Mastering the Craft: The Keys to Successful Organisational Development

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In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organisations must be able to adapt quickly to remain competitive. To achieve this, they must constantly strive to improve their processes, systems, and culture. Organisational development is a systematic approach to change management that aims to enhance an organisation’s overall effectiveness and performance. It involves a range of interventions, such as team building, leadership development, change management, and performance management, that are designed to help individuals, teams, and the organisation as a whole to work more effectively, efficiently, and cohesively.

Mastering the craft of organisational development is essential for any organisation seeking to achieve sustained success. By developing a deep understanding of the principles and practices of organisational development, leaders can create a culture of continuous learning and improvement that enables their organisation to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing business environment.

In this blog, we’ll explore the keys to successful organisational development, including the principles and practices that underpin it, and the benefits it can bring to your organisation. Whether you’re a business leader, a human resources professional, or an organisational development practitioner, this blog will provide you with valuable insights and practical tips for mastering the craft of organisational development. So, let’s get started!

What is organisational development?

Organisational development (OD) is a planned, systematic process of change that helps organisations improve their effectiveness. It involves the use of behavioural science knowledge and techniques to diagnose organisational problems and to develop and implement strategies that will lead to improved organisational performance.

OD can be broad ranging, including changes to an organisation’s structure, culture, leadership, systems, and processes. The ultimate goal of OD is to help organisations become more adaptable, innovative, and responsive to the changing needs of their customers, employees, and other stakeholders.

OD is often used by a company to solve issues, such as low employee morale, high turnover rates, or ineffective communication. OD practitioners collaborate closely with organisational leaders and staff to identify the root causes of these issues and create solutions that are tailored to the unique needs of the organisation.

Overall, the goal of OD is to create a healthy and productive work environment that supports the achievement of organisational goals while also promoting the well-being and development of employees.

OD strategy for your business

Organisational development (OD) can be used to support and enhance business strategy in several ways. Some of the key ways that OD can be used for business strategy are:

  1. Aligning the organisation’s structure with its strategy: OD practitioners can help businesses to design their organisational structure to better support their strategic goals. This can involve creating new departments or teams, redefining roles and responsibilities, or streamlining processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
  2. Building a high-performance culture: OD an be used to create a culture of high performance that supports the achievement of business goals. This can involve developing leadership skills, promoting teamwork, and establishing a set of shared values and behaviours that support the organisation’s strategic objectives.
  3. Developing talent: OD can be used to identify and develop the skills and capabilities that are required to execute the organisation’s business strategy. This may involve implementing training and development programs, coaching and mentoring, or succession planning to ensure that the organisation has the talent it needs to achieve its goals.
  4. Improving communication and collaboration: OD interventions can help to improve communication and collaboration within the organisation, which is essential for successful execution of business strategy. This can involve improving internal communication channels, implementing team-building initiatives, and promoting a culture of transparency and openness.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ORGANISATIONS FACE WITH REGARDS TO ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

Organisations that fail to invest in effective organisational development may face a range of challenges that can impact their performance and sustainability. Here are some of the challenges that poor organisational development can create:

  1. Lack of Adaptability: Poor organisational development can lead to a lack of adaptability, making it difficult for organisations to respond to changes in the business environment. This can result in lost opportunities, decreased competitiveness, and even business failure.
  2. Low Employee Engagement: Poor organisational development can lead to low levels of employee engagement and motivation, which can result in reduced productivity, high turnover rates, and difficulties in attracting and retaining talent.
  3. Ineffective Leadership: Poor organisational development can result in ineffective leadership, as leaders may not have the skills and knowledge to effectively manage and develop their teams. This can result in poor decision-making, low morale, and a lack of direction within the organisation.
  4. Inefficient Processes: Poor organisational development can lead to inefficient processes, as teams may not be structured in an optimal way or have the necessary skills to perform their roles effectively. This can result in delays, errors, and increased costs.
  5. Poor Company Culture: Poor organisational development can also result in a negative company culture, where employees do not feel valued or supported, and there is a lack of trust and collaboration within the organisation. This can result in high levels of absenteeism, low job satisfaction, and difficulties in retaining talent.

