Over the last year or so, we have seen over two-thirds of the broker market disappear, leaving fewer opportunities for new recruits to come into the industry.

With over 650 employees, we are always actively recruiting quality people into our business. In comparison to the boom period, there are a reduced number of brokers moving around the market but we are seeing a range of people applying for vacancies, all of different ages, genders and backgrounds.

You get out what you put in

No one is the best that they can be from the start and we place a great deal of emphasis on training and development and make sure all our advisers have the relevant CeMap professional qualifications and their competency is assessed regularly.
We can’t expect our team to be the best without having great resources available to them and we constantly monitor our training programmes to ensure they are reaching the highest standards. Arming advisors with the theory and the practical knowledge they need to enable them to provide a first class advice service to their customers is vital.

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While applications from qualified mortgage advisers are great, we also accept people without a financial services background who can demonstrate the drive, charisma and ambition to succeed and be the best in the field. In return we offer comprehensive training and ongoing support to help them grow and develop their skill set.

The demographics of our advisers vary, with 32% under the age of 30. For new graduates, the mortgage advisory business may not be their first choice of career – especially in the current market. However, we attract and retain staff by providing great benefits, competitive packages and unrivalled training.

Investing in the future: Looking long-term

Countrywide also offers a career development plan to help advisers develop lifelong careers with us, and that applies to everyone that joins us, from new graduate recruits to professionals with 10 years experience. Aside from the core qualifications, our day-today training programmes and mentoring schemes are adapted to help both the individual, and us, constantly improve.

New brokers joining us without any financial services experience are assigned a mentor to help them with their studies and act as a point of contact in order to complete the CeMap qualification, which is paid for by Countrywide. Once advisers have completed their qualification, they enrol on an intense induction, training and assessment course.

We constantly monitor the quality of advice being given by our consultants and update our consultants on new regulations and changes within the industry in ad-hoc training sessions run by management teams. Advisers are also put on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) modules and annual refresher course to maintain standards.

A round-up of the support Countrywide offers

o All new advisors with no financial experience are provided with a five week training programme and enrolled onto the CeMap qualification, which is paid for by Countrywide.

o Every adviser doing the CeMap qualification is assigned a mentor to help them with their studies and to act as a point of contact.

o New employees with financial experience are provided with a three week induction, training and assessment course
o In addition to ad-hoc training sessions run by management teams, advisers are also put on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) modules and annual refresher course to maintain standards.

o The Countrywide Training Department was one of the first organisations authorised by the Institute of Financial Services (IFS) to administer examinations on our own premises (i.e. CeMAP 1, 2 and 3, as well as Advanced CeMAP – SRE, CeRCC and ARL). This allows exams to be scheduled and sat when convenient for our employees.

The future:

There is no doubt that online will transform the way in which we fulfil our training with consultants coming into the business fully qualified through distance learning but lacking face to face experience.

However, we expect face to face interaction to be the main channel through which people get their mortgage for a while yet, therefore making sure all new recruits enjoy the benefit of an experienced estate agency branch as first placement.