Monthly Archives: June 2024

Careers, Shropshire

Shropshire Businesses aim to inspire future leaders at new careers event

Business ambassadors from across Shropshire will have an opportunity to inspire future leaders at Shrewsbury School at the launch of an innovative careers event next week.

‘Future Leaders – Celebrating Shropshire’ is the brainchild of Andrew Goff, managing director of Interactive Opportunities Ltd. In collaboration with Shropshire Chamber of Commerce and Shrewsbury School, he is keen to demonstrate to students the vast and exciting range of career opportunities that exist within Shropshire and the surrounding area.

Comprising a range of diverse workshops with ambassadors from 20 businesses and a student feedback session, the afternoon event on Monday, June 10 has been arranged for fourth form students at Shrewsbury School.

Andrew said he was delighted to be working with partners to launch the interactive “futures event” in Shropshire. “This event is very much about emphasising the exciting career opportunities available for young, emerging talent and the brilliant businesses we have in this region,” he explained.

“Business ambassadors will share what they do daily and what they enjoy about their work, while the students will have the opportunity to question them.

“We hope that the afternoon of authentic interactions will inspire the students to think about their futures, imagine what they could achieve, explore making those careers happen and see what purpose and enjoyment from those careers they could achieve.

“Making best use of emerging AI technologies, students will also have the opportunity to carry out an AI video interview post event which will add further to their careers advice support.”

Shropshire Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Ruth Ross, added:  “Shropshire is not just a place of stunning natural beauty but also a hub of innovation and enterprise. This event highlights our commitment to fostering a community where seasoned professionals and emerging talent shape the future together.

“This event offers students a unique opportunity to gain insights into diverse career paths, understand emerging technologies like AI and explore opportunities in Shropshire. By providing a platform for these exchanges, we are investing in future leaders who will drive our community towards greater innovation and success.”

Thanking all the business ambassadors for agreeing to participate, she described the event as “a cornerstone for future career inspiration” which would “ignite a passion for lifelong learning and achievement in our young attendees”.

Chris Wain, Shrewsbury School’s Head of Futures, said: “This event will offer Shrewsbury School pupils a glimpse into the rich heritage and innovation this beautiful county offers.

“With the impact of AI dominating headlines associated with the ‘Future of Work’, this is a brilliant way for our pupils to understand how local businesses, many with a global presence, are adapting to the potential and challenges that this technology presents.

“I am confident that this will become an annual fixture in our futures calendar, which can be further extended to partner schools in the locality.”

Speakers at the workshops will include ambassadors from Halls, 8 Financial Planning, Barclays Bank, AO Recycling, VITAL Drinks, Lily Shippen Recruitment, Start Tech, New Era Printing, Morris Lubricants, Thomas Horton Racing, Furrows Group, Shoothill, Shropshire Business Live TV, Agrii, EVC Solutions, Lanyon Bowdler, Sales Geek Shropshire, BUY-FROM Creative Agency, Lingen Davies Cancer Charity and Makefast.

Business, FInance

Pawsome Paws Boutique appoints Pink Pig Financial

Pawsome Paws Boutique, has appointed Pink Pig Financials, the multi-award winning accountancy firm, to lead the business into the next stage of growth.

Pink Pig Financials will work alongside the family-led team at Pawsome Paws Boutique to manage their finance function. In-line with the Pink Pig Financials way, support won’t be limited to just helping with ongoing accounts, daily bookkeeping, payroll and budgeting, but will also provide top-level strategic advice which will enable the business to move forward into its next phase of national growth. 

Pink Pig Financials provides finance support for Limited Companies of all shapes and sizes. With a top line view of their clients’ businesses through management accounts, the team is also able to provide additional strategic support to enable their clients to grow their business in the right way, with the right financials in place to ensure growth and stability.

Jay Chesman, Managing Director, Pawsome Paws Boutique, said: “We wanted to have an accountancy partner who took a more proactive approach to our finance function. Pawsome Paws Boutique has grown exponentially and we are now at the stage of our business where we need top-level strategic advice around our finances to take our business forward to the next stage with confidence. We look forward to working alongside the Pink Pig Financials team to achieve this.”