HOW CAN ORG DEVELOPMENT FIT IN TO AN OVERALL HR TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME?

Organisational development (OD) can play a critical role in an overall HR transformation programme, as it focuses on enhancing the performance and effectiveness of the organisation as a whole. Here are some ways that OD can fit into an HR transformation programme:

  1. Alignment with HR Strategy: Organisational development initiatives should align with the broader HR strategy of the organisation. By doing so, they can support the organisation’s overall goals and contribute to a comprehensive HR transformation programme.
  2. Cultural Transformation: Organisational development can play a key role in driving cultural transformation. By promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement, OD can help to foster a growth mindset and promote innovation, which are essential for success in today’s fast-paced business environment.
  3. Talent Management: Organisational development can help organisations to develop their talent management practices, including recruitment, training, and development. By focusing on the development of people, OD can help to create a more engaged and productive workforce.
  4. Change Management: Organisational development can provide a framework for managing change effectively. By using OD techniques, organisations can help their employees to adapt to change and ensure that the changes they implement are sustained over the long term.
  5. Leadership Development: Organisational development can play a key role in developing leadership capability within an organisation. By focusing on leadership development, OD can help to create a strong pipeline of talent and ensure that the organisation is well-equipped to deal with future challenges.

OD career options

Typically, a career journey in OD involves the following stages:

  1. Entry-level OD roles: Individuals may begin their OD career as an OD coordinator, analyst, or assistant. In these roles, they would support the implementation of OD interventions, analyze data, and assist with communication and stakeholder engagement.
  2. OD specialist: As individuals gain experience and expertise in OD, they may advance to a specialist role where they lead specific OD interventions or projects. This may include designing and implementing change management initiatives, developing leadership development programs, or conducting organisational assessments.
  3. OD consultant: Experienced OD professionals can move in to consulting where they work with external clients to provide OD advice and support. They may work for a consulting firm such as one of the big 4 (PWC, KPMG, Deloitte or EY) or as an independent consultant. They will provide a wide range of OD services, including strategic planning, leadership development, and team-building.
  4. OD manager/director: Some people decide to progress they may move into a management or director-level role where they oversee the OD function within an organisation. In this role, they would be responsible for developing and implementing the OD strategy, managing a team of OD professionals, and working closely with senior leaders to align OD initiatives with business goals.
  5. Executive-level OD roles: In some cases, experienced OD professionals may advance to an executive-level role within an organisation, such as Chief People Officer or Chief Human Resources Officer. In these roles, they would drive the overall people strategy for the organisation, which includes OD initiatives aimed at improving organisational effectiveness and driving business results
Our focus on long-term partnerships

At re:find Executive Search we believe that recruitment is not a one-off transaction but rather a long-term partnership. By building long-term relationships with our clients, we help them to find and retain the best talent for their organisation.

Every organisation is unique and we feel that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to recruitment. re:find offer bespoke recruitment solutions, that are tailored to meet the specific needs of each client. Whether you need help with a single hire or a full recruitment campaign, we can help.

We commit to providing our clients with the highest quality service. We take the time to understand your organisation’s culture and values, as well as the specific skills needed for each campaign.

For more information please get in contact with our Managing Director, James Cumming.

So, what’s with all the cow puns?

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So what the hell do cows (and cow puns!) have to do with recruitment? I often get asked what the deal is with re:find and cows – you may have been wanting to ask yourself if you’ve ever visited our website.

Well, unbeknown to most people, my family are Scottish dairy farmers! My family continue to run a few farms up on the West Coast. So, you could say it’s in the blood. But even though working in recruitment is a far cry from the fields of Scotland, I’ve never fully left behind my admiration for these fantastic animals.

