Any of you who are friends of re:find will know we love an
office dog! So much so that we have two who join us on a regular basis.
But having dogs in the office isn’t all cuddles and playing
fetch. Here are my pros and cons of having office dogs.
Pro: stress reduction
It has long been known that having a dog can reduce stress. Virginia
Commonwealth University 2012 study showed that people who brought their dogs to
work showed reduced stress levels and higher levels of job satisfaction.
Providing the dog is well behaved it is fun having it around. And if you are
having a crappy day, they are always happy to give you a cuddle.
Con: allergies
I suffer from allergies; however, I am allergic to pretty
much anything you can be allergic to. That includes dog, cats, horses,
rabbits…basically anything with fur. The issue is I also love animals. Whilst
my allergies aren’t severe, what it does mean is if I touch an animal, I have
to wash my hands immediately. However, when Teddy decides to sneeze on my
ankle…well let’s just say getting your ankle into a kitchen sink is not the
easiest!
Pro: increased activity
When working in an office, it can be very easy to sit at
your computer all day and before you know it, it’s 5.30! Having a dog naturally
encourages you to be more active. It’s a great excuse to get out and take the
pooch for a walk at lunchtime. Getting some fresh air and stretching your legs
can also be great for your positivity levels.
Con: your food is no longer your own
Anyone who knows me knows this crucial piece of information about me. I. DON’T. SHARE. FOOD.
Sadly, dogs don’t understand what this means. Teddy stands
at my feet when I am eating. I avoid making eye contact and I pretend that he
isn’t there. Then he barks at me and taps my hand with his paw. Then I have to
wash my hand because of the allergies. I sit back down to carry on eating, he
touches me, I have to wash my hands. Well, you can see where this is going!
It’s easier just to give him the piece of chicken from the outset.
All of this being said, I love having the dogs in the
office. They bring a bit of fun and entertainment I genuinely do feel happy
that they are around!
Here are the dogs you will find lurking around our office:
The
Silent Assassin (AKA Teddy)
This is the sneakiest kind of dog….he pretends to be uninterested;
he sleeps for most of the day and snores really loudly….but you rustle a food
packet or ping the microwave and he springs into life like a jack in the box!
That being said, he is very well behaved and is always very appreciative of a
lunchtime stroll. He also loves strangers.
Pros: Loves a good fuss – if you are having a bad day,
he is happy to give you a cuddle.
Cons: Watch out for your chicken, this guy will stop
at nothing to get a nibble on your lunch!
The
Energizer Bunny (AKA Gracie)
She’s a fun dog! She is happy to see everyone, bounces
around the office quite happily. Give her a stress ball and she will be content
for hours, although she will rip it to shreds. She can be a little noisy at
times, but she provides endless entertainment.
Pros: Loves to play games and is always up for a walk.
Cons: Will bark the minute you pick up the phone to
someone important.
So, what are your thoughts about having dogs in the office?
Do you have any? What do you love/hate about having them around?
For all things HR Shared Services or if you
would like to feature in our ‘Insiders Story’ blog, email me on kate@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Kate Wass our HR
Shared Services specialist here.
Why won’t top-performing shared service professionals join your business? And what to do about it. Download our free eBook here.
Job titles have long been the basis of determining a person’s
status and role within a business. I have noticed a considerable change in this
over the last few years and have found job titles to be quite ambiguous,
especially in the HR arena.
Understanding broad job titles
Job titles mean different things to different businesses,
which can become quite confusing for everyone involved. HR Business Partner and
HR Director are the two broadest areas as there are so many different levels in
each role. I find that base salary and reporting lines are the best way to
understand exactly where the role operates within a business.
‘Outside the box’ job titles
We live in a world where people no longer want traditional job titles and are trying to be innovative regarding titles. I feel that job titles should reflect the culture of a business and its people. A couple of businesses we have recently worked with have totally nailed this approach and continue to lead by example. During a recent conversation with a senior HR Director, they talked about people within your business being your differentiator and if you want them to ‘think outside the box’ then why give them an ‘inside the box’ job title. An interesting approach and one I’m sure will resonate with some of you.
