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Is it possible to combine your personal interests with working in the charity sector? How can you nail that job application and, when you’ve bagged the role, stay innovative and ahead of the game? You'll find answers to these and much more in the latest Charity Careers, our series in which Nicola Greenbrook talks to key influencers in the charity sector, inviting them 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 even what their dream breakfast might look like when they do... This month, Nicola was thrilled to chat to James Harris, Associate Director of Communications, Marketing and Membership for Rethink Mental Illness about his fascinating career to date. She discovers how communications and social media plays a vital role in mobilising support for the charity, the invaluable advice he has for graduates and why he’s on a one-person evangelical mission to convert non-supporters to his beloved football team… Hi James. Please tell us a little bit more about Rethink Mental Illness and what its cause and mission is. One of the things that defines us as a charity is that we were formed nearly 50 years ago by carers. We work to improve the lives of people severely affected by mental illness. This might be through our local groups and services, the expert information and training we offer or our successful campaigning. In a nutshell, what are you responsible for in your role? I lead the communications team. My focus is on maximising the impact of our communications channels to mobilise support for our work and campaigns. This includes media, social media and digital - plus the delivery of marketing assets and internal communications. We’re very excited about the imminent launch of our new website! I also support Time to Change’s digital, social marketing and children and young people teams. Time to Change, run in partnership with the charity Mind, leads the charge on challenging mental health stigma and discrimination. Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week: why is it so important for the charity and how did you spend it? Awareness is important full stop and Time to Talk day in February, Mental Health Awareness Week in May and World Mental Health Day in October are all helpful ways of maintaining momentum. We’ve a come a long way in a relatively short space of time in changing attitudes to mental health. Yet, there are still too many people who don’t receive the right support and care when they need it. For this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, Rethink Mental Illness focused on turning increased awareness into action. We’ve been setting out all the ways people can support us to help bring about change that makes a difference to people’s lives. How did you start your career? Any key roles along the way? Politics was my first love, but we fell out and now hardly talk to each other. In my twenties I worked in several political roles - for an MP, a think tank and a trade-union campaign to (successfully) maintain political funds. In my thirties I moved into the third sector – joining Dignity in Dying then the Mental Health Foundation. A decade later I moved to Rethink Mental Illness. Although there’s been a degree of serendipity to my career, with hindsight all the roles I’ve worked in have increased my skills and knowledge and shaped my management and leadership style. In other words, they all led me to where I am today. Why charity? Was this your goal from the outset? We may not have the rewards and recognitions of other sectors, but it’s a privilege to have a job where you get to bring about change on issues you care about. That’s the thread that connects my younger self’s interest in politics and my passion for working in the charity sector. Straight out of university I worked in a job that bordered on soul destroying; but I’m glad that I did it. Despite the challenges of working on difficult issues with limited resources, I’m very grateful that I get to do what I do. How do you keep your skills fresh and ensure you’re constantly learning along the way? As your career develops you need to develop a broad knowledge across a range of issues and specialisms – but you rely on your team for in-depth expertise. So, if I need to know something, I ask the team. I also love spotting innovation from other charities, and, when I’ve stopped feeling mildly peeved that they thought of the idea first, thinking through how we can absorb best practice into our work. What advice would you give to, e.g. graduates considering a move into charity or emerging leaders about to make their first leap into management or directorship? I’m conscious of how much more difficult it is now for graduates to get a foothold in the careers they want to pursue. The cost of living is much higher than when I graduated and there is an expectation that someone needs experience to secure a job – which begs the question of where you get the experience from? On leaving university I was offered an internship. Looking it up in the dictionary, I discovered that it meant working for free. So that was out of the window. After the stint in a job I disliked, I got a lucky break. I joined an agency that provided temporary administration support to the civil service. I envisaged being given a data processing role in an obscure government department, but instead secured an administration role in a Bill team putting legislation through Parliament (which for someone interested in politics was like winning the lottery). So, my practical advice is: apply for paid opening roles in the teams of charities that you want to work for. Take time over the application – fewer, better quality, personalised applications are likely to be more effective than a large quantity of applications. Also, a good agency advocating on your behalf can also open doors (as was the case for me). When you bag the job, there’s one guiding principle: be useful. The principle virtues of which are being creative and having an ability to deliver. If you have an idea – let people know. Speak up in meetings or tell colleagues directly. And if you commit to do something – do it. Thereafter, things should (hopefully) fall into place! What would you change about your job if you could, and what's the best bit? A direct train between work and home would be the only thing I'd change, and aside from the job satisfaction, the best thing is our team. The ratio of fundamentally good people working in the third sector is (as you would hope) extraordinarily high. Who do you look up to in the sector, or more generally? Another stroke of luck I’ve had in my career is that I’ve had a succession of line managers who have supported and believed in me. I’m thankful to all of them for their faith in me. Can you talk us through your typical day? Is there such a thing? My alarm goes off at 7am and I'll snooze listening to the news headlines, before I’m dragged out of bed by my kids for the school run. Once I get to work there's no such thing as typical, but we always start the day with a morning huddle to quickly discuss the content plan for the day. What's your dream breakfast - and is it anything like your actual breakfast? Bran flakes, banana, toast and Marmite and coffee. Both my dream and actual breakfast. Life’s too short not to have what you want for breakfast. And when you're not working, how do you spend your spare time? Although I consume a lot of media and social media, my wellbeing tip is to take time to switch off completely. My go to cathartic escape is watching football – which always leaves me at a bit of a loss in the summer. It would be remiss of me here not to crowbar in my love of the academy of football, West Ham United. I’m a season ticket holder and on a one-person evangelical mission to convert non-supporting people to our cause. As my colleagues will tell you this has yet to bear fruit. ---------------------------------------- A huge thanks to James for his time and engaging insight into his career to date and Rethink Mental illness. You can find out more about the charity’s invaluable work here. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola ► Website Check out more Charity Careers: ► Sara Rees, Head of Fundraising, Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity ► Hannah Sanders, Consumer Brand Partnerships Lead, Save the Children ► Andy Harris, Director of Income Generation for Shelter UK ► Back to the blog homepage

Stress. Burnout. Anxiety. Pervasive but unwelcome players in the modern working game; and seriously damaging to our health and career. To coincide with Stress Awareness Month, Nicola Greenbrook looks at what stress is, how it manifests at work and how you can move from distress to de-stress (but still get the work done). How are you feeling about work right now? ​ Are you under pressure to deliver, but thoroughly enjoying the adrenaline rush? Or is the creaking weight of your to-do list about to collapse, taking you down with it? Stress in the current climate The world is angry and stressed. According to the Gallup Global Emotions Report, a third of 150,000 people interviewed in over 140 countries said they suffered stress. At least one in five experienced sadness or anger. Things aren’t much better closer to home. In the latest Health and Wellbeing at Work report from the CIPD and Simplyhealth, 37% of businesses had seen stress-related absence increase last year. Heavy workloads (62%), management style (43%) and relationships at work (30%) were the main culprits. Refinery 29 reports that 3 in 10 millennials experience 'work-disrupting anxiety' - twice as much as the national average. Anyone else feeling a bit edgy just reading all that? Stressy desk Stress is not a new phenomenon. Our cave-dwelling ancestors used the physical response to stress to prevent danger, such as a run-in with a sabre-toothed tiger. Thankfully we’re no longer fighting off angry felids on the commute, but we are regularly dealing with adverse, demanding circumstances. In the UK, we’re putting in the longest hours in the EU. Technology smashes our work-life boundaries and enables us to work at 2pm or 2am. Via the ping of a smartphone notification we deliver bad news (whether fake, or real) to our desk and become distracted and anxious. Some pressure can be healthy: it sends our bodies into ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a cocktail of hormones and chemicals to keep us focused and responsive. It’s when excessive pressure morphs into stress that the bad stuff happens. Brain function minimises leading to a ‘I can’t think straight’ situation. Being in ‘fight’ mode for too long makes us crabby, or worse aggressive, towards our colleagues. Staying in ‘flight’ mode means we avoid tackling a tricky task or situation which then intensifies. Worse still, stress can cause ‘freeze’ mode: effectively, we do nothing and become paralysed by it. Why should we pay attention? Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time. It’s a significant factor in depression and anxiety and has been linked to physical health problems such as heart disease and immune and digestive functioning. In the workplace, stress can cause cognitive issues such as poor judgement and indecision, and emotional issues like irritability and panic, not to mention physical and behavioural ones. Stephanie Denning writing for Forbes, describes stress as the business world’s silent killer and notes the two primary, unnoticed, costs are the financial and productivity ones. How to move from distress to de-stress at work The Stress Management Society use a great bridge analogy; when someone is faced with excessive demands that exceed their personal and social resources it’s like a bridge carrying too much weight. It bows, buckles and creaks - and eventually will collapse. If you’re feeling the strain at work right now, and want to avoid a buckling bridge, here ’s some takeaway tips… ► Work smarter, not longer Writing for Riposte Magazine, Pip Jamieson, Founder & CEO of The Dots, notes that although excessive working hours are often a modern badge of honour, it can be counterintuitive - and doesn’t always equal better output. Over-stretching can cause fatigue, emotive decision making and even sickness. So think carefully about staying late again tonight and be realistic about what your frazzled brain will achieve. Throw in the towel and start again, fresh, tomorrow (and make that yoga class/drink instead). ► Rest It’s often ‘rest’ breaks that take the hit when we’re stressed at work. In their book, Burnout: The Secret to Solving the Stress, sisters Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski cite the need for our body and brains to rest (42% of your time, about 10 hours out of every 24) to avoid burnout. Steer clear of filling every minute at work with activity and take a manageable lunch break. Pay attention to your thirst, and when the kettle is boiling, resist the temptation to check emails on your phone. Forgive me, but do you often hold in a wee at your desk just to finish one.more.thing before dashing off to the loo and hoping you won’t get intercepted along the way. Yes? Don’t. ► Switch off Absence might be at an all-time low according to the CIPD, but the reality is that 83% of us are struggling into work when we’re actually poorly, and 63% of us are using our holidays to work. Learn to prioritise your health, guilt-free. If you’re genuinely ill and unable to function at 100%, dragging yourself to the office could expose your team to germs, result in sub-standard work or increased mistakes and run the risk of taking longer than normal to recover. ► Just say no if you’re rushing from one task to the next, taking on too much or trying to please everyone at work it could be time to work on your assertiveness. Saying no doesn’t mean you’re unhelpful or selfish, it enables you to honour your existing commitments and do them properly. It could allow more inexperienced team members to step up and aid their development, and it’s also healthier in the long run as it prevents you from taking on too much (and a buckling bridge). For managers Dealing with stress in your team can be very difficult, especially if you’re a manager under strain yourself. Here are some areas to consider: ► Stress can manifest differently between individuals. Get to know your team and try to spot the signs as early as possible; such as someone becoming unusually withdrawn or short-tempered, having increased absence or not taking holidays. ► Regularly review workloads, job design and responsibilities and encourage openness and communication. Foster a sense of collaboration; helping each other out so the workload is evenly spread to avoid one person going under. ► Don’t feel you have to deal with it personally. Signpost individuals to the experts (such as via an Employee Assistance Programme, GP or councillor) and ask for training in stress management. ► Lead by example and promote good working habits; take breaks, and try to leave on time as often as possible. -------------------------------- Stress at work can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on our physical and mental health. A stressed workplace can lead to low productivity, poor delivery to clients and service users and high turnover. Adopting some simple methods to minimise stress at work and return to a state of productivity - and good mental health - is not selfish. It’s critical. Get the work done, without undoing yourself in the process. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola More from Nicola Greenbrook: ► I quit! How to leave a job gracefully ► How to be productive at work ► Charity Careers: meet Andy Harris, director of income generation for Shelter UK ► Back to the blog homepage

It's got bats. It's got balls. And it's back. It is of course the legendary London Charity Softball League, and now that spring (like love, pollen and countless other pollutants) is very much in the air, it's time to fire up the 2019 season! Heading into a remarkable 17th year and after a cracking but slightly-condensed-for-park-reasons 2018, everything's now back to full length and full strength, with as many charities competing as the ever-efficient organisers can possibly squeeze in. It all kicks/bats off from April 29th, with London's parks becoming a hotbed of high-octane bat-on-ball action right through to the Hyde Park finals on Thursday 15th August. We’re delighted to be lead sponsors for what’s believed to be our 14th year (one year might even include a few minutes to look that up) along with our fellow returning sponsors Bluestep, RNB Group, Bright Spot Fundraising and first-timers Think Consulting, who are all well worth checking out. Last year’s super-competitive contest saw The Saints (aka St Mungo's) hoisting the Harris Hill Plate, with RNLI brandishing the Bluestep Shield, and Cancer Research UK crowned Harris Hill Cup champions. But who’ll be taking home the trophies (and those virtually-priceless Harris Hill medals) in 2019? We’ll have more news during the summer, but meanwhile if you’re keen to catch up on last year’s finals, the brilliant people behind it, or other recent events in the Harris Hill Charity Series (that'll be February's quiz night and the big November bowl), the links below will oblige. Have a great season! Team HH ​ London Charity Softball League 2018 The Harris Hill Plate: St Mungo's vs Sustrans ► London Charity Softball League 2018 The Harris Hill Cup: Cancer Research UK vs Plan UK ► London Charity Softball League 2018 The Bluestep Shield: RNLI vs MS Society ► London Charity Softball League 2018 Meet the organisers of the London Charity Softball League ► Harris Hill Charity Series: Bowling The lowdown from the throwdown: 2018 bowling scores! ► Harris Hill Charity Series: Quiz Night Close encounters of the third (sector) kind...► ► Back to the blog homepage

“If it wasn’t for the treatment I received at the scene of my accident, and the fast transportation to a hospital, I would not be here today.” text "When the air ambulance arrived I thought it must be serious but I wasn’t aware of the level of expertise and equipment on board. Now I know that’s what made the difference and I wouldn’t be here today otherwise."​ text "I just can't believe I survived, I’m a very, very lucky man and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone involved.” The words of just three of the 25,000+ people who have been helped, rescued or owe their life to the Air Ambulance service of Kent, Surrey and Sussex since its inception in 1989. Thirty years on, the organisation’s still going strong and growing too, creating four fantastic new senior opportunities to lead on fundraising and the supporter experience, working from their base at Rochester Airport. Specifically, they're seeking the following: • Director of Individual Giving c.£53,000 • Director of Fundraising and Events c.£53,000 • Head of Supporter Experience £45,000 • Head of Individual Giving £38,000 It’s an inspiring place to work, knowing that everything you do has a direct impact on saving lives, and these are all key roles within the project. We can’t begin to do these opportunities justice here so check out our Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex pages for plenty more details of the organisation and these fantastic roles:​

International affairs and advocacy expert Andreea Petre-Goncalves moved to the UK in 1997, attracted by its culture of openness and diversity. But as she tells our policy specialist Harry Marven, recent events have necessitated a major rethink - and relocation - of her family's plans for the future.​ ​ We’ve barely mentioned the ‘B’ word here at the Harris Hill blog, because we’re too busy recruiting for charities, and with such a colourful range of opinions widely available elsewhere (particularly at the puce end of the market), you probably don't need ours too. We aim to be impartial, so for example it's not for us to question that what people thought three years ago is obviously more important than what they think now. That's just not how we roll. And you'd certainly never catch us querying the wisdom of trashing your biggest trade partnerships and international standing for such undeniable benefits as…… well, we’re sure somebody will think of one eventually. But this week, as our established work in the area of Policy, Advocacy & Campaigns expands to keep up with growing demand (check out our new page here!) in what could yet be our last week in the EU (again), there's no ignoring the giant Brexit in the room. So we're very pleased to bring you an enlightening and thought-provoking read from someone who understands both the bigger picture and the personal consequences only too well... Meet Andreea Petre-Goncalves Over recent years in the UK we’ve heard a lot of statistics about EU citizens and ‘migrants’, but rather less of the real effects on people's everyday lives. To that end we're delighted to introduce international affairs and advocacy expert Andreea Petre-Goncalves, who has kindly shared her story in conversation with our resident policy specialist Harry Marven, eloquently explaining how the 2016 referendum has affected many EU citizens, why she and her family have taken the difficult decision to leave the country that's been home for over 20 years, and why she's establishing a new and potentially highly-influential NGO to step up the fight for global change. Andreea Petre-Goncalves is an international affairs and advocacy expert with two decades of experience in the non-profit, public and private sectors. She has worked in sustainability, food security, international development, public health, gender and human rights among many other topics. She has driven global policy developments, built international partnerships and connected power and knowledge brokers to promote the greater good. She believes people at all levels are driven by the same instincts, fears and desires and that the best in all of us can be harnessed through respectful and purposeful collaboration. She also believes that our future security and prosperity on our planet depend on our ability to see beyond our myriad of individual interests with a sense of common purpose.ee. Harry Marven joined Harris Hill in 2017 and is our specialist for all Policy, Public Affairs, Advocacy and Campaigns vacancies, recruiting both domestically and internationally. He’s lived and worked in both France and Germany (graduating in French and German) and has first-hand experience of the field having previously worked in social media and youth engagement for a national human rights charity. Harry is passionate about the not-for-profit