Even my favourite artist is cow-themed…a lady called Caroline Shotton, you can check out her work here.

So, hopefully, that explains all the cows.

To discuss anything recruitment or cow-related you can email me at James@refind.co.uk.

James Cumming is our MD, Interim and Transformation Search specialist. If you’ve got a hard-to-fill role and need some help, get in touch. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Are HR folk really masters of organisational change?

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Are HR folk really masters of organisational change?
Are HR folk really masters of organisational change?

There’s one thing that frequently surprises me about the mainstream HR narrative. It’s the unflappable belief that HR folk are masters of organisational change – that they take change in their stride and it’s done with a process-driven approach, that removes the inevitable emotion that goes with it.

But here’s my issue. Yes, this might be true for change that affects everyone else, but what if ‘change’ is actually happening to them? What if HR people are the ones that are being impacted by the shadow of uncertainty that they sometimes (purposely or not) impose on everyone else?

In these instances, I’ve found that the truth is closer to this: that in actual fact, HR professionals are ‘not’ the resilient people we expect them to be. But that’s just my point. In these instances, we shouldn’t actually expect them to be super-human, emotionless people. The problem is that we often do.

Why?

Well, ultimately, HR folk are people too. When they’re impacted by change, they very quickly become just as ‘normal’ as any other employee. Some might call this ‘HR revealing their true colours’. But, just because they’re HR experts, does not, (and crucially, should not), make them somehow emotionally detached.

In fact, I think HR professionals have a reason to exhibit more fear than most – because they have a greater understanding of what’s really likely to happen; because they know the processes, and they know the score. When you think about it, it’s hardly surprising these people feel more vulnerable, because they can read between the lines more. They’re afraid because they’re more informed or aware. They’re already thinking whether processes being discussed are open and transparent, and whether people really know more than they’re letting on – often because that’s how they’ve been taught to do so.

Does this matter?

Yes, I believe so. Organisational change can only happen when everyone – and that truly means everyone – is behind the change and engaged with it. It’s my view that HR is pivotal in making broader organisation change happen, but this can only happen, if they themselves are not suspicious of the process and how it will impact them.

Even if there is an agreed business case for making change, different people have different methods for presenting it. By and large, the HR community has been taught to question change, so without these people on-board, there can be barriers and obstacles to change.

The only way to eliminate this, is for the business to talk to HR consistently – as if they’re all being impacted the same as anyone else. This is the only way the business can get a better breed of change professional, and one that is engaged in the process. So often, I hear HR folk say they’re being told that there is going to be restructure, and that they should come up with suggestions for how to achieve it, but what’s missing is a way for them to participate without wondering how their own function is being affected. You can’t expect this level of buy-in without telling HR straight about how change is coming to them.

What many people forget, is that when HR is dealing with organisational change, they are worried about how the change will impact their own jobs, but they are also expected to get on with their day job too. This could be a change they are managing for their client group. This is emotionally draining.

Getting the best out of HR:

All businesses need to recognise that to get the best out of HR, they must support them, and give them insights, and most importantly, not forget that they are real people too. After all, they have been hired precisely because of their ‘people’ skills. Without garnering this support, the internal change agents you need HR to be may not do things with the business’s interest at heart.

Remember, it is totally appropriate to expect HR to perform, but it should also not be forgotten that HR folk are employees too. It’s important their feelings are talked about, and that it’s done with genuine respect for the skills they have.

My advice is to be straight. If you don’t know something, tell HR you don’t know. If you do know some things, tell them those things. The business of planning for change should include these elements from the start, but sometimes they can be overlooked. Remember, seek to be open, but in a managed way. There’s nothing worse than catching HR professionals off-guard about change. Of course, we should expect HR experts to be mature, and professional, but let’s not forget that sometimes, because they are armed with more knowledge, they will often need more nurturing.

