Welcome to our Employee Spotlight series! Here, we’ll be featuring the amazing team members behind our exceptional organisation. Get to know them better and hear from the people that make Dufrain great!
First up, we’re introducing Calum who has been with Dufrain for 7.5 years. Calum is an avid traveller, loves The Lathums and also enjoys a bit of golf in his spare time.
1. Tell us a little bit about what you do
I have a developer background specifically in SAS, but my client roles recently have been more focused on delivery and project management, process improvement and data strategy.
Away from client work, I like to help build the Dufrain brand by supporting the marketing function. I am also a people coach, which is probably the most rewarding aspect of my job.
2. What is your favourite part of your job?
One of my favourite parts of my job is being a people coach. I really enjoy interacting with the team, being a mentor and seeing the growth and development of my colleagues. Sharing my knowledge and experience and supporting others to achieve their goals is really rewarding.
I also like solving problems; big-picture problems can be really rewarding and I enjoy the challenge. Strategy is a strength of mine and something that I want to develop further over the next few years.
3. What does a typical day look like for you?
I wake up, grab a coffee, listen to a podcast, eat breakfast and try to have 30 minutes to get myself ready for the day. Once I’m logged on, I start the day by checking my emails and preparing for the day ahead.
My working day can be very varied. I always have daily stand-ups with my team on client sites to make sure the day is as productive as can be for all of us, and then my focus switches to my specific deliverables for the client.
One of the big things in my day that I’m trying to be better at is to make sure I go for a walk on my lunch break. It’s one of my new year’s resolutions to make sure this happens as it helps to keep me productive. I usually try to fit in some work on internal Dufrain projects after lunch, such as supporting marketing, and then I like to finish my day on a high with my people coaching sessions.
4. Which company value resonates with you the most?
I like to think that I embody them all but if I had to pick one, it would be client focus. I always try to think about what is right for and in the best interest of the client. This can sometimes mean having open and honest conversations on strategy and requirements, but it’s always focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for the client to help them meet their business goals.
5. What would you say has been your most significant achievement whilst working at Dufrain?
Pinpointing one single personal achievement is difficult, as I’ve built strong, long-lasting relationships with clients during my time here and I have been involved with a number of successful internal Dufrain initiatives. However, something I can say that I’m proud of is the amazing culture that everyone at Dufrain has helped to build and develop over the years.
6. Who inspires you the most within Dufrain?
It’s not one person; I take inspiration from across the Dufrain team and especially those team members that I coach. I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with great coaches and leaders myself in my time at Dufrain, but what I’ve really discovered is that everyone has something unique that they bring to their role. I constantly learn from all of them. It’s great to see how enthusiastic, supportive and curious the people at Dufrain are and that inspires me to be the same.
7. Which work benefit is your favourite and why?
As someone who loves to travel, for me it has to be the incremental holidays. The additional holidays that I have accrued during my time here have allowed me to see more of the world.
8. What’s the best advice you can give to someone who wants to work for Dufrain?
Be curious and don’t accept things at face value. You really need to understand our clients’ underlying goals and reasons for doing things and avoid making assumptions. Always look at the big picture.
Also, recognise and understand your own strengths and weaknesses as well as the strengths of others around you, so that you can work together effectively to achieve your common goals.
9. What skill do you think everyone should learn?
Learning how to code is something I’m glad to see being taught in schools these days! But one thing I think that we consultants take for granted sometimes is what a great life skill resilience and the ability to persevere through adversity is.
Resilience is something that you can learn and train to be better at; it focuses on developing the tools to overcome stressful events and the ability to adapt when things are beyond our control.
10. What is your favourite thing to do outside of work?
I’ve always maintained a variety of hobbies and been quite sporty and musical. These days golf is the primary sport I play, but I am going Skiing at the end of the month.
I really enjoy listening to live music so you can usually find me at gigs or festivals in the summer. My favourite thing to do though is to travel and discover new places. I’ve been lucky enough to work in four European countries for clients whilst at Dufrain, and pre-COVID I managed to do a couple of big holidays to Indonesia and Vietnam. I’m hoping to plan another big trip this year.
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