Plain funny job titles
However, some companies have taken this to the extreme and I
have uncovered some hilarious titles! Some of these titles give no clue as to
what the job entails, although there seems to be quite a few around making
people happy…whatever that means 😊.
Here is a list of some of the strange ones I came across:
Director of Making
People Happy and Content
Creator of Happiness
Commissioner for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment
Chief
Happiness Hacker
Happiness
Wrangler
Snake
Milker
Bacon
Critic
Wizard
of Light Bulb Moments
Recruitment
Wizard
Sourcing
Ninja
It appears there are no limits to the levels of creativity we can now reach with job titles. What’s the funniest title you have seen recently?
If you want to have a chat, you can contact me at carl@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Carl Hinett our
Executive search of HR professional’s specialist here.
Want to hear more
about our senior HR and Shared Service professionals golf society? Sign up here.
In recruitment, we like to think we are ever-evolving animals and that we have moved on from the pinstriped three-piece suits and working 13 hours a day. In the main part, I think this is true, but there are still some of you out there. You know who you are…. you are probably the one reading this and getting ready to blast some hate my way because I’ve touched a nerve. Either that, or you really are so hanging from last nights weekly team drinks that you just don’t have the energy, but at least you beat the office record for jaeger bombs downed, followed by press-ups completed. #ladsladslads
Anyway, here’s a trip down memory lane, the worst things I have heard in recruitment offices.
‘Ring the deal bell’
Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise we were on the London Stock Exchange in the nineties! Are you really that self-congratulating that you need to ring a bell to let the rest of the office know you have actually done your job?
Referring to candidate placements as ‘deals’ also makes me
want to scratch my eyeballs out.
’Right guys, we are having 10 before
10/Power Hour’
What this actually says is that your manager is concerned that you lazy shits aren’t doing enough BD, so they are going to force you to make a load of calls in an hour in order to hit your pointless call KPI target. If you can speak to 10 decision-makers in an hour, then I’m betting you the quality of those calls probably sounds something like this:
Recruiter: ‘Hi,
you got any jobs?’
Client: ‘No’
Recruiter: ‘Ok, thanks’ *whilst secretly punching the air because the call counts as a decision-maker spoken to*.
‘We are different from your average recruitment agency’
Oh really? That’s strange because I’m pretty sure the last 10 recruiters that called me were all different…so if that’s the case, where do I find all the average recruiters because I think I wanna give one of them a try?
Recruiters that truly are different, aren’t constantly
telling you how different they are, they are busy just being different. Let
your actions speak for themselves.
‘I’ve got a hot candidate’
Why? Have you locked them in an un-air-conditioned room
until they sign your exclusivity agreement? Your candidate isn’t an object for
you to brag about! Talk about them like they are an actual human being and not
a walking fee.
So, there you go, rant over. This is purely a bit of fun and
not meant to offend anyone. But this doesn’t just apply to recruitment. What
are the worst/most annoying phrases you hear in your office?
For all things HR Shared Services, change and
transformation and if you would like to feature in our ‘Insiders Story’ blog,
email me on kate@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Kate Wass our HR
Shared Services specialist here.
Why won’t top-performing shared service professionals join your business? And what to do about it. Download our free eBook here.
After what started as a great year for me, the past couple of months have been pretty shit, to say the least.
I’ve felt drained and unmotivated due to a few things that have happened in my personal life. I recently lost my Nan who I was very close to, which has had a huge impact on the wider family. I appreciate this is a normal part of life, but it had a negative impact on my mental health, which I realised I needed to improve.
Small changes
It’s very easy to blame things on
events that have happened, but I quickly realised that a change of mindset and
talking to people close to you really helps – and has been key for me personally.
As well as that, a few minor
lifestyle changes and realigning my goals, has given me a new focus and fresh
motivation. For me, exercise has been invaluable in improving my motivation,
but it also gives me headspace and helps me switch off.
Setting goals
I’ve recently set myself a goal of
running the Birmingham Half Marathon and raising a few quid for charity in the
process. It is something I’ve done before, but I’ve never put any focus on
training or achieving a competitive time – which I will do this time.
At re:find, as you know, we love
cows. So, I thought it would make complete sense to run it dressed as a cow, surely
– this will raise some extra cash and make it more challenging!?
I’m not a runner, but I do like a
challenge so I’m hoping to complete it in under 2 hours. Training hasn’t
started just yet, but if you see a cow running on two legs through Sutton Park,
then don’t forget to say hi!
Want to help?
I’ve set up a just giving page if you’d like to make a donation for the great work the NSPCC do to help children, then you can do by clicking here.
re:find supports the NSPPC as a supported member of the Midlands
business board, organising fundraising events throughout the year. The biggest
fundraiser is the annual ball which, this year, is being held on Friday 8th
November at the ICC. Tables are only £800 and it’s a brilliant night – let us
know if you’re interested in getting a table.
If you’re struggling to get motivated – or maybe
you want to do the marathon too! – I’m more than happy to chat, email me at sam@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Sam Perry our Shared
Services Executive Search expert here.
Why won’t top-performing shared service professions join your business? And what to do about it. Download our free eBook here.
Simon is a frequent columnist at SSON
and a veteran of shared services deployments at GSK, Coca-Cola, NCR, Carlson
Wagonlit Travel and Becton Dickinson over the past 20 years, both as a Shared
Services Director and a Transformation and Change Advisor and Consultant.
For this blog, Simon has kindly
shared his views on understanding service proposition documents and SLA’s, the
do’s and don’ts for introducing SLAs or OLAs, what a good SLA includes and how
you should brand it.
When you have made the decision to move to, or
upgrade, a shared services model for your enabling functions, be it finance,
HR, IT, procurement or indeed an integrated business services, it makes good
sense to set out your store and crystallise what it offers and how it works,
when the processes and services will be delivered and who does what within the
functional teams. Most important is that a dialogue takes place between
representatives of all the key stakeholders – those who have a vested interest
in the effective operations of the shared services model to be deployed.
What you agree can be recorded in a ‘Service
Proposition Document’ – which should primarily be seen as a business
partnership agreement about who does what, when, and with whom, and how the
transactions are measured, costed and charged. The document is an output of an
agreement, and a point for future reference in governance of that agreement –
it is not in itself the driving force to make things happen.
Typically, a service proposition document
proposes, at the executive level, the following items:
Purpose and mission of the shared services function
Who are the customers of shared services?
What is the business case for introducing shared services?
Which processes are covered, and which services and products are delivered by shared services?
Overall business model measures of success.
Costing and charge-outs for the shared services operations – often referred to as the commercial model.
Who are the parties to the agreement, what is the review mechanism and duration of the agreement?
The target audience for the service proposition agreement are the decision-makers at the senior level within the function – for example, in the HR function it would be the HR leadership team, and for an integrated enabling functions organisation the business services leadership team. Ideally, however, a review board – often referred to as The Customer Board, which has representatives from business heads who receive service from the enabling functions, is a good forum for getting the relationship right from the beginning.
Many companies make the mistake of being too insular when getting ready to launch their shared services function, seeing only their own function heads as the customers of the services. In reality, of course, all managers and employees of the business will be consumers of the products and services of shared services. So whilst it is right to ensure your own function is fully aligned and has bought into the new shared services model, it is equally important to go directly to the business heads when shaping the service – particularly, when agreeing on the business purpose and measures of success for the Service Proposition, and the charge-out method for the commercial model . These tend to be the big-ticket items where strategic alignment is key to success.