Cheryl Sharp, CEO and Founder, Pink Pig Financials, said: “Providing businesses with top level business support at all stages of their journey is part of our ethos. Having an overview of the numbers, along with our extensive business expertise, means we can offer our clients so much more than just an accounting service. We become extensions of our client’s team and we want them to succeed as much as they do. We look forward to working with the Pawsome Paws Boutique as they embark on this exciting new chapter.”

About Pink Pig Financials

Founded in 2014, by Cheryl Sharp, Pink Pig Financials provides a different approach to accounting for companies. From daily bookkeeping, accounts, tax returns, budget support and payroll through to providing strategic advice, the expert team helps clients expand, contract, diversify and become more resilient.

News

College leader to represent North Wales as ambassador for global charity targeting mental health in hospitality

A LEADER from Coleg Cambria was selected to help champion mental health awareness and support in the hospitality industry.

Work-based Learning Manager Kate Muddiman is the North Wales Ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project.

The global organisation provides education, guidance, and resources to help tackle the stigma, as more than four out of five professionals in the leisure sector reported having experienced at least one mental health issue or episode during their careers.

The news comes after Kate and the Hospitality team at Coleg Cambria – which has sites in Deeside, Wrexham, Llysfasi and Northop – were nominated in the Outstanding Impact in Catering Education category at this year’s The Burnt Chef Project Awards.

“To be the only representative from North Wales is a huge honour, for myself and the college,” said Kate.

“Discovering The Burnt Chef Project’s initiatives sparked an immediate connection for me as I’m passionate about transforming the conversation around mental health and trauma in workplaces and educational settings, aiming to improve our environments.

“With a background in hospitality and both of my children immersed in the industry, I am driven to be a vocal advocate for positive change in what is a historically tough arena, but attitudes are beginning to change.”

She added: “Leading a work-based learning team in hospitality, I witness firsthand how workplace environments can swiftly impact mental well-being.

“My curiosity led me to pursue a postgraduate degree in Trauma, Attachment, and Mental Health, and by applying this knowledge within my college’s trauma team – and with our industry partners – I can help drive positive change for staff, students, and employers by offering support and education to empower transformations.

“Progress in reducing mental health stigma is evident, yet our journey for comprehensive change continues. I’m looking forward to supporting The Burnt Chef Project to help make this change, and at Coleg Cambria we will continue our good work in shining a light on the subject.”

On the Ambassador Scheme, The Burnt Chef Project said: “We aim to build an international community of various hospitality individuals with lived experience of mental illness.

“The network acts as a peer support ‘web’ around the world and with combined efforts we will host weekly group chats, personal check-ins, and regular events.

“Our aim is to be the largest international peer support network within the hospitality industry.”

For more on The Burnt Chef Project, visit The Burnt Chef Project | Hospitality Mental Health Awareness.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria.

Art, Business, Cardiff, Diversity & Inclusion, Events, Food and Drink, Hospitality

Live art and LGBTQ+ portraits for Pride at The Red Dragon Centre

CARDIFF Bay’s leading entertainment venue, The Red Dragon Centre, has teamed up with Welsh artist Nathan Wyburn to mark Pride month with a unique art installation and charity auction.

Nathan is a proud spokesperson for LGBTQ+ equality and often uses his art to reflect this. Specialising in creating pieces out of non-traditional mediums, Nathan was a semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent in 2011, and has also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, This Morning and Good Morning America.

The showcase will be displayed from 31 May – 30 June, and will feature influential figures such as Cara Delevingne, Kit Connor and Elliott Page. Joining the lineup will be The Red Dragon Centre’s resident Capital Drive presenters, Josh and Kally, whose portraits will be made up of photographs sent in by listeners to celebrate 25 years of Pride in Wales.

