Member Article

Coventry IT firm expanding team despite pandemic

A Coventry IT firm which was able to attract new clients during the pandemic is now aiming to expand its team.

Syscomm, based in Electric Wharf, was able to retain its key clients as the pandemic began to worsen, and acquired new clients who found their previous IT firms unable to cope with demand as the crisis deepened.

And, thanks to support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub, Syscomm has now connected with many new local businesses, and is hopeful of finding excellent candidates for senior vacancies within the company.

Chris Tyler, Managing Director of Syscomm, said: “As we came out of the first lockdown, we believed we could focus on the future with confidence and stability.

“And while the last six months have not been easy, we were in the fortunate position of going into the pandemic on the back of our most successful year to date, with a balanced and varied portfolio of sturdy clients.

“Looking ahead, we are taking a strategic approach to grow the business over the next five years.

“What remains key is that we continue to be a responsible employer and we are committed to ensuring that young talent is harnessed and moulded ready for long-term, sustainable work in the industry - and we are planning to take on even more staff over the coming months.”

Syscomm has clients based all over the UK, but the firm wanted to raise its profile in the Coventry and Warwickshire region.

It originally approached the CWLEP Growth Hub before the pandemic to see if the organisation could help Syscomm grow its clients more locally.

But throughout this difficult period, the Growth Hub’s advice proved to be incredibly important for the firm.

It was able to provide support through the Coventry City Council Employer Hub, which is enabling Syscomm to access a wider pool of talent for its senior vacancies. Syscomm was also introduced to the ‘FinditinCw’ portal, which allows businesses to look locally for other firms to help with supply chain issues.

Further help was given through the Growth Hub’s ‘Peer to Peer Network’ which encourages local collaboration, and through the Hub’s connections with nearby schools to allow Syscomm to get involved in their open days or career fairs once the pandemic has subsided.

Head of Marketing at Syscomm, Darren Bindert, said: “We contacted the Growth Hub before the pandemic hit, but their support through this time has been crucial for us.

“Now we are looking to expand, the Hub’s connections should allow us to find some excellent candidates for our vacancies much faster than if we simply did it ourselves.

“The Hub has already put us in touch with all sorts of useful businesses, and going forward, we know they will be able to point us in the right direction when it comes to support such as grants and attending networking events.

“We’re now in a strong position when many other IT firms are not, and I think the Growth Hub’s support has helped us get there.”

Justine Chadwick, account manager at the Growth Hub who has been helping Syscomm, added: “It’s fantastic to hear how well Syscomm did against the backdrop of the pandemic.

“We’re always happy at the Growth Hub to signpost businesses to the help they need to thrive, whether that’s through finding the perfect candidate for a vacancy, connecting them with new companies, or helping them find suitable grants.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .