Archive for the ‘Employer’s updates’ Category

« Older Entries

Control your staffing costs

Friday, June 7th, 2013

Today’s news has been celebrating signs of growth in the UK economy with a record increase in the number of houses sold in May 2013, the number of new cars sold in the UK in the same period and with evidence showing an increase in the number of permanent jobs on offer in the recruitment industry.

Despite all this, the pressure is still on for business to control their staffing and in particular, their recruitment costs; many firms have geared their HR and Operations practices to reviewing internal recruitment , in the mission to find additional ways to save money.

Here we offer you are some ideas which may benefit your business and help reduce the overall cost of recruitment

Firstly, ensure that the recruitment process for the business is clear. Do your Managers know how to go about starting the hiring process, who should be involved ? which external agencies, sources they can use? What tests or selection methods are used and they should involve in the process and how much budget they have?

Make sure you are clear about the role you are looking to fill. What do you want the role to contribute to the company, department and team, on a short, medium and long term basis. If you are unsure about where the role will head or the effect of this will be on the business in the long term, then ask yourself if this could be covered on a temporary basis.

Being clear about this could save you a lot of hassle in the long term. You may not be sure how the role may develop but  there are many talented freelancers/ temp workers who would be more than happy to commit to something indefinitely with the possibility that a permanent contract may come out of it. Equally there are many people who would commit to contract work without having a permanent job at the end of it.

Have you looked at whether the role can be filled internally, either by one person or split across a team of people? Considering internal applicants first has its benefits;  it is easier to get an appraisal of how that internal applicant performed in their job so you can see whether they are suitable for your requirements;  you can be sure that the internal applicant  knows the culture and business of the company which can be sometimes daunting to a new employee; and finally  employees like to see that the company they work for put their staff first and will always give them an opportunity to apply for a role before hiring externally. Not only is it great PR for the company, it can also increase your staff retention rate which should always be at the top of the agenda.

Ensure that the role has been authorised or “signed off”. Check this before actually starting the hiring process. There is nothing more costly, frustrating, and embarrassing for a company than asking your managers to spend hours on finding and sourcing the right person, to find that the actual job has not been authorised by the correct people and the initial offer of employment has to be withdrawn. This may sound obvious but we have heard of this happening to some of our candidates over the last 6 months.

Check whether the person you are looking to hire exists; is the job one which will be easy to source?  Do you offer a competitive salary and benefits package? Are you looking for the right person?  Not thinking about where this person is currently working or understanding what these people should be paid, could result in a long wait to recruit the right candidate.

Work with the best recruitment agencies; the adage that recruiting in- house will always save money is not always true. Although companies argue that their fees for using external agencies are high, working with the right suppliers ensures that you have access to the best people in the market. Good recruiters are experts who can advise you. They know their market , they have first- hand experience in dealing with the type of people you are looking to attract and can tell you what they want.  They have access to a broader range of people that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to meet, and they are also able to provide full objective details regarding a candidates motivation and experience which could save you a lot of unwanted interviewing time.  You may struggle to get an honest appraisal from a candidate if you are interviewing them directly and you may end up spending more hours interviewing people who aren’t suitable rather than the shortlisted 2 or 3 people.

Recruitment companies are also handy when there are a large number of similar jobs advertised by your competitors, when you are trying to rebuild a reputation in the industry or when you want to develop a new offering in your business but are looking to bring in the expertise in confidence.

Work hard on building your relationships with your suppliers;  ensure they are updated on changes in the business, briefed fully on your needs and make sure that you have a very positive business relationship. You want them to always out you at the fore front of their minds when they meet an exceptional candidate .Let them also tell you about brilliant people even when you aren’t hiring as you never know how quickly your circumstances may change. Your star employee may suddenly decide to go travelling or change careers. Having a backup is always useful.

Always check references.  Verify education , work  visas and qualifications as well as work experience. By doing all of these you may be able to identify a bad hire before it happens and save you and your team a lot of pain in the long run.

Plan ahead and don’t leave recruitment until the last minute. After all, notice periods or surges in workloads can mean that if you have no cover, your client will suffer and you could ultimately lose their faith in you and your business.

Involve as many relevant people in the interview process. There might be nothing mroe costly than hiring someone who doesn’t fit into the team. People tend to embrace new recruits if they feel part of the recruitment process and don’t feel so threatened. However on the other side of the coin, involving too many people can mean that you lose valuable time in the hiring process and the relationship between the applicant and their potential new manager can suffer.

