A growing team

I am really pleased to use this week’s blog as an opportunity to welcome two new people to the Nicholas Howard team.  Sophie Duffield and Emma Jones started recently as Recruiter and Client Engagement Manager respectively.

Both Emma and Sophie have made an immediate impact on the team and will be a very important part of what we are striving to deliver in 2017.

Welcome to the team Emma and Sophie, exciting times ahead.

http://www.nicholashoward.co.uk/our-team/

Double Yellow Lines On The Pavement.

Double Yellow Lines On The Pavement.

Before you laugh!  Think about it…

The idea struck me today, I was making my way to our office along the Strand, which granted is busy, but at the moment there is a good number of building works and obstructions on the pavement.

Up until the smart phone, we as fully functioning, humans can navigate these tight spots without hassle, however, given that 90% of people barely go 50 paces without checking their phone, we have a problem.

The vast majority of people of course can check their phone, dare I say even text or check directions while still walking with one eye on the throng…however, there is a certain proportion that stop. Dead. Right in the middle of the pavement.  This either causes you to walk into the back of them, which I did twice today – interesting with me apologising profusely both times, the ‘stopper’ then graciously forgiving me – even though on reflection surely it should be the other way round?  (I wasn’t on my phone after all) or have to jump around them, and risk hitting the oncoming pedestrians, who will growl at their own displeasure at having to stop checking their phone to avoid you!!

It’s madness, it really is, walking along the street has become an obstacle race.  The only solution?

The yellow lines on the pavement, no stopping and no checking phones routes, an area of pavement where people like me, who quite like to look up at where they are walking and take in a bit of the journey, can do so safe in the knowledge that we aren’t going to give ourselves numerous fat lips on the backs of heads as we try to get to and from the shops or work or wherever.

It won’t happen, and I am sure we will evolve to have eyes that can focus on a screen and the world around us far better, but in the meantime, pass me my gum shield, I have to run for the bus!

Lucky Charms

Lucky Charms

I read earlier this week that on Friday 13^th January, Flight 666 took flight destined for ‘HEL’….

As I read the piece about people refusing to board etc, I’ll admit I thought ‘how ridiculous’!  But then I checked myself somewhat - I think I have superstitions riddled throughout my life…

• When getting ready to play cricket, I always put my left batting pad on first.
• Since starting Nicholas Howard, my lucky pen sits in the same pen slot in my brief case, even though I barely use that case anymore.
• I never leave the house without a special keyring that means an awful lot to me.
• I have good luck gifts from the kids scattered around my desk, and
• I still touch wood every time I am asked how business is going.

Maybe those people not boarding that flight weren’t as different to me as I thought.   In the end, whether luck is real, or the calmness taken from the knowledge that you have something extra on your side helps you through, I reckon it’s worth holding on to.

Johan Cruyff famously used to punch one of his team mates before every game.  I’m not sure how lucky that is for his team mate, but if it’s good enough for Johan…

So, go fetch that lucky tie, lucky earrings, lucky underwear, whatever it is that may give you a 1% lift before a big meeting or interview…the very least it can do is increase your calmness and make you feel more comfortable, and you never know what lady luck may also do for you!

Have a great weekend,

Nick

How things have changed…

How things have changed…

Today (Tuesday) is my birthday, a big one – 40….and yesterday I woke to the news that just 10 years ago, Apple launched the iPhone. 

It got me thinking, how could something none of us had heard of 10 years ago, be such a part of our day to day lives now?  Also, I wondered, has anything else taken over in such a way?  I couldn’t think of anything, but I did think it might be fun to Google a few things about the events in each of the decade marking years of my life, to see what has gone on.

Look out for the Simpsons one – has it really been that long?…and Google, has it really only been that long?….

No real science in the selection, and lots of very significant events omitted, but I just picked some fun ones that stood out for me….

I wonder how many Starbucks open per week???

I wonder where the electric car would be now if Google or Apple had been a car manufacturer???

Enjoy…..

