Secret to Just Mortgages success? Investing in people

John Phillips is national operations director of Just Mortgages and Spicerhaart

The mortgage market has reached a fever pitch recently. The stampede of clients towards the back end of 2020 has slowed slightly, but most brokers are still rushed off their feet.

In these times of immense stress and pressure to deliver, it is more important than ever to support each other where possible. That is why the Just Mortgages’ team has been investing in people.

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One of the key ways we have been supporting the industry is our training academies. Run throughout the year, these bring fresh blood into the industry.

We are always massively oversubscribed for these events, and we get applications from a wide variety of people.

From those who have experience in a different field and are looking to move into the mortgage industry, to those straight out of university. As long as people are willing and keen to learn, we can help them achieve their goals.

Principal training

These academies run throughout the year, and alongside them, we also have a programme of training for those already in the Just Mortgages family.

Our principal training sessions are geared towards giving brokers all the tools they need to recruit, manage and progress their own businesses.

Brokers learn the skillset needed for running a team of brokers, how to develop a strategy for their business, and crucially, how to run the day-to-day operations.

These training courses have been incredibly popular recently, as the pandemic has actually opened up opportunities for brokers to collaborate with those outside of their local area.

By using video conferencing, brokers can now advise clients all over the UK, and by setting up businesses brokers can support more people than ever.

Already nearly 40 self-employed brokers have set up their own businesses with Just Mortgages’ support.

Some of these businesses are even bringing in new people to the industry, supporting those without experience to learn how to be a brilliant broker.

Mental health awareness course

At Just Mortgages we don’t just support our people professionally. We also look after our brokers mental health.

We make sure regional managers are trained to identify the little things that can often be overlooked.

Whether it is a change in mood, or some behaviour that’s out of character, being able to recognise a potential stress is incredibly important. From there, our managers are trained to point people towards the support they may need.

For employed brokers we work with Help Assured, an independent company who provide employee wellbeing support.

The Help Assured team provides a confidential service for brokers to talk whenever they need to, and are available 24/7 to offer specialist support on any subject.

For everyone in the Just Mortgages family, we provide practical advice to help navigate some of the common problems, like juggling looking after children while working.

We also have put on free virtual classes hosted by a personal trainer. These small gestures can really make a difference and we should all look to support each other where possible.

The reason Just Mortgages has expanded so rapidly recently is partly due to our approach to dealing with people.

We look to treat every broker as a human being, offering them all the support they need for their wellbeing, and also for their professional development.