Evolved Search was founded in 2014 and provides performance marketing services to a range of clients which have included Peugeot, tombola and Beyond Retail, among others. Hayley Fell joined the 60-strong firm in 2018, initially spearheading the agency’s client services division.
What was your first job (and how much did it pay)? I started my first digital role in my mid twenties, which was at an automotive specialist software company. I worked on a specific project initially, they had partnered with News UK and I supported the onboarding of hundreds of car dealerships, ensuring their stock was fed through to the website. I got paid £18,000 per year, which was the same pay I’d been on at my previous role in retail.
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business? In my teenage years two teachers gave me the following advice, firstly “Don’t ever shut up! That’s your gift, Hayley. Use it!” And the second a quote from the Simpsons: “It doesn’t matter how bad it gets, just remember these four words and you’ll be ok: ‘I am Hayley Fell’. I think this has been echoed throughout my working career - just be my authentic self and use my voice.
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What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing? The performance marketing industry is ever changing and diverse, from black hat tactics to a real sophistication and appreciation of the services. Currently, my biggest challenge in my new role as operations and delivery director is how to balance increased costs to the business and cost of living for the team, on top of a skill shortage, which is driving the price to recruit, whilst growing profit, without disrupting our service to clients.
How has the pandemic changed the way you work? We were lucky at Evolved that pre pandemic we already encouraged flexible working, working from home days etc., so a move to fully remote during the pandemic wasn’t as huge a challenge as it might have been for some. However, the pandemic really tested our boundaries on this and meant we had to reviewed and re-align our ways of communicating. We introduced a four-day work week in August 2021, initially on a six-month trial, which has since been made a permanent feature. Hybrid is just how we do things now and the benefits have been endless, not only giving our team a better work/life balance, but also allowing us to recruit from further afield.
Also, for me, the post pandemic world and a formal move to hybrid working has allowed me to move further out of the city. I moved from the North East to Dumfries in Scotland and now travel through to the office a couple of days a week, as needed. This allowed me to support my husband and his career in Dumfries and Galloway.
Who is your role model in business? I feel like I’ve had a great mentor in Tom Etherington, our MD here at Evolved. He’s really been my cheerleader over the last four years, encouraging me and giving me the autonomy to have impact and drive change. Tom is passionate, fair and fun, both in work and out, and these are characteristics that I really appreciate in business and a huge part of what makes Evolved a great place to work.
What would your dream job be? Honestly, I genuinely love what I do and wouldn’t change it. I did a business with marketing degree, but I’m not great at the ‘doing’ so supporting our clients and internal teams is a great way to balance my marketing knowledge whilst being able to make a positive impact. I love fashion, though, so would love it if we were able to work with one of my favourite brands!
What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector? Anyone looking to work in digital marketing I’d really recommend spending time in an agency. Aside from a great work/life balance and a really fun, informal work environment, you’ll be exposed to lots of different departments, roles and sectors so you can figure out what your niche is.
What makes the North East a good place to do business? The majority of the region are from a working class background so we grew up being told to ‘graft’. We are definitely grafters, but we are also known for our friendliness and of course our nights on the Toon. Combine all that together and you have a great culture! Also, the North East is a cheaper place to live and therefore you can be slightly more competitive than others in your sector.
How important is it for business to play a role in society? At Evolved we are really passionate about being a positive impact in society. More recently, we updated our values to include ‘community’ to reflect our work community, but also to support the external community. Naturally as a North East business we will support society through creating roles and using local services however, we believe it’s important to also give back in other ways.
Outside of work, what are you really good at? I would love to have something cool or quirky to say here, but outside of work I spend my time with friends and family and watching trashy TV, so I would probably say being a supportive friend or a Real Housewives expert.
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