Josh Sunsoa is the founder of Sunsoa & Co, an specialist ‘Employment Relations’ consultancy providing professional strategic advice on the management of business restructuring, executive and managed terminations, TUPE transfers, HR case management and compliance

To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.

How to lose friends and alienate people…

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How to lose candidates and alienate people
How to lose candidates and alienate people

We are in the 21st Century and candidates SHOULD be at the centre of what we do. Let’s be real for a moment. Candidates are key to our success – they are the one thing that stands between success and failure as a recruiter.

But I would be bold and say 40% of recruiters treat their candidates like shit. Treating a candidate badly can destroy the reputation of you/your business. Any press isn’t always good press and trust me candidates talk. And they talk even more when they have had a bad experience.

 

So, here’s what not to do:

1.   Sell them the dream…

I get it…recruitment marketing is a hot topic right now, everyone is getting training on how to write engaging job adverts, how to be witty and get candidates attention etc. That doesn’t mean you have a to be a billy bullshitter. Don’t sell the candidate the dream – unless of course, the job is Chief wine taster at an exclusive hotel in the Bahamas – because who would turn that down?

Anyway, my point is, be honest with a candidate when talking about a role. Yes, tell them all the good things about the role, but tell them all the bad things too! Talk them through the client’s challenges and shortcomings.

Jobs aren’t all about flexible working and table tennis tournaments, sometimes companies are in a bad situation, don’t have the best brand etc. and that’s ok, in fact, some people like that about a job!

 

2.   Force a candidate into a role they aren’t sure on

Picture this. After hours of searching on LinkedIn and your job boards, you come across the holy grail of candidates. Your purple squirrel, glittery unicorn, whatever you want to call them. They are the perfect candidate for your role.

You pick up the phone, excited to tell your candidate about their dream job. But to your shock, they aren’t keen.

Newsflash. Just because they are perfect for the role, doesn’t mean the role is perfect for them. Respect their decision.

Don’t try and push them into going for an interview. Don’t even push them to apply if they aren’t keen. You look desperate and pushy.

You risk them being offered the job and turning it down, or worse, you risk them leaving in that elusive rebate period. You also risk them thinking you are a bit of an idiot and that you only care about your fee.

 

3.   Drag your candidate into an ownership war with another agency

It is the most frustrating thing in the world when you spend time qualifying, meeting and briefing a candidate on a role, send them over to your client…only to get the dreaded email response.

‘ We have already received this CV from Cowboy Recruitment, sorry’.

The candidate has not been spoken to by Cowboy Recruitment about the role (they claim!) so doesn’t know how her CV is already in the process.

There are two ways of dealing with this:

–       Politely step away from the situation and allow the candidate decide how they wish to proceed in the process.

–       Demand that the candidate calls the other recruiter immediately and tell them how terrible they are, whilst simultaneously emailing you to confirm that you have the right to represent them on the role.

I advise the first. Step away and allow the candidate to decide how they process. Naturally, there is some subtle influence you can have on this, but doing the second option makes you look like a petulant teenager.

Candidates also don’t need the reminder that they are simply just a fee to you – it makes you look greedy. Show them you are supportive and have their best interest at heart.

 

4.   Call your candidate in the morning on the day they are due to start their new job and then every day for the next 3 months

Your candidate isn’t an 18-year-old teenager who may or may not turn up to work, depending on how pissed they were the night before (apologies to any sober, reliable 18-year-olds).

You don’t need to ring them the day they start their job. A simple call the afternoon before, to check they have everything they need or the following day will suffice.

Candidates are intuitive, they will sense that the fact you are calling them every day means they are a flight risk. Also, their first few weeks are really full on. Give them some space and allow them to settle in, then check in with them.

 

5.   If your candidate doesn’t get offered the job….ignore them

In my opinion, this is the worst possible thing you could do to a candidate and it is the most damaging thing for your reputation.

Nobody really likes to tell a candidate they didn’t get the job…but it is not acceptable to ghost them. Other unacceptable ways of delivering feedback include emailing, leaving a voicemail, or getting your resourcer to give the feedback instead.

Don’t be a terrible human being. Your candidate has worked hard for you, they have understood the brief, done their research, spent 2-3 hours of their time with your client to represent you to the best of their ability. The least they deserve is some honest feedback.

 

6.   Give vague feedback

Almost as crappy as giving no feedback, is giving vague feedback. If you are giving feedback on your opinion to a candidate, don’t be afraid to tell them the truth.

Think their CV needs some work? Tell them.

Don’t think they interview well? Tell them.

They don’t have the right skills for the role? Tell them.

You get the gist.

A separate challenge is when a client gives vague feedback about a candidate. It is ok to push back on your client and ask for further detail or examples of what the candidate did.

Feedback should be constructive. Tell them what they did well, where they fell down and how they could improve.

Candidates may not always agree with the feedback, but they will be appreciative of the feedback nonetheless.

 

7.   Only communicate by email

If you are afraid to pick up the phone to speak to a candidate, you are in the wrong job. Pick up the phone and speak to them, what is the worst that could happen? It takes as much time and effort to speak to someone on the phone as it does to type out that email.

Contacting people exclusively by email is impersonal, impractical and to be totally honest, just bloody lazy! I don’t care if your candidate isn’t based in the UK and there is a time difference, or if they are travelling, or you are ‘super busy’…pick up the phone!!

Now I’m sure some of you are reading this, thinking it all seems pretty obvious. I’m also sure a lot of you reading this are guilty of doing one of the above things.

We are all guilty of letting standards slip from time to time, but let’s do our best not to become one of the clichés in those recruitment bashing posts we see on Linkedin!

 

 

For all things interim management, change & transformation, get in touch with us via the info form below, 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 executive interim specialist here.

Insider Story – Resourcing Transformation at Gowling WLG

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For August’s instalment of Insider’s Story, I met up with not only one of my favourite HR professionals, but one of my favourite people in general, to talk about ‘resourcing transformation’.

The wonderful Jo Franklin, Head of Resourcing for Gowling WLG, agreed to sit down with me and have a chat about the huge ‘resourcing transformation’ journey they have been on.

She explains how they have transformed their resourcing strategy and well and truly stepped out of the ‘Wragge & Co shadow’.

Gowling WLG has been on quite a ride over the past few years…

What was once Wragge & Co, then Wragge, Lawrence Graham & Co, (before joining forces with top Canadian law firm Gowlings) and finally Gowling WLG was born.

Jo joined the business post-merger in the early part of 2016. They had gone from being in the Top 25 to overnight becoming a part of a major international law firm. As a result of this, their resourcing and talent strategies needed some serious development and she was in responsible for resourcing transformation.

“ It was a testing period”, Jo admits “as I joined, three of my most experienced team members were going on maternity leave. All of that knowledge and experience leaving at a time of considerable change!”

The Transformation

The vision was clear; to make Gowling WLG a recognised brand in the marketplace, to compete against the top law firms and to secure the best talent across lateral, business services and early talent.

The perception that the resourcing team was very much an administrative support function was something that Jo wanted to change. As around 60% of the team’s time had been spent on recruitment admin, they wanted to adopt a business partnering approach and get more stakeholder facetime.

Jo says, “We wanted to have a position in the market where we could source directly, because of our reputation.”

To put this into perspective in the legal sector, agency hire rates sits at around 60-70%. Jo had set herself a target of direct sourcing at 60%.

In order to achieve this, the team needed to look at a number of things including Employer Brand, EVP and Internal Engagement.

How did you do it?

One of the key pieces to landing any big transformation is to engage with your people and to take them along on the journey. They wanted to focus on their people, rather than the work they do.

Gowling decided to undertake 360-degree feedback to determine their true employer values.