1977

• World population est at 4.2 billion
•  Apple Computer is incorporated.
• The Atari 2600 home video game console is released.
• Star Wars opens in cinemas

1987

• World population est at 5 billion
• Tommy Lee Andrews is the first person to be convicted as a result of DNA fingerprinting
• The Simpsons cartoon first appears as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.
• InterCity 125 breaks world diesel powered train speed record reaching 238 km/h (147.88 mph)
• Channel Tunnel digging commences
• The first Starbucks Coffee stores outside Seattle are opened in Vancouver and Chicago.

1997

• World population est at 5.8 billion
• In Roslin, Scotland, scientists announce that an adult sheep named Dolly has been successfully cloned and was born in July 1996
• The domain name for the web search engine Google is registered.
• Steve Jobs returns to Apple Computer, Inc at Macworld in Boston.
• Microsoft buys a $150 million share of financially troubled Apple Computer.
• The Toyota Prius, the first hybrid vehicle to go into full production, is unveiled in Japan on October 24

2007

• World population est at 6.6 billion
• Apple Inc.'s first iPhone smartphone is announced by Steve Jobs at Macworld in San Francisco
• The New Wembley stadium is completed

2017

•  World population est at 7.4 billion
• I wonder….

New Year – New Resolution or New You?

New Year – New Resolution or New You?

Happy New Year everyone, hopefully everyone is feeling relaxed and energised for 2017.

2017, can you believe it, just a blink of an eye since we were all nervously awaiting the Millennium Bug and all worldwide IT systems crashing!

So, what are the goals for 2017?  New job?  New weight?  New car?  Less debt?  More money? More time at home?  All these goals have one thing in common – you!

Whatever you are looking to change or achieve over the coming 12 months, the only person that is going to achieve them is you, and whether the goal has changed from last year, or is the same one that you have been aiming for over the last however many years, unless you do something different, you will end up here next year making the same promises.

We all mean to stick to them, I know I do - every year I am going to lose the same weight as I was going to last year, eat the same healthy food as I was going to last year, make more use of the same hours in each day as I was going to last year, and the only reason I fail is because of the decisions I make as the year progresses.

The goals don’t change, they don’t get any easier over time, but they don’t really get any harder either, so why do we fail?  Is it because they are impossible, or is it because we don’t change?

Maybe if the goals aren’t changing, I need to?  Maybe I need to reframe my definition of success?  Perhaps aim for the same goal, but rather than judging myself in February, I should judge myself in June, and then again in September and lastly in December?

For the first three months I am going to practice and discover what works for me in achieving those aims.   

With some determination, by giving myself a break if I fall backwards at any point, but focusing on the changes not to?? targets…I am hoping I will get there.

It might not work, I will let you know in 2018!!

Have a great year!!

Does WiFi kill coffee shops?

This could be contentious....and I love nothing more than whiling away a few hours chatting in coffee shops, but today, while desperately trying to find  somewhere to have such a chat, I realised that free WiFi could be killing the coffee shop.

Three times I tried, in three different places, to no avail, but these cafes were not packed with the hubbub and murmur of old friends and colleagues catching up over coffee, oh no, I was met with practical silence, abandoned empty espresso or flat white cups, and single users, headphones in, staring at laptops or smart phones.

Nicholas Howard relies as much as any business on coffee shop space and WiFi accessibility, so don't think I am anti it, but I personally adhere to a pack up once you've drunk up rule.

Ordering one drink, then sitting on free WiFi for hour after hour just doesn't seem fair - even less so when single users take up four-seater tables.

This sounds like a rant, but I reckon coffee shops should introduce the WiFi space, single seats, on rows, for longer term users, stick a usb charging point in the arm of the chair, embrace that some people don't want to chat, but simply surf for free, and leave the main communal space to those using the coffee shop for genuine socialising and meetings?

Better atmosphere out front, easier to concentrate in the rows - sounds like something for Dragons Den?

I think I am getting old, but I also think it would work.

The Ultimate Temp to Perm?

I will admit, I love sport, and high among my favourites is football, and therefore I follow England with keen interest.

I have often critiqued the recruitment process in football, especially for players, but that is for another time.  I was taken over the last month with the Gareth Southgate story.  I obviously don’t know Southgate, but in my opinion he should get the job; that said, I’d have given it to him permanently as soon as the position became available.