The Welsh artist will also be appearing at the Centre for pop-up live art shows where he will create some iconic LGBTQ+ celebrities at the Centre, with ten portraits of his existing artwork being displayed in the Centre’s showcase.

An online auction will take place at the close of the showcase for Nathan’s portraits of George Michael made out of WHAM bars, and Ncuti Gatwa in a Doctor Who collage. The winning bids will be donated to Pride Cymru.

Nathan said: “I am delighted to be teaming up with The Red Dragon Centre’s Pride celebrations, and getting the chance to showcase some of most beloved LGBTQ+ figures out there. Co-in siding with the 25th anniversary of Pride in Wales makes this all the more special, and shows how important it is to continue to celebrate Pride month, and strive towards promoting LGBTQ+ equality in Wales, and beyond.”

Emma Constantinou, Marketing Manager at The Red Dragon Centre, said: “Pride is a wonderful and important month, and we feel very fortunate to be able to host our own celebrations at The Red Dragon Centre for another year. We are very grateful to Nathan for his support and generosity of offering his work to the auction, we hope visitors enjoy spotting their favourite figures at the showcase inside the Centre.

“This month is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the LGBT+ community with our showcase, and two lucky bidders can walk away with a unique portrait from Nathan, knowing that all money raised will be going straight to charity.”

The Red Dragon Centre is home to a multitude of interactive, lifestyle and food and drink venues including Odeon Cinema, the home of Wales’ only IMAX screen, and the Hollywood Bowl which have been key Centre attractions since the beginning.

The Centre hosts a range of additional brands that make up an intrinsic part of the entertainment and dining experience, including Grosvenor Casino, Five Guys, Spice Route, Volcano, EasyThali and Zaika.

The Centre is also the site of the Capital FM South Wales studio, which was formerly Red Dragon FM, as well as Heart FM. Today, you’ll find the likes of Josh and Kally broadcasting their Capital Drive Show live from there every weekday.

News, Technology

Cohesity Offers Customers More Choice and Energy Efficiency with AMD EPYC CPU-Powered Solutions for Modern Data Security Infrastructure

Cohesity has today announced that the Cohesity Data Cloud now supports AMD EPYC™ CPU-powered servers, offering customers even more options for modern data security and management. Customers can now deploy and run Cohesity Data Cloud on AMD EPYC CPU-based all-flash and hybrid servers from Dell, HPE, and Lenovo.

As companies continue to generate increasing volumes of data, it’s critical they manage and secure that data properly. Organisations face many challenges, from ransomware and other cyberattacks to stringent regulatory requirements, IT constraints, tight budgets, and tough economic conditions. To solve these challenges, companies need to take advantage of technology that is best suited to their specific requirements.

“Customers each have unique needs but a common goal – securing and gaining insight from their data. They trust Cohesity, in part, because we strive to offer the largest ecosystem with the most choices to suit their preferences,” said John Davidson, group vice president, Americas Sales, Cohesity. “By supporting AMD EPYC CPU-powered servers, we’re opening up new options for our customers to customise and modernise their data centre, increasing performance and delivering energy, space, and cost savings so they can execute their data security and management strategy on their preferred hardware configurations.”

All-flash servers have become an increasingly popular choice for organisations with high-demand applications and workloads, stringent power budgets for their data centres, or increasing storage capacity requirements and little physical space within their data centre. Leveraging the performance, cost efficiency, and energy efficiency of AMD EPYC CPUs, Cohesity now delivers compelling AMD-powered all-flash servers from HPE to modernise customer data centres and meet the requirements of green initiatives through the greater density, performance, and cost savings all-flash servers provide over traditional servers. Single-socket 1U HPE servers based on AMD EPYC can reduce the number of required nodes and power costs by up to 33% when compared with dual-socket 2U servers based on other CPUs. Additionally, through HPE’s Secure Supply Chain, Cohesity’s software is preloaded at the factory, reducing deployment and increasing the security of the overall solution.

