As populations grow and buildings get taller, the farming industry has begun to grow with them. 

Back in 2017, James Lloyd-Jones was introduced to Vertical Farming and the revolutionary Jones Food Company was born. Hydroponics has the potential to grow the huge volumes of food necessary to feed the world’s population sustainably and affordably.

At Jones Food Company, they understand the only way vertical farming can provide quality produce at an affordable price is by producing it at scale. This is why they have built the largest vertical farm in Europe which is capable of growing up to 300 tonnes of herbs and vegetables across 12 crop cycles a year.

The introduction to this technology has sparked a journey focused on bringing this incredible way of farming to everyone, everywhere. It will enable the world’s populations to have access to high quality fresh produce, regardless of the changing seasons.

At their core they are farmers, passionate about leading the next agricultural revolution. The team is composed of agricultural specialists, technical individuals and dreamers, who all bring something different and exciting to the table. 

The farming technology has increased in popularity since its introduction, due to its sustainability benefits, from low wastage to requiring smaller areas of land. Partnering with Ocado last year was a huge vote of confidence in the company and for the industry as a whole. The farm grows produce that goes into approximately 11 million sandwiches per week.

Using this unique hydroponic system for their indoor farms allows them to feed their plants exactly what they need. The farms provide the perfect amount of light, nutrient rich water and CO2 infused air. Growing indoors also removes the need for pesticides and herbicides, making their crops ready to eat. 

Although we should all have access to the freshest produce at an affordable price, it is critical that the food production process has as little effect on the environment as possible.

Hydroponics uses much less water than traditional farming, but the future of agriculture is energy hungry and emission heavy. So what steps is Jones Food Company taking to lessen their negative impacts on the environment?

With the aim of being carbon neutral by the end of 2021, Jones Food Company would become the first net-zero, vertical farm in the world. Currently, solar panels installed on the roof supply around 10% of the site’s total electricity requirements annually. However, they are committed to sourcing all electricity from 100% renewable sources from the end of 2021.

The water used in the growing process is 100% re-used and their farms also use rainwater reserves to feed their plants. Not only do their vertical farms aim to grow as sustainably as possible, but they also commit to 100% sustainable food packaging to minimise environmental damage through our consumption of food.

The Future is Green, the Future is Vertical

Can you put a time stamp on equality? Apparently now you can, with UK women expecting a 58 year wait to close the pay gap with their male counterparts and French women waiting close to 1000 years. It seems that businesses are still a long way off acknowledging females as driving forces.

As of 2017, the government now requires British companies with more than 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap data, but this will not happen in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic is already badly impacting women's careers – with women more likely to have been furloughed or have lost their job, the world is starting to wonder how much it will set back progress on pay.

Equal Pay Day falls on 2nd November and marks the date each year when women stop earning relative to their male counterparts.  In the United States, where a woman’s average salary is 81% of a male’s, this date symbolises how far into the year the average woman must work to earn that of the average man. 

2020 is the 50 year anniversary of the Equal Pay Act in the UK. This act meant employers were prohibited from paying women less than men for the same job. Although unequal pay is now illegal, the gender pay gap continues. This is the percentage difference of male to female salaries within the same company, not necessarily men and women in the same job with the same level of experience. The wider the pay gap, the more indicative of how many men are in senior to director level positions.

Part of the reason for the gender pay gap could be that women are more likely to take career breaks when having children or to take lower paid positions that offer more flexibility to make it easier to manage a family. However, this does not fully account for the pay gap. Neither do differences in education, experience and occupation. It also doesn’t eradicate sexism in the workplace.

Factors that are likely to impact the gender pay gap but are difficult to measure include unconscious bias and discrimination against women, including assumptions that women with children should earn less than men. A 2017 study by the Pew Research Center found that 25% of women said that they have earned less than a man doing the same job compared to just 5% of men. Women with children also make less than men with children or women without children. This is referred to as the ‘motherhood penalty’.

The research also shows that more women occupy lower paid positions than men. Although the representation of women in higher paying jobs has increased, women as a whole are still underrepresented in high paying jobs and leadership roles, especially in the C-Suite.

On a positive spin, however, Bumble has recently hired two new female C-Suiters, making their C-Suite completely male-to-female equal. They welcome in Anu Subramanian as Bumble's Chief Financial Officer and Selby Drummond as Chief Brand Officer. Bumble has always been an advocate of female empowerment in the dating world and these hires take their words to action.

So, what can be done to address the gender wage gap? A recent research report from PayScale found that when all factors are controlled, pay transparency closes the gap completely. 

