Editorial Features

An Rticle by Dr Lynda Shaw

The younger generation need to be encouraged to stay in the UK before they seek work elsewhere around the world, urges Psychologist and Age Specialist, Dr Lynda Shaw. Western birth rates are declining, the global birth rate has dropped from 22/1000 of the population in 2000 to 19.14/1000 last year and the world is “shrinking” becoming increasingly easy to travel and more westernised...........

Getting the best out of outsourcing at your company

An article from Moorepay - providers of cloud based HR and Payroll Solutions

Outsourcing has grown in popularity in rapid fashion over the past few years, as the process effectively enables businesses to seek out the assistance of an exterior source to monitor and handle a raft of vital tasks...........

Ageing in the Workplace

A survey by Dr Lynda Shaw

Ageing raises tough questions - With the pros and cons of an ageing population, retirement and people working longer regularly and fiercely debated in the media and political arenas, cognitive neuroscientist and age diversity specialist, Dr Lynda Shaw, conducted detailed research to find out more about people’s attitudes to ageing in the workplace..........

Solid Event Management Skills are a must for any PA

Claire Derrick, Director of Education at Ashdown Academy.

Most office workers today probably have more to do than they ever have before. As efficiencies are made, people have to pick up things they may have only touched on before. We all feel busy and burdened with work we may not have started out with..........

Email correspondence – Be careful what you agree to

By Grant Esterhuizen, Lester Aldridge LLP

It is generally accepted in today’s world that a contract can be created via email. However, businesses need to be aware that a strand of case law is developing which may result in certain emails being construed as a binding contract which could unwittingly commit a business, just by clicking the “send” button..........

Don’t get lost in translation

Charles Morris-Denholm from the Translation Division of RWS Group offers some useful guidelines.

We may be amused by the mistranslations we see in hotels and notices abroad and laugh at the multi-national companies who fell into the translation trap. General Motors had to change the name of the Nova car for Spanish speaking countries as “No va” means “it does not go” in Spanish, and the Japanese road sign “Stop, drive sideways” did not say what it meant to say.........

If the shoe fits

An article on the development of the Computer Keyboard and Mouse by John Sage of the Keyboard Company

The Keyboard is the Computer/Human interface. Unlike other parts of the computer it has to fit the human user. We all come in different shapes and sizes, we work in different ways and places, and we have differing aesthetic values. Now we find there is more in common with selling shoes than selling computer equipment........

How to perform at your performance appraisal

By Gemma Allen, Director of Professional Services, Robert Walters

Minute Taking – what PAs really want to know

By Heather Baker, Baker Thompson Associates Limited

The content of this article comes from “Successful Minute Taking : Meeting the Challenge” by Heather Baker.

As an inexperienced secretary, I hated taking notes and writing minutes – I’d rather have thrown myself downstairs! However, as I progressed to more senior roles, I eventually got the hang of it and have, since 2000, been helping other PAs and administrators to resolve their concerns.....

Riding the Recession – the Insiders Guide to Keeping Venue Costs in Check

By Nigel Alden, Managing Director of Complete Event Solutions

Having worked for two hotel groups, a conference centre chain, two of Britain’s biggest hotel booking agencies and the country’s leading team-building company, Nigel Alden, Managing Director of Complete Event Solutions, pa-assist’s venue-finding and event services partner, gives an authoritative insight into how you can minimise your venue costs when you need to organise an event.....

Articles

Don't Underestimate the Young

An article by Dr Lynda Shaw

The younger generation need to be encouraged to stay in the UK before they seek work elsewhere around the world, urges Psychologist and Age Specialist, Dr Lynda Shaw.

Western birth rates are declining, the global birth rate has dropped from 22/1000 of the population in 2000 to 19.14/1000 last year and the world is “shrinking” becoming increasingly easy to travel and more westernised. The seemingly deteriorating weather in the UK adds to the problem of students choosing to seek employment abroad. On top of this, the rise in University fees to £9,000 in the UK has opened up the economic viability of choosing universities overseas according to Dr Shaw. Already we witnessed over 50,000 fewer applicants for courses in 2012.

Dr Lynda Shaw says: “We need to act now to prevent this trend from worsening, we must hold on to the young in the UK and understanding their psychological profile can help to recognise what it is they need to keep them employed and distract them from moving abroad and taking their talents with them.

“Young people today are highly responsible and take life very seriously. They hunger for training and development, but will not hang around for long drawn out courses. They expect to learn whilst contributing to a company. It is worth noting that the developing teenage brain with all it’s pruning and reorganising hasn’t quite finished until roughly the mid 20s. This means that someone in their early 20s is still exploring their identity and may seek change in order to grow. Therefore, employers need to work even harder to engage all this wonderful new talent."

“In addition, our young workers have also been brought up watching their parents fear redundancy, governments and banks who behave both dishonestly and unethically. It’s no wonder this generation will feel no loyalty to companies, can you blame them? A good employer will recognise this and strive to earn loyalty so that employees will go that extra mile when things get tough.”

