Keep an open mind
To enable truly creative solutions, you must first ensure that your team has a collectively open mind to the possibilities that lay out there. All too often, teams can get trapped within current company mentalities, outlooks and culture, and this can impede innovative ideas from surfacing. Try and create a situation whereby existing thinking is placed on hold, by using a few games (word association is a popular choice) to free people’s minds up from their normal thinking patterns at the beginning of the session.

Create a creative space
Conventional offices are not natural places to inspire creativity, by virtue of the somewhat compartmentalised workspace and formal settings that they can provide. It can therefore be helpful to develop an environment – either within the entire office or within a segment of it that is conducive to free thinking. In this way, you can psychologically remove your colleagues from their existing roles and get them to concentrate on less rigid, more creative solutions to your company’s commercial challenges.

Structural thinking
Creativity very seldom exists without some restrictive parameters being placed upon it first. Put another way, a tight and focused brief actually allows people to be more creative, as they have a structure to operate within. This tends to create solutions in a far more effective manner than by keeping the objectives more generalised and broad. To truly think ‘outside the box’ you must first be clear as to where the boundaries of the box lie.

Anything is possible
Creativity is the ability to approach any subject matter with fresh perspectives and create revolutionary ideas within it that did not exist before. At the beginning of your session, try to allow as many different voices within the team to be heard and do not dismiss any idea at this stage, no matter how ludicrous it may sound.

Group creativity is based on trust, and people will need to be encouraged to let their minds roam around the creative challenge if genuine progress is to be made. There will be time to rationalise later, but always start from the basis that anything is indeed possible. You may be surprised at where the good ideas come from.

Tie into your business goals
Being creative is a great attribute for any employee or team to possess, although it is fundamental that you direct the creative energies and ideas within the session towards real business goals. There is no point in nurturing creativity within your workplace unless it has the chance to flex its muscle on legitimate business objectives, and the ability to put ideas into tangible commercial action is the sign of a dynamic company.

Don’t neglect the detail
As a general rule of thumb, people who tend to be effective on the creative side tend also to be less effective on the details that support the ‘big idea’. Whilst you are developing the creativity within your team, it is also important to build an attention to reality and detail within the procedure. A great idea is nothing if it cannot practically be put into action, and the mechanics of the concept are every bit as important as the overall idea itself. A good mix of individual skills and process should allow the transition from concept to reality to be smooth.

Unify the team
The creative process is, by definition, a positive and constructive act, and the establishment of an effective creative process within your company can lead to many benefits, both internally and externally. Creative thinking may well add significantly to your company’s bottom line, although it can be just as valuable a process in uniting and focusing a team towards business objectives that they had a part in creating. Mixing up people from different departments can also help the process, and allow your teams to integrate with each other in a way that may not have been possible before.

Realistic assessments
Before you make any major decisions regarding your workforce, it is crucial that you conduct a realistic appraisal of the current position of your business and its employees. Different industries and business models will be affected in different ways, so any progressive strategy needs to be firmly rooted in the realities of the situation. It can also be helpful to include any direct competitors within this assessment, as their situation can be viewed relative to your own, and may offer some insights into the next steps that your company takes.

Restructuring and resource planning
It may be that your company needs to undergo a process of restructuring in order to best compete against the demands of a changing marketplace. Any restructuring operation must be clearly thought through and deliberate, as it may well involve the roles and careers of people within the organization. A clear resource planning document should be originated, so that you can see and justify which key skills, individuals and teams are central to the company’s future growth.

From this point, you can then begin to take steps to make the necessary adjustments to the business from a resource perspective. If managed correctly, an intelligent restructure can make a huge difference to your company’s performance and collective outlook, by tightening up unproductive areas that may otherwise remain unchecked.

Good communication lines
Within any time of change, it is crucial that you maintain clear and open channels of communication with all staff. Economic downturns are worrying times for everyone, particularly when there is a possibility of redundancies, so establishing regular communication regarding your company’s current and intended responses will help everyone involved understand the position for what it is, rather than allowing a culture of fear and uncertainly to develop, which will have a counterproductive effect on both morale and performance.

Use your recruitment company
A professional recruitment consultancy can be a valuable ally in addressing the situation from a Human Resource point of view. Recruitment consultancies have a good finger on the pulse of industry, and will be able to offer you an overall perspective on the markets. In addition, they will know where redundancies are occurring, and the scale of them, enabling you to understand your market position better. Within times like these, there is generally a flood of talented individuals being released onto the market, and a good consultancy will be able to offer specialist advice on how to access these people, should your resource planning require fresh expertise.

Alternative work arrangements
To paraphrase Charles Darwin, it is not necessarily the biggest companies that survive, but the ones that are most responsive to change. With this in mind, it may be a good idea to examine the possibility of changing the working arrangements of individuals within your business. With technologies that enable employees to work from virtually any location, more organisations will consider flexible work arrangements as increasingly viable. Similarly, savvy businesses are providing employees with the tools and flexibility to work in a number of arrangements, including part or flextime, telecommuting or job sharing.

Emphasising Creative Benefits and Incentives
When economies are not booming, companies and individuals look to different ways to incentivise and motivate staff. It may not be currently realistic to offer large bonuses to individuals that perform well, because the pool from which the bonuses are taken may itself have shrunk. It is up to management therefore, to create new and creative methods of keeping employees and teams focused on the levels of productivity required to enable your company to remain competitive. At times like these, good leadership and creative thinking have never been more vital – click on the links to read our articles on developing your teams in both these areas.

Plan for a brighter future
Early signs seem to indicate that the markets are already starting to react positively to recent government steps, although it will be some time before markets begin to operate within normal trading conditions. The economic downturn is part of a cycle however, and should therefore be treated as such. By accurately assessing your company’s resource needs, streamlining your processes, consulting with experts in their field and creating alternative strategies, you can expect to emerge a more productive, profitable and experienced company as a result.

Conversely, the ability to self-motivate is a highly prized ability within the professional sector, and can dramatically benefit your career prospects. Below are some thoughts and tips to help you create a dynamic career path through motivation.

Clarity is everything
One of the biggest blocks to motivation in the workplace is a lack of clarity about the role that you have and the goals that you need to attain in order to progress. Most professionals will probably have some form of personal development programme to draw on, although if you are feeling like you need further clarity from your line manager regarding your own position, don’t be afraid to ask.

Vague goals kill motivation. Without a clear and realistic target to reach for, it becomes very hard to motivate yourself, so arrange a meeting or bring up the issue at your next scheduled meeting with your manager. If approached in the right way, you will not only receive the clarity that you need, but you will also send a signal out to your company that you are ambitious and focused.

Invest in yourself
Motivation is closely linked to self worth, and feeling empowered to make a positive contribution in the workplace. A great way to improve these areas, and consequently your motivation, is to get some further training. The more skilled that you feel, the more motivated you will be to engage and excel within your chosen areas.

Talk to your employer about the options available for work related training, as they may already run programmes or might be willing to subsidise external training on your behalf. In addition, read around the subject at home, or take classes in the evenings to enhance your education and skillsets. It will pay dividends in your role, and your motivational energies will increase.

To help you get involved, Regan & Dean has created an association with City Lit, London’s largest provider of adult education, to offer both clients and candidates a 20% discount on business courses booked before November 30th  – Click Here for details on how to take up the offer.

Branching out
Personal development and growth are two key elements behind motivation, and neither of these can be attained unless you are prepared to branch out and take on new challenges. Without this, there is a danger that your role might become stagnant, and your enthusiasm may begin to wane.

Put yourself out there, and offer to take on new challenges and responsibilities in the workplace, creating new potential areas to work on if necessary. This will greatly impress your managers and add a new dimension of personal interest to your role, whilst helping to spread an ethos of initiative within your company.

Visualise your future
People who succeed within the business community tend to have a pretty clear and focused vision of what their future looks like. It is only through asking yourself thorough questions about your future direction that you will be able to arrive at this position, but once you are there, it becomes very easy to evaluate all professional decisions in the light of this personal vision.

There is a second benefit to this process, as this type of creative visualisation tends to elevate your perspective on your own life, place it in a dynamic context and stop you getting bogged down in the day-to-day trivialities that can be a real drain on motivation.

Get back on the horse
Motivation is not always just about enhancing positive progression, but it can also act as a powerful emotional back up should you be experiencing difficulties within your working life. Whether you are currently employed, looking for a fresh challenge, or suffering redundancy,  everyone gets knock backs from time to time, but it is your ability to stay motivated and draw upon this reservoir of self belief that will help you counter any negativity that you may experience.

Always remind yourself that any negative situation is just a phase, get back on the horse, and allow your personal motivation to override the possibility of being distracted by negative influences.

What’s Next?
If you are feeling motivated, but are unsure of what the next steps are, make sure to explore your options in your current role, speaking to and obtaining clarity from your managers about the path that they see mapped out for you.

If this does not tally with your personal goals, then perhaps it is time to look further afield for a role that matches your personal ambitions and motivations. Speak to an informed, specialist recruitment consultancy about the potential options available to you, and they may well be able to assist you in finding a different path or role equal to your motivation.

What this means is that there should be nothing to stop anyone developing their creative abilities, and that any time spent stretching your creative boundaries will not only be rewarding in some way, but also make you more effective the next time you try.

Expand your horizons
True creativity centres around the ability to see things differently from how they currently are and develop effective solutions that did not exist before. In order to do this, you must first be able to think objectively and freely about both the situation and the areas that influence upon it. There is no point trying to address a problem creatively if your mind is still entrenched in the culture and processes that created it.

There are many successful ways to develop your ability to think freely, such as meditation or the concept of mind-mapping, whereby you literally draw a map of your thought processes relating to a subject, but the clearer you can visualise the challenge, the more profoundly you will be able to influence the solution.

Take yourself to new places
Sometimes, temporarily removing yourself from a traditional place of work can improve your creativity. It is said that Einstein hatched his famous theory of relativity not in the lab, but lying on his back in a field, observing the stars and letting his mind wander. Of course, it may not be possible or acceptable to lie in a field during work hours, but any place that is separate from your normal workspace will do.

It is often the case that professionals can feel creatively restricted whilst surrounded by the familiar psychological baggage of their normal workspace, so if you have a problem that needs a creative solution, why not take yourself and/or your team somewhere different and stimulating – you might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Turn restrictions into creative challenges
An advertiser once famously said “Give me the freedom of a tight brief”, and in doing so highlighted an aspect of creativity that seems contradictory at first. How can someone be expected to think freely if they have all the restrictions of a brief to contend with?

The answer is that the restrictions actually inform the creative process and give it necessary parameters. The ability to think freely in a confined space leads to innovation, as the restrictions provide the necessary traction to kick your ideas against.

You get out what you put in
Creative individuals generally have a few things in common with each other, but one of the most common aspects that they tend to share is a genuine interest in life itself. Often, it is their very curiosity about the world around them, and their ability to ask questions about it that underpins their creative thinking. People that ask lots of questions tend to learn more quickly and intuitively than their less questioning counterparts, and therefore can use this extra knowledge and thought processes creatively.

The point at which creativity and reality meet
A lot of the above points relate to the individual creative abilities you might possess or wish to develop in order that you might shed fresh perspectives on your own work. Within any company there is the facility to be creative, although some celebrate this ability more than others, and it is important to keep your ideas rooted in a realistic appraisal of what is required.

Often in a brainstorm situation, you will enter into a two-stage process whereby you have the opportunity to suggest any ideas, no matter how outlandish, and then go through a process of rationalisation with these ideas to see which ones could actually work. This is a crucial part of the creative process, and it is worth working your own internal creative process to ensure both free thinking and critical application of these ideas in the real world.

Spread the word
Now that you have embarked on a journey towards greater creative application, and started to enjoy the experience, perhaps it might be time to get some of your other colleagues involved?

As long as your creative powers are put to good use, and produce clear benefits, in the workplace, your company should support the idea of a more creative workforce. With this in mind, why not organise a few creative brainstorming sessions within your business, and try and get everyone thinking creatively about the most pressing commercial challenges that your company faces?

The creative process is something that will add considerable value to you and your business, not just in terms of productivity, performance and competitive edge, but also as a tool for stretching yourself and colleagues, and increasing morale as you work together towards a common focus. A well-structured creative process creates opportunities for individual recognition and collective ownership of ideas, and these are essentials for success in any economic climate.

Nature or nurture?
For centuries, it has been fairly common practice to suggest that effective leaders were born rather than progressively developed. Much of the thinking that informed this view was challenged in the 60’s, not just by the business community, but also within other institutions, such as the Officer Training Programme at Sandhurst. People began to wake up to the fact that it was experience, and the different ways that people processed this experience that marked them out as a leader, rather than any inherent abilities from birth. It is important to bear this in mind, because it effectively means that, given the right conditions, anyone can be an effective leader.

Interviews and assessments
If you are serious about finding and developing leaders within your organisation, then this process must start at the very point of recruitment and continue throughout the duration of the employee’s time with you. If you use an effective recruitment consultancy, preferably one that specialises in your industry, they should be able to guide you in this respect, informing you of whether candidates have shown previous leadership potential and their prospects for the future.

Leadership is for everyone
One of the most common and expensive errors committed by businesses is to focus leadership development solely on more senior management personnel. In taking this approach, a purely ‘trickle down’ concept of leadership may emerge, and many valuable individuals may be overlooked. Managers can ignore team leaders, for example, and any others within the organization that may respond well to fresh responsibilities.

Leadership is a state of mind that combines initiative, responsibility and experience, and is not necessarily correlated directly to the people presently in positions of authority, so look carefully amongst your teams and encourage it wherever you find it.

Develop a strategy
Unless you are very fortunate, much of the leadership potential that lies within your team members may be undeveloped, and it is often helpful to develop a strategy to bring these qualities to fruition. This is not a short term fix, but rather more a philosophy that permeates many of the UK’s most innovative companies, and the institution of a strategy today will certainly have a positive impact on the team members of tomorrow. Your strategy must be clear on the distinction between leaders and managers, as both have a role to play, but must also contain a coherent plan to develop and nurture the leaders amongst you.

Training
Any strategy that aims to develop leadership qualities within individuals and teams should include a programme of internal and/or external training. All training costs your company both time and money, so try and ensure that your leadership training courses are well focused and fit in with your company’s overall strategy and ethos. The training should have a practical focus, and allow its students the ability to flag up and deal with any leadership challenges that they have experienced.

Career development
Essential training elements aside, leaders can only truly develop by gaining actual experience of leading itself, as there is no substitute for first hand knowledge. As a company, the most you can do in this respect is give individuals the opportunity to lead and see how they perform. These opportunities must be realistic, yet challenging enough for the individual concerned to feel stretched by the experience. Give an individual the right opportunities to lead within your company at the right time, and you will reap the benefits.

Each one teach one
It is true to say that virtually all great leaders in any field are also great teachers, as the two skills are often closely aligned. It is therefore a good idea to try and engage proven leaders within your company within a process of training, teaching or mentoring, as this will help spread the influence of current leaders, in addition to creating new ones. A virtuous cycle can be created where individuals begin to take positive new initiative regarding their own performance, guided by more experienced practitioners.

Cultural conquests
Good leadership is not just about taking bold steps towards a brighter commercial future: it is also about humility, hard work and respect. At Sandhurst, the officer’s motto is ‘Serve To Lead’, indicating that all individuals are responsible, regardless of seniority, for the collective progress of the group. Without respect from their peers, the ideas of leaders are nothing. Infuse a culture of finding and developing leaders at your business, and you may find that the overall impact on company culture, morale and performance can be striking.

October’s Temp of the Month goes to……Alexandra Coughlin.

Alex is a bright, enthusiastic and pro-active candidate who is always reliable and makes a great impression wherever she goes!

Alex graduated from De Montfort University this year with a BA Hons in Advertising and Marketing Communications, whilst working part-time in administrative roles. Since graduating, Alex has been temping to gain experience within the industry, and is currently at leading international online advertising agency, Advertising.com (now know as Platform-A) on Reception until December. Alex is a hard working, conscientious and down to earth person who would be an asset to any company. Well done Alex!!!

What our clients say:

Since Alex started temping at Advertising.Com (now known as Platform-A) she has been unbelievably brilliant at everything that has been thrown her way. She has supported various departments (Marketing and Facilities) within the company as well as handling the day-to-day reception duties and helping out with the launch of Platform-A. She is not only a hard working and enthusiastic person; she is also a delightful joy to work alongside!
Platform-A (formally Advertising.Com)

The Prize

Each Regan & Dean Temp Of The Month receives a £50 gift voucher, some flowers and a permanent entry into the temp ‘Hall of Fame’ on our website, accompanied by a photo and the client feedback that made their nomination so successful.

Nominate your Temp Of The Month Today!

Each month, Regan & Dean will assess the performance of each temp, using their reliability, punctuality and attitude, in direct conjunction with feedback from the client. The temp who we feel has made the most significant contribution to a client’s needs will be awarded the monthly prize in recognition of their achievements.

Any business can nominate their Regan & Dean temp for the award - it’s a simple process which is a great way of commending and saying ‘thank you’ for their work. Email thea@regananddean.com to nominate your Temp Of The Month today!

Only a brave fool would predict exactly how much further the economy will drop, although this needn’t stop you from accurately appraising your own particular position within this downturn, and taking the appropriate steps to ensure that you are well protected, whatever the outcome. Below are some tips and observations on how to make the most of this challenging economic climate.

The job market
Recruitment has long been one of the most effective indicators of a change in economic circumstances, because it accurately reflects the confidence of businesses that they will grow during the period. UK businesses are currently tightening their belts, and this will have an undeniable knock-on effect on the volume of career opportunities that exist in the job market.

This does not mean however that the job market will dry up, merely that it will change to suit the current times. Although the total number of roles available may have dropped, there are still a great number of attractive roles coming onto the market. Major ‘blue chip’ companies, well prepared to weather the economic storm, will continue with relative normality, whilst marketing agencies and publishing houses still continue to buck the trend with some exceptional opportunities still available.

There are, of course, some companies and industries that will actually develop and grow during this period. Energy and Utility companies will emerge as some of 2008’s winners, as will any company that is flexible enough to change and move with the times. The important thing to remember is that economic downturns are a fundamental part of the modern economic model, because what goes up must come down. There will be winners and losers over this period, but the job market is still an active and dynamic place for aspiring professionals to be, as long as you know where to look.

Quality vs Quantity
Although the number of roles within the Events and Communications market has fallen over the past months, it should be noted however that this reduction does follow a period of exceptional growth. It should also be noted that though of a lesser number, new jobs coming to the market are of a more consistently good quality - in terms of both ’spec’ and opportunity.

Within the current market conditions, employers have a larger pool of people to look at, and will tend to only need to look at those people who fully tick all their boxes. So for candidates with strong experience, their job searching can in fact becomes easier in the present climate - as they are more likely to rise to the top. So although the number of opportunities may be less, those that come to the market are likely to be more focused and relevant.

The value of redundancies
As traumatic as redundancies are for the individuals themselves, they are a necessary part of the economic cycle, and can actually improve your prospects over time. Companies will use this period to strip back any parts of their business that are not performing, with the consequent reduction in personnel that this will bring. By definition however, businesses exist to grow, and the reshuffling of employees will mean that exciting opportunities will begin to arise as circumstances change.

What can you do?
Despite this period of uncertainty, there are still a great many things that you can do to improve your prospects and worth to current and potential employers. Companies will let go of people that they believe have a less significant contribution than others, so you can greatly increase your chances of remaining employed by making a concerted effort to contribute more to the company that currently employs you.

Of course, the prudent professional will always be prepared for any eventuality, so now is a perfect time to register with a recruitment consultancy and discuss your options. It could be that there is an exciting opportunity just round the corner, but at the very least you will have created an intelligent plan b, should circumstances at your company take a turn for the worse.

Get specialist
At times like these, it also pays to specialise. Take a look at your CV and spend some time refining it, so that it reflects your skills in the best light. If possible, try and pick out a few specialist skills, because companies will be more inclined to take on specialists that might be able to help them steer through these troubled waters. Once this is done, try and register your CV with a specialist recruitment consultancy, one that has the contacts and focus to access the most productive audiences for your skills.

If in doubt, train
Recessions are a great time to enrol in training and development courses, because they will add to your specialist skills, and make you feel more empowered within your career opportunities. Regan & Dean has formed an association with City Lit, offering a 20% discount on selected courses, specifically for this purpose. If this sounds like something that interests you, email Narelle Lester to find out more and how to apply.

Flexibility is key
As the job market, and your opportunities within it, becomes more fluid, it will help your prospects enormously if you are prepared to be flexible about your terms of employment. Where once a role may have been permanent, with all the associated benefits, you may find that the same position is now offered on a contract or temporary basis. This is merely a sign of the times, so try and view your options with a versatile frame of mind and it could pay dividends.

There are also certain skillsets that can transcend the particular role or sector that you work within, offering you even further flexibility in the career opportunities open to you. Marketing and Events are examples of two sectors where proficiency in one can open doors to a career in the other. Candidates that are emerging from the financial sector are advised to consider which transferable skills they possess that could be employed to great effect in different sectors.

Don’t panic!
It might sound like an obvious thing to say, but it is never more important to hold your nerve than at times like these. On a broader scale, it is arguably mass panic that has led to some of the issues that UK Plc now faces, so keep cool and go about your preparations in a measured way. Economic cycles are called cycles for a reason, and there will be light at the end of the tunnel, so go about your career prospecting with confidence, drive and focus and you will be rewarded, whatever the climate.

There are many different approaches to a successful interview, and the right approach for you will ultimately depend on the type of personality that you have and the type of role that you are being considered for. Having said this, below are a few steps you can take to ensure that you represent yourself well, and create the perfect platform to express your enthusiasm and suitability for any role.

Do your research
As obvious as it sounds, undertaking thorough research on the company that you are being interviewed for is an absolute must. Not only will it emphasise your commitment to gaining the role, but it will also give you valuable knowledge that can turn a one sided interview situation into a proper discussion about the practical aspects of the job itself. Try and develop at least one good question to open up a conversation and highlight the fruits of your research.

Once you can establish a professional-to-professional dialogue, the interview will be less intimidating and more rewarding for you both. Any company will be impressed if you can demonstrate a working knowledge of their performance and practices, particularly if you can positively relate your understanding of the company to the skillset that you possess.

Speak to your Consultant
Before the interview, your recruitment Consultant can give you much useful information on many aspects that may help your chances at interview stage. They will be familiar with the company and the role itself, can offer you some relevant interview tips, and will probably have met the interviewers, so can advise you on tactics particular to them.

If nothing else, your recruitment consultant can generally be a good sounding board prior to interview - so do make the most of them, their knowledge and experience.  They are there to support you through the process, so don’t be afraid to call them, even if it’s just to combat a fit of nerves.

Practice Makes…
If you have time, it is often advised that you practice the interview scenario, especially if you have had limited experience of the process, or if the interview situation is in some way unfamiliar. If you are required or wish to show samples of your work for example, a practice run may help you decide how and in what order you might present them for maximum effect.

Ask a friend or family member to play the part of the interviewer or record it for later analysis. Try and come up with confident answers to some of the more obvious questions an interviewer might ask, such as why you want to work at the company, or which previous professional achievements might be relevant to your future role. From practice comes confidence, perhaps the most important aspect of any successful interviewee technique, so don’t be afraid or embarrassed to have a few dry runs.

Be Prepared
On the night before the interview, make sure that you have all the materials that you may need organized and close to hand. The last thing you need is a frantic dash to collect important materials for your meeting, or to forget them altogether, as this will seriously damage your composure.

Get a good nights sleep, eat a decent breakfast and make sure that you know where the interview is, leaving plenty of time to get there. Being late for an interview is never ideal, and is almost certain to make you feel pressured and on the back foot. A little preparation goes a long way to ensuring a positive and relaxed frame of mind.

The Interview Itself
Try and remain as calm as possible on the day of the interview and during the interview itself – there is no benefit whatsoever to being tense or stressed in this situation, so try and take yourself out for a walk in a local park, or sit somewhere quiet immediately prior to the interview itself.

From the moment that you step into the offices, it is essential that you do so with absolute confidence about who you are and why you want this role. Hopefully you will have prepared well, and this should add to your sense of control over the situation. The purpose of the interview is to display your talents and engage with your prospective employers as well as possible, so look at the interview as an exciting opportunity rather than an onerous task.

Your interviewers are people too, and it is their job to select a professional who they feel has the right blend of enthusiasm, skills and experience for the role. With this in mind, try to convey your skills and experience with positive energy – it will be easier for the interviewers to get excited by your application if they can feel your enthusiasm for the role and your suitability for it. Maintain eye contact and be professional and friendly, as these people may well be your future colleagues and they will want to feel that they have made the right cultural fit too.

At all times, take things slowly. Ask for clarification if you are not sure what’s been asked, and remember that it is absolutely fine to take a moment to consider your answers. Try and be a good listener, as this will shape your answers and give you clues as to the interview’s direction, and when you speak, do so slowly. A common mistake at interviews is that nerves can force a candidate to rush and trip over their words – take a few deep breaths and get your responses out in a calm and compelling manner.

Interviews tend to go extremely quickly once you are in there, so it is always a good idea to take some notes during the meeting. Not only will this keep the detail discussed and your thoughts fresh, but it will signify an engaged and conscientious approach on your behalf to your interviewer. Jot down in shorthand any relevant questions or thoughts that may arise in the interview, and don’t be afraid to ask them. All too often, both interviewer and interviewee can lapse into a strict and one-sided question and answer session – what you really want to achieve is an informed and interesting discussion, with questions arising from both sides.

At the end of the interview, take a moment to consider your notes and whether there is anything further you wish to add or ask. A good thing to ask at the end of an interview is whether there any areas of concern with regards to your suitability for the role. This can enable you to tackle any last reservations, and pick up on any areas where perhaps you might not have fully got across the relevance of your skills and experience. Once all areas have been covered, then thank the interviewers for their time taken in seeing you and ask them what the next steps are, if this area has not already been dealt with.

Following Up
Once you have left the interview, be sure to call your consultant immediately with your feedback. They will be keen to know how it’s gone, and keen to feedback to the client. This step can really add to the impetus of your progress if this is done quickly, and swift feedback to the client marks you out as extra enthusiastic, proactive and dedicated to the role.

If you are unsuccessful in the interview, always ask your Consultant to give you feedback on your performance, and request any pointers on things that you could have done or communicated better. Very few people are 100% successful at interviews so don’t be too despondent, but instead look at it as an opportunity to improve ahead of the next one. Be confident and good luck.

Set the standard
Good management techniques are borne out of mutual respect and appreciation between all parties, so all management should begin by the manager setting a standard that he or she would expect from others. Employees can quickly lose respect for a manager that doesn’t display the abilities or commitment to undertake tasks that they themselves are required to do. If you want people to work long, focused hours and take pride in their work, then ideally you should demonstrate that you have these capabilities too, and are leading from the front.

Invest in good relations
It sounds obvious, but being a good manager of people is not merely about making successful demands of them. There are a few tried and tested ways of ensuring that your team performs well, but arguably the best way of achieving this is to invest in each personal relationship, going out of your way to do things purely for the benefit of the team and its individuals. If you don’t manage to do this, there is a danger that your team will solely associate you with requests for work, and this may create a negative psychology in the very people that you are trying to manage.

Careful critiques  
Your evaluation and feedback of the work produced by your colleagues is one of the key areas by which you can either greatly increase loyalty, performance and respect, or greatly diminish it. Human beings hate to be criticised, and will generally go on the defensive when placed in this position, so choose your words carefully if you want to enthuse rather than deflate.

A helping hand
Successful managers have a tendency to be able to display empathy for a colleague’s challenges, and in many cases are in a position to offer proactive help and support. This is an essential part of management, as people generally respond well to professional relationships where the other party seems to be doing things for them. Most employees will gladly undertake tasks if they feel that management is looking out for their own personal interests.

Communication is king
Good communication is vital to good management techniques, and it is therefore essential that you establish a line of regular communication that suits both you and your team. Generally speaking, you should aim to set aside some dedicated time to communicating management news to the team, and allowing them to update you on their projects at least once a week. Sessions like this encourage team spirit, a feeling of togetherness and can be a highly effective way of identifying challenges and celebrating successes in a timely manner.

Get people to arrive at your conclusions
Instead of being a domineering manager who insists that things are done exclusively your way, it can often be helpful to use a little reverse psychology when managing people. If your approach is strictly to dictate, you may well encounter resistance, although if you set out your reasons for wanting something done a particular way, and encourage the buy in of your team, they will be much more willing to engage. Better still, create an open discussion where your team proactively suggest the route that you had initially intended. In this way, you can praise staff for their initiative whilst also getting things done the way you want them.

What our clients say:

“We loved Jacqui and would have her back to work here any time, she’s a real grafter and just gets on with the job and never complains, if we had a permanent position we wouldn’t hesitate to offer it to her.Jacqui is always on time, works well as team player and on her own - she never needs to be asked twice to do a job - she would be a real asset to any company.”
Imagination

The Prize

Each Regan & Dean Temp Of The Month receives a £50 gift voucher, some flowers and a permanent entry into the temp ‘Hall of Fame’ on our website, accompanied by a photo and the client feedback that made their nomination so successful.

Nominate your Temp Of The Month Today!

Each month, Regan & Dean will assess the performance of each temp, using their reliability, punctuality and attitude, in direct conjunction with feedback from the client. The temp who we feel has made the most significant contribution to a client’s needs will be awarded the monthly prize in recognition of their achievements.Any business can nominate their Regan & Dean temp for the award - it’s a simple process which is a great way of commending and saying ‘thank you’ for their work. Email thea@regananddean.com to nominate your Temp Of The Month today!

Everybody’s different
Possibly the most important initial step in successful people management is to realise that people are, indeed, different. Whilst all professionals generally share some common motivations, desires and attributes, you will get the best out of people if you treat them as individuals. Management techniques that work with one professional may not work with another, so take time to get to know your team well, and you’ll soon pick up on individual characteristics that can help you manage them better.

Set the standard
Good management techniques are borne out of mutual respect and appreciation between all parties, so all management should begin by the manager setting a standard that he or she would expect from others. Employees can quickly lose respect for a manager who doesn’t display the abilities or commitment to undertake tasks that they themselves are required to do. If you want people to work long, focused hours and take pride in their work, then ideally you should demonstrate that you have these capabilities too, and are leading from the front.

Invest in good relations
It sounds obvious, but being a good manager of people is not merely about making successful demands of them. There are a few tried and tested ways of ensuring that your team performs well, but arguably the best way of achieving this is to invest in each personal relationship, going out of your way to do things purely for the benefit of the team and its individuals. If you don’t manage to do this, there is a danger that your team will solely associate you with requests for work, and this may create a negative psychology in the very people that you are trying to manage.

Careful critiques
Your evaluation and feedback of the work produced by your colleagues is one of the key areas by which you can either greatly increase loyalty, performance and respect, or greatly diminish it. Human beings hate to be criticised, and will generally go on the defensive when placed in this position, so choose your words carefully if you want to enthuse rather than deflate.

A helping hand
Successful managers have a tendency to be able to display empathy for a colleague’s challenges, and in many cases are in a position to offer proactive help and support. This is an essential part of management, as people generally respond well to professional relationships where the other party seems to be doing things for them. Most employees will gladly undertake tasks if they feel that management is looking out for their own personal interests.

Communication is king
Good communication is vital to good management techniques, and it is therefore essential that you establish a line of regular communication that suits both you and your team. Generally speaking, you should aim to set aside some dedicated time to communicating management news to the team, and allowing them to update you on their projects at least once a week. Sessions like this encourage team spirit, a feeling of togetherness and can be a highly effective way of identifying challenges and celebrating successes in a timely manner.

Get people to arrive at your conclusions
Instead of being a domineering manager who insists that things are done exclusively your way, it can often be helpful to use a little reverse psychology when managing people. If your approach is strictly to dictate, you may well encounter resistance, although if you set out your reasons for wanting something done a particular way, and encourage the buy in of your team, they will be much more willing to engage. Better still, create an open discussion where your team proactively suggest the route that you had initially intended. In this way, you can praise staff for their initiative whilst also getting things done the way you want them.

Create your own rules
Managing people successfully is a dynamic, evolving and highly personal process, with a wide variety of methods and styles that you could employ. A good manager, who gets the best results, will often be learning about their own skills in tandem with their team, creating a healthy and productive relationship all round.

Create a vision
In order to motivate your colleagues towards a particular vision, it is essential to fully realise that vision yourself. The more clearly you can define your vision, the more easily it will be for your colleagues to absorb, comprehend and get behind it on a day to day basis. A distinct vision will ensure consistency on your part, an essential tool within motivating people.

Describe your vision
Whether you are trying to motivate a team or individual team members, the clarity of your communication is all-important. No matter how clever your ideas or strategies may be, they are worth little if not presented to stakeholders in an inspiring and coherent manner. By organising your thoughts and communicating them well, you are allowing teams and individuals the ability to fully grasp and be motivated by your ideas.

Push the right buttons
Successful motivation of a team requires an overarching vision as earlier described, although it is also important to consider the individual requirements of each person that you are trying to motivate. We all have different desires, professional aspirations and working practices and therefore have individual emotional buttons that need to be pushed in order for us to become fully motivated. These buttons might be related to enhanced financial or professional status, but if you take the time to understand what makes your colleagues tick, you may well find ways of motivating them that are both intuitive and effective.

Involve to evolve
Except in very rare circumstances, a dictatorial approach is never successful when trying to motivate your colleagues. A good tactic to inspire people by your vision is to involve them in part of the decision making process, even if the process is at quite an advanced stage. In this way, your colleagues will feel more responsible for the success of the project and will consequently be more dynamic in their contribution.

Go public
Keeping people motivated is dependant on you keeping a publicly consistent approach to all your colleagues. Whether it is compliments for a work in progress, or reprimands for working standards not lived up to, it can be detrimental to people’s motivation if they have the sensation that not all the information is being shared with them. Private negotiations, particularly within team decisions, can be very demotivating and can also lead to a certain amount of Chinese whispers, so keep public and uniform to all members of the team.

Delegate
By developing a shrewd ability to delegate, you will obtain the dual advantage of taking items away from your own workload, whilst at the same time showing your colleagues that you have faith in their abilities to get the job done. If you manage this process well, you can be responsible for actively developing the skillset of your colleagues, by delegating challenging work to them, which can also be very motivating.

Appreciate
Even if your vision is brilliant, your communications clear and your ability to push people’s buttons in order to create a motivated individual or team is excellent, you may still have forgotten one final tip to great motivation of others. Whenever anyone produces work that is of the standard you expect or higher, be sure to show your appreciation. It is easy to underestimate the power of a thank you or piece of praise in motivating people to work even harder next time and you may well find that a little goes a long way.

So how does your company view the rewards and benefits it offers to employees, and are you missing out on areas that could be attractive to new professionals? Below is a summary of the basic elements that can be offered, along with some tips on how best to communicate these benefits.

Pay, Bonuses and rewards
Cash, whether paid as a weekly or monthly salary, is the foundation of any benefits or reward package. It is often good practice to research and consult upon the level of pay offered by other companies within your sector in order to ensure that the basic package is competitive, although basic salaries can be balanced out by the other types of rewards on offer. Bonuses, performance related pay, team incentives and other forms of variable compensation can all be used in addition to basic pay levels to make a role more attractive to potential employees.

Company cars
Dependent on the role, and the geography of the working environment, companies can often provide cars to certain employees as part of the perks of their employment. Through the use of fleet management, employers can offer company cars to their employees in a number of different ways, from contributions to an employee car ownership scheme or a leased company car, or even a combination of methods. There are issues of company car tax, maintenance management and even health and safety surrounding the use of company cars, so it is a good idea to check with internal or external specialists before offering this benefit.

Healthcare
As individuals become ever more aware of their current and future health, companies are beginning to focus on providing new and innovative healthcare packages for their workforce. Examples of healthcare elements that your company could initiate include private medical insurance, gym membership, health screening and other employee assistance programmes. Despite the costs involved, studies have shown that an intelligently planned workforce wellbeing policy will actually save your business money through decreased sick leave, and may also significantly increase employee productivity and loyalty towards your company.