Why is this? Well, part of the reason for the gender wage gap is the unwillingness of many businesses to modernise their compensation practices. They still rely on traditional ways where pay is reliant on negotiation and manager discretion. The main problem with an opaque approach is that it is likely to favours men as many businesses are subject to unconscious bias.

Pay transparency is thought to counteract pay inequality because it forces businesses to mature their compensation practices and develop a data-driven approach that places more value on the job than the person. Pay transparency is also gaining popularity for reasons other than closing the gap. With digital transformation, transparency is becoming increasingly common at all levels of business. As part of a broader plan, pay transparency has also been shown to have a positive effect on job satisfaction, employee engagement and productivity.

There’s hope in the world of hiring more women into senior positions and the slowly closing gender pay gap, but it does not mean that it will be much different for the next generation. This can be changed if businesses are more transparent with their salary differences and advocate for senior hires, with less prejudice against mothers and encourage forward thinking maternity and paternity leave and needs.

Here at Osmii, we believe that a diverse team benefits businesses, hence why at every level all our shortlists sent to clients include at least one woman for every man and we stick by our 50/50 slate. This gives a fair balance to what is still an uneven footing in the tech industry.

https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap#section02

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/gender-pay-gap-equal-pay-women-paid-less-motherhood-a8856121.html

https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/12/bumble-balances-gender-representation-of-c-suite-with-two-new-hires/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAG1sV7l8q9s0vZz2qNqla_QmI21qVzyy2Z43YJMf5bw6ft5isUav-y4ZnwE2Dx0IooGzsGssJEn7o3OIJMhVymq9ykJnG823oMQJvOk9ssUswq3uwPyscKTFweh6yYqA9JSoy2QFis_FV9vS6oQjKzc2dLLkZ0N1rbG0WFMnvQm-

https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/i-was-paid-thousands-less-than-a-white-male-colleague-the-pay-gap-hits-women-of-colour-even-harder-346871

The 58 Year Wait for Equality

It’s been a whirlwind two days on the virtual DMEXCO platform. So how did it fair?

When you enter the platform, your networking opportunities are instantly evident on your right hand side bar, showing who is also currently online. This is followed by the Requests and Contacts tabs. On the main feed, we find the Programme which is inundated with studio talks and workshops which you can easily bookmark. In the menu bar, there is also the Virtual Café and Showfloor.

The noticeable downside of this virtual event, however, is that you can only watch it from your desktop. This glues you to one place meaning you can’t watch the wide range of talks on the go.

We started the morning off by attending a talk on ‘the new normal’ in the travel industry, which surrounded the idea that flexibility is key and offline retailers are moving too slowly amid the Covid crisis, leading to their own decline. TUI’s Group Chief Marketing Officer Erik Friemuth explained that trust is the currency and market research shows that people still want to go on holiday, although TUI announced the same day they will be cutting 8,000 jobs after it reported an 83% slump in summer holiday bookings this year.

As Stripe’s COO, Claire Hughes Johnson pointed out in her talk, in the last 25 years the online economy has grown by 1500 times. Our online economy is soon going to transform from an Attention Economy to a Value Economy, as covid has meant thousands of companies have gone online. The missing piece is infrastructure, Cloud, Storage and Compute need to be further invested in for progress.

We moved onto the world of ecommerce, a panel talk driven by consumer data insights and how all industries from fashion to alcohol have benefited amidst the covid crisis. So, what’s the key with thriving ecommerce? It’s not just about customer service anymore, it’s about the whole process from discovery to delivery. If all of this is seamless, the business will benefit. Although, Bożena Nawara-Borek, Ecommerce Manager of Swarovski, still believes ecommerce is not ready to close the gap between retail stores.

As predicted, Covid was a constant undercurrent topic and it seems that unless businesses are able to embrace and adapt, they will unfortunately go under. Ecommerce is on the up, while travel is on the down and we need to develop better infrastructure to really push the online world.

With our afternoon coffee in hand, we listened to an insightful talk about the progress in Diversity and Inclusion from Maxine Williams, Chief Diversity Officer at Facebook. Although there are still hurdles, it’s promising to hear that their belief is while serving a diverse audience; they need a diverse population that can build products to add value to their customers. It was highlighted that the word ‘incompetency’ seems to be frequent when talking about diversity and this needs to be overcome. Diversity and inclusion does not mean hiring incompetent candidates, it means making sure everyone is evaluated fairly and everyone’s voices are heard.

Here at Osmii, we believe that a diverse team benefits businesses, hence why all our shortlists sent to clients include at least one woman for every man and we stick by our 50/50 slate. This gives a fair balance to what is still an uneven footing in the tech industry.