According to recent research conducted by Dr Shaw, 67% of those aged 18-24 feel more pressured than anything else to have a good career. Dr Shaw says: “We need to support and inspire the young to ensure desirability of working in the UK especially as it is a huge transitional stage moving from education to work. It is important to make the young in the workforce feel valued and respected rather than the lowest of the low within a company.”

Management style is not a ‘one size fits all’ policy, everybody is different according to Shaw, and younger members of the team need to have their opinions heard and to have training opportunities as the life blood of an organisation and shouldn’t be cast aside on the basis of less experience.

“My research identified the young desire good training, and clear career progression with 81% of those under 25 claiming to be highly ambitious. They want to feel valued and respected as part of a team, with a true ability to contribute to the organisation and not just on a continuous learning treadmill. However, despite their overwhelming ambition to succeed, it is important to ensure they do not get ahead of themselves. Where they may excel in drive and motivation, they lack in business acumen – young entrepreneurs often struggle with the concept of cash flow, savings and how to grow a business. Therefore, in understanding their wants – training, development, responsibility – businesses must apply these, thus helping to improve their all-round skill set and ability to deliver exceptional results for that sector.”

The recession has had a big impact on the availability of jobs, particularly graduate schemes that are notoriously competitive with numbers of applicants far exceeding positions available. High Fliers Research recently reported that graduates with no work experience are likely to be discounted instantly, with 36% of graduate positions going to graduates who had already gained work experience within the same company.

Shaw says: “It is vital for graduates to gain essential work experience to build their confidence and understanding of their world which they are applying to join, but also crucial for businesses to make it readily available to them. Graduates and school leavers need to be given a chance, an opportunity to prove their worth but also to be respected and challenged.”

For about Dr Lynda Shaw, please click here

Getting the best out of outsourcing at your company

An article from Moorepay - providers of cloud based HR and Payroll Solutions

A look at the three main types of outsourcing

The work outsourced often centres on non-core aspects of a firm. However, if the tasks were left in-house, an employee or manager would be stretched for time as they attempt to complete these challenges while also juggling their other work fulfilments.

Those of you who are yet to discover the benefits of outsourcing some of their work but are intrigued to do so can gain inspiration by looking at the three primary forms of the process which are widely available today.

1: Technology services outsourcing

The world is becoming a more tech-savvy place to live in with every passing day, with many people now educated on the ins and outs of using a computer and the majority of companies ensuring they are making their presence felt online.

Where the latter point is concerned though, firms could quickly lose momentum if they enlist people to handle such processes as electronic commerce, application creation, telecommunications and website development who have little or no knowledge on the subjects.

However, outsourcing these tasks to a third-party company will enable employers to receive peace of mind that their venture into the online community is being conducted by a specialist in the field.

On top of this, processes will be handled in a more cost-effective manner than hiring inexperienced employees in-house and businesses can keep up or even get ahead of their competitors quicker.

2: Business process outsourcing

Any operational function which a company hires the services of a third-party to monitor and handle falls into the category of business process outsourcing – or BPO for short.

To break it down a little bit more, BPO is split up into a pair of sub-categories – back office work and front office work.

You should be thinking about internal work processes when it comes to back office work. For example, managers who use payroll providers – such as the experience and expertise guaranteed at Moorepay – to make sure that staff members are paid exactly what they entitled to at the right time fall firmly into this group.

Meanwhile, front office BPO relates to customer-oriented work. As such, companies can use this function to handle their customer service management operations, such as through the innovative thinking and fresh techniques applied by technology and consulting corporation IBM in their customer relationship management outsourcing opportunities.

3: Knowledge process outsourcing

The final key type of outsourcing is knowledge process outsourcing, or KPO, which is where companies call for the assistance of outside parties to produce work that requires high levels of involvement from the worker.

As a result, third-party firms which provide this service are often tasked to produce advanced research on a certain topic, as well as present companies with thorough analytical data and showcase standout technical skills.

66% of people believed that age alone, regardless of qualifications and experience, could be a barrier for getting a job. When asked what age group would be preferred for hiring, 30s was ranked the most popular (40%) and over 60s was the group least likely to be hired from (49%) - not taking qualifications and experience into account.

A few examples of where KPO is usually used to great effect include pharmaceutical research and development, legal documents, content writing and database development services.

For about Moorepay, please click here

Ageing in the Workplace

A survey by Dr Lynda Shaw

With the pros and cons of an ageing population, retirement and people working longer regularly and fiercely debated in the media and political arenas, cognitive neuroscientist and age diversity specialist, Dr Lynda Shaw, conducted detailed research to find out more about people’s attitudes to ageing in the workplace.

Retirement

The majority of survey respondents said that overall, they felt happy (93%) and healthy (85%) when they were at work. When asked about retiring themselves, the majority of respondents said they would like to retire between the age of 61 and 65 (31%) although only 22% believed this would actually become reality with 38% saying 66-70 years old was a more likely estimate.

Only 3% of people said they would wish to retire under 50 years old, although none of these said they thought it would actually happen. By comparison 16% of the respondent’s mothers and 28% of their fathers retired between 61-65 years old; with 53% of the mothers retiring before 61 years old.

When asked what they most associate retirement with, the majority of answers selected positive attributes such as having more time to see family and friends (63%), an active lifestyle (52%), more holidays (44%), less stress (40%) and a better lifestyle (31%). The biggest negative associate with retirement was money issues (37%).

86% of survey respondents said they did not think people should be forced to retire at a certain age by law; and said they felt the most important reason why over 60s generally continue to work is to increase their pension fund (43%), rather than for the love of their job (21%).

Importance of Age in the Workplace

When asked how important specific age groups are in the workplace, survey respondents ranked over 60s as the least important (46%) and 40s (27%) as the most important.

Shaw says: “People’s attitudes assume that the mature workforce is least important, however they are extremely valuable! Over 60s are bursting with knowledge and experience. This needs to be embraced, enhanced and utilised. Businesses can really benefit from an age diverse workplace, mixing the new ideas and knowledge of younger workers with the experience and expertise of older workers.”

Mature job seeking

Attitudes in the Workplace

70% of people thought that over 60s would be intimidated by advanced technology in the workplace.

When asked about attitudes and attributes in the workplace, survey respondents believed that over 60s would most beneficially contribute a better work ethic (69%) and a hard-working attitude (65%) to a workforce in a greater way than people in their 30s. Respondents said that they thought the biggest downside to employing people over 60 was that they would be slower to learn new skills (61%) and more adverse to operational changes (52%).

Shaw points out: “Older employees might be slower to learn, but they are incredibly eager to try new things and develop. If employees spent some training time older as well as younger cohorts, they would reap a greater return for their investment.”

When asked which characteristic was most associated with specific age groups at work, 20s were characterised most highly as being energetic (44%), 30s as ambitious (52%), 40s as hard-working (60%), 50s (44%)and 60s (33%) were both considered loyal, as their most creditable characteristic.

Negative traits most associated with each age group were undisciplined for 20s (a staggering 87% of respondents selected this), argumentative for 30s (17%), erratic moods for 40s (14%), anxious for 50s (19%) and lacking ambition (53%) for 60s.

Shaw argues: “There is still stigma around growing old and a mature workforce. The results of this survey have shown mixed responses about attitudes towards age in the work place. Although over 60s were considered the least likely to be hired, they were attributed with many characteristics in the work place including loyalty, having a better work ethic and a hard-working attitude. Conversely, although the youngest age groups, 20s and 30s, were considered energetic, ambitious and a popular age group to hire, they were also associated with negative traits such as being undisciplined and argumentative.

Ageing generally

According to survey results, the biggest fear among our survey respondents would be loss of memory (62%) over loss of mobility (49%) and loss of income (14%); but 86% of respondents said they did not expect to be looked after by relatives when they grow older.

For about Dr Lynda Shaw, please click here

Solid Event Management Skills are a must for any PA

Claire Derrick, Director of Education at Ashdown Academy

This is especially true as budgets are still so tight. Even larger organisations are more often than not seeking to use in-house skills to organise activities like events and conferences, rather than using external suppliers. No matter that the AGM or annual conference still needs to have the WOW factor, be perfect or better than ever before. This time it lands at the door of the internal team.

And by internal team, quite often this means the CEOs PA! Now, there’s no doubting that any good PA is already a bit of a master at events. They are natural organisers, and adept at behind the scenes efficiency. Seemingly making the impossible happen is what being a PA is all about.

But large-scale events may be a little different. Chances are that experienced PAs will get through organising an overseas conference or company-wide away day. But there is an opportunity here to not only impress your senior colleagues, but also add something to your own career. Rather than see events as just an added part of your role, there is the chance to develop some real expertise in this area that will stand you in good stead elsewhere.

Why expand in this direction? Simply, it offers some excellent opportunities, entry into an exciting industry and builds on the skills every PA and EA already has. This year has already seen some world-class events happen here in the UK, from the Royal Wedding through to the Paralympics closing ceremony. Learning what goes into large-scale events like this can help improve the ones undertaken in-house. Rather than just ‘getting through’ a large event, with a bit of training PAs and EAs can help their business lead the way.

So where to look? Many courses don’t have to mean time out of the office – they can be undertaken in evening classes once or twice a week. But there are some things that every PA should consider before signing on the dotted line. Firstly, does the course have any accreditation, which undoubtedly adds value to a CV and better recognition. Secondly, ensure any course has ‘live’ and real-life opportunities to practice events organising skills. The whole point is not to just understand how events are run within your business, it’s about improving on this by experiencing how things are run elsewhere, in different situations. This may mean a brief placement with an established events consultancy to get some hands-on experience, but the opportunities to learn are everywhere. From a friend’s wedding to a local charity event, get stuck in and use every opportunity to build your experience.

