Operations, Admin & Support
Our specialists in operations, administration and support cover all those vital positions that make things happen, deliver services and keep organisations running as efficiently as possible.
Roles we cover include administrators and secretarial/office support at all levels (on both a permanent and temporary basis), personal/executive assistants, IT and facilities support, operations and service delivery managers, to name just a few.
If you're looking for a new role within this field or have a recruitment requirement we can help you with, please don't hestitate to get in touch with our specialists.
Our operations, admin and support specialists
Latest Opportunities in Operations, Admin & Support
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Fundraising Administration Assistant
Are you an organised person with great admin skills? Are you a natural communicator? If you can say yes to the above we would love to meet you. You will be working with one of the UKs leading charities who relies on the fundraising support of people across the UK for 90% of its annual income. Within the Income Generation team, the aim is to provide maximum resources for the charity and the vulnerable individuals they support by working together to create the best possible donor experience by building long-term relationships to create a supporter experience which is different, better and more rewarding than that of supporting any other charity. If you are successful your department plays a vital part of the charity's Income Generation Operations and is responsible for delivering the service and infrastructure that supports the fundraising for the entire organisation. This busy department has responsibility for dealing with supporter interactions and donations plus supporting the fundraising database. This all needs to be delivered effectively, efficiently and executed flawlessly. The salary includes London weighting and the role includes Hybrid working, which means working at the London office 2 days per week and working remotely 3 days per week. Personal Characteristics - Commitment to high standards of service delivery and customer care. - Willingness to work flexibly in approach to work and/or work time requirements. - strong all-round communication skills. Knowledge & experience - Experience of working in a customer focussed environment. - Experience of maintaining electronic and paper administrative and information systems. - Some experience and knowledge of using computers and/or CRM databases. - Experience of using Windows-based software packages including Word, Excel and, Outlook and the internet in order to deliver tasks and projects. Personal Specification - Well-developed verbal communication skills to deal effectively, efficiently and appropriately with a range of individuals. - Well-developed ability to write in a clear and understandable way to staff, managers, external organisations and the public. - Ability to negotiate with individuals and achieve objectives through these relationships. - Ability to collect data from various sources, analyse findings and present them clearly and accurately in a way that meets desired outcomes. - Proven ability to prioritise and organise own workload effectively and efficiently, meet deadlines. - Ability to apply effective numeracy skills in accurately entering and recording financial data and other general calculations and working within defined procedures and regulations. - Ability to deal with confidential information sensitively and appropriately. - Well-developed ability to work well with others as part of a team, providing support as required, and build and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships. Good Luck!
London
£21.3k per year + inc LLW
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Councelling Service Manager
Are you a BACP/UKCP Accredited Service Manager looking for your next opportunity? I am excited to be working with an amazing mental health charity in search of a part-time (28 hour week) BACP/UKCP Accredited Counselling Service Manager. As Counselling Service Manager, you will oversee the operation and development of the Counselling Service, manage and support the work of all involved in the provision of the service, including external supervisors. Main duties: Strategic planning and development: In liaison with other services and external organisations, assess unmet need and develop new services to meet that need Work with the Head of Mental Health & Wellbeing Services to seek new funding opportunities to maintain and develop the service Represent the service in joint planning meetings and working parties as agreed and requested by the Head of Mental Health & Wellbeing Services Work in partnership with other managers to ensure the efficient operation of the Counselling Service Represent the service at networking meetings with service users, commissioners and other service providers Maintain the charity's accreditation with the BACP Manage the part time counsellors and administration team, ensuring they meet their targets, providing a good service Work with Head of Mental Health & Wellbeing Services on team recruitment, team induction, probation, ensure that mandatory training and staff developmental needs are met through ongoing feedback, monthly supervision and yearly appraisal Oversee and manage assessment interviews and allocation of volunteer counsellors and staff counsellors Undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide highly specialist advice to counsellors and supervisees on the psychological aspects of risk assessment and management If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available for this 3-4 month FTC, please apply online today, I would love to hear from you!
Croydon
£35.8k per year
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Interim Head of HR and Operations
Calling all immediately available HR & Ops candidates! I am delighted to be working with an amazing human rights charity is search of an Interim Head of HR and Operations. This exciting interim leadership role is a great opportunity to lead an operational team in one of the UK’s leading human rights campaigning organisations. The primary purpose of this role is to manage the Operations function, with a particular focus on HR. Working closely with the Finance & Operations Director, the interim Head of HR and Operations will be responsible for overall HR services, managing recruitment, delivering on our operations and managerial workplan in line with anti-oppressive values, and to ensure inclusive policies and procedures are in place. Human Resources Advise managers on best practice, and following policies and procedures Train and develop managers on key management and Human Resources skills Provide or organise refresher training on management and employment law to managers Manage internal HR processes and Employee Relations Cases Liaise with the People and Culture Manager re employee lifecycle and tracking and analysing staff demographics. Run fair and equitable future pay review processes, with external support as required Responsible for all recruitment, ensuring that adverts reach a wide range of potential applicants, and that recruitment process is inclusive, kind, and fair. Formalise and develop the use of PeopleHR to enable staff across the organisation to collaborate to ensure one central record for all HR information. Oversee payroll preparation. If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available, please apply online today, I would love to hear from you!
London
£27.47 - 30.22 per hour
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Senior Operations Officer
I am delighted to be working with an amazing international charity in search of a Senior Operations Officer. This exciting role will see you support the governance, administration and planning at the organisation. Be the central point of contact for the Executive Team, offering wider administrative and operational oversight to the Organisation. Operations Oversight: Coordinate the relationship between operational support and project delivery Support coordination of organisation-wide objectives and key results process and cycle, ensuring these are shared across the organisation, updated regularly and properly presented to the Board and staff using a dashboard approach. Oversee central systems training for all staff in relation to new systems, policies and compliance. Work closely with Finance and contractors to ensure the underlying Finance systems and processes run smoothly Manage and maintain effective relationships with External Stakeholders (vendors) ensuring adherence to service contracts, especially with: IT system administrator, accounting system provider, finance management, auditors, UK and US office hosts. System Support: Support the management of the HR Information System. Finance Support: Support the budget management process, financial processing and the recording and tracking of cost recovery Oversee the Operations Department budget, ensuring all infrastructure needs of the organisation as a whole are covered. Leadership and Governance Support: Ensure the documentation for Board and Board Committee Meetings (Finance and Strategy and Operations) is produced timely and is fit for purpose. Support change management processes, such as graduation of initiatives. Develop team working, knowledge-sharing and promote professional best working practice. Take on other leadership responsibilities and initiatives as agreed with the CEO. If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available, please apply online today!
London
£19.23 - 20.88 per hour
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Database Executive
Are you a database executive looking for a new challenge within the charity sector? Harris Hill is proud to be working alongside a brilliant charity that works diligently to support vulnerable women & children. We are looking for a Fundraising Database Executive to join the Fundraising team in providing support with the maintenance of the charity's main database and Raiser's Edge NXT system, while also providing day-to-day support to your colleagues across the team to continuously improve how the database is used. Responsibilities Managing data imports from third party platforms into the database accurately and according to the agreed schedules. Provide first line support for database related requests. Working closely with stakeholders across the organisation and help them resolve data issues. Perform regular data clean-up tasks enhancing the integrity and accuracy of data. Support the wider team to further develop and improve automated processes to reduce manual repetitive administration tasks. Support with the daily administration of the database. Work with and assist colleagues in the Database team in the performance of their duties. Essential Skills or Experience Experience of working with or around CRM or Excel-based system. Experience of internal stakeholder management. Attention to detail when working with data to make accurate conclusions. Intermediate Excel skills, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP's, Index/Match. Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively share information with stakeholders. Fast learner with ability to work independently with little supervision. A commitment to the feminist values of empowerment and equality. Desirable Skills or Experience Database support experience. Experience of importing and exporting data from CRM systems. Basic understanding of fundraising practices. Knowledge of and ability to use Raiser's Edge CRM database. Knowledge of and ability to use ImportOmatic and PowerQuery. We are looking forward to meet you! :)
London
£27k per year
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Programme Manager
Are you a Programme Manager looking for your next opportunity? I am delighted to be working with Youth Business International in search of an outstanding Programme Manager. Youth Business International (YBI)'s mission is to support young people to start, grow and sustain their businesses - enabling them to create jobs, build communities and transform lives. This role is to manage an exciting portfolio of international programmes with a range of donors, including managing the delivery of a Google.org funded programme in South Korea. Role Purpose: This role is instrumental in achieving YBI's ambition through delivering existing and new partnerships with the following principles in mind: Building/maintaining strong working relationships and carefully balancing the needs of our partnerships with the needs and capacity of our members - both sets of stakeholders will enjoy a trusted relationship and a rewarding experience of working with the Network Team. Demonstrating greater accountability for every partnership 'dollar' - managing strong programme management processes and reporting across the Network Team and members (where relevant), resulting in clear reporting at senior level and strong donor confidence in YBI. Delivering well and consistently within a fast-paced and agile environment - working with YBI Network Team, members and delivery partners (where relevant) to ensure programme deliverables are achieved/exceeded and risks are effectively flagged and mitigated. In addition, working proactively to unlock additional opportunities within partnerships and maximise potential for further leverage. Contributing to the Network Team's continuous improvement - supporting the development of replicable and innovative partnership models based on lessons learnt; contributing insights and guidance at senior level about maximising the value of existing partnerships. If you have the above skills and experience, please apply online today, I would love to hear from you!