sector using its profile and resources to effect positive social change and effectively represent its grassroots supporters, and understands both the rewards and what it takes to make change happen. As such he’s able to draw on a wide network of both national and internationally-based contacts. ​ ► Harry: So, to jump straight into things: you, with your family, will be leaving the UK this year. Why do you want to leave, and is it definite that you’ll be leaving? ► Andreea: Yes, my family are leaving the UK this year. It’s not been an easy decision. I arrived in the UK in 1997 and my husband in 2002. Our daughter was born here in 2014. We did not doubt this was our forever home until the 2016 Brexit referendum. That particular moment crystallised for us concerns which had been bubbling under the surface for a few years, particularly around nativist trends in the UK and what we saw as a backlash against multiculturalism. For us, this struck at the heart of why we were here in the first place. We didn’t necessarily choose the UK for economic reasons, but for cultural ones. It was precisely the UK’s culture of openness and respect for differences that appealed to us. We loved the idea of growing roots and raising a family in a country where ethnicity, culture and identity were not barriers to belonging, where the rich tapestry of human differences was embraced and cherished. We are ourselves a multicultural family, with heritage in Portugal, Romania and France, and have always seen our journey in the UK as an illustration of the richness of our wonderful, interconnected world. It was and is heart-breaking to see these values rejected so vocally in public discourse. In 2016, we suddenly became EU migrants, a distinct category that 'othered' us. It marked a sharp change of tone and hardening of attitudes towards us as a group – something we had not really seen ourselves as until then. The very word 'migrant' was rarely present in public discourse 10 years ago. Nowadays it is a frequent feature, even replacing 'refugee', alarmingly. For me it has such negative connotations. We are not an invasion, nor an infection. We are friends, colleagues, family - and until the 12th of April, whatever the UK’s final trajectory, we are your equals as fellow EU citizens. You’ve been in the UK for several decades now and have held predominantly internationally-focused jobs. Why did you come to the UK in the first place, and were there any standout factors that made you want to stay? I came to the UK aged 16 with an Open Society Foundation scholarship which shaped who I am and defined my life journey. A few scholarships later, with financial and moral support from my family and dear friends, I obtained my first degree. I embarked on a career that for many years was driven mostly by a loose sense of wanting to do good in the world. This is how I ended up working on sustainability, international development, gender, agriculture and food security. My Brussels stint, about 10 years ago, was career-defining in that it taught me how to navigate politics and the decision-making environment and be effective. Idealism and good intentions are worth so much more if you also understand the real world. Interestingly, this is something that is stubbornly ignored by the non-profit sector in the UK, where we take too much comfort in surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals and work on the assumption that we will be heard purely because we mean well. As for the second part of your question, I touched on this a bit earlier. The UK always felt like home culturally, and for me that includes a working culture that is earnest and professional. The only aspects where I felt Europe compared favourably career-wise are work-life balance and the employer-employee dynamic, where in Europe we have a more equal, revolutionary tradition, whereas in the UK the relationship often feels more deferent and feudal. I hope for everyone’s sake that this dynamic will not be further affected by any loss of worker protections as a result of Brexit. Why did you choose to work in the charity sector, given your experience in the EU Parliament? It would have been very easy to walk straight into a well-remunerated corporate lobbying job after my stint in EU politics. That is a common-sense career path for many former political staffers and civil servants. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but I always knew that for me it wouldn’t be enough. I grew up in a family where politics and the good society were talked about passionately around the dinner table. My parents dedicated their entire careers to public service. I worked in the non-profit sector both before and after Brussels for the simple reason that it felt like a place where doing right by people and planet was the top priority. So, after all that time, you’re now leaving the UK to pastures new. Given that you have decided to leave, rather than having it as just an option, would you say Brexit has, in an ironic way, given you the motivation and freedom to flexibly look for a new position, wherever you settle? To play devil’s advocate: has Brexit potentially been beneficial to you and your family? Well, there’s the famous adage that every cloud has a silver lining. I don’t really think that’s true. Some things are plain stupid, pointless and thoroughly negative. There’s no bright side to climate change, war or hunger, except for the truly cynical. All we can do is learn from every hurdle, hiccup or failure. For my family, the learning in Brexit is that we are free, that our sense of belonging doesn’t come from a place but from how we feel. That’s a phrase made for