The final point is something every good PA has anyway; their little black book of contacts. Add an events element to this. Not just the ones on the company supplier list; add you own venue contacts, entertainment artists or expert design and printers. You can build a list of everything you need to run a different event with real purpose and impact.

And who knows. If all goes well, you may find you become the go-to person for tackling events in the business, and take your career in a whole new direction. As budgets slowly return, organisations will once again be looking for more dedicated and named events organisers. That could be you.

For further details about the the courses that EventCourse offer, please click here or call 020 7183 5129

Email correspondence – Be careful what you agree to

By Grant Esterhuizen, Lester Aldridge LLP

Have you ever considered that typing your name at the end of an email could constitute a signature, which in turn could make your business contractually bound by the contents of the email? A recent Court of Appeal decision suggests that this is possible. In another recent case it was noted that where the main terms of an agreement are agreed in email form, the fact an email states that a “formal contract” is still to follow, may not be sufficient to render the email “subject to contract”. The word “formal” may even indicate that any further agreement is a mere formality, as the substance has already been agreed by the parties.

It is common for many businesses to negotiate with others via email simply by clicking the “reply” button and creating a string of emails. The Courts have indicated that a string of emails constitutes a single document, which is the electronic equivalent of a hard copy letter signed by both the sender and the recipient. This may have the inadvertent effect that businesses become bound to a contract, where all the terms are agreed in numerous emails sent over numerous weeks.

As a result of these cases, businesses need to consider what they might be unwittingly agreeing to via email. The safest course of action would be to avoid long strings of emails which could be construed as one document; mark emails “subject to contract”; and clearly and expressly state in the main body of the email that there is no intention to be legally bound until a long form agreement is entered into.

Don’t get lost in translation

by Charles Morris-Denholm - Translation Division of RWS Group

But someone somewhere thought they were getting an accurate translation. So how can you avoid the same fate when your boss or a colleague asks you to find a translator? Charles Morris-Denholm offers some useful guidelines.

Before you can choose the right translator with confidence, you need to establish the nature of the project and to understand what you expect of the person or company you select. It will help your task too if you can persuade your colleagues to allow ample time for the task. Last minute decisions and a translator under pressure can easily lead to errors, which can place business at risk and cause legal disputes, not to mention the cost of reprinting faulty documents. .

The language

It may seem obvious but languages can vary and even though any professional translator will work into their mother tongue, the Spanish spoken in Spain is not the same as Spanish from Mexico or Chile, so you should be precise as possible about your target audience.

Subject expertise

The translator will need to show experience and expertise in the subject matter and your area of activity, which could be anything from electronics to fashion. It’s particularly important to check for qualifications or relevant experience when dealing with complex specialist fields such as legal and financial documents, engineering, electronics, medicine or pharmaceutical materials. Even where the selected translator is thoroughly familiar with your product or service, it will help if you can provide a glossary or guide to the terms and phrases you use.

The audience and type of material

Translating a user manual for complex engineering machinery may require different skills from those involved in producing a guide to interior design. Sales brochures, legal documents and house journals all need a distinctive approach and you should check that your translator can demonstrate the necessary expertise.

Technical resources

Word processing packages are fairly universal and you should expect any competent translator to be able to handle any format. In addition graphic designers and printers may prefer to work with documents in Desktop publishing programs such as Quark and InDesign, as well as PDF files and graphics, so it’s as well to find out how the material will be published before commissioning the project.

Freelance agency

The freelancer may appear to be a wise choice, as you will meet the person handling the work and with generally low overheads, costs can be lower. However their resources and experience will naturally be more limited than those available to the translation agency, which will be equipped to handle larger, multi-language projects. The agency will be able to select the translator with the most appropriate language skills, knowledge and experience for the task and should provide the extra insurance of skilled supervision and copy checking. Some such as RWS may work to ISO 9001 quality standards.

While some agencies employ their own staff and are able to judge their experience and performance, many others rely largely on freelance translators who are given individual assignments. It is important to check whether the work will be carried out in house, and if not, what quality and monitoring checks apply to make sure you receive an accurate, precise and fluent translation.

Agencies with a significant number of in house staff are also more likely to have their own references library and sources, which can be helpful in making sure that they are up to date with current technology and terminology. IT documents now freely use words and phrases which did not exist even a few years ago, and other businesses will have their own terms and specialised language.

Translation software

How to get the best from your translator

Once you have made your selection, you and your colleagues can do much to ensure you get the most effective translation from the supplier. By involving the translator early in the project he or she will have the time to understand your business and the nature of the task. You should provide examples of similar documents and in particular any produced and used in the target country or language, which have proved to be accurate.

Remember, that as with any other purchase you get what you pay for, and the payback resulting from effective, persuasive and accurate translations will more than justify the cost.

Finally, if you need interpreters for meetings, negotiations or conferences etc, it’s worth checking whether your translation supplier can provide them for you. This can be particularly beneficial as there would already be an understanding of your business and company culture.