Rethink how you are selling the business and make sure you sell the business; if they are a high demand candidate and you know that good people are very hard to find then you need to make sure they can understand what the benefits and attractions are to join your company. Many Managers forget this part and feel that their company reputation speaks for itself, but as we all know this is never the case as there will always be someone out there who might be better at promoting their business. You can’t afford to make mistakes as this could delay the hiring process and be more costly to the business.

There is always a USP in a role (unique selling point), or a carrot to attract someone to join the company, it is just important to identify that so you can make sure you are always presenting your company in the best possible way. Equally, make sure that the opportunity you are selling matches the career aspirations that the applicant has.

By adopting the ideas listed above,  you should be confident that you will save your business time, manage expectations and reduce your overall recruitment costs.     

Common competency based questions

Thursday, May 30th, 2013

While competency based interviewing has always been a favourite tool of the selection process within industry, professional practice firms have been slower to incorporate this into their own recruitment techniques. However, more and more recruitment partners within practice firms are coming to realise the benefits of selecting new employees through this recruitment process.

The basic premise driving this type of interview is that a candidate’s past performance is the best predictor of future performance. Competency based questions are directly linked to an essential function of the position.

Interviews not based on behavioural interviewing techniques usually tend to focus exclusively on education and experience, precisely the same information that is on the CV. This information was what got the candidate the interview and should only form the actual basis of the interview itself. To predict how an applicant is likely to handle the job, HR managers need to ask for examples of things the candidate has actually done that would demonstrate the key characteristics the firm needs.

The categories and examples of competency-based questions follow:

Organisational awareness

Describe the structure of your company and give an example of how you work within this culture to achieve a personal / professional goal

Also describe how you would perceive the new company and how you would adapt to this culture.

Strategic thinking

Describe your most challenging audit and what you changed to adapt to that scenario

How did you go about assessing your own performance within this assignment?

Communication

How do you keep your clients informed about difficult issues that directly affect their bottom line?

Give an example  of a difficult or sensitive situation that required you to use excellent communication skills

Give an example  of how you have developed communication skills in others (particularly helpful when interviewing at managerial level)

Client focus

Give an example  of how you provided service to a client beyond their expectations. How did you identify this need? What was their reaction?

Describe the process you use to stay in touch with clients’ short and long-term needs.

Client relationship

Describe how you develop new client relationships

Describe how you keep your existing client base despite threats from competition.

Teamwork

Describe a  situation in which you were a member of a team. What did you do to make a positive contribution to the team?

Describe a situation where there was conflict within the team and how you resolved  it.

Leadership ability

Describe how you led a team (comprising trainees, juniors and seniors) through a difficult audit. How did you improve their work?

Describe a situation where you had to take charge either with a demanding client or with your own team.

Innovation
This is particularly relevant at managerial level where partners are looking for an individual who can make a positive profit making contribution for the firm:

Describe something you have done that was new for your firm that improved the performance of your team or the value of the work done

Have you done anything innovative (either produced surveys or written reports) that  would be of direct interest to your clients or enhanced awareness of your firm?

Time management

Give me a specific example of a time when you failed to complete an audit assignment on time

How did this outcome affect your firm?

What could you have done differently?

How has that experience affected the way you deal with deadlines now?

The major benefits of this type of interviewing are that these questions allow the candidate to relate their answer to a real life experience rather than giving a generic textbook answer. This enables the candidate to reveal the most relevant information in context to the current job opportunity.

It is ironic that while most hiring is done around technical skills, most staff retention issues arise based on softer skills such as attitude. A technical question would never reveal such a potential behavioural flaw. When competency-based behavioural interviewing forms the framework for the entire recruitment process, interviewers are able to make much more effective hiring decisions.

As more and more practice firms adapt to new legislation and new environments, each employee is becoming more commercially astute. No longer seen as mere auditors, they are taking on the role of business consultants and ambassadors for their own firm. Competency-based behavioural interviewing enables the interviewers to select the best possible candidate for their firm and as such is an invaluable tool for any recruitment partner.

 

The 10 C’s of People Management; a Decalogue of good management tips.

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

 by Samantha Judd

Experienced and professional recruiters value a robust recruitment process and at boycerecruitment  we work with clients to ensure that job specifications are clear and that we understand how the role we are recruiting fits into teams, departments and company’s business goals.

There are proven benefits for all when job functions and accountabilities are fully scoped.  Hiring managers should be clear what the accountabilities are whilst hiring; so when shortlisting CVs and setting interview questions, they can identify the competencies required.   By outlining expectations from the start, the selection and hiring process will allow applicants visibility and a chance to demonstrate their suitability, enthusiasm and interest.