Childcare and carers
In April 2007, the 2006 Work and Families Act became law in the UK, increasing the duration of both maternity and adoption leave for parents. Within the work/life balance, employees have an increasing desire to build time in for their children or other dependants. From a tax perspective, childcare vouchers can be a mutually attractive way for both parties to navigate this benefit, although there are other ways that companies can support employee families. The Work and Families act has extended the rights of adult carers to request flexible working hours, whilst emergency childcare provision and onsite nurseries within the workplace are increasing.

Share schemes
The allocation of company shares to valued members of the organisation is a highly effective way to increase both productivity and loyalty, in addition to the overall value of your benefits package offered. Within the UK, companies are at liberty to design their own employee share schemes, although there are four Inland Revenue approved schemes, listed below:

- Sharesave (SAYE)
- Share Incentive Plan (SIP)
- Company Share Option Plan (CSOP)
- Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI)

The above schemes are all popular because they attract tax breaks that enable the allocation of shares and share options to be conducted in a more cost effective manner.

Occupational pensions
A contributory pension scheme is a significant benefit for employees in the UK, and by 2012 all companies will have to enroll all staff into some form of pension arrangement, or use the new National Savings Pension Scheme (NPSS). A well crafted pensions plan will work for both company and employee, and benefits from a favourable income tax and National Insurance break on contributions.

Benefits Communication
Regardless of how good your company benefits and rewards are, they will count for very little if they are not properly communicated to current and future employees. An increasingly popular method of setting out employee benefits is to create what is known as a total reward statement. A total reward statement is a concise breakdown of all the various benefits offered to each employee, which can be personalized, amended and communicated both on and offline to the employees concerned. The most useful thing you can do for your employees is to simplify the benefits and rewards as much as possible, particularly with more complex aspects such as the occupational pension, and you may find that you need external assistance with this. Check out http://www.businesslink.gov.uk for further Information.

In general, email, posters, leaflets, seminars, presentations, staff meetings, line managers, text messaging, staff handbooks and magazines are all useful tools to get the detail of your benefits scheme across.

Employee
The most common classification within professional vocations, an employee is defined by the Government as somebody employed by a company, is on their books, and has an open-ended or fixed term contract, working either full or part time.

Worker
This classification includes almost everyone else except for the self-employed, for example freelancers, casual workers and temps.

Self employed
The Government classification of self-employed is someone that works for themselves on behalf of a variety of different companies or people.

As expected, employees get the most protection in terms of their rights, and this will vary from company to company. Workers are afforded only the most basic, core rights, whilst people who are self employed have very few, if any, rights within the organisation that they serve. If you are unsure about which category you fit into, there is an online questionnaire available from the government (http://www.direct.gov.uk) that can help you find out.

Which issues are commonly cited?
There are many issues that can occur within the commercial environment that might require you to have a basic knowledge of your rights. The common types of issues can include:

- Discrimination on grounds of age, sex, race or sexuality
- Pay levels (including overtime)
- Working conditions
- Medical problems
- Bullying in the workplace
- Unfair dismissal

Keep your first approach informal
If you feel that you are being unfairly treated for whatever reason, then it is recommended that you keep your initial approaches informal. A full list of the types of rights afforded to you can be found on the direct.gov.uk website, although if you think that the issue is easily rectifiable, then it will be worth having a discussion with your line manager or HR department about it. It could be that your company simply doesn’t understand the law or it’s obligations towards you, and in this situation a low level discussion could be all it takes to put the issue right.

Escalating your claim
If it transpires that your issues are not able to be addressed through an informal conversation, then it may be time for you to take further action. Your company is, by law, required to have a clear grievance policy, and you should be able to follow the procedures contained within it to further pursue your protection of your rights.

External action
If you feel that your grievance is being ignored, or mistreated, and that your rights are being clearly restricted, then you can take your case to an employment tribunal, who are able to make an impartial but legally binding decision on the matter. To find out more about how tribunals work, go to http://www.employmenttribunals.gov.uk/

A broader view
Generally speaking however, it is only a small percentage of professionals that encounter situations that require an exercising of their employee rights. Most companies, and their HR departments, realise that treating their employees well is good for business, and many issues that might arise can be easily addressed in-house, and with a minimum of fuss. It is good to be aware of your rights, even though the chances are hopefully slim that you will ever need to act on this knowledge.

Belinda is a fabulous candidate who has been temping through Regan & Dean since June 08. A well presented and experienced receptionist, she is a great asset to any temp department!

Belinda is a professional temp and since joining us has been to HSI London, AW Media and ARG Talent and has had great feedback. She is always reliable, professional and ON TIME. Belinda is on a working holiday visa and will be around for the next 4 months, so snap her up before she goes!!!

What our clients say:

“Belinda was punctual, friendly and very capable. She needed very little instruction and was keen to help out wherever she could. Exactly what you hope for when you book a temp”
AW Media

The Prize

Each Regan & Dean Temp Of The Month receives a £50 gift voucher, some flowers and a permanent entry into the temp ‘Hall of Fame’ on our website, accompanied by a photo and the client feedback that made their nomination so successful.

Nominate your Temp Of The Month Today!

Each month, Regan & Dean will assess the performance of each temp, using their reliability, punctuality and attitude, in direct conjunction with feedback from the client. The temp who we feel has made the most significant contribution to a client’s needs will be awarded the monthly prize in recognition of their achievements.

Any business can nominate their Regan & Dean temp for the award - it’s a simple process, which is a great way of commending and saying ‘thank you’ for their work. Email thea@regananddean.co.uk to nominate your Temp Of The Month today!