For further information, contact Charles Morris-Denholm, RWS Group on 0207 554 5407 0r click here

If the shoe fits

by John Sage of The Keyboard Company

Things have moved along tremendously since 1989 when The Keyboard Company was founded. Back then there were few designs to chose from and keyboards looked the same.

Your removal firm will liaise with the necessary local authority about access and parking for vehicles in controlled areas.

The most dramatic development in the intervening years is the Windows Intel China influence which gave us good desktop PCs to run our business or play on at home for under £200. This has been a fantastic thing in many ways but as with all silver linings there is a cloud. Every single component has become cheaper, using modern manufacturing methods and cheap labour. This has been good for all except possibly the people who make them and those who use them.

We now have a situation where the wheel is turning and people are not looking to buy the cheapest option IT equipment, evidenced by the success of Apple. As we become more mature users we will naturally look to improve the quality of our computing experience.

Through the Eighties, Nineties and Noughties the factories making keyboards turned over to membrane switch technology, they found new ways to print on the keys and they managed to produce keyboards for as little as One Dollar. All very well, but the product became too light, had no feel to it, and tended to become unresponsive with time making the user hit the keys harder. So no coincidence I think, that the Eighties, Nineties and Noughties also brought a near epidemic of RSI and work related limb disorders. The factories reacted by offering us a plethora of new designs to help this, but still based them on low grade technology.

So the challenge of the current decade is to find the manufacturers who make the products with qualities that will help our users be more productive, more satisfied and above all suffer no pain from computer use whether they work in the Office, Home, School, Hospital or a field.

The Keyboard Company have been leading the way with the absolute best quality Keyboards and Mice and have a range that the computer industry appreciates as the best available and which covers virtually all needs and situations. Don't walk a mile in my shoes, get some that fit your feet, match your style and are comfortable when you do what you want to do.

Is your workstation doing you any favours?

With millions of workstations and a growing number of people suffering in front of the computer it is time to ask ourselves if our workstations are doing us any favours. The majority of problems are back pain and strain in hands, arms and shoulders.

As work loads and office hours have increased, it is important to look for new ways of increasing productivity and well being whilst reducing staff absence. Administration staff are especially in danger of developing Work Related Upper Limb Disorders or even RSI if they are not offered the best products for their workstations.

One product which can lead to problems is the computer mouse. We need a mouse of some kind to perform pointing and clicking but the standard mouse is placed next to the computer and requires the user to take their hands off keyboard and stretch for it hundreds of times a day so why is it placed almost out of reach?

The standard mouse was introduced over 20 years ago and most people still think this is the only type of mouse available and use it for 8-10 hours a day. Workloads and lack of proactive thinking keep this mouse on the desk despite it being designed for the computer rather than the person using it. With a standard mouse, one is made to constantly stretch for it forcing your arms and hands outside the Optimal Work Zone (Square created by top corners of monitor and shoulders).

The standard computer mouse is cheap and seen to do the job but - it comes at a price. Could the cheapest mouse actually end up ruining an employee’s career and be the most expensive mouse the company has ever purchased?

Staff absenteeism costs UK companies an estimated £1,000 a year per employee (Source: CIPD), where as for much less, an investment in modern equipment / business tools can improve wellbeing significantly and reduce the stress created by poor working environments and workstations.

If we look to Denmark, Sweden and Norway we find the standard mouse as most of us know it, is perceived as culprit rather than a “friend”.

Other ways of operating a computer are widely available. One new group of computer mice is called Central Pointing Devices which, as the name suggests, places all mouse functions in front of the user and just below the keyboard.

The more popular range is the Contour RollerMouse which are equipped with a roller bar that operates by finger tips to control the cursor and main buttons. These are pre-programmed with left click, right click and even double click. This eliminates the constant reaching for a mouse next to the keyboard as well as enabling the user to use both hands simultaneously. Secondly it ensures the user sit up straight and use the chair in the way it was designed to be used. No gripping is involved and no friction experienced.

These types of mice in Scandinavia are already regarded as a professional business tool rather than just a “mouse”. Some UK companies are realizing that prevention is easier and cheaper than cure.

The Keyboard Company offers a wide range of computer mice and keyboards as well as the award winning RollerMouse by Contour Design. This unique and very intuitive new mouse is available on a 30-days Sale or Return Basis. Prepare to be Amazed!

For further details about the latest keyboards and mice available from the Keyboard Company, click here or call 0845 295 5555

Ask the experts how to cut your company’s meetings spend.

An article from research carried out through Grass Roots Client Survey 2010

Although Europe is slowly coming out of recession, there is still great pressure on corporates to cut meetings expenditure. Budget constraints are the biggest challenge facing meeting planners; 87% of respondees to Grass Roots’ 2010 client survey confirmed this would be their biggest challenge in 2011.

In the same survey, 78% of buyers reported that they were now expected to deliver more for less, confirming the overall picture of austerity. However, where do you start when it comes to reducing meetings and events spend? Who needs to be involved and what technology is required? Is it worth the effort and what are the potential savings?