Private Eye’s Pseud’s Corner right there, but it’s true. We feel like citizens of the world, which means we are at home everywhere, irrespectively of mean-spirited high-level statements to the contrary (ahem). We will always love Britain, and no one can legislate against that. ​ Two questions in one: what advice would you give to EU nationals living in the UK who are facing similar problems to the ones you have faced; and what advice would you give to UK nationals to assure EU nationals that the UK is still OK to live and work in? (although I appreciate the irony of the latter point!) Well, I don’t have a piece of advice for all EU folk in the UK, we are all different and our own individual realities shape the decisions we make. For me, the idea of becoming a sort of 'tolerated', lesser citizen with permission rather than the right to live here was more than I could accept. I know so many others like me, who have built lives and careers in the UK and find the prospect of asking for permission to continue living here profoundly offensive. However, I also understand those friends who do not feel it fair to throw away the lives they have built for themselves. They have no choice but to jump through the hoops, albeit reluctantly. As for all of our UK friends, I am sure of one thing. Our friendship and love for each other will endure whatever history throws at us. British wisdom, decency and fairness will prevail and if they don’t, you will always be welcome in our homes on the old continent. Thanks for sharing yours with us. ​ Finally, what’s next for you? I feel grateful that for us this otherwise strange time is the beginning of a new adventure, rather than just a painful rupture. We are relocating to Brussels, feeling more European than we have ever done, funnily enough. We’re clearly not immune from Brexit tribalism! Together with a brilliant friend and skilled political expert, I am setting up a new organisation to broker and catalyse powerful, impactful dialogue on the burning issues at the top of the global agenda: climate change, food system reform, protecting democracy and strengthening the rules-based international system, among others. With decades of experience at the highest levels of power and a lot of influential contacts, we are better placed than most to bring together those who can make change happen, from all sectors and walks of life. We will help key actors create solutions so that we can all enjoy the safe and sustainable future we want. The time has come for powerful action – and our new organisation will focus on doing just this. None of us can really afford to stand by and watch our existing systems fail when so many grave dangers threaten our world. We would very much like to be a voice and advocate for our UK friends in Europe and beyond, to ensure Brexit does not diminish your input when urgent global challenges require it most. Look out for Flare in the coming weeks and please reach out to us and remain connected to those who, like you, are fighting for a better world, on whichever side of the Channel we might find ourselves. Andreea Petre-Goncalves Connect with Andreea on LinkedIn We certainly will: our sincere thanks to Andreea for sharing her story with us, and we wish her the very best of luck! Look out for more insight and experience from our network in this field coming soon; meanwhile if you'd like to know more about our work and opportunities in political campaigning, advocacy, human rights and more, visit our Policy, Advocacy & Campaigns page or contact Harry Marven via email or on 020 7820 7324. More billboards from Led By Donkeys @ByDonkeys More from the Harris Hill blog text ► Don't go! Tackling talent retention in the charity sector Hiring great people is one thing, but holding on to them can be quite another amid tough competition for talent. Charity Finance Group recently asked our specialists about talent retention among charities and charity finance professionals in particular: what drives them to stay put or move on, and what kind of retention methods are working for charities? Originally published in CFG's Finance Focus magazine, here's what they had to say.​ Read more... ► Charity Careers: meet Andy Harris, director of income generation for Shelter UK How do you become a fundraising director? Why work for a charity and what's the toughest job in fundraising? Answers to these and much more in the latest Charity Careers, in which Nicola Greenbrook talks to key influencers in the charity sector, inviting them to share their career story and how they navigate the professional world. This month, Shelter UK's Andy Harris explains how his team contributes towards the charity’s invaluable work, why every donation bag tells a story, and what to do when it all gets a bit too cosy. Read more... ► Harris Hill blog homepage​