“Businesses increasingly demand more from their data centres to meet their business needs —more performance, more energy efficiency, more cost savings,” said Kumaran Siva, corporate vice president, Strategic Market Development, AMD. “AMD is uniquely positioned to help meet the demands of the modern data centre while enabling technology partners, like Cohesity, to deliver business critical applications like their AI-powered data security and management capabilities.”

Cohesity’s AI-powered data security and management capabilities are now generally available on AMD-powered all-flash servers from HPE and hybrid servers from Dell and Lenovo.

Learn more by reading the blog: “Revamping Your Data Centers with Cohesity on HPE Next-Gen Compute, Powered by AMD.”

E-Commerce

Early order cut-offs killing eCommerce sales, finds Zendbox

Offering a late order cut-off is a major competitive advantage, proven to increase eCommerce conversion rates, customer loyalty, and revenue, finds Zendbox, a leading provider of eCommerce fulfilment services. After learning that 35% of online orders are placed between 4pm and 9pm, the 3PL has recently introduced a 10pm order cut-off time, helping merchants offer next-day delivery to more consumers. As a result, clients have experienced an average conversion rate increase of 15%.

 

James Khoury, founder and CEO of Zendbox, added: “After analysing the eCommerce SMEs, and major brands that work with us, we have discovered that merchants who don’t offer late order cut-off times, are missing out on order conversions, and experiencing higher customer acquisition costs (CAC).”

 

“Typically, it is difficult for many eCommerce businesses to offer late order cut-off times, as this requires robust technology, fulfilment warehouse infrastructure, and carrier partnerships. Most 3PL providers offer cut-off times between 12pm and 3pm, and many online brands fulfilling orders in-house have even earlier cut-off times. For the average consumer, this simply isn’t good enough.”

Complete Strength founder, Rob Whitfield, has acquired new customers thanks to Zendbox’s 10pm order cut-off time, adding: “The majority of our orders will come in of an evening. When we had an earlier cut-off time, we missed out on sales. Now we’ve got a later cut-off time with Zendbox, we get less abandoned carts. We have also noticed customers are shopping with us simply because of the later cut-off time.”

 

Zendbox works with leading brands including PRIME, USN, Puresport, and fourfive. Processing over three million orders in 2023, Zendbox connects eCommerce businesses’ sales channels, such as Shopify, eBay, and Amazon, with Zendportal, Zendbox’s virtual warehousing, inventory analysis & management technology. This helps retailers streamline their business operations, giving them greater visibility of their supply chain activity.

Business News, Business Travel

Weroad Encourages The Residents Of Manchester To Spend More Time Outdoors – With A Giant Billboard Overlooking Piccadilly Gardens

  • Manchester takeover: WeRoad continues to dominate Manchester with a new addition to their already existent OOH campaign a giant billboard in the heart of Manchester overlooking Piccadilly Gardens
  • This is the 2nd campaign in Manchester for WeRoad and will run across 304 sites

WeRoad, the adventure travel brand bringing solo travellers together for once-in-a-lifetime adventures, continues their Manchester-focused out-of-home (OOH) including a ‘get outdoors’ inspired campaign displayed across a giant Piccadilly billboard in the heart of Manchester overlooking the Piccadilly Gardens.

Through two different concepts, both campaigns use WeRoad’s signature witty copy to appeal to its target demographic. The first uses UGC content showcasing real customers to inspire travellers to embrace adventurous group exploration with new-found friends, while their second and larger campaign challenges people to spend more time outdoors this year.

Since WeRoad’s successful UK launch in 2022, the company has created several OOH campaigns in the UK. This will be their second and largest campaign in Manchester, running from June 3rd until 16th, created in collaboration with creative agency DUDE London. WeRoad will be taking over the 492m2 giant billboard in Manchester Piccadilly cheekily announcing that ‘This ad may spend more time outdoors than you this year’ accompanied by a statistic saying that ‘we spend an average of 10 days outdoors a year’ while encouraging the public to ‘beat this billboard’ since the ad will be up for 14 days. This activation is the first in an ongoing collaboration between DUDE and WeRoad in the UK.