A service proposition document or agreement does
not have to be long and bureaucratic. It is not War & Peace! It’s an
executive summary agreement, which needs to be readily accessible and quick to
read. The best SPDs are at most 6 or 7 pages in length.
So, what about the detail at the operations level below this executive agreement? How best to ensure that the right things are happening, in the right way, on the ground, as well as 30,000 feet up in the sky? How best to manage customers’ expectations regarding what’s in and what’s out of scope? And, how best to create a common understanding of processes, products, services, and responsibilities?
This is where the service level agreement has a
role to play. It is a document with a lot more detail than the service proposition
itself. Your SLA gives your service proposition legs!
Branding your agreement in the right
context at your company.
A Service Level Agreement, which describes the working relationship with third-party vendors, is sometimes referred to (for purely internal operations or captive HR shared services) as an Operating Level Agreement. Whatever your business context or whatever language used to describe your OLA or SLA, there are some fundamental principles to build into your thinking when designing and agreeing on this document.
It is vitally important to see the SLA/OLA as a
communications tool, an output of an agreed way of working between the
stakeholder parties at an operations level; something that by its clarity helps
to prevent conflict and that provides a way to measure service effectiveness.
The document that encapsulates all of the above in word and spirit should be
seen as a living framework for an evolving and organic relationship of
transactions between the stakeholders and providers. Don’t see it as something
to file away or to be used to hit people over the head with when things go
wrong! See it as something that will be amended and adjusted by agreement, on a
predetermined frequency. As Shared Services evolves and grows and continuous,
improvements are made to process effectiveness, leveraging technology and new
ways of working so these can be updated and reflected in the document.
What should a good SLA or OLA
include?
The processes to be included and the products and services of those processes.
A list of the processes which are out of scope at this point – to manage customer expectations.
Conditions of service availability – hours of opening and days of operation.
Service standards – times for delivery of services should be recorded in a number of working days (rather than say 24 or 48 hours) to manage expectations and be clear about closures of operations for bank-holidays or weekends.
A R-A-C-I matrix – to show who is responsible, accountable, needs to be consulted and informed, regarding process steps. This ensures role clarity in completion of tasks.
Cost versus service trade-offs, to manage expectations about “workarounds” or “just as a favour” requests.
Clear escalation procedures and timelines so that when something goes wrong it can be resolved by the right person, in the right role, at the right time.
Governance and Reporting
For governance of the SLA/OLA it is also important to be transparent about how service effectiveness will be tracked – KPIs and metrics of outputs based on time, quality and cost-effectiveness criteria are included here. In addition, it is vital to report on service effectiveness to key stakeholders using agreed formats and frequency. See my article on measuring effective shared services performance on the SSON website for more examples. One-page dashboards; billboards with lots of colour and headline-only statements; and traffic lights (showing mostly green of course!) are effective ways to visually represent service and operating levels.
Measuring service satisfaction through quick customer surveys and focus groups which engage with the customer on an emotional level is just as effective as hard output metrics, which keep the score on time, quality, and cost-effectiveness of delivery.
Here are some do’s and don’ts for the
introduction of SLAs/OLAs:
Do
Discuss first with your customers, colleagues and stakeholders before you document your thoughts.
Gather information and insights about what can practically be delivered by the Shared Services Centre before making proposals on service and service levels.
Understand the complexity of processes by mapping them “as is” and where possible to streamline “to be”. Size up the volume of work and resources required to manage the processes to be included in the service proposition.
Consider a phased approach to introducing processes into your shared services operations – some now, some later … rather than the “big bang”, all-at-once, approach. Be clear about what is not in scope in phase 1, and record this in the service proposition and service level document.
Establish ground rules and ways of working with your customers and stakeholders so that the mindset is that of “partnership,” and “win-win together”, not “us versus them”.