London
£35k - 38k per year
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Policy Manager
Calling all Policy Managers! Are you an immediately available Policy Manager with a good understanding of of construction, civil engineering and economic infrastructure issues, and looking for your next opportunity? I am delighted to be working with an amazing international membership organisation, in search of a Policy Manager to cover a period of transition. Main duties of the role: Produce high-quality policy and research products, drawing on the organisation's membership and other experts, to support the wider team's policy insight and influencing strategy aimed at key decision-makers across the world. Provide advice and analysis on political and economic issues affecting engineering and infrastructure development to enable the organisation to remain relevant to external debates. Support the development and delivery of a rolling work programme of policy content to support the proactive aspects of the organisation's influencing strategy and wider narrative on the role of infrastructure in achieving sustainable outcomes for society. Specifically, this includes a thought leadership project looking at infrastructure and climate change adaptation and resilience. Attributes: An ability to produce clear, concise written material, comprehensible to a non-expert reader. Experience of carrying out desk research, and running workshops and interviews to gather information. Experience of writing reports, briefs and other papers for external stakeholders. A thorough understanding of public policy making processes in Westminster and Whitehall is essential. A good understanding of construction, civil engineering and economic infrastructure issues is desirable. A good understanding of climate change policy is desirable. If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available, please apply online today, I am waiting to hear from you!
London
£21.98 - 21.98 per hour
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Donor Care Engagement Manager
We are currently looking for a highly motivated Donor Care Engagement Manager to join the team in the Leeds HQ. This is a full time, permanent role (however, we are open to reduced pro-rata hours for part time working). As the new Donor Care Engagement Manager will be the key contact with current and new donors to maintain and develop long term relationships, raising funds and increasing the profile of charity's work. This outward facing role in the Jewish community will also involve leading fundraising events and supporting our fundraising committee in organised events and activities. Skills & Experience - Significant experience of donor relations or stewardship in a non-profit organisation. - Good working knowledge of a database system, ideally Raisers Edge. - Excellent organisational skills with experience of managing a number of tasks. simultaneously, and with excellent attention to detail. - Ability to work well within a busy and close team, but able when appropriate to use initiative. - Motivated and dependable team player. - Experience of and proven ability to create, execute and oversee a comprehensive donor acknowledgement and recognition plan, including advising on complex donations. - Budget management skills, drawing up budgets and managing income/expenditure. - Ability to create emotive appealing copy for public consumption which connects with a wide range of donors. - General IT skills along with good knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel. Benefits include: The benefits package includes matched pension, holiday allowance (includes Jewish High Holy days that fall during the working week). Plus 2pm finish on Friday's. The charity wants to ensure that you have the best work/life balance possible, so they actively encourage a flexible working culture for all of roles wherever possible. For the majority of the office-based roles you will be required to work from a specific location for 2 or 3 days a week on average. You'll also be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities, and ultimately, you'll know that you'll be making a difference in the community. Good Luck!
Leeds
£28k per year
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Legal and Operations Manager (1 Year FTC)
Would like to see an end to the global education crisis and at the same time help unleash the potential of the next generation? Do you understand complex legal language and can interpret for a non-legal audience? Do you have the experience to be the new Senior Legal and Operations Manager? If you can say yes to the above, we would love to meet you. Harris Hill is proud to be working alongside an amazing and influential global charity who are looking for a Senior Legal and Operations Manager. The charity work tirelessly to ensure that every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn, and skills for the future. To achieve this, they are tackling the lack of political will, financial commitment and action that is currently preventing the realisation of inclusive, quality education for all children. They bring together experience and evidence from research and projects alongside the passion and power of their campaigns and communications to unlock the big, transformational changes needed to end the global education crisis. About the role We are seeking a hard-working Senior Legal and Operations Manager to join the Finance, Human Resources and Operations team on a fixed term contract, initially 12-months with the possibility of a permanent contract. This individual will be working with the Director of Finance, Human Resources and Operations, and a Grants and Resources Manager. We would be keen to meet you if you have a strong attention to detail, teamwork and multitasking skills, as well as the enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to make a positive contribution to the team, and the organisation as a whole. This role would suit someone with experience in a charity legal and administration team, with some HR experience. Professional qualifications are not required. Any necessary training will be provided. Main Responsibilities - Working with Director of Finance, Human Resources and Operations - Responsible for the preparation of draft contracts ready for review - Working on contract renewals, tracking and maintaining all contract files - Working with the Director on HR Functions, such as reviewing employee policies and their implementation, ensuring compliance - Ensuring the organisations record keeping and document retention, both electronic and in hard copy are well maintained and up to date - These responsibilities and functions may be adjusted slightly for the right candidate and as our needs change over time. Experience, Skills and Character - Previous experience in administration, HR and legal work required - Strong interpersonal skills - Willingness to learn and develop with the organisation and team - A high level of attention to detail - Understanding the importance of confidentiality - Ability to write well, and understand complex legal language and interpret for a non-legal audience - Ability to prioritise your workload, work to deadlines and to collaborate with colleagues - Experience of Microsoft 365 is desirable
London
£35k per year
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Head of Membership
Head of Membership Reporting to CEO Salary: £48,000- £52,000 Location: Central London Contract : 18 month FTC In the near future, a permanent Director of Membership role will be created when the transformation period covered by this contract ends. The successful applicant for the current fixed-term position will have the opportunity to apply for any such new role created. Key responsibilities - Attend, and crystallise out the key learnings from, the planned "Reimagining MU" Member Conference, 8-10 July 2022; prioritise emerging actions/low-hanging fruit across members and staff team and establish a process for tracking and sharing. - Crystallise and test the value proposition(s) for target groups (using the Key Messages already developed as a starting point). - Provide membership insight to the new CRM scoping project, with a view to being ready to start implementation in early 2023. - Assess the progress already made by the staff team in addressing the need for an effective and efficient approach to managing operational queries from and tasks for the membership, and take the lead in putting in place and guiding a new way of working across all teams to support members. - Prepare a plan to end 2024, with detail and costs for 2023, for all membership development and support, making accountabilities and interdependencies clear. This will clearly differentiate between centrally led activities (for example, potentially building the digital outreach to new audiences) and support for the membership-leaders. Person specification - Solutions-focused and relishes the challenge of leading the transformation of a membership movement in the lead up to its 150th anniversary. - Proven expertise in membership development, preferably within a federated structure. - Passion for the mission of the membership union - able to envision how this could connect with new audiences. - Ability to create relevant insights with limited data. - Excellent interpersonal skills across all age groups, volunteer-leaders, members and staff colleagues. - Proven change leadership skills, including project management. - Strong digital skills. - Good understanding of modern CRM systems and how they can facilitate excellent membership support and development, to provide insight into the choice and implementation of a new system. - An empathy with the Christian faith.
