A monthly interview with people who've crossed organisational and sectoral boundaries to join a new working world.
In 2011, Darra Singh was the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus and the Department for Work and Pensions’ second permanent secretary. Behind him lay a long track record of public service for voluntary sector bodies, housing associations, the Audit Commission and Luton Council. But when he saw an opportunity for a new challenge, he had no hesitation about moving into the private sector.
Changes in the public sector had increasingly required Singh to work with private sector partners: “That divide between the two sectors had noticeably narrowed over the years, so I didn’t see it as a huge shift,” he recalls. “I had a desire to continue to expand myself in new environments with new colleagues.”
Due to public sector appointment rules, he had to wait three months before taking up his new role as executive director within the Government and Public Sector team at global consultancy Ernst & Young (now known as EY); he put the time to good use by chairing the Independent Riots Communities and Victims Panel.
On starting his new role, he says, the early challenges came in learning about the culture, processes and organisational objectives of his workplace: “The issues were largely the same as moving from any type of organisation to a new one. It was about getting to know the key clients and understanding the key influencers internally. I also talked to others who had made the same switch as me, to get their tips.”
Existing staff welcomed him, he says, and he didn’t suffer from stereotyping based on his public sector career: “People were interested to learn about my experience and background: there were no perceptions that I would operate at a limited pace. It was clear that I was learning the craft of consultancy, but we work in a team and it was also clear that I brought different skills to the table.”
Singh says his new role has provided him with a greater variety of work than he had in the public sector. “There is more fluidity around teams here,” he comments. “We bring the right people in for different assignments. When each project is delivered, I’ll join a new team for a new client.”
Since his appointment, he has been promoted to equity partner and now heads the Local Public Services team. “I can’t say that the private sector suits me more than the public sector, but it was definitely the right move for me at the right stage of my career,” he says.