Recruitment and selection is only the starting point of a successful hire and recruiters should not be tasked with guaranteeing each hire for an indefinite period.  Instead, it should be recognised that energy and time should be invested in leaders and managers to ensure they understand what their contribution to the on-going responsibilities to the team are and how they can impact the wider business goals.

Unless people managers are prepared to work hard, coach and empower their staff to achieve goals they label themselves a colleague rather than a manager.    In other words, even if your employee has undertaken rigorous pre-selection, interview, testing, referencing, vetting, training   and induction processes; the litmus test of success will be how they are managed and in turn how you allow them to manage you.

Brace yourself for 10 Commandments of People Management:

Clarity

Thou shall be able to clearly vocalise what you expect of each team member.  This includes how they can access information required for the task, what you expect of them and by when.  It should be clear to you and them how this relates to the bigger team or company goal.

Consistency

Thou shall be consistent about the expectations for performance. Additionally, your management tone, style and delivery should not waiver.  This applies to the goals you set, how you disseminate information, how you relate to other team members and how you deal with your own workload and attitude to work.

Communication

Great people managers pride themselves on effective communication and regularly appraise that the messages and information they deliver is being understood.   Effective communicators know how to adjust their style to suit the audience and don’t assume that their preferred communication style suits everyone.   Just because they have given the information to someone, they know that it does not necessarily mean that it has been understood or absorbed.

Cooperation

You are there to assist your team.  You should not be trying to trick them, catch them out or feather your own cap from others failings.  Your team are there to push and challenge you and you should embrace their enthusiasm and eagerness to impress and succeed.

Collaboration

Innovation and achievement in teams is most likely to occur in circumstances where teams work together.  In some collaborative situations managers may need to relinquish their management role and allow others the opportunity to shine.  This might include leading a project, running a meeting, delivering training or instigating a brainstorming session.  This keeps the flow of ideas fresh and ensures that the best solution to problems are found regardless of who finds it

Calm

Excitement, emotion, stress and tension are all part of what makes us human and are all part of the work landscape.  However, strong managers should be able to restore calm and refocus ideas and efforts to ensure a positive outcome.   To remain calm when dealing with problems is impressive and memorable.  The impact of losing it once in a while then becomes legendary.

Curious

You should be interested and keen to know more about your team, their experiences and about life and the world in general.  Assumption is dangerous and may lead to complacency.  In the workplace it can result in staleness, boredom and mistakes. The naturally curious ask questions which may otherwise be missed.  However, thou shall not confuse this with nosiness or gossip.

Courage

People managers have to say difficult and awkward things.  They have to acknowledge, and deal with their own and others’ mistakes, ask questions that others shy away from, make tough decisions and then stand by them whatever the outcome is.  The best people managers stand up and deal with these problems head on.  They generally earn respect regardless of the outcome as people appreciate their direct and straight approach.

Considered

Ensure that your plans and actions are considered and are of value.   Instigating or delegating a task or piece of work should be something which will benefit and empower the employee, you and the company.  It should not just be left to one side and never acted upon even if circumstances have changed as this is a sure way to breed resentment.  It will almost certainly mean that there will be no motivation to complete another task when it arises.

Chocolate, champagne, caviar, cigars, crisps, cake, coffee, cheese and children.

In other words, reward and recognition of good work and effort is important.   Small treats, work concessions or surprises for the team are motivating and good managers know how and when to use them.   If you have followed the Cs and taken people management seriously you will know whether a bottle of champers will be appreciated more than leaving an hour early to get home to collect their children from school or read them a bed time story.

 

Jobs increase in market research Industry: for skills in Passive Media Measurement

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Market Research Industry is improved using single source passive measurement and London jobs have seen a surge in demand for skills in this area.

Passive media measurement has transformed the way cross media advertising effectiveness is monitored. This has had a knock on effect on the number of roles we are working on which require skills and a thorough understanding of Research on Brand/ Advertising using Passive Measurement techniques.  

A recent report by “SymphonyAM’, “Cross-Media Advertising Effectiveness Using Passive Measurement of Ad Exposure” validates that marketers can overcome current industry methodology shortcomings and get a vastly improved view of cross-platform advertising effectiveness through single-source passive measurement”

Many TV ad viewers (typically 30-40%) spend their time viewing ads on a mobile device and their research showed that passive media response rates were significantly higher, with fewer drop outs than surveys. Furthermore, in order to get a true representation of campaign lift metrics and have a cleaner and less polluted overview of ad exposure not be polluted combining the usage of TV-passive media and ad recognition methodologies were key.  

