Moving to a new organisation, should I? advice welcome.

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Good morning,

I’m looking for advice or just chat regarding a position I’m interested in, sometimes it’s best to get impartial advice!

I work for a FTSE 100 insurance company dealing with a very specific area of fraud, I’m extremely happy at the company, future prospects for development are reasonable and the fringe benefits in many cases are second to none however the base salary is not great but I am able to significantly increase this through overtime and other options provided to us.

I haven’t actively been seeking other jobs however I happened upon a role being advertised fairly close to where I work.
The position is within the NHS and is fraud related, I’ve reviewed the experience needed and demands of the role and am satisfied I fulfil the criteria (there’s one or two things they would prefer but are willing to support the development if the candidate is suitable).

The main benefit of this role is the starting salary is approximately 20% higher than my total earnings (incl OT/ Share options) meaning I’d be earning more for working less time.

My Concerns?

I’m 29 (30 this year) and have worked for my current company for around 10 years, my colleague and I are the only two people in the whole company that deal with this area of fraud which puts us in a great position and that position is very secure, so the prospect of moving to a new organisation is quite daunting.

If I was successful I’d be moving from private to public sectors, does anybody have experience of this?
I have friends who work for the NHS in different areas (Doctors, Nurses etc) and they seem to be positive about the NHS as an employer, I’m aware that in the next 10-20 there’s likely to be major reform in the NHS however I’m confident fraud positions would be secure as the estimated amount lost to fraud in the NHS is staggering, the best way to reduce loss is to tackle fraud and it would be nice to save money that could be used for patients in actual need.

Any advice from persons working in the NHS or questions on areas I’ve missed?

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T5R+ said:

It appears that money may be your move motivator? However, on the surface it reads as if the challenge of lots to do in the NHS appeals also.

Nicely identified, You're spot on there

I feel for the work and responsibilities I'm entrusted with I should be earning more and whilst I've had salary increases every year at the company it feels lacking, I'm fortunate that my partner earns a salary above the national average and if I were able to increase my position it would certainly give us an increased financial security as well as reducing the time I'm actually in work.

Ultimately my main motivation is job satisfaction and security, as mentioned the biggest concern I have is making the jump into the unknown but the challenges faced in the role with the NHS would, I believe, give me increased job satisfaction.

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NDA said:

Have you been promoted where you are over the past 10 years? Is it likely that you will be given share options in the business?

I have no idea what working for the NHS would be like, but tend to think of it as a vast machine that will stifle any hungry career execs.

The company doesn't work on automatic promotions per se, you somewhat carve out your own career which is how I got into Fraud.
I've steadily moved upwards in terms of responsibility etc over the last 4 years however discussion about salary is somewhat stifled or "taboo" which is frustrating but I have a good idea what others in similar organisations earn.

As an employee I get £3,600 in shares each year which vest after 3 years, if you move into management you get more on top and this steadily increases the further you move up, these discretionary shares though are very dependent on company performance (although we have maintained profit increase every year for 20+ years bar one) but obviously is subject to share value.

So whilst it's great getting a lump sum of money should I wish to sell the shares the value can vary, I feel I'd be comfortable sacrificing this for an increased salary spread over the year that I know is guaranteed.

I'm very much a specialist rather than general type worker, I don't think I'd enjoy working as a "General Manager" and Fraud manager roles at the moment are hens teeth.

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edc said:

On the salary front, your problem if you can call me it that, is that you joined in your teens and have never left. As you've found out you tend to get smaller incremental increases like this unless you really leapfrog up the chain. What about a similar role in the same industry? If you know what similar roles pay in other similar organisations then you know what you can aim for.

They wouldn't be a high as the one in the NHS, even going in at the starting salary would see me above similar salaries in other insurance companies.
I don't think I'd want too work for another Insurer straight from this one, strange as that may sound but if I were to move I'd want it to be in fraud but somewhere I can challenge myself rather than stick to the same sort of thing.

You're certainly right about the small incremental increases!

I suppose the main benefit I have is if I applied for the role and didn't get it I'm in a position I'd still be happy with, drafting a CV would be interesting as I haven't done an external one in over 10 years!