In addition, the brand’s second eye-catching “Once in a Lifetime Adventures” OOH advertising campaign will dominate 304 high-visibility locations across the city including bus stops, tram stops, pedestrian walks, roads, and train stations in a combination of static and digital formats; 4 sheet, 6 sheet, 6 digital sheet, and 48 sheet. 

The high-impact, citywide marketing blitz cements WeRoad as a major force in the UK travel market after last year’s major London campaign. As the disruptive travel brand scales across Europe, the campaign celebrates WeRoad’s community of thrill-seeking explorers. The vibrant OOH ads showcase the cool user-generated photos from WeRoad’s small-group trips around the globe. Selfie-style shots immerse viewers in destinations like the Pyramids of Giza, the jungles of Sri Lanka, the peaks of Patagonia, and the Sahara Desert. Playful taglines like “Ever hiked through the land of fire?” and “Ever travelled through time?” culminate with the call-to-action: “Have you ever done a WeRoad?”

WeRoad CMO Fabio Bin says, “WeRoad is about getting out and making new connections and new friends IRL (in real life). That’s why we chose Manchester, a vibrant city to communicate our way of travelling and making new friends. In the last few months, we have shown people travelling with us in all the corners of the world via a UGC, OOH campaign featuring real WeRoaders in real situations. However, we are more than just a travel company, we are in the business of making connections. We’re running and sponsoring events, gigs, and meetups throughout the city, where people can meet new people. It’s what happens on our tours:  travellers don’t only discover the beauty of a new country, and have amazing experiences, but also return with a bunch of new friends. With this billboard we want to recall that real life is out there: nothing happens if we stay in our comfort zone, nothing happens if we don’t embrace the world. We are saying: go out. Go out of your homes, out of your country, out of your comfort zone, and embrace the word. The magic will happen then.”

Curro Piqueras, Executive Creative Director at DUDE says, ‘’Please don’t let this billboard win. Yes, it might be a giant 492m2 billboard. But you have hands and fingers, with fingertips that, if used in a precise choreography, can be used to book a WeRoad trip and get out of here.  A billboard cannot kayak, discover new food, or make new billboard friends along the way. You are very close to winning, which might be your life’s easiest and biggest win. Beat that billboard. We believe in you.”

Beyond OOH ads, the “Once in a Lifetime Adventures” push includes:

  • WeRoad’s own signature events “WeMeets” in local bars and pubs across the city.
  • Surprise intimate music concerts in partnership with global music community Sofar Sounds
  • Summer events in collaboration with Feel Good Club, *The* LGBTQ+ venue in the city
  • A ‘WeRoad takeover’ at Kampus, one of the coolest hang-out spaces in the city for the summer with live music, activations, drinks and entertainment.

 

Campaign Credits

Creative development: WeRoad in-house marketing team & DUDE London

Picture: WeRoaders IRL

UK media buying: Justyna Chlopecka, UK Marketing Manager

Chief Marketing Officer: Fabio Bin

Media space provider: JCD, Global, BlowUp

Business, Employee Experience, Training

New appointments at IT firm Mintivo will strengthen internal operation and culture – and boost bid for B Corp status

TWO key appointments at Wiltshire IT services and solutions company Mintivo will help it maintain its six years of growth, says Managing Director Alex Jukes.

Operations Director Mark Adams’ move into the role of People and Culture Director, with Service Director Jason Lovell taking on the Operations Director role, comes as the company celebrates winning a major contract with the MoD.

Mr Adams, who has been with the company since its formation, said his new role is geared towards building on Mintivo’s reputation as an attractive place to work. His other priority will be steering the company, which has 30 staff, to B Corp certification.

He said: “Our priority is to focus on our people because taking care of our staff ensures they take care of us. Ultimately, a satisfied workforce delivers outstanding customer service. We need to align their career paths with both our growth and their personal development.

“Through our Mintivo Academy we fund training and exam fees, give staff time away from their day job to train and support them through that journey. Quite a few the technical staff have left their job and come to us with the training and development being one of the factors that swayed them.”