We spoke to Gemma King, UK Travel Manager at KPMG, and to Des Mclaughlin, Managing Director, Venue Procurement at Grass Roots, for the buyer and agency views on how to reduce meetings spend. KPMG will implement a preferred venue programme through a single agency – Grass Roots – for the first time in 2011. Previously processes for booking external meetings across the firm were fragmented. Some booked venues through different venue finding agencies some through KPMG’s procurement team, and others went direct to hotels. .

The Buyer - Gemma King KPMG

Q: Where do I start?

The first thing any buyer has to do is to understand what is going on. At KPMG, when we brought in a venue finding agency, we discovered that we had different departments all doing events of a similar type.

Once you know, what activity is taking place you can consolidate your suppliers into a preferred programme so you can drive volumes into the venues that provide the best fit at the best price. However, without data it is an impossible task because you don’t know if you are making any progress.

Using an agency will help us to consolidate meeting & event spend, and bring greater visibility to our requirements & booking patterns. This will give us the information we need to develop a preferred programme. It’s working too. The proportion of meeting planners using the agency has increased steadily since it was introduced.

Q: How can senior management help?

Any meetings programme requires a big message to be communicated by senior management to all those involved pre-launch. That message then needs to be repeated to those who do not go through the specified channels.

Q: Can I commoditise meetings?

Personally, I don’t think that you can commoditise meetings because there are so many variables involved and the intended objectives of those meetings are so varied.

Q: What is KPMG’s policy on compliance?

It is part of the firm’s culture that KPMG does not mandate but the communication programme is critical to drive high adoption. If mandation is achieved, leakage will be immediately reduced. Any additional savings would be hard to quantify, but it would reduce non-ideal contracts.

Q: How do I ensure engagement in the programme and delivering on its objectives?

The best way to do this is to give the venue finding agency the opportunity to engage with the bookers through a managed programme and to do what they are best at. Secondly, you need to build realistic KPI’s into the agency’s service level agreement so you can measure their effectiveness.

Q: What technology do I need?

One of the advantages of working with a venue finding agency is access to technology that streamlines the booking process. For example, we use Grass Roots’ Mentor Live enquiry management system to monitor each stage of a significantly simplified process, saving the booking community a great deal of time.

On-line tools not only get people to use the service, but also helps reduce spend through greater adoption. Transient accommodation and travel are already booked on-line in KPMG so to maximise savings on meetings spend a self-booking tool would be necessary – if the perfect meetings SBT had been created yet.

Most on-line booking tools for meetings are more of a document sharing mechanism, and the agency’s venue team conducts a search based on the brief supplied. Existing booking tools give more visibility to transient hotels; the next phase of technology will do the same for venues so bookers can pre-select from a short list, and will do the same for third party suppliers too. Grass Roots’ system now allows us to track and manage secondary meetings & events spend for AV equipment and other specialist suppliers.

The Agent – Des Mclaughlin, Grass Roots

There are ten key steps that organisations needs to take, regardless of their size, culture or markets, to save money on meetings.

1. Know your booker

Many businesses have no real understanding of who within the company books their meetings and events. To control spend you have to identify and engage with the booking community first. Increasingly, booking meetings has become a part of someone’s job rather than a dedicated role, so it can be difficult to seek the appropriate person out. We often start the hunt by using historical data which can be found in finance and then look at each department’s meetings individually.

2. Define the booking process

Often, a company will have no real policy around which venues they use, how much they can spend and who has authority to sign off the budget. Similarly, who signs the contract and determines what terms and conditions are acceptable, what is the payment process etc? We dealt with a telecommunications company who booked hundreds of external courses at 3-star venues to train their engineers around the country. However as there was no formal accommodation policy around these meetings many of the engineers were booking themselves at 5-star hotels when attending the courses. A clear set of meetings guidelines is therefore essential to move forward.

3. Outsource internal meeting space

Internal meeting space is often used inefficiently by companies. Better then to hand over the meeting space to a specialist property company to manage, who can secure additional income by letting it to others. Not only will this bring about savings but it will also improve the balance sheet. We have brokered a number of these deals for clients in the last 12 months and in every instance they have been a genuine win – win for both parties.

4. Set up a preferred meetings programme

Decide on the most suitable venues or hotel groups for your meetings & events and channel business through this select group in return for better rates and terms & conditions. This will deliver better financial terms and improved hotel account management. We look to save companies in excess of 30% against rack rates when setting up these types of programmes.

5. Mandate where possible

Bookers need to use the venues in the preferred meetings programme to make it work. Bookers will have their own personal favourites, which they will continue to book unless the programme is mandated. Requesting compliance is nice but mandating the booking policy stretches your spend. Having said this, the vast majority of companies do not like to mandate although I suspect this trend may change in the near future.

6. Use rates as a benchmark

Many companies agree their rates for a 12-month period, which might seem prudent at the time but often locks them into high rates in hindsight. It’s far better to agree a ceiling rate that the company will pay and then negotiate this down with each booking. Companies shouldn’t expect to pay the same rate in off-peak months as peak conference months for example. This is why it is essential to use an agent whose staff are trained to negotiate and is the area where many TMCs (Travel Management Companies) fall down in the meetings market.