London
£48k - 52k per year
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Recruitment Consultants and Resourcing Consultants
Harris Hill is the leading UK charity recruitment specialist, with a strong track record recruiting a wide range of roles into the charity and not-for-profit sectors. Our team of experienced consultants have considerable recruitment knowledge and experience of working with charities and public and private sector organisations. Our divisions work closely together to share key industry knowledge so that we always deliver the best results. We currently have unique and exciting opportunities at Harris Hill! We are seeking Permanent Recruitment Consultants as well as Resourcing Consultants to join our busy and growing team. As a Permanent Consultant you will have the opportunity to develop a very warm desk of high-profile clients, with current billing in excess of £150K. As a Resourcing Consultant you will be able to maximise all available resources to attract new and appropriate candidates and will be responsible for contacting candidates and establishing relationships Successful applicants will have: Strong communication skills Aptitude for sales Confidence Effective interpersonal skills Ambition and determination to succeed Results orientated and target driven Ability to work on your own initiative and as part of a team Problem solving and tenacity to cope well under pressure Ability to handle multiple priorities You will be joining a professional company with an open style and approachable management, the backing of a strong, established brand, and a genuinely supportive, fun and diverse working environment where you'll be given the tools, training and encouragement to develop a hugely successful career in recruitment. You'll also receive a generous 25 days' holiday allowance (plus your birthday off) and on top of the highly competitive salary and commission structure there are a whole range of rewards and bonuses available for reaching a variety of fully achievable goals. Hybrid and remote working options are offered. Basic salary ranges from £25K - £40K depending on role and experience. We're proud to be a little different from your typical recruitment agency and provide an excellent foundation for you to grow your career. If you are looking for your next exciting challenge and the above sounds of interest, then please apply now by sending your CV to faye.marshall@harrishill.co.uk.
United Kingdom
£25K - £40K depending on role and experience
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HR Administrator
I am excited to be working with an innovative children’s charity in search of an experienced HR Administrator for a 6-month FTC This role is to provide an effective HR administration service to the organisation. Main duties and Responsibilities: Maintain and develop efficient administrative systems to support all recruitment and selection activities including assisting in placing, adverts, updating job packs. Responding to requests for application packs and general enquiries from candidates. Guide and support managers through the recruitment and selection process as necessary, including producing written documents. Support the local vetting check including processing DBS checks, overseas criminal record checks and providing advice on references and health checks. Administer pensions, health insurance, childcare vouchers, life assurance and other staff benefits, including liaising with the Independent Financial Adviser and other agencies and with Communities. Produce absence management reports Guide and support managers through the absence management process as necessary. Monitor the absence process and refer issues to the HR Manager. Update absence records for Head Office on the HR database. General HR Administration If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available, please apply online today!
London
£27k per year
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Data Protection Officer
Are you an experienced specialist data protection? Do you have 3 years or more experience working with in GDPR? Are you well versed with current and emerging data protection legislation? If you can say yes to the above please get in touch, as you could add value to this fantastic charity. It's a great time to join the charity as they launch an ambitious new five-year strategy to help drive a change in income, profile, brand awareness, reputation, and impact. We are looking for an experienced data protection professional. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for a specialist in data protection who is well versed with current and emerging data protection legislation including the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). To be suitable for this key role, you will be able to inform and advise internal stakeholders, enabling compliance with relevant legislation and regulation. You will be empowered to further strengthen the existing data protection management framework by acting to review, revise and introduce, policies, processes, and behaviours to increase the maturity and robustness of the framework. Knowledge and Experience - A data protection professional with at least 3 year s' experience working in the field of data protection. - Holder of a data protection certification (e.g. CIPP/E) preferred, but not essential. - In-depth knowledge of applicable laws and regulations that relate to information and data management. - Experience of successfully managing data protection for an organisation which both processes special category data, and undertakes large-scale direct marketing campaigns, preferably in a Not-For-Profit environment. - Experience in preparing, and advising on, data protection agreements and data sharing agreements. - Experience in the ongoing education of staff in the application of data subject rights processes, and breach processes. The role will be office based at the London HQ, with some remote working.
London
£48k - 55k per year
Advice, news, events and specialist insight from the Harris Hill Blog
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What to expect as a charity sector temp
Temping is a great way to gain skills and experience fast, and with high demand throughout the sector, it’s a great time to give it a try. Harris Hill’s senior temps specialists Sekai Lindsay and Ryan Elmer have the lowdown on what you need to know... For most of this century, temps have made up around 5% of the UK workforce, but considerably more of the voluntary sector (around 9%, say NCVO), making temporary work a familiar experience for many. If you’re considering it for the first time however, here’s a summary of the basics. What’s the difference between permanent, temporary and contract roles? Obviously the duration of the job, but there are some other key differences: Permanent roles You're employed directly by the organisation, on their payroll and, once you pass any probation period, entitled to all their staff benefits. Temporary roles You're employed by the agency through which you found the role, on the agency’s payroll and entitled to the agency’s benefits. However you're under the care and command of the organisation the agency has placed you in, normally for an agreed length of time, but this may be extended (with your consent) if the requirement is ongoing. Fixed term contracts You're employed directly by the organisation and on their payroll, just like a permanent role, but for a specific, limited amount of time, such as 6 or 12 months. Why temp? According to ONS figures, for around 30% of temporary workers it’s purely the lack of a permanent job, but the larger proportion have a variety of reasons, including: • The chance to work for multiple charities in a short space of time, rapidly expanding your insight and experience of the sector. • The opportunity to sample different roles in different places, helping to identify what you want (and what you don’t) from your career if you’re unsure. • Gaining more skills, confidence and adaptability, improving your prospects of landing (and succeeding in) the perfect permanent position when you find it. • To continue earning, including holiday pay and pension contributions, even if future plans mean you can’t commit to the role permanently. Don’t expect it every time, but there’s also the chance it may develop into something longer-term or even permanent. Getting into an organisation is often the hard part, but if you’re there as a temp and known to be personable, reliable, hard-working and a quick learner, they may be keen to keep you on board, even if you don’t have the specific experience that would normally be required. What are the drawbacks? It’s not all kittens and rainbows of course, even (we assume) at the Rainbow Centre for Kittens, so be aware that: • You’ll be paid weekly, for exactly the hours you work, as marked on a timesheet signed by your manager. So when you’re not working (if you’re off sick or for any other reason) you’re not earning. However you’re still entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. • Requirements for temps tend to arise at short notice and can end just as quickly too, so you won’t always know how long your role will continue, or what you’ll be doing (and therefore earning) next week/month. Planning ahead for anything can be a challenge. • Under Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) you’re entitled to the same salary and benefits as permanent staff after 12 weeks in the same role, but until then you may sometimes be on less favourable terms. How to temp through an agency Most temp vacancies go through agencies because the employer needs someone immediately. Yesterday, preferably. For these last-minute requests, there's no time to advertise and wait for applications; employers count on agencies to know good people already, so you need to be registered with one to be in the running. • Choose a reputable agency with plenty of jobs in the sector you’re keen to work in. Let’s say Harris Hill, for example. (Other agencies are available). Then just get in touch to register as a candidate. • We’ll need your CV, and will take you through the necessary checks and references first, to save you any unexpected roadblocks later. • We’ll then discuss your experience, the type of roles you’re looking for and aim to match your skills with suitable roles. • If there’s nothing immediately, don’t worry. Just keep an eye on the site, check back often, and apply for roles that match your skills and experience. Apply for the right roles, not just any roles This is really important as a temp. Meet 80% of the criteria for a permanent role and you can probably be trained on the rest, but this doesn’t work for temps as there’s no time for training. Clients need someone with all the right skills from day one, and with roles often attracting 100+ applications, they’ll probably find them. So there’s no benefit in applying for anything and everything; better to focus your very best efforts on a small number of roles where you closely match the