In summary, we got to listen to incredible speakers who have key insights into our changing world. Maybe what’s missing, as Louisa Wong CEO of Wavemaker pointed out, is the chin wag at the bar afterwards.

Fancy a chin wag over one of our roles? Want to read more about our Diversity & Inclusion values? You can find it all here – www.osmii.com

The Virtual World of DMEXCO

Every year, DMEXCO brings together industry leaders and tech pioneers to outline the future of the digital economy on both local and global scales, through seminars, debates and expos. It’s not only a meeting place, but a community for key players in digital business, marketing and innovation.

In this developing digital world created by the Covid-19 pandemic, the event space has been forced into an unusual landscape – virtual. Of course, many virtual talks and events have taken place in the past, this is not unusual. The concept of networking with thousands of people behind a screen online is unusual.

It takes us to a world of cyber chat rooms, whereby rejection is as simple as a new acquaintance closing the browser window. The exchange of a business card over a casual chat with a coffee can no longer take place.

However, the changing events world also brings us disguised opportunities. Now, more so than ever, we rely on our digital platforms to experience the world around us. The same applies for networking and meeting attendees. The ability to see their discussions and questions online means you can directly engage with those who have mutual interests. You can follow up their questions to find out more about their visions or, just as easily, get engrossed in a meaty discussion.

Networking hasn’t disappeared, it’s changing.

In 2019, DMEXCO brought together 38,000 visitors, 1,000 exhibitors and more than 700 speakers from around the world for their event in Cologne, Germany. They have set the global standard as the place to learn, inspire and connect. It’s where ideas turn into actions.

As with many other major events this season, digital transformation as a result of Covid-19 will likely be a dominant topic. We are still expecting to listen to talks from the likes of Google, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Spotify. Plus, thousands of people are still expected to attend from the comfort of their own homes in their own countries – probably more so than originally would have, owing to the lack of travel.

Want to know more about our DMEXCO experience? We will be summarising the talks we attend and what’s emerging on the tech frontier.

Keep connected by following Osmii on LinkedIn for the latest news, trends and jobs: www.linkedin.com/company/osmii 

DMEXCO 2020: The Changing World of Events

The Internet of Things is one of the widest spoken about topics of tech innovation today. Five years ago, it was predicted that by 2020 26 billion items would belong to IoT. Instead, there are currently 31 billion items in existence today, with 127 new devices being installed every second being driven in part by pandemic innovation. That’s an average of around 4 smart objects for every human being in the world.

From your fitbit to your flight’s jet engine, the world is becoming more connected. Even plant pots now have feelings thanks to Lua, which detects 6 different reasons your plant may not be quite as happy as you’d like. In today’s London Tech Week panel talk, Yum Brands! Pizza Hut’s COO/CCO David Sturdee spoke about the role of tech in the developing restaurant world. 

“You can do anything, you just can’t do everything.”

It’s about making your customers’ lives easier, whilst also making sure to enhance and not replace the human element. In partnership with Box Technologies, Pizza Hut used machine learning to optimise their delivery service. They’ve started to text and deploy AI production cameras, which can update you when your pizza is being made. Box Technologies also helped to roll out touch enabled devices, which ensured staff were able to manage multiple orders.

Just before Covid they were about to launch self-service in restaurants, but it has now come about far quicker and more widespread than anticipated. This shows how a pandemic can rapidly speed up the need for tech and increases the urgency to produce it quickly.

Most IoT smart devices aren’t in your home or in your phone. They are predominantly in factories, businesses and healthcare. Smart devices give these major industries the vital data they need to increase efficiency, save money and even save lives.

There are currently five types of IoT applications:

·         Consumer IoT—light fixtures, home appliances, voice assistance for the elderly

·         Commercial IoT— smart pacemakers, monitoring systems, vehicle to vehicle communication

·         Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)— digital control systems, statistical evaluation, smart agriculture, industrial big data

·         Infrastructure IoT—enables the connectivity of smart cities through the use of infrastructure sensors, management systems and user-friendly user apps

·         Military Things (IoMT)— robots for surveillance, human-wearable biometrics for combat

By 2025, the total global worth of IoT technology could be as much as $6.2 trillion. Most of that figure is made up from devices in healthcare $2.5 trillion and manufacturing $2.3 trillion.

Someday soon, robots will have the ability to learn from each other and work in teams to increase efficiency and problem solve. On a smaller scale, this already exists in the daily lives of some households with the likes of Roomba robot vacuum cleaners. IoT devices are also now able to collect data on the human body, with new research that tests our ability to control machines and potentially even one another with our minds. It’s anticipated that this new wireless chapter could bring about life-changing and life-saving changes.

