Jefferson Locke Admin, Author at JeffersonLocke

An interesting scenario keeps rearing its ugly head as we see the war on talent intensify.

Classic example, we recently got to final interview stage with a candidate, and all seemed good with an offer looming but suddenly the client decides not to progress with the candidate, which seemed odd as everyone was keen.

After investigation it transpired that said candidate had been interviewed at another agency 6 month prior and got to offer stage, accepted and then after nearly 7 weeks into a 2-month notice period decided to withdraw. Citing that they’d decided to stay in their current agency.

Unfortunately for this candidate a senior hiring manager on another team who was at the time the hiring manager at the other agency had recently joined our client and noticed that an offer was pending. Suffice to say once this senior hiring manager had shared their experience internally, this didn’t rest well so our client decided not to progress with this candidate.

This experience should sound rare but sadly we have seen a rise in cases just like this, especially at junior and mid-level, where candidates are accepting job offers and then waiting until the last minute to re-negotiate their current position. And albeit that in the short term this may prove successful, in the mid to long term all this does is burn bridges and damage reputations. Especially in this very incestuous sector where talent tends to be transient.

Therefore, to ensure you protect your own reputation we recommend you consider the following steps:

Whenever you make the decision to commit to looking for a new job there are many things to consider. Most importantly your approach, as this will set you up for the future, making the process a lot easier on you, as well as protect your own reputation in the industry.

We all know the importance when it comes to polishing our CVs and making sure our LinkedIn profiles are up to date with all the key words packed into both. However, that’s only part of the story you need to prepare for.

Before you even get to this stage, you need to ask yourself why? As in why you want to move. In some cases, it maybe that you’ve been made redundant, or that you’re returning to work after a sabbatical. Or if could be the fact that you aren’t getting the recognition or satisfaction from your current job and yearn for something more.

If you are employed and thinking about changing jobs, then you should start at the end. As in imagine going through the resignation scenario and what that will be like. It’s an odd one to start with I know but bear with us here…

The chances are in this current market, you may find yourself in a situation where you are being counter offered. Which as any sane person will tell you, it shouldn’t take for you to resign to get the things you want from your job. And we have a long list of reasons why waiting until after the fact to negotiate isn’t healthy for you or your career but that’s for another time.

If this is the case then to save yourself some time, emotional energy and having to repeat the entire process again in 3-6 months’ time when you realise the underlying issues remain. Before beginning your job search, ask yourself what it would take for you to stay. If it’s only about remuneration or a promotion, then you should strongly consider having a discussion with your line manager first to understand your progression whilst giving you the opportunity to submit a request.

If though the problems run deeper than remuneration and a promotion or you are confident that your current employer won’t meet your expectations, then that is the time to start applying.

Whatever the reasons, especially if you are currently employed, you do need to be sure in your head that you are ready. As job hunting is an emotional journey and depending on your approach or who you partner up with, can have consequences both positively and negatively.

To start with if you are going to make use of your personal network and apply for some roles directly, make sure you keep a list of the companies you approach. You will want to avoid at all costs, applying directly for a job and then weeks later engaging with a recruiter who, with your permission, submits you for the same role.

From an employer’s perspective, this gives the impression that you lack control over your CV and suggests that you haven’t investigated the job opportunity properly (i.e indicating poor organisational skills).

As from a recruiter’s point of view, this oversight can be embarrassing for them also, and may mean they are hesitant to represent you on other opportunities moving forward.

I appreciate that this latter point may not mean much if you’ve had a bad experience with other recruiters in the past, but if you’re building meaningful relationships with a handful of experienced recruiters and advisors then the value is worth its weight in gold. As they tend to work with you throughout your career no matter where they work.

As you then move along the application and interview process, there is a joint responsibility between all parties to always ensure clear comms. This ranges from clarity on the interview process through to timelines and most importantly feedback!

This works both ways. If you have doubts about a role then always voice these concerns to your recruitment partner. It could just be a case of mis information or genuinely your gut feeling maybe right in which case work together to withdraw your application in the appropriate manner.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with coming out of an interview and saying, “you know what that’s just not for me”. No point wasting your energy or others keeping a line of interest open when the role just doesn’t fit your expectations. Shut it down and move on. Its best for everyone involved.