As part of the B Corp accreditation the company is focusing on its corporate social responsibility, including introducing paid staff volunteering days, and strengthening its relationship with Wiltshire Air Ambulance, which is its chosen charity and is also now a customer.

“Everyone who’s ever walked through the door here knows that Mark is very passionate about people and development,” said Mr Jukes. “What we’ve realised is that it’s a key asset for us as a business and it’s very difficult to find people like Mark who has such a focus on it.

“He’s always been incredibly committed to fostering a positive culture around the organisation and has always been a good sounding board.”

Mr Lovell will oversee the day to day running of the business and is being tasked with a review of the company’s internal processes. He said his experience of managing service operations in large corporate firms will help ensure the company’s operation keeps pace with its growth.

“I want to continue to develop the way we work so that it aligns with the expectations of more enterprise-sized customers, including entities like defence and the public sector,” he said. “I want to see our various departments collaborate and support each other, working together to achieve our goals.

“As part of that I will be building a senior leadership team to report into me operationally – service, projects, technical operations – we want a cohesive team that is able to work closely together and lean on one other.”

Mr Jukes said: “Jason has shown incredible leadership capabilities in our service delivery and technical functions and moving him into this role will give him more of a holistic view of all the other areas of the business.

“We’ve invested heavily into our systems development for ticket management and monitoring, automation and things of that nature so he’s going to be monitoring that investment and identifying other areas of efficiencies.”

Mr Lovell said the two-year contract with MoD Corsham is a game-changed for the company. “It’s a really exciting opportunity for us and also for the staff we have working on it. It’s a hell of a thing to have on your CV,” he said.

“It’s a massive game-changer for us and it’s fantastic to be able to grow in that sector. It means we’re doing all the right things at Mintivo. This area of the MoD is hard to get into but now our name’s in there and as we become known as a defence supplier, we will get that name recognition and experience.”

Find out more about the company’s services at mintivo.co.uk.

 

Pictured: Mintivo’s new People and Culture Director Mark Adams, left, with Managing Director Alex Jukes and new Operations Director Jason Lovell

Business

How to launch and expand a business in the ‘land of opportunity’ – five tips on US business growth from ECI’s Brett Pentz

As markets become more global, and with the US economy experiencing strong GDP annualised growth of 3.3% in 2023, many UK businesses looking to expand internationally will be tempted to look to the ‘land of opportunity.’ However, scaling into the US is no easy feat, with regulations and access to talent across 50 states creating different challenges.

ECI has helped many UK-based businesses achieve international success. With 77% of its portfolio companies pursuing international growth since 2016, the company understands the business challenges of expansion, particularly in the US. The company’s North America Growth Specialist, Brett Pentz, helps portfolio companies with their M&A and business growth ambitions across the US and Canada. He comments: “About half of the portfolio companies I work with are currently looking at the US as a growth opportunity, while the other half are already here. Expansion in the US has become more common over recent years as the dynamics in the US have been more compelling than other European nations. It has experienced less market volatility than Europe, and its GDP results show that the US has got back to growth more quickly. There’s a real opportunity for UK companies to take advantage of that.”

Pentz provides the following five tips on how to launch and expand a business in the US, while avoiding expensive and time-consuming pitfalls:

Analyse the US opportunity before you start

One of the most useful exercises we do with management teams is an overall analysis of the US market opportunity – given it’s such a massive end market, it’s always going to look compelling. The challenge is in how you start to segment that market in a way that’s meaningful for an entry or expansion strategy. For example, when deciding where to open your first US office, you need to consider proximity to customers, ease of access from UK head office, and your ability to recruit talent.