How far off are we from controlling a computer with our minds as fast as we can control it with our hands?

In terms of hiring, as the space continues to grow the need for experts in the area is vital to keep the momentum going. 35% of businesses surveyed said they look for professionals with knowledge of big data and analytics, with 75% identifying these skills as the most important for anyone claiming to be an IoT professional.

You can find out more about our current roles at www.osmii.com/jobs

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lua-the-smart-planter-with-feelings#/

https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/internet-of-things/infographics/guide-to-iot.html#:~:text=The%20Big%20Data%20Bang&text=Our%20IoT%20world%20is%20growing,projected%20200%20billion%20by%202020.&text=That%20will%20be%20around%2026,every%20human%20being%20on%20Earth!

https://securitytoday.com/Articles/2020/01/13/The-IoT-Rundown-for-2020.aspx?Page=2

https://informationmatters.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/UK-Internet-of-Things-Jobs-Outlook.pdf

The Internet of Things in 2020

When Paris was attacked in 2015, Facebook immediately launched the Safety Check tool that prompted users in the affected area to confirm their safety. Facebook users could share their safety status with their Facebook friends using the tool. After this incident, the demand for the development of intuitive mobile apps that serve as a lifesaver skyrocketed.

There are approximately 300,000 mobile medical apps currently in app stores and this is on the rise, with an expected 600,000 apps by 2025. The worldwide automated Covid-19 exposure detection and contact tracing that launched this year on Android and IOS has resulted in an estimated decrease of potential transmissions by 80%.

We’ve compiled a list of some lifesaving apps, as well as automated IOS and Android tech, which might be a slightly more necessary use of your storage space.

A simple yet lifesaving addition to smartphones was the development of the personalised Medical ID. This enables IOS and Android users to receive immediate help in an emergency. You can access a Medical ID from a smartphone’s Emergency Call screen. People can identify individuals and refer to their medical record, which has information entered and stored on their smartphone. A pre-installed health app lets you create your Medical ID. When activated, the ID will pop up with vital information such as: full name; emergency contact; allergies; and medication. 

Android is becoming a worldwide earthquake detector. With the first steps being rolled out this month, the accelerometer in your Android phone (the nifty part that senses if you’ve rotated it or not) will become one data point for an entire algorithm designed to detect earthquakes.

Eventually, this system will automatically send warnings to people who could be impacted by using the staggering numbers of Android phones around the world and a clever use of big data. 

Google is rolling out the system in small stages to minimise false positives and tune the system but, once it has more confidence in the accuracy of the system, Google will begin actively sending out earthquake warnings to people who live in areas where there are no seismometer warning systems. 

What3Words is a location services app that uses three words to accurately pinpoint your location. So far, the app is being used by Mongolia for its postal service and Lonely Planet's entire guide for the country uses three word addresses. Emergency services have also encouraged everyone to download the app, which could potentially save your life if you are lost in a rural area and unable to describe your location.

The app’s developers divided the world into 57 trillion squares, each measuring 3 square metres and each having an individual assigned three word address. For example, the door of 10 Downing Street in London is slurs.this.shark, while the area across the road for the press is stage.pushy.nuns.

We’re currently writing this from our offices in bottom.region.smug.  

Although this app isn’t made to help the actual user, it is one of the key livesaving app. Started in 2015, the app’s simple interface allows users to make donations through the United Nations World Food Program to feed children and families who suffer from hunger.

Each year, the World Food Program reaches more than 86 million people with food assistance in around 83 countries. Donations from the ShareTheMeal app support various lifesaving operations ranging from school food programmes to providing food assistance in emergencies. They are 100% voluntarily funded, so every donation counts.

British Red Cross First Aid (IOS/Android)

An ad-free first aid app, this is a great resource if you’re looking to learn about basic first aid, disaster awareness, or need immediate emergency aid. It provides users with basic first aid lessons for a variety of topics, accompanied by videos and diagrams. This life-saving app also contains an emergency tab that provides condensed, easy-to-follow instructions, as well as a big red button for calling local emergency services.

All the information you require can be found on the app itself, which means no internet connection is needed for fast and easy accessibility. The app hosts videos, interactive quizzes and simple, step-by-step guides. It’s never been easier to learn first aid.

And for the new parents, this free app provides simple skills to help a baby or child in a first aid emergency. It is packed with useful tips, video clips and first aid quizzes. There is also a handy section to record your child's medication needs and any allergies.