Should you then get to offer stage and decide to accept, then if you are currently employed you will need to prepare for resignation.

As mentioned earlier this can be a tense experience. Due to the current high demand, businesses don’t want to be losing talent. Therefore, they are more than likely to counter offer you, even right up to the last minute before you are due to leave. Which is an appalling practice and says more about the business and how little they value their employees than anything else.

Either way, resigning should be a mere formality at this point as you would have started this journey already examining this option before engaging.

Our last thought on this subject is around resignation. A bit like a relationship…. You shouldn’t have to leave to feel valued. Especially if you’ve consulted with your employer prior to job hunting.

On closing, however you choose to develop your career, whether it’s on your own or with help from a recruitment partner or advisor. Never underestimate the value in a good working relationship. No matter whether you are starting out in your career, are at middle management or in a leadership position. How you treat others, will always speak volumes about you and will keep you in good footing throughout your career. Regardless of whether the minority don’t reciprocate… that’s their cross to bear and tends to come back round on them.

Many of us have been looking forward to the moment when the UK economy starts to display some post-lockdown vital signs – even perhaps beginning to return to something like pre-pandemic levels.

Well, as late spring does its business and the sun beats down on us all, the first green shoots of that recovery seem to have emerged. The news coming through is that, for March 2021, the total number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) involving UK-based companies hit its highest level since before the pandemic.

To provide a bit of context, the total number of completed monthly mergers and acquisitions (and we’re talking both domestic and cross-border here) clocked in at 196 back in March 2020, in those halcyon days when life in Britain was still largely unaffected by the pandemic.

But then, as you’ll recall only too clearly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson initiated the first national lockdown from March 26. And, like so many other sectors of life, UK business took a sudden and crippling hit.

Mergers and acquisitions for April fell drastically to 107, falling again to a low of 58 for May 2020 before climbing back to 110 for June.

After that May low, in fact, M&A activity began a steady recovery, with 145 deals in December 2020 and 153 total monthly deals in March 2021 – the highest since that pre-COVID, March 2021 level.

But, as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) took care to warn us, that monthly deals tally is still below pre-pandemic levels. The likely cause of this is that businesses are looking to inward investment, rather than a series of takeovers.

It’s also interesting to look at the actual sums of money involved. In the first three months of 2021, overseas companies laid out £6.1 billion to acquire British firms, while in the opposite direction – UK companies acquiring foreign outfits – the outlay was £2.5 billion.

That healthy £6.1 billion figure was boosted by the likes of US video game company Electronic Arts buying UK developer Codemasters in February for 1.2 billion dollars (£850 million).

When it comes to domestic acquisitions, meanwhile, British firms buying domestic rivals were valued at £3.8 billion during the January-March quarter – quite a drop from the £9.1 billion registered for domestic acquisitions in the last quarter of 2020.

Major domestic mergers during 2021 Q1 included publisher Future buying the owner of price comparison website Go Compare for £594 million, while charitable foundation The Wellcome Trust acquired developer Urban & Civil for £506 million.

The ONS added some further detail to the landscape, by way of the Bank of England’s quarterly business conditions report, which takes the pulse at some 700 UK businesses every three months. The report for 2021 Q1 found that companies’ investment intentions had picked up somewhat – and that ‘fewer contacts said that they were cancelling or postponing investment and more said they were reinstating investment to increase efficiency and capacity’.

It’s good to see some signs of recovery in the UK economy, and here at Jefferson Talent Group we hope that the next 12 months bring continued vital signs across the business landscape.

Whatever the road ahead for you and your team, our business transformation consultancy can help you plan with confidence – and make sure that you are one of the year’s very best news stories. Contact us today to find out how we can help you plot your route ahead.

The global pandemic forced new ways of working on almost all of us. Companies had to quickly adapt to the very different dynamic of remote working – offices became deserted overnight, while employees created makeshift desks at home.

All of this proved a sudden and major disruption to our working lives. But we adapted fast, and it quickly became clear that the new home-working paradigm was surprisingly effective.

Fast forward to summer 2021 and, even with restrictions easing, many businesses are keeping much of what they enjoyed during full lockdown. They’re adopting a more hybrid model, where employees split their working time between their office and home.