Do build insufficient time to complete your SLA and SPD. Time to understand the processes, agree who does what, establish tracking mechanisms, agree supporting materials (e.g. process maps), debate to gain consensus, gain approvals, sign-off, run pre-launch education and briefing sessions, can take around three months under good circumstances.
Don’t
Introduce SLAs simply as a way to plug the gaps after a complaint from a customer – it’s not a document to hide behind. Meet to sort out underlying problems first, rather than paper over the cracks with a written document.
Write an SLA without any input from your customers. Ideally, involve them in reviewing first and second drafts, which themselves are written following discussions, customer interviews, or process review workshops.
Finally, remembering the famous Oscar Wilde quote, “You don’t get a second
chance to make a good first impression”, do see your SPD and SLA/OLA as an
output of something you do with the customer, not something you
do to the customer. Get as much face time as you can with customer
representatives in the design of your shared services. These documents will
then follow as the icing on the cake!
Thanks to Simon Brown for
sharing his thoughts and tips with us on successful shared service governance.
For all things, HR Shared Services, change and transformation and if you would like to feature in our ‘Insiders Story’ blog, email me on kate@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Kate Wass our HR Shared
Services specialist here.
Why won’t top-performing shared service professionals join your business? And what to do about it. Download our free eBook here.
Shared service centres (SSC) are becoming part of long-term business strategy and their numbers have increased significantly since the mid-80’s. Most organisations create SSC’s to improve efficiency, deliver cost savings and generally provide a better service for its customers and suppliers, as well as internal users.
But not all of them reap the benefits. Time and time again I hear about shared service centres failing and it’s usually down to one (or more) of the following challenges:
Leadership
Every shared service centre needs a good leader. When going through periods of change, you need a leader that can not only influence the team but customers, suppliers and stakeholders too. A good leader will show resilience and will also be approachable. A leader needs to be strategic, and drive the SSC forward, but also needs to manage it from an operational perspective. Having the wrong leader can leave a team unhappy and disengaged. A good leader will look beyond the SSC and look at the impact this will have on the wider business, as well as the end user.
Engagement
For a shared service centre to be successful, engagement
must be a priority. This doesn’t just mean engaging with people who are working
within it, but anyone that uses the service. A clear and positive message needs
to be delivered about any changes that are taking place and how it may affect
them. Managing people’s expectations and thinking about how it will affect them
but delivering the message about how the changes are beneficial to THEM.
Communication is key! It’s important that the project teams provide progress
updates so you can celebrate success and quick wins, but also ensuring how
external stakeholders may be impacted. Find out what drives people and how you
can make THEM successful.
Technology
Technology is one of the most important factors of a successful SSC. With emerging technologies such as RPA, blockchain, analytics and The Cloud, to name a few. Tech will be one of the biggest investments when setting up a shared service centre. People say if it’s not broken then don’t fix it, but just because it works, it doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient way of doing it. SSCs are utilising technology more than ever. It can reduce headcount, eliminate errors and be more time efficient, but if it’s implemented wrong, or isn’t fit for purpose, it can create more problems than anything.
Planning & strategy
The planning and strategy behind setting up a shared service
centre is the most important part, in my eyes. Will this be a captive SSC, or
will some functions be outsourced to a third-party provider? Location is also
key, and you will need to ensure that the talent pool is sufficient for your
requirements. Processes need to be transitioned; systems need to be integrated
but this will have an impact on BAU responsibilities. Once setup, forward
planning is crucial too, as you look to expand or consolidate different
business units/regions into the SSC.
People
“A business is only as good as its employees.” I’m sure
we’ve all heard that before?
People are one of the most important factors of a shared
service centre. Without the right talent, SSC’s wouldn’t be able to deliver the
service. It’s essential to have subject matter experts who can monitor
compliance updates and implement the changes when needed. It’s important to
gauge the talent pool in the area in which the SSC is located, as skill
shortages can be a huge problem, particularly if it’s a European SSC with language
speakers. Believe me European language speakers with specific experience is
hard to find!
