currently, we are recruiting for a number of new roles, but also looking at our existing structure and team members, to create succession plans for the future. We understand the importance of hiring and retaining exceptional talent and we want to nurture people through to the next level.

We understand the importance of hiring and retaining exceptional talent and we want to nurture people through to the next level.

 

Hannah Wares, Customer and Partner Success

What is your position and how would you describe a typical working day?

My role is Customer and Partner Success. I work closely with our customers from the moment they choose ISMS.online to provide them with access to the platform, and to offer them continued support when working towards their goals.

A typical working day often starts with addressing support requests that we’ve received from our overseas customers, then a brief stand up with the Customer Success Team to plan the day ahead. I mostly spend time on webinars with customers talking through how to use ISMS.online to achieve compliance and/or Certification.

All of our customers are different and in turn, need different levels of support. Some organisations are new to ISO 27001 and need time to build their confidence around the standard, others have implemented ISO 27001 before so they may have questions about how the pre-built areas of the platform can help them be more efficient.
 

What experience do you need for the role?

It’s important to have good communication skills, both verbal and written. You need to be able to give one explanation in lots of different ways, as not everyone you speak to will have the same background and knowledge.

I have been in customer relationship focused roles for over 10 years in several different industries. One thing always remains the same; people buy into people, so it’s important to be able to engage with a customer and build on that relationship.

It’s important to be able to engage with a customer and build on that relationship.

Prior to joining ISMS.online I had worked for organisations with ISO 27001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and Cyber Essentials, and I had been on a GDPR Practitioners course. Although prior knowledge of compliance isn’t essential, I do think it’s important to have an understanding of the importance of Information Security Management Systems to an organisation.
 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I have helped an organisation achieve certification. When I receive an email or phone call from a customer that’s clearly elated that all of their hard work has paid off, it’s a great feeling.

I genuinely believe that ISMS.online is a ‘game changer’ in Information Security Management, so knowing that you’re part of something that is helping others is a fantastic feeling.

Knowing that you’re part of something that is helping others is a fantastic feeling.

 

Alex Southgate - Human Resource and Administration Lead

What is your position and how would you describe a typical working day?

I am the Human Resources and Administration Lead at ISMS.online. I have recently joined the company during the Covid-19 period which meant starting remotely and meeting the team by video call. Although this sounded daunting at first, the technical set-up at ISMS.online is excellent and I am able to access everything really easily at home. It really hasn’t been much different to starting within the office and I feel part of the team already.

A typical working day will see me communicating with staff over HR matters, being involved in the recruitment and on-boarding of new team members and talking to the senior team about business growth ideas.

What experience do you need for the role?

The role involves all aspects of people management so it’s important to get to know your staff, align the workforce to the company values and goals and have policies in place which helps both the business and people to work and develop.

I am CIPD qualified and have 10 years worth of team management experience involving many aspects of HR. You need to be confident and have good knowledge of employment law and HR frameworks, as well as being personable and understanding of people’s needs.
 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my role is that I am able to communicate with everyone in the company and learn how all areas fit together to create healthy ROI and business. I am also involved in a lot of talent planning and organisational development which is fast-moving but always with the employees at the forefront. As a small business we know what got us here, won’t necessarily get us to the next stage of growth, and it’s really exciting to be part of a large scale-up operation.

As a small business we know what got us here, won’t necessarily get us to the next stage of growth, and it’s really exciting to be part of a large scale-up operation.

 

Austin Edwards - Product Success Specialist

What is your position and how would you describe a typical working day?

I joined ISMS.online in February 2019 after applying for the Software, Testing QA and Support role through Wired Sussex. The key responsibilities for this role were to carry out thorough testing of ISMS.online’s products and deliver fantastic support to our customers. I enjoyed being introduced to the world of information security, and quickly gained an understanding of ISMS.online’s range of products.

After passing my probation, I was promoted to Product Success Specialist within the Customer Success Team. The recent hire of a dedicated Software Tester, has also meant I’m able to pass my testing responsibilities over and focus more time on the success of our products. 

Being a member of the Customer Success Team has given me the opportunity to develop user stories for new features, use data to make informed decisions about what product changes our customers will find most beneficial and have a say in how we shape the features that we choose to deliver, to bring a constantly evolving experience to our customers. 

What experience do you need for the role?

I’ve been able to apply a lot of knowledge gained from my degree in Business Computing to various areas of my role. Starting out in a junior position as Software Testing, QA and Support, rather than a volume of experience, bringing excellent analytical and communication skills to the role was much more vital. 
 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

There are many things that I love about working at ISMS.online, from working with our valued customers to getting the opportunity to work on projects directly with senior team members.

If I had to decide on a single aspect, it would have to be the rewarding feeling of seeing a new feature that I have been involved with going live in our products. 

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If you like the sound of working at ISMS.online, you can check out all of their latest job roles here.