On the whole, companies seem pretty keen on this new way of working. The BBC questioned the UK’s 50 biggest employers and found that very few planned to bring staff back to the office full-time. In fact, 43 companies said they’d embrace a mix of home and office working, with staff encouraged to work from home two or three days a week.

Employees are equally up for hybrid working, with an Accenture report revealing that 83% now prefer this model. It’s far more flexible – and flexibility seems to go hand-in-hand with success: 63% of high-growth companies had already enabled ‘productivity anywhere’ or hybrid workforce models, while 69% of negative or no-growth companies were snubbing the solution in favour of either an everybody-on-site or all-remote model.

Judging by these stats, it’s clear that hybrid working can be a highly effective way of doing things. But how to make it work?

Be flexible – but retain some control

The top line here is to be flexible. This new pandemic world is unprecedented for all of us, and attitudes and preferences are still evolving. You may not yet be clear on the best working rhythm for your staff.

A good starting point will be to listen carefully to what your teams are telling you about how they prefer to work. Test any new work models before implementing them formally. Be willing to learn from what works – and what doesn’t.

You need to give your teams some degree of choice and control to plan their working lives – but you also need to make sure everyone is fully engaged with the new setup, and – as ever – with your company’s aims and aspirations. You don’t want to risk losing talented staff as they look for somewhere offering more flexibility; neither do you want to lose out on productivity by not getting people into the office for those crucial face-to-faces, when creative synergy is at its highest and real, tangible progress is made.

Plan and coordinate when staff are in the office

When staff do want to get back into the office, one motivation dominates: to reconnect with their colleagues. We all need to feel connected and part of something larger than ourselves. So, make sure that, whatever new work model you choose, those times when people are in the office are truly effective, nurturing a sense of community and belonging.

It’s important that when people are coming in, they’re meeting up with the right colleagues. I.e., you don’t want half your creative team coming in on a Tuesday for a crucial brainstorming session, only to find that the other half have all opted for a different day in the office that week!

Maintain strong communication

You want everyone on your team fully on board with your new ways of doing things – so make sure you’re fully transparent about what you’re doing and why at all times. Keep communication open between teams and their leaders.

Your staff will also need to feel valued, and to know that their efforts will have an impact on the company’s overall success. These new ways of working have many advantages, but they also bring a risk of staff feeling isolated and disconnected. Motivate and validate employees by giving feedback about their performance and reminding them how their work contributes to the whole.

Promote staff wellbeing

We all know, both from the news and anecdotally, that the pandemic has raised stress and anxiety levels for many people. Your new work landscape needs to be alert to any mental health issues, and to promote wellbeing across the team.

Among other things, we’d definitely recommend mental health training for managers, as well as regular one-to-one catch-ups with staff. While maintaining that key flexibility we’ve spoken about, keep an eye out for any team members who haven’t been seen in the office for some time. Encourage them to put in an appearance soon – chances are it will benefit them every bit as much as the office as a whole. Be particularly sensitive to the wellbeing of younger staff, and those in particularly stressful roles.

At Jefferson Talent Group, we have years of expertise in managing complex organisational change – and we can bring this experience to you as you work out the best way forward for your workplace.

Our wellbeing management service is also on hand to help you to address whatever concerns you and your staff may have during these times of change.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you manage the changes you need – and to create the working model that works best for you and your team.

A recent survey from WorkLife by OpenMoney found that one in five (21%) employers are concerned about how they will help staff to manage the long-term mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 14 to 22 2021, WorkLife by OpenMoney surveyed 750 senior financial and HR decision-makers at UK-based, small- to medium-sized enterprises with between five and 250 employees.

A fifth of the executives surveyed revealed that they were troubled by the issue of how to keep remote working staff engaged, while a slightly higher proportion (26%) were worried about the impacts of the pandemic on their employees’ mental wellbeing.

Among the other key points that arose, some 21% of the survey’s respondents were worried about how they would help their staff to manage the pandemic’s longer-term impact on their personal finances, while a quarter of those polled were anxious about having to make staff redundant.

Despite the concerns about employee welfare revealed by the survey, WorkLife by OpenMoney director Steve Bee maintains that SMEs should continue to give all the support possible to their staff – knowing full well that those staff will play a crucial role in helping their businesses bounce back to where they were pre-COVID.