Again, the information you need is all hosted on the app itself with no internet connection needed, making it fast and easy to access.

Akin to the American app Blood Donor (also available on IOS and Android), the free NHS Give Blood app allows you to book appointments and manage your details on your Android or Apple iPhone device.

More than 160,000 users make use of the app each month to book appointments or check their eligibility to donate. Once you’re set up, you have access the latest appointment availability and will also be alerted if your blood type is particularly low. This ensures that you know when your blood type is in demand and be able to plan appointments around this - potentially saving a life.

These are only seven of some of the most helpful lifesaving apps that have been developed. Most of us will always have a smartphone to hand, they have slowly started becoming a part of our day-to-day life, and now some apps can save our day-to-day life.

As with Apple’s collaboration on exposure tracing and other Android features such as car crash detection, it shows that there are ways smartphones could be used for something more important than social scrolling.

Are you interested in a career that is at the forefront of technology?  We work with innovative brands who have something exciting to share and start-ups that intend to shake things up, pushing technology to new levels.

What3words: The app that can save your life - BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-49319760

Top 5 life-saving apps – JustApplications https://www.justapplications.co.uk/top-5-life-saving-apps/

Share the Meal – Sustainable Life https://www.sustainablelife.tips/product/329_ShareTheMeal

First aid at your fingertips – British Red Cross https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/first-aid-apps

The NHS Give Blood App – NHS https://www.blood.co.uk/the-donation-process/the-nhs-give-blood-app/

Android is becoming a worldwide earthquake detection network – The Verge https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/11/21362370/android-earthquake-detection-seismometer-epicenter-shakealert-google

Emergency services locator app – oatdreams https://oatdreams.dk/blog/c51c47-emergency-services-locator-app

10 Apps That Could Save a Life – tom’s guide https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-emergency-apps,review-2338.html

7 Ways Your Phone Could Save A Life

Whilst covid is attempting to hit the UK’s economy and Brexit still looms, Osmii explores the consistent growth in the European tech industry and the opportunities for vast employment across the channel.

It’s no secret that the European tech sector has been growing exponentially, with an over 1,000% increase in four years, outpacing the rest of the European economy’s growth fivefold. The fastest employment growth is in France, Ireland and Portugal where almost half of the sought after talent are Software Engineers.

In the months leading up to covid, the European startup and tech sector appeared to be in better stead than ever. The three big hubs (London, Berlin, and Paris) have led the way in European technology so far and are home to many of the tech sector’s biggest names, including companies such as TransferWise, Delivery Hero and Klarna.

However, it’s not just the sheer number of successful businesses originating from smaller European tech hubs that’s increasing. More relaxed regulation, forward business-thinking governance and flexible travel make it much easier for small businesses to establish offices in larger cities. This allows any business, whether founded in Sweden, Slovakia, or Spain, to gain access to vast talent pools and established customer bases. With the flexible international borders of the European Union, Europe’s tech talent has the ability to move wherever the innovation is.

The number of world-leading companies that are being founded in cities such as Stockholm, Madrid and Amsterdam means that for investors wanting higher returns, searching beyond the traditional hubs is a must. There is an increasing likelihood that Europe’s next $10 billion tech company will be founded outside of the traditional three big hubs.

In employment terms, with Europe home to at least 30 different hubs, the continent promises employment of 50,000 or more professional developers - that’s more developers in total than employed in the US. In the past three months alone, Osmii has recruited for around half of our tech roles in European countries outside of the UK. Whilst the majority of roles are still in the UK, it’s clear that Europe is pushing through the covid recession and pioneering as a driving force for tech.

More investment and growth means a need for more talent, with Software Engineers being the top sought after profession at the moment. Currently, the most required skills are full-stack, backend and frontend development, as well as the most common development languages: HTML; CSS; SQL; Javascript.

All eyes are on Europe for the next move in tech expansion.

That’s not to say its doom and gloom for London, who is still a powerhouse of the industry even with other European regions showing strength. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, recently commissioned Digital Catapult to advise on tech and innovation trends for the future. From AR and AI to robotics and Blockchain, London will remain one of the global centres for tech. According to Start Us Insight’s global analysis of electric vehicle startups, the UK ranks second globally and London is one of the biggest global hubs for developing electric vehicle technologies.