7. Use technology

If companies want to truly manage their spend, it needs to be tracked on a central database. This does not mean having to invest in IT, as the larger agents will provide client portals as part of their offering. The meetings software being employed is becoming increasingly sophisticated. For example we can now track all event-related supplier spend which is often as high as the venue spend. Many companies now have a grasp of how much they are spending at hotels and venues, but are still very vague around their ancillary costs.

8. Knowledge is power

Do your venue bookers communicate with one other? Are good and bad experiences shared? Does your booker know what rate your company paid last time they used the venue? Has anyone visited the venue? It’s important that this information is shared and the best way to do this is to create an active booker community. Again, larger agents’ portals will have this built in to their offering. We also set up an event organisers network for larger clients and encourage their bookers to network at educational events.

9. Go global

More and more companies are looking to adopt global meetings programmes and leverage their spend across the group. It makes sense, although implementing this type of programme is not easy and presents an increased number of challenges. Companies will also ideally have to use one booking platform. We now have venue procurement offices in London, New York and Singapore which ensures we can service our financial clients in their key hubs, using local knowledge. We will continue to add to these locations in line with client demand.

10. Use a specialist

Venue procurement / meetings management is becoming an increasingly complex exercise. It’s highly unlikely that a company will maximise their spending power without using an agent. My advice would be to look for an agent that specialises in meetings management, has significant spending power and a long working history with their clients. If in doubt ask hotels which agents they would recommend. They deal with agents every day and know the good and the bad ones.

For further information please call Grass Roots – telephone +44 (0) 20 7924 3663 or visit www.grassrootseventcom.uk.com

How to perform at your performance appraisal

By Gemma Allen, Director of Professional Services at Robert Walters

Appraisals can be a stressful experience for many people, while others embrace them as an opportunity to discuss their performance and highlight the value they have added to the business over the previous year. They are also a great opportunity to discuss your future plans and potential opportunities for personal growth and development in the coming year. Appraisals are generally undertaken by companies in January and Gemma Allen, Director of Professional Services at leading global recruitment consultancy Robert Walters discusses how to perform at your performance appraisal..

Prepare for your appraisal

If you are well prepared for your appraisal you will feel more confident so ensure you have carefully prepared examples of your work and performance and collated all the facts before going into the meeting. Appraisals can be make-or-break moments in your career and as such it is vital to prepare for them as you would for an exam or important interview.

What do you want to achieve?

Think about what you want to achieve in your career over the next few years and how your current employer can help you get there. Ensure you take the time to think about possible training options, additional industry qualifications you are interested in, or how you can gain different experience to broaden your skill base, things that will help your career in the long term.

Compromise

Be prepared to accept that your employer may not be able to meet all your requests and think about what you are willing to accept. Consider compromises that will ensure win-win outcomes for the appraisal. For example, agree performance targets in exchange for the opportunity to gain access to specific training programmes.

Speak up

If you have ideas on improving the role, the team, or a specific process within the business, then this is your opportunity to speak up. You should take this chance to express your interest in taking on extra responsibility – this is a sure way of getting ahead, being noticed and showing your commitment to the company and your position within it.

Be factual

Above all, remember that a performance appraisal is a business discussion. Avoid emotive language and responses to the constructive feedback you may receive. Focus on factual reasons why you should be considered for a pay rise or a promotion, not just because somebody else received one. This is your best opportunity to convince your employer of the value you have contributed to the business and how you can continue to contribute in the future.

Anything that is discussed in an appraisal should not come as a surprise to either party – do not store up grievances until an appraisal – these should be discussed as and when they happen but this is a good time to re-iterate any issues that have occurred throughout the course of the year.

Performance appraisals should be a positive experience and an opportunity for you to communicate honestly with your manager about your career progression. Take ownership of the process and the rewards should follow.

Minute Taking – what PAs really want to know

By Heather Baker, Baker Thompson Associates Limited

Here is an extract which outlines the skills you need; the book goes into detail on each of these points – and much more : .

√ Being good at taking notes

You should have your own prepared system for taking quick notes and it should include a set of abbreviations. Remember you don’t need to write perfect English in the meeting. Prepare your abbreviations in advance of the meeting. If you haven’t already got a system have a look at the BakerWrite system of speed writing www.UoLearn.com. Make sure you work out how you will differentiate between people with the same initials before you go into the meeting.

√ Good mastery of English

This is very important so that people can understand your minutes and to reflect a good image of you, your department and organisation. The internet is an excellent source of information on grammar.

√ Good Vocabulary

You’ll need a good general vocabulary and an understanding of the technical terms, jargon and abbreviations that may be used in the meeting. Get yourself informed before the meeting so you’ll understand what’s being said. Use a thesaurus to vary the words you use.

√ Word processing skills

A set of well presented minutes reflects well on you. If you are regularly minuting the same type of meeting then use a template. You can then use a laptop and type your notes straight onto your template – but remember you are not writing your minutes in the meeting, you are just taking notes.