Determine how to best serve opportunities in the US

Timing is everything. Many UK businesses establish strong leadership positions in their home market and see the US as a natural next step. Early wins from the UK validate the potential, but scaling that success in the US requires careful planning. Before diving headfirst into incorporating, registering, hiring and engaging a whole range of professional services, we encourage businesses to consider if a US office is really necessary at this stage of their growth. Other options to consider include:

  • A virtual presence: use a virtual US office address and phone number for meetings / sales calls and focus efforts on expanding US digital marketing and partnerships.
  • Contracted support: Engage independent consultants or B2B sales providers to test the waters and validate the need for dedicated US based sales resources.
  • Employer of Record (EOR): Partner with an EOR to add the first few US-based sales reps without the hassle of incorporating yourself.

Identify the right time to open a US office
While virtual setups and external support can pave the way, once your customer base has grown to a scale that it can no longer be supported by UK-based account management or customer service, it’s a clear sign a physical presence is needed. A US office offers several benefits:

  • Market commitment: Signals your dedication to the US market and attracts potential customers.
  • Talent acquisition: Enables you to recruit and hire US-based employees more effectively.
  • Market intelligence: Provides on-the-ground insights for localised digital marketing and partnerships.
  • Business development: Increases your presence at industry events and outreach activities.
  • Customer proximity: Offers better support for your growing US customer base.

Be purposeful in identifying a US leader

It’s crucial to invest in the right leader. We see many companies looking to move people over from the ‘mothership’ to the US to make sure that the company culture is instilled and that there’s consistency between the two locations.  For example, MiQ co-founder Gurman Hundal spent three years in the US establishing its operation and leadership. In contrast, Moneypenny had a regular commitment to senior teams going over for extended periods.  This helps ensure integration and brings the US and UK cultures together. However, this may not be a long-term solution, so you should consider the following questions if bringing in a recruiter to find a permanent leader:

·        If using a UK search firm, find out about their US coverage, networks, and resources. How will those in-market capabilities be deployed? If limited, how will they build a strong candidate list? Don’t select a known entity if they don’t have access to the right people.

·        If you choose a US search firm, make sure that as an international client, you’ll be given the same priority as a local client. Your UK leadership team may need to meet them and build a face-to-face relationship, especially as you look to scale US operations.

·        Remember that recruitment contract terms may differ between UK and US firms. It’s likely that a US firm may charge more, and payment terms may be based on the passage of time (e.g., billed monthly) rather than deliverables-based (e.g., delivery of long list, final appointment, etc.).

·        Look for a candidate who is not only aligned with your company culture, but also understands how to reinforce that culture to US norms.

·        Choose someone who can work well within an executive team despite geographical and time differences. Trust is always important, but there needs to be stronger trust than usual as regular monitoring is difficult. Prioritise someone who is an excellent communicator and willing to travel between the US and UK frequently to build that trust.

·        Finally, it also helps to find candidates excited about a cross-border role. They need to like international travel, and they need a good understanding and appreciation for the differences that exist between the US and UK markets – for their employees and for their clients.

Learn from experience

A cross-cultural perspective can be helpful. For example, at CPOMS and Moneypenny, we made sure to quickly understand how their solutions would apply across the different geographies with their various regulatory frameworks and customer demand drivers. It really helps to work with hires or advisors with experience on the ground in the US, who understand how to deliver on these exceptional growth opportunities for UK-based businesses..”

 

 

About ECI 

ECI is a leading private equity investor, focussed on offering collaborative support to management teams. We pride ourselves on being straightforward to deal with, we help where we believe we can add value, and we work in absolute alignment with management teams. This is how we’ve delivered such exceptional results for over 45 years.

We manage funds of over £2bn and invest in growth businesses valued up to £300m, investing as either a majority or a minority investor. Our growth focus is integral to how we’ve built our team. We’ve created the capability to support management teams on anything from sourcing and executing acquisitions, developing market entry strategies, understanding and improving employee engagement, or ensuring your tech platform can scale as quickly as you are, and much more. Our whole team is committed to doing what we can for the teams we partner with.

ECI has helped companies such as CPOMS, a provider of cloud-based safeguarding solutions, MiQ a leading programmatic media partner for marketers and agencies and Moneypenny, a leader in global outsourced communications, to develop and expand in the US.