requirements. Nonetheless, there are ways of improving your prospects… How to stand out • Remember that temp placements happen at speed, so make sure your CV is sufficiently clear and well-structured to see the key points at a glance. • A short opening profile summarising key skills will help this, as will bullet points to pick out skills and experience. • Include any transferable skills, explaining how they’re relevant for the role. • Tailor your CV to the role in question. Don’t make the reader piece together clues as to why you’re right for it – spell it out clearly from the start. • List any relevant systems, CRMs or packages you’ve worked with, and be specific, even if they’re a little obscure. You never know when one of them might be the deciding factor. Finally, one of the most effective things you can do is also one of the easiest, yet it’s often overlooked: let us know when you’re available. Why it pays to keep us posted When a last-minute temp vacancy comes in, we need to know two things fast: who do we know with the right skills, and who’s free to do it? Our database can answer the first question, but because we don’t track your every move (trust us: we can barely plant a plant, never mind a microchip), not necessarily the second. Unless you're already working for us elsewhere, we can only be certain of your availability if you've recently told us. This needn’t mean calling in every week – a one-line email will do, or even just a text. But simply by confirming you’re available, you’ll have dramatically improved your prospects of a great placement coming up soon. We hope that’s answered a few questions, but if you’d like to know more, please get in touch via the details below, or you can register as a candidate here. Sekai Lindsay Business Support roles 020 7820 7307 Email Sekai Ryan Elmer Marcomms, Events and Fundraising 020 7820 7313 • Email Ryan More from the Harris Hill Blog Good news: your CV's in demand! Jobs in the charity sector are bouncing back in a very big way, so recruiters and charities alike are jostling for a glimpse of your CV. Read more ► A brand new office in Paris! (Garden) We've recently relocated our central London office to a continentally-named corner of SE1 with a rather colourful history. Read more ► Back to the blog homepage ►
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Find the latest charity rates in the 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey
What’s the going rate for your charity sector role? Whether you’re a head of fundraising for a small charity, digital manager for a household name, or in any of almost 200 other positions in the sector, you’ll find answers in the brand new 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey. The new report arrives with our thanks first of all to the several hundred superb organisations who’ve entrusted us in the past year and more with the diverse range of roles that form the basis of the survey. From there, we add the insight and expertise of our experienced specialists in each field, working role by role to identify misleading or unrepresentative cases that might distort the picture – for example, roles that are far more senior/junior than the title suggests – and applying their up-to-the-minute knowledge from handling similar roles every day to ensure we reflect what’s actually being paid (not just what’s advertised) for each role throughout the sector. Our thanks too, for the many (many!) requests and enquiries we've had from people patiently awaiting the next edition: we’re delighted to say that it’s now here and available to download from the link below, and we hope you find it a valuable reference for the year ahead. With salaries for everything from entry-level roles to director positions, the survey covers each of our specialist areas: Chief Executives & Directors • Data Management • Finance • Fundraising • Human Resources Marketing, PR & Digital • Operations, Admin & Support • Policy, Advocacy & Campaigns • Temporary & Interim Market trends We’ve also examined some of the key issues currently affecting the market, not least the widespread and seemingly ever-more-acute shortage of candidates: why have numbers fallen and where to find new talent now? And after two years of turbulence and quite radical change in the working landscape, what impact has the pandemic and the rise of flexible working had on salaries? A (very) recent history of the survey It's our 15th annual guide to salaries in the UK charity sector, but in this case, the first since the outbreak of a global pandemic, whose many crimes (though admittedly among the more benign) include putting paid to the last two editions. Work was just underway in 2020 when much of the world shut down, closing off key fundraising avenues for charities (while demand for their services often increased), and triggering widespread fear of redundancies, job losses and for some, even the prospect of having to cease operations entirely. In which context, reporting on the previous year's salaries seemed rather like reviewing the Titanic’s restaurants for passengers clinging to the lifeboats: information that may have been welcome yesterday, now eclipsed by some rather more pressing concerns. Uncertainty still prevailed by the spring of 2021, but we're delighted that the last year has been characterised by a strong and consistent recovery, each month surpassing the last, creating the clear picture needed to bring you this brand new report. For more information... Throughout the report you'll find details of the relevant specialists together with the salaries in their respective fields, and they're by far the best people to call with queries relating to those areas. Meanwhile for more general enquiries, feedback or requests relating to the survey, please call us on 020 7820 7300 or get in touch by email. View or download the 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey ► Check out our latest jobs ► More from the Harris Hill Blog What to expect as a charity sector temp Temping is a great way to gain skills and experience fast, and with high demand throughout the sector, it’s a great time to give it a try. Harris Hill’s senior temps specialists Sekai Lindsay and Ryan Elmer have the lowdown on what you need to know...Read more ► Previous salary guides Good news: your CV's in demand! Jobs in the charity sector are bouncing back in a very big way, so recruiters and charities alike are jostling for a glimpse of your CV. Read more ► A brand new office in Paris! (Garden) We've recently relocated our central London office to a continentally-named corner of SE1 with a rather colourful history. Read more ► Back to the blog homepage ►
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Good news – your CV’s in demand!
Let’s face it, there's been rather a shortage of non-alarming news lately, so it’s a real joy to bring you something that won’t make you want to hide under the duvet and cry. Specifically, that jobs in the charity sector are bouncing back in a very big way, so recruiters and charities alike are jostling for a glimpse of your CV. In fact, after climbing consistently all year, the number of fantastic charity opportunities here at Harris Hill is now within touching distance – if that’s allowed - of where it was before the pandemic. Which is a pretty big number. (Exhibit A: check out our jobs pages). However, the number of people seeking those opportunities is yet to rebound to anything like the same extent, which means that if you’ve got charity experience, you’re very much in demand! But aren't the big candidate shortages elsewhere? Shortages in other sectors might be making the headlines, but as charities seek to recover the millions lost to the pandemic, recruitment is high on the agenda, while application numbers are unusually low. Not just at Harris Hill, but our charity clients are coming to us with the very same issue across the board. So while you might imagine there's little point looking right now, we’re here to say you could well be a highly sought-after candidate, even if you don’t have an HGV licence or dream of being underpaid for your strawberry-picking skills. Although we can’t imagine either would hurt. But to cut to the point, it's this: if you’re a charity professional in just about any area at the moment, you’re already in considerable demand. OK, so what's available? We’ve got permanent and contract opportunities across all specialist areas, and demand for temporary staff is even higher, with an abundance of assignments in all kinds of roles right now. If you're looking for new opportunities of any kind, please do get in touch to discuss how we can help you move forward, and if you’ve temped for us in the past, please drop us a line with your latest CV and availability for work. ►► A side note here: why do we ask you to update us, if you're already on our system and nothing's changed? Let's discuss this in a blue box. Why update us if you've already registered? That's a great question. If you’ve registered with us, or any other recruiter, you might (understandably) see no need to keep us posted unless there's any significant change. But here’s why it’s well worth doing, especially for temps. In an ideal world, we’d have weeks to advertise temp positions and scour the kingdom and/or database for every suitable candidate in advance. In this world however, it's more likely we're looking to fill a role we’ve known about for five minutes, starting yesterday. *pause while you break out tiny violin* Contacting every potential candidate would take days, but we need to know who’s free as soon as possible, so it's logical to start with those we already know about. Naturally they tend to be the people we’ve spoken with or heard from most recently: the more time has passed, the more likely things have changed. That's why it’s always worth a quick call or email to keep us up to speed, particularly for temps, but also for permanent roles if you’re open to a move and we haven’t spoken for a while. So, whether it's for a temporary, permanent or contract role, if you’re currently looking, in two minds or just waiting for the right moment, we’d love to hear from you: it’s a much better time than you might think. Not only are there plenty of great jobs available, but with fewer people competing for them, your prospects may be better than expected too. And with recruiters and charities clamouring for CVs like over-excitable fans at an autograph signing, it’s the perfect time to send us yours or register here on the site. Which – in a line we didn’t expect to write today, much less finish a blog with – we recommend doing very soon, before the knicker-throwing starts. Thanks! Team HH Back to the Harris Hill Blog homepage ►
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Charity Careers 6: meet Susana Lopez, Head of Leadership Giving at Cancer Research UK