Looking for a change? You can find out more about our international roles here: www.osmii.com/jobs

Digital Catapult - London: A Global Leader in Advanced Digital Technologies  https://www.digicatapult.org.uk/news-and-insights/publication/london-a-global-leader-in-advanced-digital-technologies

Start Us Insights - Electric Vehicles: A Global Startup Activity Analysis https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/electric-vehicles-a-global-startup-activity-analysis/

Sifted - European tech startups break records with $34bn in venture capital funding this year https://sifted.eu/articles/european-tech-atomico-startups/

Dataconomy - What is Driving Europe’s Tech Economy? https://dataconomy.com/2019/01/what-is-driving-europes-tech-economy/

atomico - 02.1 5 Years Of SoET https://2019.stateofeuropeantech.com/chapter/state-european-tech-2019/article/5-years-soet/

Statista - Number of unicorns worldwide as of January 2020, by country https://www.statista.com/statistics/1096928/number-of-global-unicorns-by-country/

The Future Epicentre of Tech

Building and supporting communities is an integral pillar of Osmii 

With our latest website we dedicate an entire page to our efforts within Diversity and Inclusion. 

We have 3 pillars: These are, eliminating the unconscious bias, having a diverse internal leadership team, and community integration.  

The last pillar has been difficult to promote since working with “women in tech” style movements, although hugely valuable on shining light on certain issues, doesn’t address the problem that there isn’t enough diversity in the tech world in the first place. We want to help solve that problem. 

So we looked for a partner that not only promotes more diversity in the tech industry but also does something about it. 

As a result, we’re welcoming into our partner network a brand new name. 

OpenUK is the industry association representing Open Technology being open source software, hardware and data organisations across the UK. OpenUK’s mission is to build a visible and loud community around Open Technology by uniting people across existing projects, influencing Legal and Policy, and Build a robust education and Learning system in Open technology. 

OpenUK will be joining our partner network which currently includes Google, DellEMC and AWS. 

Some of the initiatives that are particularly remarkable include 

There is a Kids’ Competition spanning 47 schools, sponsored by Red Hat, encouraging kids to get into open technology

They are running a 3000 strong “code camp” for young kids, and in particular Girls

Forming a University Group – 3 day Professors & Open Source Software Education training for up to 30 Universities as part of OpenUK Week in 2020 or 2021


Osmii will be exclusively working with OpenUK to help scale up their Exec team (VP and CXO level) help them build a fantastic and long lasting community. 

Osmii is a technology recruitment firm working internationally with start-ups, major software vendors and global brands. We hire across Development, Cloud and Digital technologies and Open Technology is a major part of our work. Last year , for the second year running, we were named amongst the top 1000 Fast Growing Companies in Europe by the Financial Times.

So we have decided to give back to this community by helping to support OpenUK. 

It is a proud moment to give back to a community, and we are currently hiring for them so if Open Technology is your bag – and you love everything Open, please drop Jamie a line on 

Osmii support OpenUK and its drive to encourage the next generation

Working remotely isn’t a new trend, plenty of companies have remote employees across the globe or a fully remote business. Although Covid-19 is impacting many businesses to now work from home, the recruitment process isn’t slowing down and onboarding new hires is still ongoing remotely.  Companies wanting to get their new starters equipped, set up and working as quickly as possible who aren’t used to this way of working will need to have a clear process in place to be successful. 

Use online tools for HR forms and paperwork

Apps such as Docusign, Adobe Scan, Adobe Sign and Hello Sign are great for inputting electronic signatures and legally signing important HR documents. These tools are free and easy to use.

Make sure the right equipment is ready and available

This can be anything from a laptop, tablet or the tools they will need throughout the duration of their role. If you have an agreed date set with your starter you can prepare in advance to send equipment straight to their door. If time and constraints don’t allow this, chances are they will have a laptop or computer they can work from in the meantime. Any apps / cloud based tools and accompanying logins need to be provided and ready beforehand.

Supply them with all the documentation they may need including policies and a welcome pack – most companies have now gone paperless and host most of these documents on online portals or file hosting systems.

Traditional onboarding processes now have to be adapted and transferred online. Introducing and integrating someone remotely into the team can seem like a difficult task when face to face meetings aren’t possible. However, video conferencing via Zoom, GoogleHangouts or Skype during an online team breakfast or Friday virtual drinks is a fantastic way to introduce a new team member and involve not only your new starter but all employees.

It’s key to get them involved in group meetings straight away so that they feel like a crucial member of the team and understand from the get-go how the business works.

Initially in the first week, it would be useful to have 1-to-1 calls set up with individual members to find out more about what they do. Each member of the team will be able to give an insight into company values and culture. It can be quite daunting to speak to a large team of people you have never properly met before and these smaller conversations will allow them to deep dive into more informative discussions as well as break the ice.