“It isn’t things like one-off bonuses that are going to make the real difference here, which is why firms should be looking further afield at smaller, more meaningful ways they can give workers a helping hand over the coming months,” Steve reflects.

“For example, offering access to financial advice can help with managing stress and other mental health concerns. Meanwhile, perks like retail discounts could offer a vital lifeline to some people – particularly among those who may have been furloughed or had hours cut during lockdown.”

Steve also highlights the importance, for small businesses, of ensuring that employees can get the support they need – wherever this support may be found. After all, the majority of the UK workforce is employed by a small business, and these companies will necessarily have limited in-house support for mental health and wellbeing issues.

Given this, Steve stresses, it is essential that those small firms are aware of the different resources that they can use to help their employees through this time. “For many people, the workplace is the only place they are going to be able to access the support that they need,” he underlines.

Here at Jefferson Talent Group, we know that the COVID pandemic and its aftermath have been a uniquely stressful time for your business and employees. We also know that a happy, healthy workplace is the goal you’re striving for, whatever else is going on.

Our wellbeing management service can help you to achieve that engaged, energised workplace where every team member is working to their full potential.

Features include wellbeing workshops, a virtual wellbeing academy, resilience training and support, and an annual wellbeing plan.

Contact us today to start seeing what a difference our wellbeing management service could make to your workplace.

Without stating the obvious the last 12 months has tested us, not just as individuals but also the very fabric of our society, with the probability that the impact of this current pandemic will echo for many many years to come. Yet as history has shown us, we will adapt and overcome. With this I find comfort.

However, as we start to emerge from our dwellings once again with the hope of some sort of return to normality, one of the questions we start to ask ourselves is what will our work/life balance look like and whether the option to work from home will be here to stay?

To answer that question, it’s probably best to turn the clock back to pre 2020 when the world was a very different place.

Within the agency arena, traditionally the option to work from home was a rare find and usually reserved for senior management only. In fact, in some circles, it was positively frowned upon and the subject avoided at all costs.

To understand this aversion by some agencies to offer flexible working is to understand the creative industry as an entity first and what makes it tick.

Agencies by the by, are relatively the same in their chosen specialism. (Now I know some of you will be throwing your arms up in protest but bear with me here). Whilst all agencies create their own unique approach to frame their business, the nuts and bolts of an agency is to help promote and sell a product or service whilst utilising the various channels available to them. What does differentiate one agency from another though is the people within these businesses and what they can create.

These agencies are built on their culture and personalities within and they invest heavily on finding and securing the right people to help fulfil these ambitions. And if you are a small or mid-size agency in particular, then to generate this, agencies rely on people being in the office to connect with one another on a personal level and build that culture.

Although such platforms like Zoom and Teams have bought us together over the past 12 months and keep businesses ticking over, they don’t emotionally connect us and certainly don’t promote or build those personal interactions.

As an example, I recall from my early days working within agency land, that buzz I got from those late-night creative brainstorm sessions with free pizza and beers. The frantic last-minute dash to the colour printer to check the proofs before sending out via the last courier run. Those passionate debates and arguments about a strategy or idea and whether a client’s neighbours, great auntie, brother would like the colour palette we’d chosen or the copy…. As well as that all important comradery that comes from the banter you only get with your colleagues that have walked that same path as you and clocked those hours stressing over a concept.

I don’t do this justice and it’s hard to explain but its these connections, these moments that are the building blocks of an agency’s personality. It brings us together and binds us in a language that is beyond words. It’s a sense of believing, belonging and achievement.

On the flip side though, prior to this pandemic, over the past decade or so the want for more flexibility had continued to grow across all levels, with employers matching this with their own concerns over productivity and impact on culture. However, in the months leading up to the pandemic you could feel a tentative change starting to happen, with some agencies beginning to adapt.

Then March 2020 hits and all hell breaks loose, and everyone is working from home and businesses are forced to adapt and quickly.

This shift in the matrix gave us the opportunity to run several surveys at different stages about working from home. Both from an employee and employer point of view.

The results I have to say weren’t as obvious as you may think.