Welcome back to Charity Careers, in which freelance writer Nicola Greenbrook invites key influencers in the charity sector to share their career story and how they navigate the professional world. We discover what they've learned along the way, what motivates them to get up in the morning and what their dream breakfast might look like when they do... In these extraordinary times, Nicola was delighted to chat (virtually, of course) to Susana Lopez, Head of Leadership Giving for Cancer Research UK about her impressive career to date and balancing parenthood with the personal reasons that drive her work for CRUK. She also learned how the charity is responding to COVID-19 and why breakfast in Spain, the complete works of Austen and Tiger King are a few of Susana's favourite things… Hi Susana - we know the name of course, but how would you sum up CRUK's mission and cause? In the 1970s, just 1 in 4 people in the UK survived cancer. Today, thanks to research, that figure has doubled. At Cancer Research UK (CRUK), our ambition is to continue to accelerate this progress so that 3 in 4 people survive cancer by 2034. As the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world, we define global research priorities. Untethered to government funding, we can react rapidly and have the agility to support courageous, risk-taking science. Since our beginnings in 1902, our work has helped uncover the causes of cancer, leading to some of the earliest studies into risk factors, including the link between smoking and cancer. We also laid the foundations for the UK’s national cancer screening programmes and today’s radiotherapy and surgery techniques, and we have contributed to developing eight of the world’s top 10 cancer drugs. Today, we support more than 4,000 nurses, researchers and doctors across a network of exceptional cancer research centres and partner with more than 80 organisations all over the world. We cover every aspect of cancer research and every step of the cancer journey, from our patient information programmes to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. What are you responsible for in your role? My role is really varied! I head up Leadership Giving which sits within the wider Philanthropy and Campaigns team. We work with amazing supporters who want to make a difference by investing in truly cutting-edge research and support. This includes the Catalyst Club, dedicated philanthropists working with us over the long term to have an impact on key areas of CRUK's work; early diagnosis, developing the next generation of science leaders, and the new City of London centre. What drew you to CRUK and when did you join? I’ve had two stints here; from 2006 to 2015 I was a trust fundraising manager and then a senior manager in CRUK's first capital campaign team, Create the Change, raising £100m for the development of the Francis Crick Institute in Kings Cross. I came back to the organisation in November 2019 as Head of Leadership Giving. The simple answer as to why is that cancer has had a profound impact on my life and my family; we lost my mum to ovarian cancer eight years ago; the treatments that kept her well for nearly four years post diagnosis were in part developed by CRUK. All four of my grandparents died of cancer, and too many other family members. I'm an Arts graduate, so was never going to go into science and find new and better treatments myself, but I can put my shoulder to the wheel in the fundraising efforts and secure the investment needed for cancer research. We're hearing much more about medical research in these unprecedented times of course, albeit for a different reason. How has the current pandemic impacted CRUK and your role in particular? Michelle Mitchell, our CEO, has been very open on the impact of COVID-19 on CRUK; unprecedented times indeed. We’ve had to close our shops, and postpone huge events like Race for Life and the gala events which really drive our fundraising programme, and are predicting a 25% drop in income this year, potentially more. The organisation has renegotiated leases on shops, made full use of the government's Job Retention Scheme by furloughing a large number of staff, and made every saving possible in order to protect the investment we make in the front-line science. Even so, we've had to make some tough decisions about the science we can fund, and have had to plan for cuts to that spend. Within my role, we work closely with senior volunteers, ambassadors who are willing to open up their networks and introduce potential supporters to our work, often through a range of events. Obviously we can’t plan those events currently, so we have had to almost throw out the old plans and start afresh. This could be terrifying, but has actually felt very liberating - we have permission to think outside of the box, and to really get insight from our supporters as to what they feel will work, and trial some new ways of working. How did you start your career and what have been the key roles? My first role was as a trust fundraising executive at YMCA England. I'd returned to my home town (after a post-uni year in Spain) to find everyone had scattered, mostly to London! So when a friend contacted me to say there was an entry level role at YMCA England where she was working, I applied. Although I knew nothing about fundraising (amazing to think now that there once was a time when these roles were available to someone with no fundraising experience), I quickly realised that it was a perfect role; lots of talking to colleagues in service delivery about what they were planning and what the impact would be, creative and impactful writing, talking to potential supporters and asking for advice and selling in the work and the difference it would make to homeless and disadvantaged young people. I've since worked in a range of organisations at a range of levels and I don’t know if there are roles I would pick out as being particularly key. Maybe my senior manager role at CRUK the first time around (!) as it really exposed me to working with amazing senior leadership and senior volunteers and to work with really significant supporters to secure multi million pound gifts towards a capital appeal, and to see how a campaign really works. What I would say is that there have been people who have been key to my career; from my first manager at YMCA England, Christine Douglas, who taught me how to structure a trust proposal and how to write for impact, through to Jennifer Cormack at CRUK who showed me how to lead a team collaboratively. Debbie Gilbert at St Giles Trust showed me how to show up as a leader (and never to take no for an answer!), Catherine Miles at Anthony Nolan showed me how to manage upwards and protect your team, and Russell Delew at CRUK gave me the opportunity to work on what was at the time CRUK's biggest capital campaign and secure some of the biggest gifts of my career… Was a charity career always your goal? It really wasn’t; I didn’t know what fundraising was when I applied for my first job in the sector. From childhood I wanted to be a journalist, but fell out of love with the idea on graduation (although three of my family are journalists on TV and in print now, so I feel I'm living the dream vicariously through them!) and I was at a loss what to do with the skills an English Literature degree and a naturally nosey nature had fitted me for. Luckily it turns out being inquisitive, talkative, with a good memory and a way with words is a perfect basis for a career in trust and major gift fundraising. How do you keep your skills fresh and ensure continuous learning along the way? I'm a huge fan of continuous learning - we can all learn something new. I've been working as a fundraiser for 25 years (ARGH) and still enthusiastically sign up for the Institute of Fundraising Convention each year alongside interesting looking briefing events, and especially the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration’s (SOFII) annual I Wish I'd Thought of That event. I also think it's imperative to learn from your peers and keep your ear to the ground with what's happening across the sector to ensure you don’t end up in your own little organisational bubble/echo chamber. To that end, I set up a networking group and invited people I met across the sector to come along; we meet four or five times a year and share news, ask questions, ask for support and advice and make connections. It's fascinating to see how other organisations deal with the challenges we all face - we're meeting in May, and I can't wait to hear how everyone is dealing with COVID-19! What would you advise graduates seeking to join the sector, or more experienced people considering a leap into leadership? When I'm interviewing, I always look for behaviours over a skill set, so my only advice to graduates would be show flexibility, how you've taken on new responsibilities or roles, and your willingness to learn. Skills can be taught. For people moving into leadership - choose the organisation carefully! I’m being half-facetious, but the serious point is to look at how the organisation supports its managers and leaders, what's expected of them, and what training there is internally - for example on managing a team, conducting 121s and annual reviews. These skills are key to managing and too many organisations think they’re innate. They aren't, as anyone who has suffered with a badly trained manager will tell you. Aside from that, be open, honest and transparent - turn up as yourself, and as authentic as you can be. When times get hard, it's tough to maintain a facade! And finally, approach someone you admire and ask them if they'd be willing to act as a mentor. I've listed some of the people who have been key to my career, but I've learned so much from so many people across the sector which has been invaluable. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Christina Grant (who contributed to your article on how to be assertive at work) had a profound impact on me when she worked at CRUK as a trainer. I use some element of her Raising The Bar training and coaching every single day in my work life; the key one is 'Human beings like threes'. Every single meeting opener, presentation, 121, PDR, whatever, I frame around three key points, because it works! What’s the most challenging part of the job? I’ve had lots of challenging jobs, and roles that I’ve left because I couldn’t see how I could make a useful contribution. I can honestly say that I don’t feel that way in my current role; the only challenge, as cheesy as it sounds, is sometimes reining a really ambitious team in! And the best bit? Where to start? The pride in knowing the work we do has a direct impact on cancer, and today, on COVID-19 as CRUK pivots to working on vaccines and treatments for the pandemic, and releases clinicians and nurses back into the NHS to work on the front lines of coronavirus. Working and being in awe of world leading medical researchers who are answering the toughest questions of cancer. Working with world leading fundraisers from whom I can learn so much. And knowing that my mum would be so happy that I've come back to CRUK, an organisation that she supported. What have been your career's biggest ups and downs to date? Up: working with a family who were keen to support an area of work, and who, after a couple of false starts, agreed to an initial gift of £1.1m, and then a further gift of £5m towards a campaign. I secured that gift just before going on maternity leave, so there was a nice completeness to it! Down: working up a huge proposal, full agreement from the finance team and CEO, all ready to go just before Christmas, for a January board meeting date. My ‘spidey sense’ was tingling, though, so I thought I'd make one last check with the project lead. After a couple of days they came back with 'Oh, we've decided not to do that anymore'. It was, I'm afraid to say, the final nail in the coffin for my time at that organisation! Who do you look up to in the sector or more widely? One of my oldest and dearest friends is a sister in A&E in our home town; I’m always in awe of her, but especially at the moment. My sister is a primary school teacher. and after four weeks of trying to teach a six year old, I'm in awe of her, and in fact all teachers. Across the sector, I look up to those people who walk the walk not just spout the theory - I'm loathe to name names as I know I'll leave someone out, but the people who have closed the big gifts, grown income streams, got senior leadership buy-in for major gift fundraising and in doing so created transformational growth. Let's finish with some quick lifestyle questions: are you up with the lark or a night owl? Left to my own devices, I would go to bed at 8.30pm and sleep til 9.00am. I love sleep. Juggling a small child and a full-on job, the lie-ins are less frequent although I am blessed with an early bird husband, so I definitely get more than my fair share! What gets you out of bed in the morning, rain or shine? Usually the six year old asking questions about dinosaurs, trains or planes ... more seriously: deadlines and wanting to get on and make a difference. Urgh, that sounds awful. But true! And what's your dream (and actual) breakfast once you're up? Dream breakfast - lockdown over and travelling again - would be some mixture of fresh eggs, bread and fruit overlooking the sea somewhere hot and beautiful. If it could be the motherland of Spain, so much the better. Actual breakfast more likely to be overnight oats with yoghurt whilst logging on … Does a typical day exist? Not really, but it would usually involve checking in with the team, checking in with senior managers, or looking over proposals and reports for donors to feed in my thoughts: after 25 years of doing the job, it's really key to me to share what I was taught and what I've learned the hard way! Also planning, taking part in some thinking about upcoming projects or launches, and best of all, meetings and calls with supporters and senior volunteers to talk about the work of CRUK, and to solicit their support in a variety of ways. What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment? I'm an English Literature graduate who, in another life, would have been at my most content lost in an English department somewhere writing an interminable thesis on Austen. I have weird reading tastes - early 19th century fiction and contemporary US fiction. My favourite authors are Jane Austen, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Woolfe and Jonathan Frantzen. I could happily just read them for the rest of my life. Oh, and Mhairi McFarlane for cracking modern UK writing. I have absolutely gutter tastes in TV though; Tiger King was a recent highlight and aside from that, rubbish reality TV, especially the Real Housewives franchise, or what my husband calls 'your programmes about ladies shouting at each other’. I’m relatively new to podcasts, and just didn't get them at all until I came across Gossipmongers and I’m now a convert. Best. Podcast. Ever. And finally, how do you wind down in your spare time? If I have any, I like to switch my brain off with things that are detailed but mindless like knitting. I make many, many scarves, as that's about the limit of my skills. I dream of being able to make something more complicated. A huge thank you to Susana, we very much appreciate you taking the time to share your story, career insights and invaluable advice with our readers - we wish you and CRUK all the very best in the challenging weeks ahead, and of course for the future! Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist and Freelance Writer Contact Nicola, check out her website or follow her on Twitter, or for more on Cancer Research UK and why they need you more than ever, please visit their website. More Charity Careers #1: Sara Rees, Head of Fundraising, Rays of Sunshine ► #2: Hannah Sanders, Consumer Brand Partnerships, Save the Children ► #3: Andy Harris, Director of Income Generation, Shelter ► #4: James Harris, Associate Director of Communications, Marketing and Membership, Rethink Mental Illness ► #5: Chris Oak, Associate Director HR & Facilities, SPANA ► More from the Harris Hill blog 12 tips for video interview success Interviewing via video is the new normal for now, and if it's also new to you, here are some practical tips on the process from our executive recruitment experts, courtesy of director Jenny Hills. Read more ► How to work well from home Millions of us are doing it, but is working from home really working for you? Nicola Greenbrook has the lowdown on the lockdown and advice to help you turn the new arrangements to your advantage. Read more ►
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12 tips for video interview success
Interviewing via video is the new normal for now, and if it's also new to you, here are some practical tips on the process from our executive recruitment experts, courtesy of director Jenny Hills. Getting the basics right: make sure what's behind you isn't distracting How to get the best from video interviews By now you'll probably know the basics from the video meetings that have come to dominate all of our working and social lives: make sure your camera and microphone are working ahead of the call, check your pyjama bottoms aren’t in view below your smart top, and that what’s behind you isn’t distracting. But over the past few weeks, we’ve picked up a few additional practical pointers that can help you ace that all-important video interview: Try a test run If you’re not familiar with the videocall platform you’ll be using, ask your friendly consultant for a quick technical test-run. We want you to nail this meeting, and if a test-run will help that, we’re only too happy to do it. If you’ve applied directly, ask a friend to do a test-run with you well ahead of the interview. Lights, camera, wardrobe Wear what you would normally wear (at least on top) to an interview. However, keep in mind the quality of your camera and the lighting. You don’t need a camera any fancier than the one that came with the laptop/smartphone, but if you know the image quality isn’t great, try and sit in a well-lit room, and consider the colours you are wearing. A white shirt in front of a white wall in bright sunlight might mean you blend into the wallpaper too much. On the other hand, wearing dark colours in room with less-than-great lighting risks you appearing as a grainy blur to the panel. In all cases, don’t silhouette yourself in front of the light source! Steady your nerves (and devices) If you're using a smartphone or tablet, find a way to prop it up and keep it steady for the interview, rather than holding it in your hand: a shaky picture can detract from what you're saying and create the impression of nervousness, even if you're confident, calm and collected. Stay informed Keep the relevant details (job description, person specification etc) and your application to hand, either printed out or in another window of your screen. If you’re switching between screens to look at something (most videocall platforms allow you to do this without leaving the call), remember the panel can still see and hear you. Be prompt Keep to your start time! Normally, arriving 10 minutes ahead of an interview is good practice, but if you log into the Zoom meeting early, you may interrupt the panel’s pre-interview discussion, or they may simply not be there and they’re taking advantage of a quick break to run to the bathroom. We’ve been advising our candidates to log in a minute before the actual interview. This gives you time to make sure the audio and video is working before it cuts into precious interview time, but also allows the panel to take their breaks, talk amongst themselves and be ready. Remember you're on camera! When on videocalls, some people understandably forget about eye contact and look around the room whilst talking (as many of us do when we’re thinking). Don’t stare down the lens (creepy), but try to keep your eyes on the screen. It doesn’t really matter where on the screen, but the person who asked the question is a good bet, especially if you find looking at yourself distracting. Express yourself There’s no need to be a mime artist, but if you use body language (nodding, smiling, leaning in, etc) you might want to exaggerate it a little bit more than you would in person so it shows up on camera. This helps engagement between you all as people. Someone sitting motionless and expressionless is hard to relate to, and the panel want to get a sense of you as a person and as a potential colleague. The show must go on For relatively minor audio and video disruption (screen freezes, distorted audio), we advise ignoring it unless it has impaired your understanding of what the panel are saying/asking. We’ve found that this keeps interruptions to a minimum, and on the flipside, we’ve seen conversations lose momentum when every bit of digital static is commented on. Be expressive, but not a mime artist. Also recommended in all other situations. Don't panic This way of working is strange for all of us, so don’t be phased if something goes pear-shaped. Can’t hear? Explain and wait for it to resolve (leave and re-join if necessary). Six-year-old has to show you the spaceship now? Cat decides it needs to sleep on the laptop? Smile, ask the panel for a quick pause to deal with it, and get back to it. We’re all human, and if the panel doesn’t understand that, do you want to work for them? Stay focused That said, despite the interruptions and informalities of working from home, the conversational style in videocalls is by necessity pretty formal (even for an interview). If two people speak at the same time, both are completely unintelligible so everyone has to take turns to speak. You are also missing out on almost all the non-verbal clues that we don’t realise we rely on so much. A particular risk is talking to fill the silence and missing clues you’d normally spot that the panel are disengaging from your answer, so stick to focused, relevant answers (the STAR technique is a good general guide). If you’ve said something interesting and they want more detail, they’ll ask. Make sure you leave a pause between someone asking a question and you talking to ensure they’re