In conversation with Joshua Skyers and Arslan Iqbal, Quod
Josh Skyers and Arslan Iqbal, Quod.
This month, we’re spotlighting our corporate partner, Quod and sharing a candid interview with Joshua Skyers (Josh), a Consultant in Socio Economics and Arslan Iqbal, a Senior Consultant in Development Economics, within the company.
Both in their early careers, Josh and Arslan have already achieved a significant amount in a few years, including professional qualifications and progression within their respective roles.
Like many people, they also experienced the impact of the global pandemic on their careers and share how this affected them – both the challenges and how they came out stronger the other side.
With equity, diversity and inclusion being central themes of this discussion, we also cover everything from code-switching to the influence of faith and religion on their work.
Grab a cuppa and dive in!
Early years and education
Josh was born and bred in Lewisham, South London. He went to a state school there and even to this date, still calls this vibrant part of London his home.
His decision to study Economics at the University of Southampton, was born out of an interest in learning the science behind decision-making. Like many of his peers, he thought he would go down the investment banking route, typical of Economic graduates.
What he didn’t know was how his difference in school education would become so apparent at university.
“Reflecting back on my university years, I do feel that my experiences were different having gone to state school. From the activities people did, the way they spoke to the holidays they had… these were things that I hadn’t experienced and found it difficult to relate to as a young boy from South London.” - Josh
Following his graduation, Josh landed an internship at Quod in the Socio Economics team and has been there since. Although his dad is a surveyor and they had a few conversations about property and real estate, for Josh, his decision to enter the Built Environment sector, was mainly his own.
Meanwhile, Arslan was born and bred in Bedford and still lives there, immersed within the tight-knit South Asian community.
Although Arslan enjoyed school, he was always a more practical individual and didn’t foresee higher education for himself.
“I didn’t think I would go beyond A-levels, but my school made me apply! Like many other South Asians, I was encouraged to pick a degree like Accounting and Finance… But I knew this wasn’t for me and rejected an offer I already had for this course.” – Arslan
Arslan instead chose the property route. After speaking to a few university lecturers, he was advised to pick a course that was RICS accredited and would give him some good options after. A further conversation with his brother’s friend confirmed this.
Despite his early views on higher education, Arslan excelled at university through his own hard-working ethic. Though similar to Josh, his state-school stamp was not without its challenges.
“I remember I was once in a lecture where we were asked who was state schooled. Funnily enough, I was only one of three people who was, and we all happened to sit next to each other! It was a stark reminder of how different we were.” – Arslan
Life at Quod
Josh has been with Quod’s Socio-Economic team since 2019 and was recently promoted from an ‘Assistant Consultant’ to a ‘Consultant’ in June 2024. During his tenure at Quod, he has worked across a wide variety of projects and work streams, with some examples including Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) advice, Socio-economic Chapters for Environmental Statements, Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs). Josh currently specialises in Infrastructure but also works across various Strategic Land and Regeneration schemes. The nature of working in an interdisciplinary company has exposed Josh to a range of skills as well, which he’s enjoyed.
But it wasn’t always smooth. In his early career, Josh was navigating long hours with two jobs.
“During my internship, I was working at Quod 9 to 5 and then a shift at Next in the evenings! It was tough but I ended up getting a permanent role which I’m proud of.” - Josh
On the other hand, Arslan has been a Surveyor at Quod for around 11 months, having previously worked at a smaller firm, where he passed his APC and qualified as a surveyor.
Arslan also echoed how it’s nice to work in a bigger company “where everyone’s skills are embraced”.
Working during the COVID-19 pandemic
Both Josh and Arslan shared how working during the global pandemic was one of the toughest times in their careers.
“Working during COVID has been one of the hardest periods in my Quod tenure to date. It was very early on in my career, at a time when being in the office is so crucial and beneficial… Although we tried to connect on Teams, I do feel this had an impact on my development… Coming out of the pandemic, I really feel like I’ve come out the other side.”
- Josh
Josh currently comes into the office four days a week. His team is also in most days and there is a good amount of cross-collaboration, which has helped him learn from others too.
For Arslan, his experience of COVID was very-much intertwined with his family life. As a carer at home, in the early days of the pandemic, Arslan needed to work from home, perhaps sooner than it was officially announced as a requirement.
“Being quite junior, I didn’t have the courage to ask about working from home before it was announced… However, my manager at the time stepped in and effectively made that decision for me. I was so relieved, and it made me realise that I didn’t need to be afraid to ask for things that were important.” – Arslan
For Arslan, he was able to enjoy a good balance of work, flexibility and running errands during the first two months of the pandemic. But when his caring responsibilities ended, coupled with him being furloughed, he entered a period of change. One thing he is grateful for is how supportive his former employer and colleagues were during this time.
