Career Advice
Metro Bank’s CEO: “We Hire for Attitude and Train for Skill”
Glassdoor Team
Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | 20 June 2018
One thing you can say about Metro Bank’s CEO Craig Donaldson is that he is consistent. Consistently good. This week, Glassdoor announced the Top 50 CEOs in the UK and, for the third year in a row, Craig Donaldson, featured on the list (#9). We caught up with him to find out what he looks for when interviewing candidates and why you should be reading all of the Harry Potter books!
Glassdoor: What qualities do you think a leader needs to have?
Craig Donaldson: People ‘boss watch’ so you have to genuinely live and role model the culture. Leadership also has the greatest responsibility to inspire colleagues to create FANS and nurture them so they grow and develop with the organisation.
Glassdoor: What attributes do you look for in today’s top talent?
Craig Donaldson: Good interpersonal skills, good intellect (does not have to be classical) and a good work ethic. If that is all wrapped up with a bit of passion and a genuine belief in what they are doing, then they will fit in at Metro Bank. Basically we describe it as hiring for attitude and training for skill. It’s easy to find people with the right qualifications – finding the right people to create FANS is more difficult, but worth it.
Glassdoor: What questions do you love to ask candidates or what aspects do you like to dig into?
Craig Donaldson: I actually want to know what motivates candidates and therefore I like to delve into people’s backgrounds and understand what makes them tick and what big decisions they have taken in the past and why.
Glassdoor: Interviewing with a CEO can be intimidating. Do you try to put candidates at ease in any particular way?
Craig Donaldson: Absolutely. We take pride in being welcoming and supportive to customers, candidates and colleagues. I want people to feel comfortable so that I can see them at their best. I always collect visitors and candidates from reception myself and chat to them about ‘stuff’ as we walk to my office.
Glassdoor: Retention is hugely important these days. How do you lead your teams to retain top talent?
Craig Donaldson: We invest heavily in our colleagues, wherever they sit in the business. Whether that’s through Metro Bank University, our in-house training centre, which offers colleagues hundreds of courses to choose from, or whether it’s providing clear paths for them to grow and develop (we promoted one in five of our colleagues last year). I also make sure our leaders have the autonomy and feel empowered to make the right decisions for their teams. We have a policy of ‘no stupid bank rules’, so if something doesn’t make sense or doesn’t work for colleagues, then we’ll look to change things but for me it really is all about treating people with the same respect that everyone deserves, including me.
Glassdoor: When you look back over your past year as CEO, can you share how you have navigated a leadership mistake or challenge? Was there a time when you didn’t perform like you thought you should have, and how did you recover?
Craig Donaldson: Like everyone, I try my best and try to do the right thing for my colleagues and my customers, but absolutely everyone can always be better and learn from others. However, at the start of the year my mum fell down some stairs and really hurt herself and so I was back in the North East a lot and felt like I was not paying my family or work enough attention. My wife and my team were great and actually just told me to cut myself a bit of slack and focus on my mum, it really helped having people to support me both at home and at work.
Glassdoor: What is one book that you think everyone should read?
Craig Donaldson: The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. Being a CEO is hard and it should be, because we are responsible for our colleagues and our customers . You should also read all the Harry Potter books with your kids if you have children, because there is no better way to relax than reading with an eight year old!
Glassdoor: What is your go-to productivity hack?
Craig Donaldson: Read emails once. Deal with them rather than letting them fester in your inbox.
Glassdoor: What is your #1 job search tip? What is your advice for searching for a job? How should job seekers be thinking about their hunt, given today’s competitive job market?
Craig Donaldson: Think about what makes you tick, then find a company that has it at its heart. That way you’ll always be working with rather than against the company.
Glassdoor: What scares you?
Craig Donaldson: Losing our culture. Our culture defines our customer focus and who we are. Our success is testament to us doing things the right way, for the long-term.
Glassdoor: What energises you?
Craig Donaldson: When I look back and think how far we’ve come in just eight years, from the thousands of jobs we’ve created, to the number of FANS we’ve made. Bring on the next eight years!
Does Craig sound like someone you’d like to work for? Apply for jobs at Metro Bank
Glassdoor Team
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Tags:Top CEOs