What the FA decided to do, was something akin to a temp to perm.

When you take someone temp to perm, you get all the benefits of trying before you buy, checking out how the candidate operates before you commit, getting to judge them over time, rather than just in an interview….it can be a great scenario.

There is a flip side though, the candidate is sometimes left with everything to lose!

At the outset of the contract, the candidate has the job - it’s only theirs to lose.  They then work through a trial period where they may feel everything is under the microscope; they ‘cannot make a mistake’.  It is possible that this pressure of having to prove oneself over an elongated period could prove uncomfortable for some candidates.  The same individual may blossom given the full sponsorship of a permanent role offered from day one.

Don’t get me wrong, temp to perm can be a great solution for candidates and employers alike, but don’t underestimate the value you get from making a strong and committed offer from day one.

I wonder how great Gareth may have felt had the FA said you are our man, and if the players could have worked any harder knowing they were impressing their long term boss?

You never know, but it’s worth a thought!

Social media in recruitment, the way ahead?

At Nicholas Howard we are trying (again) to embrace new media, particularly social media.  Often we are criticised for not doing this enough, and deep down, we know we have to get better at it.  We are trying, and hopefully over the coming weeks and months, we will nail it, and finally get our social media presence to where it should be.

I have taken some time recently to try and get under the skin of why we haven’t got it off the ground, and I think I have some idea. 

What we do, what we are good at, isn’t best captured in 140 characters, or by broadcasting vanilla data, but by getting to know the intricate details of what clients want, and the minutiae of what makes a certain candidate stand out. 

Our real value comes from standing in a room with client or candidate, and really selling the suitability and excitement of a role, or the relevance or potential of candidates.  This is so much more powerful when done face to face, in situations where you really sponsor the opportunity or candidate personally, and are willing to state your reputation on them.

At Nicholas Howard we strive to make this possible, spending more time than we need to, searching and understanding, more time than we need to asking questions, and developing answers.  We spend more time than we have to, so that clients and candidates can spend less time than they have done with our recruitment partners, in order to make the processes we are involved in as efficient and value added as they can be.

We will make social media work, and I hope this blog is the start of adding value in that space as well, not just a space for generic information to float out into the ether.

Whether we are meeting people, using job boards, using new media, at conferences or utilising the next generation of social media to find candidates and opportunities, we will embrace and master them all – but not using the new products at the expense of the good old fashioned ways.

As I have said before, it isn’t where you look, but how you look that sets good recruiters apart, and I hope we can look everywhere, for everyone but with the ‘Nicholas Howard’ eye for detail that is so important.

All the best,

Nick

Others get out, when you put in...

I hope that my children (well two of them) forgive me for using this picture!

Recently family trip in Madrid, they had great fun on what can only be described as a futuristic see- saw.

While watching them have such fun, it struck me that neither of them was doing anything other than entertaining themselves, and deriving their own entertainment from the effort they were putting in. At the same time, on the other end of the bar, quite oblivious to these efforts, was their sibling, getting even more fun, from the efforts of the other.

It seems to me that this should be what good working relationships are about.  If we look after our own responsibilities, putting effort into making our own lives and careers successful, there will be a natural positive impact on others - and in most cases, they will not realise, they will just benefit from our actions, and be happier.

This cycle of giving benefit to others, simply from being happy and enjoying what we do, is surely the key to a successful working and home life.

Office Attire?

Office Attire?

In my role, I am lucky to meet so many people, from so many places.  During these meetings, I often consider the office environment people fit well within, and any peculiarities.

One of the regular observations for me, is the office attire.  For so long, a suit, shirt and tie for men was the option, leaving very little for any creativity.  

Now though, more and more variances creep in, and I have to say, I haven't been able to hit upon a rule of thumb.  It isn't the fact that it is such a grey area, but more how some people seem to have a flair for what looks appropriate and 'smart', and others struggle.

Even more difficult is the fact that an outfit on one individual can look snappy, fashionable and appropriate, yet the same outfit on someone else, can look so wrong.

I have often bought something on the basis of it looking great on a colleague, or someone you see on the street, only to put it on before going out to realise, I'm just not cut out for a particular look.

So what is the answer?  

I am not sure there is one, but my advice would be, go safely, go moderately, and go with something that you feel confident and comfortable in...and when in doubt, I'd rather be in a suit surrounded by jeans, than in jeans surrounded by suits!

New brand

I am using this blog to really let everyone know about the latest Nicholas Howard re-brand.  We have had the very talented guys at Design Villens give us the once over, and we are very pleased with what they have produced.  Tying that in with the guys at Ross Tech who have made it come alive via our website, we hope that it all comes together to really freshen things up.

What struck me though, was how little content I needed to change, we still do what we do, deep diving candidate markets, filling both the tough to fill, and more straight forward roles by really getting into the candidate market and returning the most accurate and relevant candidates available.

This has been working for 7 years now, and however much we may freshen up the look, we will always hold firm to our service level fundamentals, to ensure we remain a supplier of choice for our clients

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A time to recharge....

As the dust settles on the festive break, and the return to work is now fully engaged, I thought I'd reflect upon the days off, and how it had affected me.

I find myself telling people I meet for the first time since the New Year, that I had a really relaxing break, managed to spend time with the family and recharge the batteries.

How ironic...

In fact, the thing that caused the most stress in our household over the time off was exactly that...recharging.

We managed to take the family away for a few fabulous days in Copenhagen just after the New Year, and we had a wonderful time.

Sadly the peace was regularly threatened once we'd realised that although we had our entire cabin allowance worth of gizmos, gadgets and associated chargers, Daddy had only packed one European two pin plug adaptor - meltdown!

Between Kindles, iPads, iPods, and iPhones, we could be on 24 hour charge, but only one point to charge meant some serious prioritisation.

For me the answer was simple, turn the trusty Samsung Galaxy into Ultra Power saving mode, and watch smugly while various other members of the family went pale with panic at the prospect of not being able email/post or simply 'get entertained'.

It did make me wonder however, can the genie of electronic reliance ever be put back in the bottle? Will we really have to recharge every three hours, in order to actually 'recharge' at home?.

I hope not, I hope we can still sit back, switch off relax and enjoy a good book, just reach out for the eReader and bingo.................doh!

Trust your instinct

Over the long weekend, I read a quote by Indian entrepreneur Naveen Jain, about instinct.  I have pasted it below -

"Trust your gut instinct over spreadsheets. There are too many variables in the real world that you simply can't put into a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets spit out results from your inexact assumptions and give you a false sense of security. In most cases, your heart and gut are still your best guide."

I read this quote with a wry smile.  In the last couple of weeks, I have allowed myself to be wrapped in the safety blanket of numbers, statistics and analysis.  I looked at some indicators, always knowing in the back of my mind, other factors were in play, but I chose to ignore these 'sixth senses' because I wanted to believe what the numbers were telling me - numbers don't lie.

They don't lie, but they can be used to trick ourselves!  I learnt a tough lesson, ignore your instincts at your peril.  Face up to them, if they are telling you that something intangible is going to affect your situation, listen, and taking some action, or at least prepare yourself for what you instinctively expect.

After all, if you trust your instincts and they are wrong, the numbers didn't lie.  If you ignore your instinct and it was right, you've wasted an incredible ability to predict an outcome.

Don't under estimate your instinct, it is essentially your subconscious bringing together every related past experience and using that data to project and predict a probable outcome. If your brain was a spreadsheet, we'd call that a forecast, and numbers don't lie!!!

Handling Talent

This week has been an interesting week, in the worlds of my two favourite sports, cricket and football.  The England Cricket Board have decided to part company with Kevin Pieterson, in the same week Swansea Football Club have sacked Michael Laudrup.

These two decisions have split opinion, but to me have highlighted the trickery in managing prodigious talent.  You have to give genius time to grow, but it often needs boundaries to focus the talent in the right direction.

Take KP, England's all time leading run scorer, without question a 'box office' player capable of magical things.  Just him batting could and should be inspiration enough for his teammates.   He has been given time to develop, given chances to make up for wrong doing, and on every occasion, when push came to shove, delivered for his team.   In  a world where success is judged by how many runs you put on the score board, he seems to have banked a few credits.  However, his failing seems to come when he is involved in non batting issues, when he steps out of his core skill, and uses this success to create an agenda that should be none of his concern.  Does he need sacking, or re-directing?  Is the pay off for having to bring him into line every now and then large enough to risk it happening over and over.   I hope that this latest end of the road has come after weeks or months of trying to channel and focus him in the direction in which he can have the largest pay off for his team.  If this has been tried and he has been unable to tow the line, then perhaps this was the best decision for everyone....but you must be sure when you are risking such a talent.

Michael Laudrup has brought more success to Swansea in the last 12 months than they surely could have wished for; he is recently going through a dip in form.  In my experience people with true talent use these times to become better and stronger.  Surely it is better to back a known quantity, someone you know can be successful for you, than to back a newcomer who may be great, but may be not so.  If you give some time and you are wrong, you have lost some time.  If you don't give them time, and you are wrong, you have lost all that talent.

I always read such stories and wonder how I would manage such situations; there is never a wrong or right answer.  I always hold on to the notion that good people don't become bad overnight, but bad people can become good overnight. If it's your job to influence behaviours to improve performance, take a long hard look at yourself before you spend too long investigating everything  and everyone else.

Give people time, space, direction and focus, and if they want and are able to win, they will and then - so do you!

Feeling Old!

I was moved to blog today having awoken to the news that Ant & Dec won a special lifetime achievement award at last night's Television Awards.

Don't get me wrong I thought, I love those cheeky chappies, but a lifetime achievement award?, c'mon.

Then I heard the presenter say they had been in the business for 25 years!

It was then I realised that we are all getting older every day, to think that 'PJ and Duncan' are now the leading lights of the British light entertainment industry and winning lifetime achievements awards, makes you realise how time flies.

We all need to make the most of every moment we have, we can't all live the lives of celebrity, many would choose not to, but we can all achieve.  If we work to influence our own worlds in as positive a way as we can, then we all have lifetime achievements.

So don't fret about getting old, fret about what value you are adding to your world.  Where you can, add as much value as you can.  Your name may not go up in lights, but your actions will light up someone, somewhere, and that is what counts.

How do you react to rejection?

We had two very strong candidates rejected for a role this week.  Myself and my colleagues were left baffled that neither went forward in the selection process but knowing the client well, were sure that strong and reasonable consideration would have been given.  Our only conclusion was that our candidates were good, but beaten this time by more suitable candidates.

These are the worst moments in recruitment, closing down candidates you believe in and like.  No-one wants to hear bad news, but of course, how we react to this news is key.

You have to let the feedback sink in, digest what you hear, take it as it is meant - constructive.

As recruiters, when we give feedback we need to be clear how we deliver it.  We mustn't highlight the reason given by the client for not progressing, and develop that point into an issue.  If a candidate has been pipped at the post let them know, be sure and assuring, tell candidates that when recruitment works well, you sadly have to reject great candidates, and accept on occasion that more suitable candidates are selected.

A reason for rejection isn't always about weakness, but often about simply lesser strengths in relevant areas.

Candidates: listen to the feedback, don't just close down when you hear it's bad news, it isn't personal  and remember, when you are the one getting the good news, several other strong candidates will be feeling how you feel now.

The company that you were dead set on joining shouldn't lose any attraction simply because they said 'not this time'.  Perhaps next time will be the right time; don't burn bridges and don't close any doors.

Ask your recruiter to pass on your thanks and appreciation at being considered, ask them to specifically contact the client on your behalf and ask to be kept in mind for future opportunities. 

One day, you'll be grateful you did!

Success is a balancing act!

The reason for my blog today is because I have been enjoying an excellent discussion on Linked In with some forward thinking individuals who really support the idea of flexible working conditions.

I was and am very aware that, in recruitment,  the best clients and best candidates in the world, mean nothing without the best, most highly qualified and credible consultants looking after them.

When I set up Nicholas Howard, I knew from the word go that for me to attract leading talent into my business, I needed to create an environment which encourages, harness and nurtures...... growth, development, enjoyment and fulfilment in the workplace.

To this end, we have tried at least, to roll out ways of working that make it easy for our team to be everything they want to be at work, and also to be everything they have to be at home.

As a father of three wonderful children myself, I was constantly frustrated in my corporate life, seeing potential in people quashed and disheartened by unsympathetic business leaders who seemed fixed on hours worked when judging productivity.

For me success is built not on the hours that you work, but the work you put into your hours, and I am lucky that the  Nicholas Howard team consistently prove this theory for me.

We work hard, and there are days when we all have to roll up our sleeves and dig in, but more often, by offering flexibility in hours, home based working, and remote systems set up, and encouraging a culture of working when you can, only when you have to, we are able to manage these hectic days, and still keep the quality of life that is so important to all of us.

That said, all of our grand ideas would result in nothing without the effort and patience from the team. We all do everything we can at different times to support and accommodate each other, and every one of the team deserves to be recognised.

We will continue to push hard to create the best working environment possible for all members of the team and drive towards my ultimate goal of not living with a work life balance, but enabling a success life balance.

Please take a message...

Just a very brief blog to share something which I thought was funny this week.

I was attending an appointment (non work related I should say) this week, and was able to hear a receptionist answering calls into the building.

I have to admit I was over hearing her side of the calls and was impressed with her helpful nature and professional tone, but I then heard her asking the caller to repeat themselves several times.  She obviously decided asking for a third repetition was too much, and I heard her sigh, call through to the person for whom the call was intended and announce the following (names changed!) -

"Hi John, it's Jane on reception, I am not sure what it is about, but I have James from the Office of National City Sticks for you....what are City Sticks?..(pause).....oh!....ok, I'll put him through now..."

It made me laugh while I waited...hope it makes you smile as well, have a great weekend.

The customer is always right......right?

I have been on a business trip to Manchester this week, and another great trip it was meeting excellent candidates.

I had a very pleasant stay in a hotel that I have not used before, but unfortunately, my breakfast booking had not filtered through onto their system.  I therefore had to have several conversations with several different individuals before anyone was able to believe that my booking confirmation (with the words 'Bed and Full Breakfast included' clearly written on it) did actually include breakfast!

Finally over breakfast, I got to thinking: what happened to the customer always being right?  I certainly didn't feel right this morning, even though I was.  Then it struck me, the customer isn't always right.

In recruitment this is more the case than any other industry I know.  How often do we pull our hair out because clients won't agree to see candidates we know are great?  How often will great candidates not entertain brilliant opportunities for reasons which we know aren't the issues they perceive them to be.

Of course, it’s our job to convince, cajole and manage these objections, and we should be able to provide all the information needed for our clients and candidates to make informed decisions.

It isn't always that black and white though is it.  The thing we fell in love with about a candidate can't be captured on a CV or in a consultant overview; the potential of a role or organisation can't be accurately mapped out on a spec or organisational chart.

The connection which makes a good piece of recruitment into a great hire, or great career move, is typically based on the human element, which you only get from meeting.

Our job isn't to sell CV's or job specs, and our job isn't to simply agree with clients or candidates.  They aren't always right, that isn't their fault, they don't know what we know, and haven't (yet) felt what we have felt.  Our job is to have a relationship of trust with both our clients and candidates which means when we say, please, just meet this candidate, or please, just have coffee with this client...they say yes.

One of my favourite and widely used lines in recruitment is: "Look, meet this individual, if, after that, you don't know where I am coming from, never use me again, but I promise, once you have spent some time together, you'll understand why I am pushing you, and be glad I haven't let you make this decision and live to regret it"

It's a bold phrase and opens you up to be criticised, but only if you are wrong.   So, do your job properly, make sure your candidate or role is as good as you are saying, and if it is, then be confident and be bold.....the customer isn't always right, but, in this situation, you must never be wrong!

Remember.

Today is Armistice Day, and as I prepared to write my latest blog, I could think of nothing but this.

It isn't a moment to consider furthering our own careers or hiring, but a time to remember those who lost so much to give us this chance.

Remember them, whoever they are for you, thank them every time you have a chance to take, and respect them enough to give it 100% when taking that chance.