Remote training can actually be made quite simple via screen sharing and video demonstrations. Following tutorials or guides independently and reconvening together via video call at the end of the day will allow you to check in regularly and keep a steady eye on their development. Chances are, you won’t always be available immediately to answer emails or calls, unlike if you were sat on the same desk together. You might consider a mentor or member of the team who can be on standby for any questions they may have.

Providing a checklist and setting clear goals

Clearly communicating expectations and putting a structure in place, whether that’s a checklist or weekly/monthly goals to achieve will keep your employee on a clear path. There are some fantastic platforms out there for managing teams & their workflows remotely these include Trello, Asana & Jira.

Make a conscious effort to over communicate and keep in touch with your new starters, given the nature of remote situations, anything less could quickly and easily lead to a sense of isolation.

Reach out to them personally if there is anything going on directly related to them or relevant to their role, even if it’s just to ask for their opinion or give them a heads-up that X, Y, and Z will be happening.

When trying to successfully on-board a new starter, aim to make everyone feel like they’re a part of the team and that you’re doing everything you can to treat them the same way you treat all the other employees.

How to Onboard New Starters Remotely

The Financial Times have recently published their list of Europe's Fastest Growing Companies for 2020 & Osmii are delighted to announce we have made the list for the second time (2019).

Published in a special report on innovation and growth, the rating is the result of a joint project by the Financial Times and Statista, which conducted months of research, public calls, intensive database research and directly contacted tens of thousands of companies.

This culminated in the identification of 1000 outstanding companies – including Osmii – from the millions of existing European enterprises.

Competition to make the list this year has been even tougher – companies require a minimum growth rate of 38.4% to make the list compared to 37.7% last year.

Osmii have moved up on the list by 74 places.

With London retaining it’s lead as the city with the greatest number of fastest growing companies there’s no doubt Osmii Headquarters in Old Street are a prime location for success.

Our Director Neil Mitchell says “We at Osmii are thrilled for be recognised for our continued success by the Financial Times, its an honour to be up there with other fantastic thriving businesses”.

Read the full article here: https://www.ft.com/reports/europes-fastest-growing-companies

Direct Rankings: https://www.ft.com/content/691390ca-53d9-11ea-90ad-25e377c0ee1f

FT1000 2020: Osmii = Europes Fastest Growing Companies

Have you ever wondered why nearly everything in the business world seems to exist on a digital platform? We are hearing non-stop about big data, digital transformation and more. If your business is looking to secure a sustainable commercial future, investing ample time, money and energy into your digital transformation strategy is a wise move. Everyone wants to go digital but do they actually know how?

Digital transformation means different things to different organisations, but what such initiatives generally have in common is the integration of digital technology with the aims of making the business more efficient and agile. These are important factors in today’s cutthroat economy.

The most crucial step is to strategise. Digitally mature companies that have already transformed their business models and processes show an increase in talent engagement, and more than 80% have clear strategic goals.

What about getting the organisation on board?

In the workplace, employers are seeking new ways to enhance productivity, and digital technology is playing a pivotal role in helping employees become more effective in their primary roles. A key part of digital transformation involves ensuring that your employees are aware of the digital tools available to help them work smarter, and are trained to use them to their utmost potential. 

One of the biggest issues is that the introduction of a new system or way of working does not have employee buy-in. People generally like their own ways of doing things and are likely to resist change that they feel is out of their control. Sure, they will start to use a new platform, but if they have not been properly trained in how to use it and all the benefits is can offer, then they are very rapidly likely to fall back on to old, tried and tested solutions they know and trust. From the employees’ point of view, nothing has been gained and some credibility in management has been lost, so such actions could put a digital transformation project in jeopardy. 

Success or failure of a digital transformation project hinges principally on whether or not employees are on board with the process.

Statistics on why Digital Transformation is key to advancing businesses:

More than 50% of the world’s population are under the age of 30 – there are more digital natives (or indeed, budding digital natives) than ever before. To continue appealing to this new generation of digitally-minded consumers, investing in digital transformation on a continual basis is nothing short of essential.


By 2020, 47% of all revenue will be influenced by digital. Without a doubt, digital technologies will become all the more sophisticated. To remain relevant and continue to foster growth, embracing the power of digital is a now a necessity rather than a far-flung luxury.


56% of CEOs feel that digital advancements have already led to boosts in revenue. With this being the primary goal of business growth and acceleration, this is a clear-cut case for investing in digital transformation.


61% of smartphone users admit to regularly sleeping with their smartphone under their pillow or next to their bed. By investing in your mobile offerings, from applications to mobile-optimized landing pages and social media content, you stand to accelerate your business success in an increasingly digital age.

