Start Your Job Search Submit A Job

‘WORKING’ at home

It’s a difficult time for sure.  Remote working (sometimes with kids at home) is a new experience and a new challenge for many.  Some of us have lived through national crises before and it will pass.  In the mean-time we need to ensure our businesses survive during the current emergency and thrive once it passes.

For many of us working remotely or managing remote teams isn’t new.  For millions of managers, freelancers and staff, remote working is the usual mode of working.  It may worth reflecting on the fact that hundreds of thousands of mums have coped over many decades.  Some have gone on to write best-selling novels and build multi £m brands with kids around their feet.

If it’s new to you, here are some tips being put to use right now by organisations determined to keep their teams working productively.

Communication and structure

Firstly, remember it’s WORKING at home.  Not a holiday, a jolly or part time.  The work might be the same or different from the usual day to day but whatever the work is, it should be approached with discipline and be effective.

For the usually self-motivated, effective team members (you know who they are) checking in daily (not checking up – it’s different) will be enough.  They will be as productive, if not more productive than when they are office based.  You can depend on them but don’t forget them. My son runs a remote team and they have a virtual coffee break together twice a week – thanks for the idea James!

Others will need structure.  The risk is that their effectiveness will fall off the cliff if you fail to keep them accountable for performance.

If remote working is new to you, think about:

Video conferencing and cooperation tools

Clear, consistent communication is key for remote work success.  This doesn’t mean you need to be talking to your colleagues all day long, but knowing that everyone has a common tool to brainstorm, ask questions and post notes is crucial.

Being present and seeing each other is an important part of keeping connected.  Don’t hide away or do other work during on line meetings.

Agreeing working hours

There is a risk that work will expand to fill the hours available and motivated members of the team end up overworking.  We need to keep up effectiveness and productivity over the long term so agree working hours and establish start and finish times.  Keep work communications to working hours, everyone has enough to think about right now.

Being disciplined and setting up a routine

Get up and follow a weekday routine, not a weekend routine.  Be at your ‘desk’ at the agreed start time.  Plan breaks and don’t be use the excuse of the many distractions around the house that might cause you to lose focus.

Dress for work

Another one from my sons list of tips – it is very helpful to prepare yourself for the working day switching from ‘home mode’ to ‘work mode’, even when you are working from home.  Don’t be a pyjama sloth. Get out of your PJ’s. Put on other clothes!

Build in breaks

Start and finish the working day just like any office based day.  When you do take a break, tear yourself away from your workspace and clear your mind.  Don’t take lunch at your desk.  If the weather allows and you have one available, get out into your garden for a few minutes.  Don’t switch on the TV – you will never recover from the distraction!

Productive use of business social media

Stay away from personal social media distractions during work time (see schedule in socials), it’s a real productivity killer.  Using social media to share helpful, informative and useful information on business channels is different.  We can all do more to help build our personal and business brand, helping colleagues and customers at the same time, particularly if your normal workload has reduced because of the present circumstances.

Tidy desk, tidy….

Keep your workspace and computer and paper files tidy.  Make things easy to access and find help to keep us focused.

Stay positive

Take advantage of working at home to set your own mood and atmosphere.  Listen to the music and radio channel YOU like, have the heating set at your own comfort level, burn an incense stick if you like.

Eat, exercise, sleep. 

Physical health is intertwined with mental health, make sure you’re getting good rest, eating well, and find exercises you can do from home.

Schedule in socials

Put some time in the day where you’re catching up with others about non-work topics, just as you would as work.  Share a cup of tea with someone via a video call, or just pick up the phone, don’t rely upon only typing and texting.

Pick up the phone!

At a time of enforced social isolation remember that not everyone has access to or uses social media or technology.   An old fashioned phone call might be a different, kind and thoughtful thing to do.

Maybe even an old fashioned phone call to people you normally only communicate with on social media would be a kind and thoughtful thing to do as well.

You may very well find that your temporary ‘new’ way of working becomes the permanent new way of working.  Do it right and the productivity and wellbeing gains can be huge.

The First base team is adopting new ways of working to support colleagues, candidates and clients through these challenging times and beyond.  Call us, email us, tweet us if you need extra support, advice or help.

First Base – Giving Something Back

“Giving something back” might seem a trite phrase in the hard headed world of business, but at First Base we believe it’s our social duty as well as making sound business sense.

Since founding First Base in 1997, MD Tricia Hay, has supported the aims of ‘Business In The Community” and is a firm believer that the prosperity of business and the local community is inextricably linked.  When a business strives to be the best it can be as a responsible business, there is a positive multiplier effect that benefits society, the economy, the environment and business.

Being a Responsible Business requires purposeful leaders to drive leadership at every level across the business in order to:

As a recruitment business working with hundreds of local companies and thousands of job seekers, we feel particularly well placed to be a positive influence. 

What we do

All of the First Base team gets involved in how our business can act as a force for good by helping to create a skilled, inclusive, diverse workforce and how we contribute to building a thriving local community. 

It starts with a team who love what they do.  Helping employers find the right people and individuals to find their dream job is extremely satisfying work!

First Base Education

We’ve learned a lot over the years about recruiting and retaining the best people as well as how to help job seekers with their career progression.  We freely share that knowledge and other useful  information through our blogs, videos, social media and ‘Insight’ papers.  From job fairs to graduate recruitment events, from mock student interviews to seminars for business owners and active support for National Star College – every week our team is doing something to “give back”. 

Straight Talking Seminars

We’re passionate about building a responsible business and equally passionate about helping other businesses to understand how to build a successful enterprise.

