Corporate Training
Technical Helpdesk
Financial Edge was approached by a senior banker at one of the world’s top investment banks who wanted help with supporting juniors after hours. This problem was intensified during lockdown – the seniors at the bank were concerned about business performance, as new analysts lacked the on-hand support that their predecessors had access to.
But it wasn’t just technical support – being remote meant that the juniors also missed out on opportunities for mentoring, coaching, consulting, and career guidance. Financial Edge was tasked with developing an innovative solution to providing analysts with technical support and soft skill development opportunities.
The Challenges
Communicating Experience
As is to be expected of one of the world’s top banks, the client’s senior bankers had extensive technical knowledge, and were proven deal makers – but that did not necessarily translate to an ability to teach, or nurture junior talent, or pass on their knowledge.
Need for Anonymity
The client needed an anonymous tool that analysts could use without feeling embarrassed to ask for help. The analysts need to be encouraged to seek support and advice from our experts without fear of judgment, and they needed to able to seek support outside of usual business hours when their more experienced peers are likely offline.
The Solution
Training Expertise
Communication and training are nuanced skills. At Financial Edge, our trainers are not only experienced financial practitioners in their own right but are also trained to teach and support learners.
Accessibility
Our solution to the client’s challenge was to build a live HelpDesk that’s accessible (at all levels – from new analysts to directors) after hours. The solution was custom built for the client, and the process is completely streamlined – there are no tickets, no support queues, no help centres. Anybody that needs help – whether it’s finding an error in a model, sense checking a valuation, or seeking advice or guidance, can connect immediately and anonymously with one of our on-call industry experts. This ranges from emails to Zoom calls with screen sharing (even when participants can be seen by the support staff, but this is not fed back to the client to ensure anonymity).
Integration
The Financial Edge support staff were onboarded by the bank, went through compliance and security checks, were trained extensively on internal models, have internal email addresses and access to all internal tools – the full access ensures there are no tech obstacles, and all support queries are handled smoothly and efficiently.
The Impact
Ongoing Consultancy
Financial Edge’s technical experts answer between 10-20 queries a week and deliver such high quality of support that they are now treated as an extension of the deal team, acting as consultants on retainer to troubleshoot complex projects and deal issues. The HelpDesk team effectively act as extra mentors and associates when the client’s internal experts are busy.
Supporting Training Programs
The HelpDesk has also enhanced Financial Edge’s ability to train the client’s full-time analysts and associates, as participants can directly engage with technical experts after the training program has ended, and not just during it.
Continuous Improvement
The HelpDesk solution was so successful, that even beyond Covid, after the client’s analysts had returned to the office, the product is still in use today. The team frequently receive amazing feedback on analysts improving performance, helping develop their careers, and feel more confident on the desk.