Why businesses should invest in the “Digital Transformation” movement

Osmii are proud to announce we are now a Google Cloud Service Partner and are now able to offer new and exciting opportunities for our candidates and clients.

As a Google Cloud SP, Osmii can offer industry-specific GCP consultants for healthcare, financial services, insurance, telecom and retail industries, helping companies innovate and industrialize analytics, drive accelerated insights for new revenue models, realize savings and achieve faster time to market. But most importantly Osmii can now be recognised to deliver contractors with GCP certifications and highly valued Vendor credentials.

Additionally for our contractors, Osmii have now created the Associate Programme. Osmii can support Cloud consultants with complementary classroom based training at Google HQ, complementary online Coursera access, and exclusive access to Google webinars, and product events and releases.  To take advantage of incentives that will help develop your professional network, training, technical certifications and win more customer projects, contact the team.

Are you interested in learning more about Osmii’s partnership and the Associate Programme?

Contact Xavier Osipczak for more information:
Xavier.osipczak@osmii.com
0203 727 7798

Osmii partner with Google Cloud to help deliver Digital Transformation projects

One of our five core messages at Osmii is “Exceptional customer experience” when working with clients and candidates. A recruiter has a vast amount of influence on the success or failure of a placement. Sometimes candidates accept a job based on the trust of their recruiter. So what is it that makes a great one?

The recruitment industry had a credibility issue many years ago. That has changed. More and more recruiters are becoming true consultants. Partnering with the long term goals in mind has removed the “get in, get out” attitude of before.

Be sure to immerse yourself and understand your market (especially tech) have a community aspect to them.  Attending events such as meet-ups have a number of advantages, being able to speak to candidates and clients about things that you’ve learnt there will give you an element of credibility that will improve your relationships.

Take the time to really understand your candidates needs. Ask them what they love about their job, or hate about it, ask what they want to do more or less of in their next role, and make sure you listen to what they have to say. Make it a conversation, rather than just listing off questions from a script.

When you do this, it’ll help you explain aspects of the role in a way that feels much more relevant to your candidate. Likewise, if you have this conversation and the role isn’t relevant to your candidate, they will still have a positive experience with you and will want to deal with you when you have a role that is more relevant.

Good communication is the foundations on which a positive relationship is built. If your candidate didn’t get the job, press your client for detailed feedback as to why they didn’t get the job and then pass it on to your candidate. It’s such a simple part of the job but the most effective when it comes to maintaining relationships and rapport with your candidates.

Doing this will ensure that your candidates have a positive experience when dealing with you and it will be easier to approach them in the future for roles that may be a better fit. When the crux of your job is dealing with people, you need to be empathetic of their situation and part of that is being respectful of their time.

A top tip: Think ahead and book scheduled calls in your calendar to check in with your candidates before and after interviews and all the necessary check points during the hiring process. If you manage your candidate’s expectations about; when to expect feedback, when you will call/email them to update them about progress of roles, and when you won’t be available to speak and ultimately keep your word with these communications, then 99% of your candidates will be happy.

Recruiters have learnt that although the role requires making “sales”, our product is human with emotions, thoughts and feelings attached to their decisions. Your candidates have lots of circumstances to consider when taking a new role. When you place someone in to a job, you’re changing their life. It could potentially have a huge impact on every aspect of their life outside of work. Being empathetic about their needs and thought process whether they are accepting or declining an offer is extremely important. When you stop thinking about the deal and commission (however nice it is), and focus on doing the really rewarding work to make sure the candidate is happy and making the right choice that’s when you start truly being a top recruiter.

What makes a great recruiter?

Job Interviews are inevitable. But how do you bounce back from a bad job interview?

We spend 90,000 hours of our lives at work so it’s vital we make sure we’re spending those hours doing something we enjoy or are willing to do. Any role starts with getting your foot in the door via an interview.

Landing an interview for a job role we have dreamed of can seem like a big achievement in itself, but when something is important to us we can put a lot of strain on ourselves to deliver. In truth, a job can be a life changing event from changes in finances, location and stability; that kind of pressure can only amount to all sorts of physical sensations including butterflies, nausea, sweating, mumbling the list goes on.

An interview is always a risk with a 50/50 yes or no outcome. Risks are frightening territory for many people as there are no guarantees but unfortunately that is the nature of interviews. Even when you think you have nailed it or on the other hand stand no chance, you may be surprised right up until a decision is made. There are also those who are extremely calm and collected in this situation however that doesn’t necessarily mean they are more successful in interviews.

What happens when an interview goes wrong?

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