Although there are many more characteristics to think about,
these will give you a strong foundation to have a great shared service centre.
If you would like to discuss further, email
me at sam@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Sam Perry our Shared
Services Executive Search expert here.
Why won’t top performing
shared service professions join your business? And what to do about it.
Download our free eBook here.
Everyone gets nervous before an important meeting or interview. It doesn’t matter how much you may have prepared, there are some common intrusive thoughts that always manage to worm their way into your head the night before and cause you to think about possible escape routes should the worst happen. Through our executive search experience, we can help.
But worry not, you don’t need a getaway car parked around the corner to survive an awkward interview. There are tried and tested things that you can do to overcome these embarrassing moments. And who knows, if you flip the situation successfully it could work in your favour and become an example of how you have managed uncomfortable situations.
The person that you are meeting isn’t focused on you
If you notice that the other person is frantically typing on their laptop and hasn’t said in advanced that they may be taking notes or replying to a work email, then your brain may go into overdrive and wonder whether they are mind-numbingly bored in your presence.
Read the situation and your audience, and if you’re still not confident that you’ve got their attention then politely asking questions to advance the conversation could resolve any worries that you may have. If they need to rearrange to a more appropriate time, then this gives them chance to do so
Being too early can be just as awkward as being too late
When travelling to an interview you can sometimes misjudge the traffic and end up an hour early…. It’s better than being late and although tempting, it might not be the time to show them how keen you are!
The chances are that whoever you are meeting is busy and won’t be sat waiting around for you an hour before (or after) your scheduled appointment, so if you know that you’re going to be too early go and grab a latte and steady your nerves. 15 minutes is plenty early enough to get there.
You forgot your presentation or interview materials
This problem can be easily resolved by planning properly. Try not to rely too heavily on paper materials, which can be misplaced or lost. Instead, ensure that you have an offline copy of your work ready and waiting on your laptop that you will be able to bring up regardless of the wifi situation.
And if your laptop dies, make sure that you’ve sent an email to yourself with all of the key documents on, so you can at least access them on your phone as a last resort. After your meeting, ask the person that you’ve been with if they would like you to email over a copy of any document that you’ve just used so they will be able to access them when reviewing your meeting.
Everybody has at least one awkward interview story, and how you deal with any embarrassment can say a lot about you and how successfully you manage situations. Also, a little bit of humour can go a long way, and we can all be united in our common awkwardness.
To have a chat about your interview contact me at carl@refind.co.uk.
Carl Hinett is our Director & Executive Search Specialist.If you’ve got a hard-to-fill role and need some help, get in touch
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We keep hearing it all the time…in order for shared services to be successful, they need to be continuously improving and innovating. But what is a culture of innovation? And how do you create one? Is it even possible?
A culture of innovation is when innovative ‘thinking’ becomes a
cultural trait, second nature.
It is actively encouraged, and people live and breathe it from the
bottom up.
It’s not just black magic, but in order to do this successfully, there
are some key things to consider:
1 – Innovation should be encouraged across the entire
workforce.
From the board to the cleaning staff, innovation should be
encouraged from every employee of your business, with no exceptions. We often think that ideas and innovations are
created in brainstorming sessions. Make innovation a core responsibility of
everybody’s roles and ensure it is reviewed frequently, don’t push it aside as
an end of year objective.
2 – Empower your employees.
If you are going to set innovation as an expectation of your
people, you need to properly equip them with the knowledge and tools to be able
to do so. You also need to facilitate how people can share their thoughts and
ideas in a positive and constructive way, to ensure they feel their voice is
being heard and to make sure they know that no idea is a bad idea. There are a
number of ways you can do this – either in 121s or group innovation sessions.
Some businesses have suggestion boxes or an innovation section of their
internal intranet.
3 – Take action.