Jane Clarke, managing director for CIMM, said, “Marketers today have a near infinite number of places where they can spend their advertising dollars but the explosion of options, brought on in part by multi-screens, has made it increasingly difficult for them to evaluate how ads resonate with a target audience. This is due in large part to current industry measurement methodologies that are severely flawed. However, SymphonyAM’s research has uncovered the first step to eradicating problematic ad effectiveness measurement models—giving marketers better understanding of how their ads are impacting consumers and how best to spend their marketing dollars.”

Charles Buchwalter, CEO and president of Symphony Advanced Media, said, “The industry has been patiently waiting to see how single-source, passive cross-media measurement can bring new levels of accuracy and insight to ad effectiveness and media measurement overall. We are thrilled that CIMM’s support enabled SymphonyAM to demonstrate that it’s entirely possible to overcome the deficiencies we see in today’s current cross media ad effectiveness solutions and develop a more rigorous and accurate read on cross media campaign effectiveness.”

To conduct the study, SymphonyAM passively measured simultaneous exposure to television, online, social and mobile media via their consumer panel, using patent-pending mobile app technology that continuously and passively runs in the background of the user’s mobile smartphone or tablet device. Combining the TV exposure via automatic content recognition (ACR) data with survey-based responses provides a new level of accuracy by reducing industry-standard self-reported media consumption pollution to deliver a purer sample than currently exists in the industry today.

By monitoring its panelists’ TV, online and mobile viewing at the single-source individual level, as opposed to current measurement at the household level, SymphonyAM can determine the degree to which panel participants multi-task with each platform. This capability revealed that 30- to-40 percent of TV ad viewing by the sample group occurred while they were concurrently using mobile devices—validating media industry assumptions that deploying cross-platform ad campaigns can help marketers more effectively reach consumers who may be focused on one medium over another.

The findings were presented at CIMM’s 2nd Annual Cross-Platform Video Measurement Summit in New York City. To view the SymphonyAM final report, “Cross-Media Advertising Effectiveness Using Passive Measurement of Ad Exposure,” please visit: http://www.cimm-us.org/

Salary changes in the Broadcast landscape

Monday, April 29th, 2013

 Salary changes in the Broadcast Landscape  by Tracey Newton

A recent review of pay structure within the TV industry over the past 2 years, showed a steady increase in salaries for operational roles, particularly for Presentation Schedulers.

The demand for skilled schedulers has increased  as people who have worked as schedulers move onto programming planning or another area within TV after a few years. 

The more senior roles in presentation are generally recruited internally, as there are always people ready to move up the career ladder, which means channels are always looking to recruit at the more junior/middle levels.

University degrees now include modules on scheduling in TV so people are now able to learn about this role rather than having to rely on finding out about it through practical work experience.

More and more people have got into scheduling now, and as a result competition for work in this area is stronger. There has also been a remarkable increase in demand for language skills in scheduling – where the communication between local offices and the presentation teams are so important.  This is great for all multilingual schedulers  as having both language skills and presentation scheduling experience means you are very attractive to many of the international broadcasters.

Salaries have also risen over the last 2 years , the average salary now for an experience Scheduler is now £27,000-£28,000, whereas 24 months ago it was around the £25,000- £26,000 mark.

Post Production roles have stayed fairly static, with maybe a slight downturn in salaries – because the Post Houses and Agencies are all in tight competition and the demand for talent is generally based on winning new projects. Salary ranges have been fairly consistent

e.g. Post Producers  are paid between  £30,000 -£35,000 , Editors £40,000, Reversioning Producers  £30,000 – £35,000, MCR £21,000 – £23,000

We have, however, seen an increase in freelancer rates particular for Editors and Post Producers, as these are always in demand and range between – £200-£250 per day for an Editor and £200 – £250 per day for a Post Producer.  

Broadcast Salaries in general have not hugely changed, however the reduction in number of job roles has. This is because most of the bigger multi-channels are struggling to get authorisation for new head count and their recruitment is focussed on replacement roles to cover leavers/secondments or mat covers etc .  In addition many major TV networks have restructured and relocated some departments to local countries which has also had an added impact on the availability of roles in London.

Because of the downturn in permanent roles available we have seen a 25% increase in the number of Fixed term contracts on offer. As a result organisations have to be able to offer more flexibility/attractive salaries in some cases, to entice candidates to take the plunge and move from permanent work  to fixed term roles. In most cases, candidates are open to consider this change, provided the opportunity is good and career development is offered.

« Older Entries