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oldbanger said:

Hello. I went the other way, public to private and the culture is very different. The fraud industry has a great network of forums, with the London and Midlands being particularly active. So if you contact your local one, there'll be NHS CF people to ask about.

I find I learn a lot about roles and industries through job applications. There's no harm in applying anyway to get a better insight into the role.

Very happy to take it to PM if you'd like.

I've no doubt the culture is going to be different! at my place there's a good mix of professionalism and friendly "banter"
Part of the problem lays with my location, I'm based in South Wales and as you've mentioned London and Midlands are very active.

I'm on IFIG and active with IAATI, IFIG lists NHS in its directory but it's empty!
I'm a bit reluctant to post or discuss on their publicly as colleagues might become aware and whilst this would not be an issue at all I'd prefer to not be doing it so blatantly in front of them!

Is your work based in fraud too then?

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oldbanger said:

I would drop you a PM but your profile says they are blocked.

I'll adjust that now, two minutes.

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Some good advice and thoughts so far, appreciated!

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Greshamst,

Thanks for your post, personally I'd enjoy the travelling to different hospitals within this region, I've worked deskbound for 10 years and whilst my role does afford the opportunity to attend court as a witness it rarely happens as a guilty plea is usually forthcoming.

Regarding interviewing staff for minor discrepancies, I suppose that's down to the individual how they feel about it but as with any job there are tedious and dreary aspects, I've investigated and dealt with many unpleasant situations with various motives and excuses but overall I'd consider the bigger picture in that it's my job to investigate and identify fraud.


You make a good point about working for a FTSE 100 company, it's certainly something to be proud of but it's not something that carries much kudos in South Wales, in the Land of Labour (shudder) a civil servants job is king!
The stepping stone comment is one I'll consider if I apply and am successful. cheers

IanA2,

Again thanks,
They weren't obviously overly joyous about the NHS but they explained that in terms of pay etc it was positive, I imagine I'd only truly get an idea once I'm working there.

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Perhaps I should have covered this earlier but I know there is no way they'd increase my salary to any where close to the job I'm looking at, the starting salary at the NHS is I suspect more than the basic for managers here which is why I'm considering the position change to increase my earnings, in addition my colleague has been doing the same role as me for a lot longer and I doubt they'd leap frog my earnings above him.

You're correct with the benefits, they are great (shares, dividends, discount on insurance etc) but I've weighed these up and the increased salary (especially for South Wales) can make a significant difference and exceeds these.

I think you might have been referring to Cardiff? I'm in the second city about 40 miles west

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elanfan said:

I was referring to swanseee, tower block overlooking the train station not far from Dyfatty??

The guy I was referring to worked for some specialist arm of RSA I think - there will be those roles out there which will keep your benefits , provide a company car aswell as a lot more £s. I've not spoken to him for a while but if I can find a number for him in his new house I could ask what type of roles he knows are about.

Oh I see, Alexandra house?
No, we're in SA1 now.

I think to achieve the position you mention I'd have to carry out a bit of "stepping stones" as per the previous poster, get experience in private and public covering different areas of fraud, this would certainly allow me to appear more attractive to future employers.

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elanfan said:

Sorry buttie, I'm a bit out of date since working in Craddock Street years ago! Things have certainly changed down there!

I think you are wrong about the stepping stones! There would be very few candidates on the ground in the area they'd need people and very few that would tick all their boxes. Doubtless there would be further training required and perhaps a bit of a steep learning curve but the employer would be aware as this would likely apply to everyone. Don't do yourself down 10 years specialist fraud experience ain't to be sniffed at. Seriously do some research into what is available. You might find a consortium at Lloyds needs someone though you could find yourself covering the entire country. You'll get to hate the M4 Neath thru Port Talbot and the Bryn Glas tunnels.

Good luck

Cheers,

Most of the fraud investigation for insurers based in the south east is done by Investigative groups like Brownsword or Questgate who use area based inspectors, I wouldn't really want to be working for a company like those as the work is very up and down but I appreciate the points you're making about looking about and seeing what else is on offer.