Never say the word “promising.” Don’t ask me why but every time I used that terrible word, everything went to shit! 😊
As a part of our series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” we had the pleasure of interviewing Richard Walker.
Meet Richard Walker, CEO of York Solutions and author of “Relationship Equity.” A visionary leader and inspirational speaker, Richard emphasizes how meaningful connections lead to personal fulfillment and wealth. “Building deeper, lasting relationships can enrich your life in ways more profound than a bigger bank account,” he says.
Born in Settle, England, Richard’s journey from a bricklaying apprentice to CEO exemplifies determination and vision. Emigrating to the United States in 1994, he embraced IT recruitment, transforming it into a thriving career. Co-founding York Solutions with Bill Carr, Richard revolutionized businesses with innovative IT solutions.
Richard’s commitment to giving back led to the creation of Think IT, offering free professional development services. He passionately supports York’s Barriers to Entry program, integrating non-traditional IT professionals into the workforce. His philanthropy extends to supporting Genesys Works and Holes for Hope.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you please tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I got into the IT field by complete default. Arriving in the U.S. in 1997 with my American wife, I intended to go into a teaching career as I’d just completed a Physical Education teaching degree in the U.K. Much to my dismay, my qualifications weren’t recognized in the U.S.
I had to quickly come up with a plan B as we had just found out that my wife was pregnant, and we didn’t have a proverbial pot to piss in!
Scrolling through the classified ads in the newspaper as the internet didn’t exist back then, I ran across a small ad that didn’t even state what the actual position was. It just asked four simple questions: Are you competitive? Are you good with people? Are you not scared of the phone, and do you have basic computer skills? Apart from the very last question, I felt like I checked the boxes of the other 3. Figuring that 3 out of 4 wasn’t bad, I called the number on the ad and talked with somebody in HR who thought I was worthy of an interview. Shortly thereafter, I was ecstatic to inform my wife that I got the job as an IT recruiter making 25K a year. I thought I’d hit the jackpot!
Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There are many memorable things that have happened over the course of my long career in the IT field including many failures, the odd success or two, and everything in between. But, perhaps, the most impactful story that I will never forget is (apparently) saving someone’s life.
Although I am in the wild and wonderful ever-changing world of IT, for me, it’s much about the positive impact I have had on people’s lives rather than helping companies with their technology challenges that drive me. After all, other than our families, there are not many things that are more important in our lives than our careers. Throughout the course of my career, I have fostered dozens and dozens of lifelong personal relationships that first started with a business transaction.
One such relationship with a chap I will call Fred became so strong that he shared his most personal challenges with me. Without going into detail, this relationship led to Fred reaching out to me at the absolute lowest point in his life which could have ended very badly. I used the word “apparently” as I had no idea at the time just how much of an impact our time spent together had on him. Fred is the one who has thanked me many times for literally saving his life. And I’m very happy to say that Fred is now thriving in his career and personal life.
Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?
I coined the term “relationship equity” many years ago and have just completed a book with Forbes discussing the principles on relationship equity in some detail. These principles are ones I live by every single day of my life. They are simple in concept but, arguably, not the norm in today’s society.
“Do unto others as you’d expect them to do to you” is perhaps one of the oldest adages that exists. But human dynamics are extremely complex and in my observation, most people think of themselves first and maybe the other person second. I know this sounds negative, but we are by nature, protective creatures.
What kind of person are you? Are you the kind of person who puts their grocery cart away or do you leave it in the parking lot for somebody else to get because that’s their job? Do you look behind you when you open a door to see if there’s somebody else coming along so that you can open the door for them and greet them with a simple smile? If you notice a piece of rubbish on the floor, do you pick it up and throw it in the bin or just ignore it as it’s somebody else’s job to clean the place up and not yours? I was taught by my parents at a very young age to always consider how my words and actions impact those around me and to think and act accordingly.
I found that the most successful people in business and life adopt what I refer to as the 4 R’s principle. They understand and embrace sharing the Right information, with the Right people, at the Right time in the Right way. Although this sounds like common sense, it’s not. Information drives the world. It can be used for good or personal gain. Or both. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using it for personal gain just as long as you consider the potential negative consequences of falling prey to how, when, and who you share it with. Got you thinking? Good!
Ok thank you for that. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?
It is indisputable that technology has had the biggest impact on our world since the invention of the wheel. It’s hard to think of a world without the internet and social media, but both of those technological advancements are relatively new in the history of mankind.
Let’s face it, technology drives our daily lives in just about every aspect of what we do. But what we actually do with technological advancements is what I am most fascinated by.
At York Solutions, our way of using technology is to improve the world by creating hundreds (soon to be thousands) of new jobs in the IT field. Furthermore, it has already done so for people who did not take the typical path to get there. York’s home-grown technology, without exception, can determine if you have what it takes to be successful in a technology role regardless of your background or education. Our “testing” evaluates your technical acuity, problem-solving skills, and ability to learn highly technical concepts. For the ones who get through the grueling two weeks of testing and come through with flying colors, York hires them day one as an associate and puts them through an intense inhouse training program. Too good to be true? Well, there’s an exception to every rule and this is one of them.