done, and that panel members are given opportunities to ask follow ups. Be flexible If your internet connection is bad enough to disrupt the conversation, apologise, fix it if at all possible, but if not, ask if you may switch your camera off and go audio only, or even dial in to the call instead. This should be a last resort because it’s the only way you can hear and respond to the panel. On the other hand, if one or more panel members go audio only for the same reasons, don’t get phased and keep your eyes on the screen. Just because you can’t see them, it doesn’t mean they can’t see you. BYO refreshments Finally, much as they’d like to, the panel can’t offer you the glass of water/tea/coffee, so make sure you have one to hand for when you need it. A separate celebratory beverage for when you leave the videocall having given the best interview of your life is optional. To wrap up, there are practical differences between the usual in-person interview and a video interview, but the intent behind them is the same: for you, is this a job you want? For the panel, are you the person they want for the job? Being able to adapt to these differences may not guarantee you the job, but feeling more confident and relaxed about the process will give yourself and the panel the best chance of making the right decision. Jenny Hills Chief Executive & Director Recruitment Practice, Harris Hill Search executive opportunities ► More from the Harris Hill blog How to work well from home Millions of us are doing it, but how well is working from home working for you? Guest blogger (and frequent home-worker) Nicola Greenbrook has advice to help you keep things running smoothly. Read more ► Should you be working for a large or small charity? The biggest charities may have the biggest opportunities, but you'll typically take on more responsibilities somewhere smaller - so which is better for your career? Faye Marshall and our fundraising specialists weigh up the options. Read more ► How to be assertive at work Altruistic behaviour is fundamental to the charity sector, but saying yes to every request can leave you seriously overwhelmed. Nicola Greenbrook explores how you can learn to stand your ground and be more productive as a result. Read more ►
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How to work well from home
With much of the world in lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus, working from home is the new normal for many. Our guest blogger and freelance writer Nicola Greenbrook offers suggestions on how to work productively, interact socially and look after our physical and mental health. How to work well from home We are living in exceptional times. The virus that emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan has caused a global COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of writing, the UK is in lockdown, the shutters have come down on all non-essential shops, schools and nurseries are closed, and many charities are in crisis. Government guidance advises people to work from home where possible, travelling only when it is essential. But for those unaccustomed, or averse, to homeworking, it can take a while to adjust. Throw into the mix that our partners/flatmates/children are our new colleagues, how can we work productively and efficiently from our homes - and keep our minds and bodies healthy? ___________________ Create a designated workspace The spread of coronavirus has been rapid; one day you were at work, the next creating an ‘office’ in your flat amongst the laundry and hunting under a pile of magazines for a pen. Before you do anything else, prioritise setting up a clear and defined workplace, separate from your home life where possible. If this is the kitchen table for the time being, ensure it's clear, free of coffee cups and has easy access to power. HSE's Display Screen Equipment (DSE) workstation checklist offers clear guidance on areas such as chairs, screens and lighting. Adding a personal touch to your workspace might help with the adjustment to homeworking (best to avoid dedicating an entire working day to #workspacestyling though). Kim Watson, comms freelancer and co-founder of holistic therapies business The House of Palms finds that it increases her productivity: ‘I have a proper workspace, a desk with plants, pictures, candles and natural light etc. All things that make me feel happy and wanting to work - that helps!’ Establish a routine and set boundaries I'm an HR Specialist for an IP law firm in the City for three days a week and a freelance writer at home for one day and weekends (plus a Mum in between). This provides clear boundaries and compartmentalises my working week. However, the lines are currently blurred; each part is now worked from home. It’s an unprecedented situation for most of us; there’s no commute to act as a physical divide and we've literally brought our work into our homes. So what can we do to restore some order? Creating a simple plan for the week ahead can help stay on track; try scheduling activities against set times and get to know when you’re ‘peak you’. If, generally, you’re less dynamic in the afternoon or susceptible to energy slumps, consider doing less creative work then. If working alongside a partner or flatmate/s AND children, and without a separate room to work from, at least delineate a space that is solely yours. Over breakfast each day, consider holding a team meeting with your ‘new colleagues’; discuss and agree the hours you’ll each work (especially if caring for/homeschooling children as well) and how you like to work (loud music vs complete silence etc). Then be prepared to compromise and be flexible - we’re all in this together! ___________________ Watch the clock It’s tempting to work all hours just because we can. Stick to your regular office hours where possible and commit to meetings in your diary rather than pushing them back. Establish a routine; stop for lunch and utilise morning and afternoon breaks to do a quick house chore or grab a drink - and step away from the screen. Work steadily, stay focused and STOP at a set time - then switch off. It's unlikely you'd run back to the office at 11pm after an evening out, so there’s no need to head back to your laptop at home. Stop looking for distractions There’s something about being in your own home that feels more comfortable, don’t you think? Sure, you could squeeze in some pre-work Netflix over a bowl of cereal, but can you stop at one episode? What about chores? Are you finding it hard to ignore the messy kitchen cupboard /peeling paint/huge pile of stuff to sort out? Yes? You could be procrastinating; save the decluttering for the weekend. Mirror your homeworking day with your office one. If a relative or friend wants a chat in the middle of the day (rather than it being a genuine concern or emergency), politely reschedule for lunchtime or post-work. It's important to digest public health information, but avoid getting bogged down in multiple sources, too many WhatsApps or unreliable social media posts. Don't let a quick peek at your phone become a Twitter marathon. ___________________ Be healthy in mind and body Working from home can be challenging and isolating, and you might be feeling a certain level of anxiety and distress. Explore some coping mechanisms that could alleviate feelings of uncertainty. For example, limiting social media (and visiting positive accounts only like Upworthy), using meditation and relaxation apps, reading a book or sitting in the garden to restore a sense of calm and wellbeing. Mental health charity Mind offers some brilliant advice on coronavirus and your wellbeing. Try exercising in your former commuting time (for your mandated, one form of exercise a day) to start or end the day in the right way. Runner's World has some good tips for staying active during social distancing and the Guardian suggests the ten best online (and free) home workouts. Stay hydrated and eat well, avoiding the temptation to fall into a pattern of idle snacking and ransacking the crisps cupboard at 10.00am. NHS factsheet ‘Water, drinks and your health’ provides some helpful reminders on this. Finally, ensure you follow sanitation and good hygiene practice to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at home too. Wash your hands and clean your keyboard, phone and other equipment regularly. Here's a reminder of the advice on this, via the CIPD (or click for pdf): Stay in conversation Maintaining some form of human connection while homeworking is essential, and emotional support is a critical part of our physical and mental wellbeing. If your workload allows, contribute to team chats or group emails when you can so you don't drop off the radar. Consider a virtual coffee break with your team and ask what they’re working on, come up with ways to support each other and share what’s on your list (or your mind, if you feel comfortable). Jot Form offers some great ideas for online business tools and ways to communicate, such as using a video conferencing tool like Zoom for meetings with multiple attendees, hosting courses, and webinars. And finally… • Get dressed - It’s tempting to jump straight into it and conference call in a work top with pyjama bottoms, but before you know it, it's 3pm. Get showered, first. • Support local businesses - Consider signing up for an online yoga class with a local teacher, order takeout as a lunchtime treat from a café and buy your basic necessities from a local shop. • Learn how to homework - LinkedIn Learning’s remote working course can be done in small chunks and includes insight from entrepreneur Arianna Huffington. • Reach out - If you're struggling, don’t hesitate to speak to your HR team for support or access any employee assistance programmes available. ___________________ These are unsettling and worrying times, and a huge period of change for the UK’s workforce. You may be feeling out of control right now, but try to focus on the things you can control (washing your hands, taking exercise and breaks, eating well and drinking fluids) rather than what you can’t. Take it day by day; get to know what works for you to get the best out of homeworking and stay in good physical and mental health. Stay safe and well - and indoors. Nicola Contact Nicola, check out her website, or follow her on Twitter. The coronavirus pandemic is a fast-moving and developing situation and official advice should always be taken. You'll find the most up-to-date information via the UK Government, NHS or World Health Organisation sites. More from Nicola Greenbrook How to set goals (and stick to them in style) ► Podcast your way to workplace wellbeing ► How to be assertive at work ► More from the Harris Hill blog Should you be working for a large or small charity? ► Smarter than the average bear: the Charity Series Quiz Night champions! ► Caudwell Children: Building a better world for disabled children ►
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Smarter than the average bear: the Charity Series Quiz Night champions!