Our Straight Talking Seminar programme goes beyond our core expertise in recruitment to providing world class, no-nonsence and practical seminars on a range of business topics from employee engagement, well-being at work and leadership to marketing and sales. Working with both the Gloucester and Cirencester Growth Hubs we are currently delivering a programme of interactive workshops on social selling – influencing local businesses to grow sales based on a trust based, ethical approach to winning business. 

What do we get out of it?

Fundamentally we commit to playing our part as a responsible business because we believe it is the right thing to do. We sleep well at night and gain enormous personal satisfaction. 

On the other hand we couldn’t invest time, energy and money if we were not a successful business.  A bi-product of that investment is the amazing reciprocity from our own team, individual job seekers, employers and our suppliers. It is their support for First Base that has helps us to continue to grow and play our part in the community.

If you’d like to know more about how giving back can be powerful for the community and your business or how at First Base can help you with your recruitment and job seeking, call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

 

First Base continues to support the Red Box initiative

The Government will launch its scheme enabling schools to order free period product for students in January 2020. Until then (and for as long as it takes for the Gov’t to get it right) we will continue to support the Red Box initiative and there will be a Red Box at First Base for as long as needed.

What is Red Box?

The Red Box Project is a community-based, not-for-profit initiative, which aims to support young people throughout their periods by providing red boxes filled with free period products to local schools.

The Red Box Project was founded in March 2017 by three friends who wanted to give young people in their local area access to sanitary products. After reading about ‘Period Poverty‘ in the news, they were angered at the idea that young people were missing out on their education because they couldn’t afford the products they needed during their period.

They decided to take action and contacted several secondary schools in Portsmouth to ask if a constantly stocked box of menstrual products would be welcomed. The feedback from teachers was that the issue was real and the resource was needed.

Recognising that the need was nationwide, they invited individuals from across the country to be a part of this movement and the response was overwhelming. From Scotland to Cornwall as well as overseas, people began to group together, set up Red Boxes filled with tampons, pads, tights and underwear which were then delivered into local schools. They fundraised, collected, had craft sales and donations drives, all to make sure their boxes never became empty.

You can read more about the Red Box initiative and how you can help on their website. 

Charity Partnership with National Star

We are really proud to announce our charity partnership with National Star.

With two events under our belt we are looking forward to helping raise more funds for it’s work enabling young people with disabilities to realise their potential through education and personalised learning opportunities, and by providing other transition and accommodation services.

The college itself offers programmes that are tailored to meet individual aspirations and abilities, with a strong emphasis on creative and performing arts, sports, communication skills and life skills. Learner progress is monitored through the setting of individual goals and targets, and a strong multi-disciplinary team, including speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapist and behaviour specialists, ensure a holistic and person-centred approach is taken.

The amazing and inspiring National Star Fire Walk is where we started our fund raising activities and just last week we hosted what proved to be a very popular cake sale. Thanks to the generous clients and job seekers who so kindly made donations and bought the very tasty cakes lovingly made by members of our team.

 

If you would like to know more about the fantastic work National Star undertake and how you could help, please visit their website.

Straight Talking Sales Seminar at The Growth Hub

We’ve teamed up with The Growth Hub to bring you one of our ever popular Straight Talking Seminars!

In this highly practical, interactive and inspirational workshop David Tovey, author of ‘Principled Selling’ and Tricia Hay, MD of First Base Employment will show you how to win more business with a 21st Century, trust based, ethical approach to sales. You will learn how to make the sales process enjoyable and effective for both you and your customers, how to win more business from the right customers at the right price and how to guarantee you meet your sales and profit growth targets.

Workshop content includes:

•  A four step process that guarantees sales growth
•  Understanding how and why people buy
•  How to use social media as part of the sales process
•  Building trusted business relationships
•  How to motivate customers to buy
•  Winning more business from new and existing customers

Ideal for non-sales people and sales people alike and relevant to all business sectors, this workshop will equip you with an easy to apply, proven approach to growing your sales profitably.

Tricia started First Base Employment 22 years ago, is an award winning local business owner and huge fan and user of the Principled Selling approach to business growth. Tricia and David’s objective is to give back to business by sharing their hard earned knowledge to help other Gloucestershire firms to grow.

The event is free and you get the chance to take away your own copy of ‘Principled Selling’ published by Kogan Page. Places are limited so apply for your chance to attend today!

 

 

 

 

Industrial team joined by Nathan Hughes

The week has started well. Nathan, Mags and Andy are ready to take your call and have many temp to perm job roles to fill. They’re looking rather bright and bushy tailed ! Call 01453 755330 for more information and a start date.

Recruiting for senior roles throughout the South West

Join us in our mission to find the best in the County. http://bit.ly/SeniorAppts #Careers #Recruitment #Growth

The Straight Talking Seminar is back – July 19th at The Old Lodge, Minchinhampton

Join my team and I on the 19th July to start the summer off with a bang. Some food for thought whilst you’re on the beach #CustomerExperience plus the launch of our Leadership Challenge #TheGoodRecruitmentCampaign #Growth

Book via Linked in at https://bit.ly/2LLZWks

We’re recruiting

We’re recruiting for a really switched on person who will hunt down and connect with the right people for us. Magda continues to try all options but she needs help. https://bit.ly/2rgC8vR

Team Building Success

After a great first quarter’s work from my team, I thought long and hard about an appropriate reward for my team. I decided on “locking them in a room to see if they could escape”…

Well done guys. The Haunted House team got out with 33 seconds to go and the Prison Break(ers) had 5 mins left.

Thank you to Trapped (Eastgate Street, Gloucester) for a fabulous experience. We’ll definitely be back to beat our times!After a great first quarter’s work from my team, I thought long and hard about an appropriate reward for my team. I decided on “locking them in a room to see if they could escape”…