Get in touch to find out more about the fantastic people we’ve invested in and how ECI could support you to achieve your ambitions.

www.ecipartners.com

AI, Business Tech, HR Tech

86% of UK people managers believe AI tools can improve their role effectiveness, Visier research finds

New research from Visier reveals the top factors shaping managers’ approach to decision-making in the workplace—and opportunities to incorporate generative AI tools to improve outcomes and bolster manager effectiveness.

Visier, the globally recognised leader in people analytics and workforce solutions for people-powered business, today unveiled new global research that serves as a plea for help from managers who see major insight gaps in what they need to do their jobs well – and points to enthusiasm for AI as a key solution.

The research shows that AI is seen as a net-positive addition to the flow of work with an overwhelming 86% of UK (87% overall) respondents expressing excitement about the potential of generative AI tools to improve their role as people managers. Managers also expressed an overarching desire to make better, data-informed people decisions with 94% of UK respondents (96% overall) agreeing that improved access to people-related data would lend more confidence to their processes.

“Nearly half of the survey respondents said their current decision making process is greatly influenced by intuition and practical experience, rather than hard facts,” said Ben Harris, Vice President EMEA, Visier. “Many managers also said that accessing data is time consuming and difficult, so relying on instinct is an everyday reality for most.

“It’s recognised that people managers in every sector are under severe pressure, and bearing in mind organisations are sitting on vast amounts of useful data, creating access to it – especially for those who aren’t data analysts – will help them with decision-making accuracy and align to overall organisational strategy. Through this research, managers said that better people-related data could inform their decisions on hiring, promotions, engagement, productivity and efficiency.”

As part of the research, Visier surveyed over 750 people managers in the UK, U.S., Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland. The results revealed a clear belief in leveraging generative AI-powered tools to become better leaders.

Other key findings from Visier’s research include:

  • Adoption of AI is already underway with 52% of UK respondents saying they have already used generative AI tools to support their role as a people manager. This compares to 64% of overall respondents. Additionally, 59% of UK respondents already use it to help write performance reviews (in comparison to 49% globally). Likewise, 93% of UK respondents (81% overall) said if they had access to a generative AI tool that provided their desired use cases, 41% would use it multiple times a week.

  • Time savings created by AI would flow back to the team with 36% saying they’d direct their energies to team planning (UK 31%), and 30% on coaching their team. In the UK, the second highest choice was ‘working on personal learning and development’ (29%).

  • Trust is, however, a challenge, highlighting that employers and employees want to work with tools recognised as safe and secure. Thirty-three percent of UK respondents have concerns about data privacy and security. Another 33% of UK respondents said their organisations don’t allow the use of generative AI tools, while 15% said they don’t trust generative AI tools.

“Generative AI has the ability to democratise access, providing deep insights within the flow of work, and without the need to become proficient in analytics tools,” said Keith Bigelow, chief product officer, Visier. “But its benefits extend beyond the delivery of data to act as a personal coach to every employee, nudging them to ever higher performance, delivering real-time insights in a way that just hasn’t been possible or scalable to date.”

He continued: “Managers’ approaches to decision-making should always involve a balance of data-driven insights and experience. The absence of either harms the organisation’s ability to align to strategy and ultimately maintain a competitive edge.”

For more information on Visier, visit: https://www.visier.com/solutions/outcome/manager-effectiveness/. To learn more about Vee, Visier’s AI digital assistant, visit: https://www.visier.com/products/ai-digital-assistant/. 

About Visier

Visier is the recognised global leader in people analytics, providing on-demand answers to people-powered businesses. At the core of Visier’s innovations is a simple premise: People impact is business impact and that’s why Visier provides the tools and insights organisations need to drive productivity, performance, and business outcomes through their people. Founded in 2010 by the pioneers of business intelligence, Visier has over 50,000 customers in 75 countries—including enterprises like BASF, Panasonic, Experian, Amgen, eBay, Ford Motor Company, and more. Visier is headquartered in Vancouver, BC with offices and team members worldwide. To learn more about Visier, visit www.visier.com.