Previously in 2020: fires, floods, locusts and a global plague, but if you're tired of Apocalypse Bingo and keen to hear about our inter-charity quiz (or just desperate for literally anything new to read by now), you’re in luck! A quiz to remember Cast your mind back if you can to the halcyon days of February 2020: that carefree age when you could leave the house at will to go around touching your face and buying toilet paper with abandon. It was in this bygone era, when gathering hundreds of charity people in a bar was a convivial prospect rather than an invitation to certain doom, that the 2020 Harris Hill Charity Series Quiz Night took place. And rather good it was too. You’ll perhaps be wondering who held the winners’ trophy aloft, but let's not get ahead of ourselves - who knows how many months we might have to spin this out for - so firstly some very well-deserved thank-yous: to our wonderful hosts at Patch St Paul’s, who’ve hosted countless times and always manage to make a hectic night look effortless with smiles all round; and to our quizmasters extraordinaire Rob Wyatt and Matthew Glass, not to mention all the rest of the organising committee who work so hard to bring these events together so brilliantly. The big draw There are also thank-yous galore when it comes to the other big draw of the night, the fundraising raffle, which this year will make a real difference close to home, contributing to a much-needed specialised wheelchair for Muscular Dystrophy's Ravi, who never misses an event despite living with the condition himself. We’ve had some fantastic prizes before but this year’s selection was surely the biggest and best to date, all donated thanks to the huge generosity of the organisations and businesses below that we would strongly encourage you to go and frequent! Not right now obviously – they’ll be closed and you might get arrested, which is never as much fun as it looks. (In no particular order, that's Vauxhall's Embody Wellness and Floatworks spas, the Movember Foundation, Mondo Brewery, Northcote Biscuiteers, Linnaen restaurant and spa, Headcase Barbers, stylish retailer Oliver Bonas, Psycle Clapham, Sadhana Yoga & Wellbeing, the Sipsmith Gin Distillery, Beefeater Gin Distillery and a small team you may be aware of called Manchester United Football Club!) There were even more prizes on the night too - we don't have all the details in this new home-working world, but our huge thanks to you too! Of course there’d be nothing raised if nobody bought tickets, so an enormous thank you to every single person who did, and once again to our CEO Aled Morris for bumping up the total quite significantly to raise a fantastic final figure of £2,200! ---------- And so to the winners… There are some familiar names among our titans of useless trivia this year, and after a closely-fought contest there was a tie for second place between 2018 winners the Canal & River Trust, who nearly barged (sorry) right back to the top, and the combined talents of The Brooke and C40, collectively known as The Globetrotters! But out in front and fast becoming Charity Series legends, a team who know things as well as they throw things (given their second place in 2018's quiz and victory in November's bowling), our congratulations go to the irrepressible Citizens Advice aka The BearOs! All of which begs the question, can they follow up those consecutive quiz and bowling triumphs by doing the triple and topping this summer’s charity softball league? Sadly the coronavirus may have something to say about that, as we wait to see the extent of its impact on the 2020 season. Naturally the committee will be watching developments closely and doing whatever can possibly be done, but safety of course comes first, so all we can say for now is watch this space! Just not all from the same place, obviously. Until next time - whenever and wherever that may be - take care and stay safe! Team HH x More from the Harris Hill blog Should you be working for a large or small charity? ► The Harris Hill and CharityJob 2019 Salary Report ► How to be assertive at work ► How to set goals (and stick to them in style) ► Back to the blog homepage
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How to be assertive at work
Ever wish you were more assertive, when those 'few little requests' become a giant mountain of work? Our guest blogger, freelance writer and HR specialist Nicola Greenbrook has been finding out how, with insight from professionals in and out of the charity sector. How to be assertive at work Assertiveness is an essential workplace skill, but can be tricky to apply if you’re an introvert or have trouble speaking up. Many of us avoid being more assertive through fear that our colleagues, and boss, will think badly of us. Yet, taking on just.one.more project despite a full inbox can lead to over-work, over-tiredness and overwhelm - not to mention a dent in your personal life. So, how can we reclaim the power? Should I be aggressive, passive or assertive? First, let’s explore these different behaviours: • Aggressiveness can be defined as ‘a determination to win or succeed, and the use of forceful action to do this’. Fictional fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly is a wicked master of this. • Passivity on the other hand is ‘acceptance of what happens, without active response or resistance’. Always going with the flow and yielding to other people’s demands can lead to burnout and resentment. • Assertiveness falls somewhere between the two extremes. Not simply being calm, confident and firm with your convictions and decisions, being assertive is a state where you approach situations assuredly and objectively and are happy to seek feedback, aware of the growth and development it can bring. A satisfying compromise. Assertiveness in the charity world For people working in the third sector, the need to balance assertiveness with empathy - listening to service users, understanding their circumstances and inspiring action - can often be a particular challenge. In a recent LinkedIn thread, the author had observed the number of women in her office who over-apologised (for getting into the lift, having the door held open for them or just taking up space). As part of the discussion, Garry Wilkinson, Head of Charity Partnerships at Vintage Cash Cow considered whether being a chronic apologiser isn’t necessary limited to women. ‘Maybe it’s also something to do with sorts of people who work in the Third Sector; they tend to be people with high levels of empathy and are very conscious of the feelings of others,’ he suggested. Christina Grant, an executive coach and trainer for the fundraising sector has considerable insight in this area. She believes the fundraising role is fundamentally an influencing one. However, she observes that whilst her trainees are drawn to the sector by a desire to make a difference, limited budgets can often mean they lack adequate training or support in influencing and assertiveness. Fundraising also attracts a high number of women. Yet senior teams, major donors and senior leaders in organisations remain predominately male-dominated - and so influencing is even more critical. She believes the fundraiser has a challenging role, because in a first meeting with a donor or supporter, ‘they have to be seen as friendly and warm whilst also being authoritative, knowledgeable and credible’ so as to be trusted with a gift. Women also face even greater challenges at work when they start displaying assertive behaviours in the workplace which are then deemed as ‘bossy’ or overly aggressive. So what can we do to address this? The power of words We’ve all heard people say ‘you need to be more assertive!’. But what if you can’t find the words or find yourself apologising instead? Olivia Dunn, Head of Marketing and Communications at Halpin Partnership Ltd has observed women and men disempowering themselves with the words they use at work. In her insightful article ‘The shortcut to empowered communications’, she offers valuable advice on using emboldening language without bravado. Olivia suggests ditching ‘just’ (‘I’m just part-time’) and ‘I think’ which can dilute your point before you’ve even made it. She makes a compelling argument; it’s not the words you add in but the ones you remove which can empower you. Why it's win-win to be assertive at work Being professionally assertive can increase your self-confidence and lower your anxiety and dependency. It can also help you stay in control and communicate more effectively and healthily. A graphic designer from London shared with me how assertiveness worked for them: ‘Last year I worked on a particularly messy job for a lovely client.’ they explained. ‘Remaining assertive throughout the project meant the experience for both me and my client remained positive - even when the project became a source of stress. The feedback at the end of the job was that I handled things with grace’. Setting clear boundaries about what they were OK with in their own mind before conveying them externally, as well as taking control when requests from clients or others feel ‘too much’, was a useful strategy for them: ‘Instead of saying ‘no’ and explaining why I can’t do what they want, I try to respond positively. I explain what I CAN do and when, or I pass them on to someone who may be able to help, instead of giving the impression they’re inconveniencing me. If someone ignores or shuts down my assertiveness with a passive-aggressive response (including no response), I’ve learnt to let it go, move on and find people to work with who are a much better fit.’ How to be assertive! Assertiveness may not be an innate characteristic for everyone, but it can be learned and developed. Christina Grant emphasises the importance of body language and gestures in key meetings, especially when making first impressions. She explains, ‘For example, it’s important for women to seat themselves in prime spots in a meeting room and to be present in the room physically’. She points out that seemingly little things can affect this; being overly concerned about everyone's comfort and refreshments or taking responsibility for taking notes when no one else does. ‘This can sometimes damage our own credibility without us realising it (although if a woman has enough confidence she could take notes and make tea and it would not have an impact on how she is perceived)’ Christina explains. She also encourages women to ‘open’ meetings with a two-minute, strong introduction, to ensure other attendees know they're ‘leading’ the meeting and will sense their authority. ‘It should help other people to relax and feel confident that you have a plan and you're in control - not in an aggressive way, but rather a signal that you’re confident in your world’. Here are some final strategies on being assertive at work: • Practice outside of work first. Build up your assertiveness muscle; speak up about bad service or ask for the table you want at a restaurant. • Set clear boundaries. Career and business coach, Nathalina Harrison likens good assertiveness to good parenting. Put clear boundaries in place on how you want to be treated and communicated with and be clear about the consequences if they’re not adhered to, whether upwards (your manager and stakeholders), sideways (your peers) and downwards (your direct reports). • Be analytical. If you want to be assertive but you're hesitant and reluctant to speak up, do a quick analysis of the situation. What’s the worst that could happen? ______________ Assertiveness is an invaluable skill. It can bolster your career progression, improve your visibility and credibility in meetings and strengthen relationships with colleagues, clients and contacts. Being confident in your approach, removing disempowering words and setting clear boundaries will ensure you nail it at work. I’m certain you’ll like your assertive (not aggressive) self a lot better than the passive, exhausted resentful one and soon that mountain of work won’t look so daunting. Just don’t be Miranda Priestly, OK? That’s all. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist and Freelance Writer Contact Nicola, check out her website, or follow her on Twitter. More from Nicola Greenbrook How to set goals (and stick to them in style) ► Podcast your way to workplace wellbeing ► How to negotiate a pay rise in the charity sector ► More from the Harris Hill blog Should you be working for a large or small charity? ► Caudwell Children: Building a better world for disabled children ► The Harris Hill Charity Series 2020 ►