This consisted of 12 workshops with people across the brand, from trainee to partner level. It also involved leadership interviews and market research to understand what made working at Gowling WLG different and unique.

From this developed an employer value proposition (EVP)framework upon which the new careers site would be based.

Headed up by the team members returning from maternity leave, they employed the service of two specialist agencies to convert their EVP into attraction messaging and built their careers site around this.

In order to meet their own challenging direct sourcing targets (60% of all offers), their social media and direct hiring activity needed to be supported by a creative, informative and content-rich careers website.

This is Gowling WLG’s first full careers site. For several years, the firm has had an early talent website, but the offering for fee earners and business service professionals was limited, and the team was keen to promote their new enhanced apprenticeship programme. Now they have detailed information on the firm, its culture and all the different job families in one place, which is presented in a creative and engaging way.

‘You can’t just tell people what your values are’

A common mistake that many organisations make is just announcing what their Values and EVP are, rather than engaging with people, which can alienate people and leave them feeling unsure of their identity.

Rather than just announcing firm values, it is far more effective to live and breathe them, and they slowly infiltrate into the business as usual.”

There must be a mindset change for any transformation to be implemented successfully.

Jo and her team did this through empowering the people around them.. Rather than focussing on what was wrong with the current approach, they demonstrated how great things really could be by sharing knowledge and helping people to understand that there are other ways of attracting great candidates…

Jo says, “Don’t tell people, let them experience it”

Developing a ‘Dream Team’

Jo recognised that in order to truly provide a value-add service to the business, developing her team’s offering was key.

At the time of joining, their agency spend was substantial…

Due to previously having a limited view of forthcoming requirements, the firm had become used to a reactive approach to recruitment and this was going to be a huge change for them.

Proving the model worked and providing tangible results in the first few months was vital, both in the quality of candidates introduced and time to hire.

One of the key hires to the team was Chris Lake, who had an exceptional track record in direct resourcing, having worked for a legal agency for 6 years prior to joining Gowling WLG.

Jo empowered the team to start taking a more forward-thinking approach. They began to identify and map the key markets within the firm’s key sector areas, understanding the active candidate market but more importantly building a picture of passive candidates that could be developed into a talent audience for the future.

The resourcing advisors started to build trust with key stakeholders and taking time to understand their business objectives and working with managers to plan for skills gaps and provide competitor insight and analysis to build credibility.

‘This wasn’t an original solution’

Now Jo, whilst undeniably fantastic, isn’t a part of some kind of secret recruitment magic circle!

The direct sourcing model isn’t an original solution, however, it’s usage within the legal sector is limited within the Top 100 law firms. In addition to this, varied results and methods are evident across the sector – i.e. direct sourcing limited to business services/non-fee earner roles or paralegal level recruitment in some firms.

What is clear, however, is that Jo has opened her stakeholders’ eyes to ‘what could be’ if they trusted in her and her team.

By really engaging with your people, being armed with knowledge and taking a genuine interest in your stakeholders, you can build fantastic relationships.

This doesn’t necessarily happen over-night. Jo herself will admit it has been in huge part down to her teams’ sheer persistence, determination and energy to truly add value that this transformation has been such a huge success

Where are they now?

12 months after Jo and Chris joined the business, Gowling WLG had succeeded in reducing its cost per hire by 41%. The time to hire for the new direct talent strategy 30% lower than for previous hires through recruitment agencies.

The success has continued with the team meeting their direct hire targets year on year, producing real and credible savings on agency spend, whilst still focusing time on building relationships with their key agencies to help with niche roles. By April 2018, they had exceeded their initial 60% goal.

The team were also delighted to receive a prestigious HR in Law award in May for their careers site, which they are now extending out to their international offices, the first being Dubai.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Jo Franklin for taking part in my Insiders Story series! To find out more about life at Gowling WLG, visit their careers page at: https://gowlingwlg.com/en/careers

For all things interim management, change & transformation, get in touch with us via the info form below, 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 executive interim specialist here

Shared Services, want to attract the best talent to join your business?