To begin with employees that weren’t being furloughed and had nothing else to do but work, threw everything into their jobs. This kept them distracted from what was happening in the world but also out of a deep-seated fear that no job was safe. At the same time though this newfound freedom of working from home seemed to be embraced by most and the idea of virtual offices in the future were being muttered. Employees feeling that this could be the dream, whilst employers were thinking about cutting office space costs or relocating.

As the pandemic continued to rumble on, within the B2B space especially, there were definite positive signs that this market wasn’t being hit as hard as others. Employers started reporting better than expected results and even started saying how much more productive everyone was being.

Of course, the downside of employees throwing themselves into their jobs and having no release or respite meant that burnout started to follow, and employees started to become candidates.

Now to the present day. As we all start to plan ahead and prepare to open up our offices again, we completed our final survey and asked whether given a choice would employees prefer to work from home or in an office.

The feedback was clearly split between two camps. Out of the people approached, 62% of creatives wanted to return to the office environment and were more than happy with 5 days a week with the option to occasionally work from home if required. With most feeding back saying they missed being surrounded by their fellow colleagues and sitting in a room brain storming face to face surrounded by that natural energy and banter that comes with the creative process.

Whereas when we looked at the results from client services, strategy and operations, this was quite a different picture. Although hardly anyone wanted to stay working at home 5 days a week. There was a clear signal that rather than being contracted to work from one location, 89% of our audience seemed to want the flexibility to work from numerous locations including home. Splitting time between office and home as and when required/desired.

One thing is for certain, these following months will shape how agency life will look moving forward and I believe we will start to see the dawn of a new era where flexible working will become the norm.

The question will be how agencies offer this flexibility whilst still holding onto their culture and personality.

Some of the most frustrating job applications are those that come back with the message ‘You are overqualified’. For those individuals who have spent years working in the industry and building up a wealth of experience and expertise, to be hit with the realisation that not all companies actually want this can be something of a blow.

The BBC News website recently delved further into the issue, looking at why this bias exists and what candidates can do to resolve it.

Speaking to Jonathan Mazzocchi, a partner at US recruiting firm WinterWyman, the article explains that hirers tend to use three categories when assessing overqualified candidates: either they think that the role is too junior for the applicant’s experience, or that the applicant would be bored as they wouldn’t be using all their skills, or they think the person would leave the job soon after starting.

The candidate’s main task, then, is to change these perceptions by selling themselves effectively, using the following advice:

Adapt your CV

One way to turn perceptions around is by using your CV as a marketing device in itself. Although it might pain you to do so, leave out details that aren’t relevant to the position you’re applying for or that date back more than ten years. This could even include degrees, if you have lots of them – being ‘overly educated’ is a common problem, so only mention the ones that are needed for that role.

You should also make sure that your online profiles – such as LinkedIn – match what you’ve said in your CV. If you make it to interview stage, use this time to explain the details you left out and why you chose to do so.

Bypass HR

We know this can be seen as a cardinal sin but try to avoid going through the human resources department, if you can. Ideally a good recruiter should be able to help here. Targeting the individuals with the authority to hire – and who get the final say – will improve your chances as they can be more willing to consider applicants who are ‘off brief’ than an HR team following instructions. For example, salespeople should contact the sales manager or vice president of sales – namely, the person who is in ‘immediate need’. And if you really have to go through human resources, thoroughly edit your CV so that you fit the spec and make it through the early stages.

Show enthusiasm

Whatever you do, do not give the impression that the position would be a walk in the park or that you could do it with your eyes closed – this will only ring alarm bells for managers. Show energy and passion, explaining why this role suits your current career goals and how your experience could benefit the employer – for example, that your experience has given you in-depth knowledge and a wide network of contacts.

It can also be a good idea to look for a role in a different sector or industry to the one that you’re used to; this will allow you to use your experience, but challenge you to embrace new tasks and ways of doing things.

Do you think that being over-qualified can be almost as much of a problem as being under-qualified? What other ways can candidates combat this?

To see our latest B2B marketing and creative jobs please click here for more information.

“Accepting a Counter offer – Big Mistake, HUGE ….”

Rise in mergers and acquisitions hints at post-COVID recovery

Hybrid working is here to stay – are you prepared?

Fears over COVID’s long-term impacts on UK SMEs

Is working from home the future and if so, what is the real cost to businesses

What To Do If You Think You’re Overqualified For The Job