“My colleagues gave me the time to deal with my personal circumstances and they also supported me with coming back into work… even though it may not have been the best decision for the business unit, they recognised it was the best decision for me… to have some routine and connection with my colleagues, once again.”– Arslan
The importance of equity, diversity and inclusion
There was complete consensus on the merits of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
“It’s important to ensure our workforce is reflective of the areas we work in… During my time at Quod, this has been reflected and it’s been really positive for the company culture and the work we do.” – Josh
Josh is also part of Quod’s Racial Equality Working Group, which has run initiatives such as unconscious bias training and working lunch sessions, aimed to be safe spaces for all employees to share their thoughts and learn from each other.
This was echoed by Arslan, who also shared that Quod has cultivated a culture that welcomes everyone.
“Quod has really ensured there is a space for everyone. Earlier this year, I celebrated the holy month of Ramadan. The company dedicated a post on our intranet informing colleagues about the protocols of Ramadan, prompting the Managing Director to email me to check my needs at this time, including offering a prayer room to anyone requiring that space… As someone of a religious minority, that made me feel really valued amongst my peers”
- Arslan
Codeswitching
Despite the positive steps with EDI, both Josh and Arslan went through a phase of ‘code switching’ in their early careers. This is when an individual changes their behaviour or culture to fit in with majority groups.
“… this was very early on in my career. My colleagues were from majority backgrounds and in order to fit it, I would try to portray myself as the same… I would playdown my role at home, being a carer, which resulted in being obscure about my life outside of work in order to fit in.” – Arslan
“For me, it was hard not seeing anyon who looked like me… I stopped being my true, authentic self.” – Josh
Both Josh and Arslan have grown in confidence during their careers to date.
“As I became older, I became more confident in my identity… and it’s so important for others to see my authentic self – you never know who might be feeling the same and is inspired from that authenticity.” – Arslan
The influence of faith and religion at work
Faith and religion are important factors in both Josh and Arslan’s lives.
As a Christian, Josh often considers his faith in the work he does.
“I think my faith does play a part in my work, especially when we are working on Equality Impact Assessments. We always ensure that these documents are not just tick-box exercises and always try to highlight and address the genuine issues at stake. My Christian faith puts even more emphasis on ensuring that these assessments are carried out both efficiently and effectively” - Josh
Meanwhile, for Arslan being a Muslim influences his behaviours and how others perceive his religion too.
“A few years back, I heard some uncomfortable conversations about my religion… Although at the time, I wasn’t entirely confident to challenge this, I am grateful for that experience, because it’s taught me how I might deal with a similar situation in the future.” – Arslan
There was also an acknowledgement that social and other networking events need to become more diverse, with more non-alcoholic drink options and greater dietary requirements being met. This can also help people of different faiths feel more comfortable, without having to ask for changes and being singled out.
Arslan also contributes to initiatives focussing on being Muslim in the Built Environment sector, which he hopes will be a positive force for Muslims in the industry, those looking to join and allies, looking to learn and do better.
Words to their younger selves
As we wrapped up the conversation, some final words were shared by Josh and Arslan to their younger selves.
“Trust the process and be confident in your ability… it’s easy to get into a spiral of doubt, but the hard work pays off.” – Josh
“Be your authentic self… it’s what takes you further.” – Arslan
A huge thank you to Josh and Arslan for speaking with us and sharing their career stories so candidly.
EDI at Quod
“Quod is committed to being an inclusive workplace – we want everyone to feel able to participate fully and achieve their potential. Our EDI Team was set up in 2019 with a remit to champion diversity at Quod, and in our networks and wider industry. In our award for RTPI Planning Consultancy of the Year 2023, our work on equality, diversity and inclusion was commended – Judges were impressed by the systematic and pro-active approach to equality, diversity and inclusion that Quod have developed.
“Quod is proud to partner with PREACH Inclusion to continue to make Quod an even more inclusive, diverse, knowledgeable, and enjoyable place to work for all. This approach carries through to our work, with the need for understanding and representation across our projects and the communities we work in. We are looking forward to our continued relationship, working together to ensure progression, through our company initiatives, and to also contribute to meaningful change in our industry.”
- Carly Vince, Senior Director
Quod is one of PREACH Inclusion’s corporate partners. Learn more here: https://www.preachinclusion.com/membership.