In addition to changing the lives of all the people we have hired in this program, we have also created a unique value proposition for our clients enabling us to provide a high-quality, cost-effective, domestic solution as our internal teams are comprised of senior and associate engineers.
The best analogy that comes to mind is our technology teams are similar to the U.S. Olympic ice hockey team in 1980. Nobody gave that incredible team of college students a chance against the Russians but, against all odds, they came out on top. Our teams have very similar characteristics; incredibly talented, hungry to learn, and know how their role on the team impacts everybody around them.
I talk about what I refer to as the Socio Economic Pyramid in my book, Relationship Equity. In short, there are hundreds of thousands of hard-working people in the U.S. who just need an opportunity to achieve what they are capable of. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people do not follow the traditional education path and, as a result, are often overlooked for jobs they are more than capable of succeeding.
York’s Barriers to Entry (B2E) program merely scratches the surface of addressing an antiquated talent evaluation model. York’s B2E program creates a unique and diverse talent pool of highly qualified technologists from a wide variety of backgrounds. Think about this for a second…what if this model was adopted in all areas of business? Would companies benefit from creating a more diverse workforce? Absolutely is the answer. We just happen to be in the IT consulting world. Imagine if every company on earth adopted this approach. What would it do for the U.S. economy? And the number of lives it would positively impact is almost infinite.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think more deeply about?
This is one of those ideas that there are no drawbacks whatsoever! Providing opportunities to those who normally would not have access to upward mobility careers has countless benefits — both for individuals and organizations. I’m still amazed by the stories of impact I hear from every B2E associate cohort.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?
Years ago, I sat in the bleachers of our youngest daughter’s high school volleyball game. I overheard a few of the mothers talking about wanting to go back to work after staying at home to raise their families. They were all struggling to even get an interview because they hadn’t been in the traditional workforce for several years. One of the mothers worked for a global consulting firm before taking time off to raise her family and still couldn’t get an interview. That’s when the light bulb went on!
The first cohort that proved to be the catalyst for the B2E program was designed for returning parents to the workforce. We soon expanded the program to veterans and people who just wanted to change careers. We created curriculums to cater to both highly technical minds and those who leaned towards IT positions that required more interpersonal skill sets. As the program grew, it became very apparent that there are hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. with the ability to perform a wide variety of roles in the IT ecosystem. All they needed was to be given an opportunity. And that’s exactly what we have done.
What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?
Creating widespread adoption would mean “buyers” being open to using an alternative approach to solving their IT and business needs. Most large companies use an offshore model of some kind to supplement their in-house staff. What that means is that hundreds of millions of dollars leave the U.S. every year and end up in the pockets of non-U.S.-based companies.
Our “early adopter” clients couldn’t be happier that York’s innovative approach provides a domestic alternative that has many advantages including:
- No time difference issues.
- Far fewer headaches in terms of knowing who’s on any given team.
- Probably the most important, deadlines are met without fail!
Our “glass box” approach allows our clients to peer into the York ecosystem at any time. Furthermore, because of our approach, we do not lose business to offshore companies based on price. Too good to be true? I don’t blame you for thinking that. But try me!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started your career or company and why.
- You will experience recessions that will turn your business and life upside down. Get prepared! This happened twice in our business journey. The first time it happened in 2001, we weren’t prepared at all and came close to losing our business. The second time it happened was in 2008, also dubbed “The Great Recession.” Although this one hit the world much harder, we were better prepared, and, not only did we ride it out, we came out stronger on the other side.
- Your people are without a shadow of a doubt your most important asset. However, you must always make important decisions putting your business first. Do not keep people in positions where they are failing just because you like them personally. You owe it to them to help them find another position within your company where they can be successful or help find them one at a different company.
- Always consider the roles of the position you need filled first before putting people in them. It’s imperative to make sure that every role is being played by an employee who not only has the right skills but wants to play the role they are in. Also, make sure you have very clearly defined roles and responsibilities making sure that you don’t have two people trying to play the same role or one person trying to play two.
- Be cautious of setting unrealistic goals. Realism in business is required over pie in the sky optimism.
- Never say the word “promising.” Don’t ask me why but every time I used that terrible word, everything went to shit! 😊
Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?
Success and failure are relative terms. People often think of success as having a “big” job or living in a mansion or driving a fancy car. But aren’t they societal successes? The question is: what’s your success? When you look back on your life, what would make you smile knowing that you’ve led a successful life? I for one won’t be thinking about my job, the house I lived in, or the car I drove. I will be reflecting on the impact I had on my family. Did I teach them what it means to be a good person as my parents did with me? I will reflect on the impact I had on others outside of my family. Did I positively impact the lives of those around me? And did I create a legacy that would live on in perpetuity? This mindset always considers the needs of others first, before considering your own. I refer to this as a Relationship Equity mindset. And in my 56 years on this spinning globe, I have learned one indisputable fact: There is a subtle, but significant difference between doing “good” and doing “well.” The more of the former we do, the more of the latter tends to just happen organically!
Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I would tell them…I’m not looking for investors! 😊
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Find me on LinkedIn, X or Instagram.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
York Solutions: Richard Walker’s Big Idea That Might Change The World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.