There is always a risk that asking for innovation can lead
to endless conversations with no real take away. The biggest impact that you
can have on your culture is to take action. Now I’m not saying it is practical
that every idea should be taken to prototyping/testing but, it is practical to show
that all ideas are taken seriously and investigated, and giving a decision/outcome
is critical to continually encourage people that their ideas are valued.
4 – It is ok to fail, as long as you learn!
Not every idea will be a success. Failure is inevitable. If
things don’t fail, then the chances are you aren’t taking enough action on your
innovation. Not every idea will be a success – and that’s ok!
The key here is to review the failure, figure out what went
wrong, what could have been done differently and learn from it!
There are some organisations who do innovation really well.
Amazon is a great example of this – where innovation has almost become a
science to them. Everyone at Amazon is encouraged to submit improvement ideas
through a simple template and are given sponsorship to try new ideas.
I would be really interested to hear how your company
encourages innovation, as well as your opinion on any companies that do this
really well.
For all things HR Shared Services, change and
transformation and if you would like to feature in our ‘Insiders Story’ blog,
email me on kate@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Kate Wass our HR
Shared Services specialist here.
Why won’t top performing shared service
professionals join your business? And what to do about it. Download our free
eBook here.
I get lots of questions about the
difference between BPO and SSC, so I’ve put together a simplified answer to
help you out. Could the hybrid model be the way to go?
When large organisations grow, relocate, merge, acquire, or even
consolidate different entities, typically there are two options on how they
manage their operational processes.
The most popular option is a Shared Service Centre (SSC), however more and more organisations are now exploring the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) model.
The difference between Shared Service Centre’s and Business Process
Outsourcing is that an SSC is an internal function of an organisation, and a
BPO is typically an outsourced provider based offshore, and an external
solution.
Business process outsourcing
BPOs tend to offer greater productivity due to technology, process and
advanced systems and AI. With labour costs in these locations offering a more cost-effective
solution in the long run, however the initial set up of an outsourced model can
be costly initially, but over time will see a ROI.
This can be setup quickly and effectively, however, as long as your
process isn’t completely unique, as BPOs tend to offer a more ‘one size fits
all’ model.
The most popular locations for a BPO is India, Philippines and
Central-Eastern Europe and SSCs most popular locations such as Europe and USA.
With lower labour costs, and huge talent pools, it is an effective and more
cost-effective solution when done right. With a BPO, you wouldn’t need to hire,
train and retain your staff, but simply move into this model, and become
operational in a short period of time.
BPO offers organisations scalability and opportunity for growth, as
most tend to offer a 10-20% cost reduction to an SSC model.
Whilst, outsourcing can be implemented more quickly, not all vendors
can offer the same quality service as an SSC. For example, if the vendor is
based in Eastern Europe or Asia, Language barriers could also affect the quality of the deliverables.
Shared service centres
The SSC model offers a more bespoke solution and tend to give a company
the ability to run systems like an internal service provider, allowing it
flexibility. Companies make efficiencies through process standardisation,
technology improvements and centralisation of services.
The SSC model offers more control over decisions, enabling a better
service to the customers, suppliers and internal users.
A Shared Service Centre can closely monitor the performance and quality
of the work done, which gives more control over the service being offered,
however, having to install and maintain a new infrastructure can be costly, let
alone having to train the employees.
The hybrid model
The big one – the hybrid model – is when organisations may opt in for
both solutions and use a combination of both. Combing different models to
ensure you are working towards the organisation’s goals, with lower risk
activities such as Cash Allocation, Accounts Payable Processing and Reconciliations
tend to be offshored. There is less room for error with these tasks and involve
more processing than communication.
Typically, their more administrative functions and processing work
would be outsourced, and the more strategic responsibilities are kept in house.
This has many benefits – you’re getting the best of both worlds and in house
and outsourced teams are a partnership and therefore work together for better
results.