√ Summarising skills

This is after the meeting; you need to write a summary based on the notes you have taken. Minute taking is NOT dictation…. don’t “go through the process”. For example: “The Chairperson said she needed a volunteer to get estimates for the new furniture in the office. She asked the Secretary to do this. The secretary said she would do this. The Chairperson said she needed these for the next meeting. The Secretary said she would arrange this.” This would be better written as: “The Secretary agreed to arrange estimates for the new furniture to be discussed at the next meeting.”

√ Listening skills

Always the first skill that people think of as the most difficult. Understanding the subject is one of the main ways to make life easier.

√ Proofreading skills

It’s important to check your minutes after they have been typed. One tip is to print off the minutes and check them again; don’t just rely on reading from the screen.

√ Knowledge of how to use reported speech

You may occasionally have to report what people say in minutes and, if so, reported speech should be used. However, by using excellent summarising skills you can avoid the ‘he said, she said’ scenarios (see above).

√ A good relationship with the Chairperson

A very important part of minute taking. A chairperson and minute taker should always have time together to prepare for their meetings.

√ What to record

A sense of what you should and shouldn’t record is a skill that takes time to develop. It helps to understand your readership and the use of the minutes after they have been written. Most important – always include any actions.

“Successful Minute Taking : Meeting the Challenge” is published by www.UoLearn.com and can also be bought at Amazon

Heather had over 20 years’ experience as a secretary and PA before setting up Baker Thompson Associates Limited in 2000. The company specialises in the training and development of PAs and administrative staff. She travels around the world working with large and small companies to enable their office staff and PAs to work more effectively.

Riding the Recession – the Insiders Guide to Keeping Venue Costs in Check

by Nigel Alden, Managing Director of Complete Event Solutions

Venue costs are a substantial part of most organisations’ event expenditure and, particularly in today’s challenging times with budgets being cut, event organisers are being expected to watch every penny. There are ways of ensuring you do not spend any more than you need to on venues without compromising on standards.

After a long career helping companies control their event expenditure, I hope I can talk with some conviction and with a degree of inside knowledge about tips that may help you save your organisation substantial amounts of money.

For example:-

√ Don’t ask what the rate is – tell them what rate you want!

When you call a venue with a conference enquiry, don’t just ask them what the rate is. The Conference Co-ordinator’s job is the same as yours and mine – to do whatever benefits their company the most. In other words to get the best rate they can. So firstly do your homework – find out what their normal conference rate is. Let’s say their published 24 Hour Rate is £185.00. If you ask what rate they will do, they may quote you, say, £170.00. However if you say, “I have a budget of £140.00,” I will guarantee on many occasions you be offered that rate or somewhere near it. In present circumstances, they will probably offer even lower, so push those rates down!

The same applies to Day Delegate Rates – tell them your budget is 25-30% less than their published rate and see how near they get.

√ Those expensive extras

Don’t forget many of the excellent dedicated management training centres and residential conference centres around the country automatically include syndicates, a/v equipment, unlimited tea and coffee, etc. so you won’t even need to ask!

√ Know how attractive a particular piece of business is to the venue

Be aware of what the slower periods are for many hotels and other conference venues, as they will have more flexibility on rates. For example, the key low times are: Weekends Mondays and Fridays Mid-December to mid-January Mid-July to early September Any week following a bank holiday

There will, of course, be exceptions to the above, particularly if the venue is in a location not primarily reliant on corporate and/or conference business. But if you have any flexibility on when your event takes place, do keep the above in mind.

√ Short notice gold dust

If you have business for the next two, three or even four weeks, be aware of how much venues will want that business, because by then they will have a pretty good idea of how busy they are going to be over that period. So be ruthless, be shrewd, be bold and get those rates down!

√ Make your conference agency work for you

You could forget needing to remember all of these tips by ensuring your conference agency is asking the same questions. Be under no misapprehension – we are here to ensure our clients do not pay a penny more than they need to. We are inundated with special offers from venues, we know hotel rates inside out, we know how to get the best rates possible and we know how attractive a piece of business is to venues.

And it’s a free service. And we save oodles of your time by doing all the work. And we can book any venue anywhere. And so on and so on.

We are on your side SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.

And if you haven’t got a conference agency, for goodness sake get one. They can save you a lot of effort (because they do all the work) and money (see above) and eliminate the risks involved in booking venues you don’t know, because their venue knowledge should be top notch (OR YOU HAVEN’T GOT THE RIGHT AGENCY).

Let us prove how much we can save you by following the tips above and by taking advantage of the excellent rates currently available (see our Promotional Offers flyer for the deals we can get for you from the main hotel groups) and at every conference venue throughout the country.

http://www.pa-assist.com/venue-offers

For more information or for a no obligation venue search for your next event, telephone 01420 561165, e-mail info@completeeventsolutions.com check out our website www.completeeventsolutions.com or click here for more information. We look forward to working with you. .

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