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Shared services
Credit: The Office, NBC

I recently published an eBook called “Why Top Performing Shared Services Talent Won’t Join Your Business & What To Do About It”. In this eBook, I explain why it is that big reputable brands (which have world-class shared services centres) still find it difficult to recruit and retain the best talent. Even though these brands may believe that “everyone loves our brand and it’s a nice place to work…” this isn’t necessarily the truth.

Is that the message you are giving off to a passive candidate market?

With over 75% of shared services professionals passively looking (and not actively seeking) a new role, then it’s no wonder that it’s difficult to attract and retain the best talent!

Delivering the right message to shared services professionals

Candidates are being increasingly selective over their future employer, and considering that Monarch Airlines, Carillion, Toys R us, House of Fraser, and Maplin (just to name a few!) have gone into administration during the past year, why would you want to leave your cushy job where you’ve worked for years, and where Betty knows how to make the perfect cup of tea, for somewhere that isn’t as secure and may be at risk of joining all of the companies mentioned in the previous sentence?

It’s important that shared services give off the right message, follow the right process and keep up with their competitors when it comes to recruiting.

The most desired Shared Services assignments in the past 12 months that I’ve managed have been within newly created roles. But why is this?

Is it because there isn’t an expectation there, or because they feel the company are performing well by creating these new roles?

Newly created positions offer a chance for candidates to put their stamp on a role and make it their own. As these positions are created due to demand for a certain skillset within a business, they also provide candidates with a sense of feeling wanted and allows them to see these roles as a challenge and the chance to pursue something new.

It’s all about how you deliver the message, and how this message is perceived by your potential future employees!

So the big question is, how do you excite people to work for your shared service centre if the role is replacing someone who lacked motivation, was bored and didn’t enjoy coming into work….

It’s all in your message.

How you get this right in your Shared Services team!

And I have just the thing that can help you with this… In my free eBook, I examine the steps you can take to stay ahead in the field.

If you would like your free copy, email me at sam@refind.co.uk

You can view more about Sam Perry our Shared Services Executive Search expert here

Can you get fun accountants?

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Can you get fun accountants?
Can you get fun accountants?

Whenever someone is introduced as an accountant, whether this is at a party or a networking event, quite often you see the rest of the group’s eyes glaze over and images of grey, boring suits flash in their mind.

 

If I asked you to picture an accountant right now, in fact, that’s probably the exact image that you would think up.

 

Whilst there may well be accountants that do fit this description, there are also plenty that don’t!

 

Accountancy, believe it or not, can actually be kind of exciting…

Working as an accountant, each work day has the potential to be dramatically different from the next. Accountancy provides the flexibility to avoid boredom, as it is essentially a function of any business so there’s the opportunity to work in a variety of different business settings.

 

Accounting has changed over the years. Gone are the days where you are perceived to be sitting behind your desk, crunching numbers all day on Excel and being antisocial and systematic. Companies are utilising their finance teams and allowing them to work more operationally with other departments.

 

As a result, there is a real demand for management accountants who, in addition to the core finance and accounting skills, can offer strategic thinking and commercial insight, combined with influencing and, ideally, leadership skills.

 

Emerging technologies are changing the way in which finance works too. Many companies now use cloud-based systems, analytic solutions and newer digital tools such as robotic process automation that can take out some of the more mundane tasks of accounting, and free up more time for forward thinking and driving business performance.

 

Being an accountant opens up the door to be able to understand all operations of a business, as when it comes down to a business making important decisions, the money involved becomes a major part of the process. Working in accounting puts you in a great spot to be able to contribute to the success of the business by helping leaders make smart financial decisions.

 

For more information on exciting opportunities in finance and being a fun accountant, email me at sam@refind.co.uk

You can view more about Sam Perry our Shared Services Executive Search expert here