It’s a new buzz in the industry, but could the hybrid model
be the future?
If you would like to discuss further, email me at sam@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Sam Perry our Shared
Services Executive Search expert here.
Why won’t top performing shared
service professions join your business? And what to do about it. Download our
free eBook here.
Starting a new role in shared services can be a little overwhelming. Imagine starting a new position managing a team in excess of 30, 50 or 100 people, with new systems and new processes, in a completely new environment.
Where would you start? Most of your first 30 days is a learning curve, and a chance to absorb as much info as possible. Break it down into smaller chunks…
30 Days
Introduce yourself:
First impressions count. It is important that you understand your team,
and they understand you. What are their frustrations, what makes them tick, and
what motivates them to go that extra mile? It is important to understand the
dynamics of the team initially and they understand your reasons for being
hired. Most managers within a shared service are appointed to make change and
drive efficiencies within their function. The whole team need to understand the
journey you’re on as they will be a fountain of knowledge to help you reach it.
Define your role:
Why have you been appointed? Most roles within shared service have a
purpose, and you need to define your existence in the role and what you are
there to achieve. The team need to understand your motivations too, so you need
to be transparent around this and what you are trying to achieve. This way the
team will understand why changes are being made.
Understand the
business and culture:
What is the business strategy? What are the business’ long term goals?
Is it to reduce costs, headcount, make processes more efficient or to grow the
team to manage an acquisition? Whatever it is, your team in most cases need to
be aware of it, to understand your vison and to help you achieve the journey
that you’re on. Understanding the product or service of the business is key, as
you will need to think outside the box and consider any challenges that the
business may face, and how that will impact the wider shared service.
Evaluate your own
performance:
Monitoring your performance over a 30, 60, and 90-day period is
important. Set yourself achievable objectives, short and long term based on
what you have set out with your line manager. Once you’ve set yourself these
objectives, it is important not just to deliver them but to go above an beyond.
Plan…plan…plan….
60 Days
What were your
observations in the first 30 days?
Start by looking back on your first 30 days. What have you achieved,
what objectives did you meet/not meet and how realistic were they?
Did you identify any risks, skills shortages or areas for improvement?
This is the perfect time to reflect on your observations and speak up.
Implementing new
strategies/processes
What needs to be changed? Is it people, process or systems? This is
where you will need to consider the changes you want to drive, and again what
impact this may have on the wider business. Most importantly, your team, key
stakeholders, and wider business should all be ‘bought in’ to the change agenda
and just as importantly your customers and suppliers should be too, if the
changes could potentially affect them.
Start building your
own personal brand
It’s important to start building your own personal brand and be
recognised for doing things well. You want to use this next 30 days to really
step up and show people why you were hired, and what you do well. By now you
should have established relationships within the business and have started to
help develop your team and potentially upskill them in in certain areas. By now
you should understand your key stakeholders too, and how much influence is
needed.
Get some feedback
It is important now that you obtain regular feedback to ensure your
vision aligns with your line managers. Talk around your observations, and
future planning, and some of the key points you’re considering changing.
Plan, plan, plan…..
90 Days
Create an internal
comms plan
Align your plan with the business, and create your own strategy and objectives to share with your team and stakeholders, so they have a clear understanding of the journey you’re on.
Present your
gatherings
After spending 60 days analysing and absorbing info, it’s now time to
present your findings. Show your stakeholders your problems and create
solutions of how to make improvements and how you will measure success.
Start the
transformation
Now it’s time to really get your sleeves rolled up and start making the
changes!
Making a good first impression is important when you’re starting any
management role, and by now your confidence should have grown and you will have
made an impact on the team in some shape or form. Planning your first 30,90 and
60 days is important if you want to achieve your goals.
If you would like to discuss further, email
me at sam@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about Sam Perry our Shared
Services Executive Search expert here.
Why won’t top
performing shared service professions join your business? And what to do about
it. Download our free eBook here.
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