For this month’s article, Nicola Greenbrook is exploring why it hurts so much to be rejected and suggesting ways to convert this into something transformative. ‘I regret to inform you that on this occasion you have not been successful'. I’ve been both the author and recipient of that terrible sentence on many occasions during my career. Even checking the definition of ‘to reject’ evoked memories of some painful brush-offs of my own. ‘To dismiss as inadequate, unacceptable or faulty’. Ouch! Rejection knows no bounds and spans our professional, social and personal worlds. From missing out on your dream job, losing out to a competitor or being passed up for promotion, it’s a common - but agonising - feature of our working lives. Yet, it might not always be a bad thing… Firstly, why does it hurt so bad? Being rebuffed really does sting. Psychologist Guy Winch notes that rejection can cause pain because our brains are wired to respond in this way. He describes an experiment where scientists asked participants to think of a rejection while they were hooked up to MRI machines. They discovered that when we experience rejection, the same areas of our brain become activated as when we experience physical pain. Essentially, being rejected can ‘elicit literal (albeit, emotional) pain’. “I AM COMPLETELY USELESS” Often it’s our self-esteem that takes the brunt of it when we’re told no. Rebecca Weef-Smith, Editor of Goldie Magazine recalls vividly the low self-worth she felt over ten years ago after consistent knock-backs. She had submitted over 100 job applications and 3 PhD proposals without a single interview to show for it. Despite considerable qualifications, including an MA and MSc, she believed she wasn’t good enough. ‘Yet again I didn't come up to scratch or meet the standards required’ she said. ‘It wasn't a momentary failing at life. I was a permanent failure’. Being rejected can heighten our own personal insecurities, make us doubt our decisions and choices. As Guy Winch says, ‘…just when our self-esteem is hurting most, we go and damage it even further’. Patience you must have…​ ​According to science journal Inorganic Chemistry, there are five stages of rejection - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. So how do you pick yourself up again when you’re firmly stuck in the early stages? What if you’ve been unsuccessful for something deep down you know isn’t even right for you? Fiona Cowan, Senior HR Business Partner at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) knows this all too well. For over a year, she balanced the insecurity of a contract role with job hunting. Conservation and animal welfare is hugely important to Fiona but as roles in this area are scarce, she had to widen her search and compromise. ‘It was a difficult year’ she admitted. ‘You put all your effort, passion and time into research and the presentation. There’s the anticipation and then… you get the dreaded rejection. It doesn’t make it easier when you’re told you were a strong candidate and came a very close second.' It’s hard to dust yourself off (and for those stuck in the ‘Anger’ stage, I apologise for writing these words) but hang on in there. Life is full of twists and turns and depending on your perspective, change - or no change - can be a good thing. Not getting something you want is an opportunity for something completely different - the right something - to come your way. ‘I always live by the mantra “everything happens for a reason”, I just didn’t know what the reason was yet.’ Fiona shared. After surviving a year of on-off job hunting with the stamina of a triathlete, the universe put her dream job at ZSL up for grabs. ‘I had an excitement I hadn’t felt for the other roles I’d gone for; I knew this job was for me!’. A winning combination of effort, authentic passion and the right skills, experience and talent landed Fiona the role she'd been waiting for. A masterclass in hard work, determination and believing - no matter how gut-wrenching it can be at the time - that things will eventually work out. When should rejection become reinvention? Eleanor Ross for Refinery 29 makes an interesting case for whether stubborn, blind self-belief can do more damage than good. She considers if there’s a right time to listen to rejection. ‘While pushing and being resilient is important, rejection can also teach us that maybe we’re not suited to doing something after all’ she writes. Rebecca Weef-Smith could have crawled under the duvet and stayed there, but realised the only way forward was to carve out a new role for herself, rather than fit an existing one. She used personal rejection to create the role of Editor of Goldie Magazine, the over-40s magazine with masses of style, fashion and more. It restored her faith in her own abilities, widened her friendship circle and made her ‘determined to support others who need a prompt in picking themselves up and going again’. Turn that rejection upside down Here are some other ways to make rejection a bit more manageable: Reframe it - Annie Ridout, author, freelance journalist and editor of The Early Hour set up a folder in her email account to file away rejections. She’s renamed it ‘got to keep’, because I like the idea that one day I'll look back at all the rejections I've received and be able to laugh about it' she says. In her book The Freelance Mum Annie also talks about a ‘special’ folder she keeps for encouraging, supportive emails. It’s this folder - rather than the other - she spends the most time looking at to give her a boost. Get some feedback - Ask the client/company for some insight on how you can do better next time. You might learn something new about yourself, prove you’re willing to develop and show them how good you are. Talk it through with someone - If you can, speak to friends, family or a mentor at work. Ruth Moragas, Founder of Happy Heads which promotes positive mental health recovery, believes in the power of helping others going through the crushing experience of rejection. ‘Rejection is something we all go through. It may sting but you get over it by including others. So they don’t feel as you did’. Rejection can cause physical pain, damage your self-esteem and take you through a whirlwind of stages before you come out the other side. Yet, it can also provide the chance to try out something new, and could clear the way for the right opportunity. Being snubbed is awful, but it can help you think creatively about your career path and provide the fuel that powers your growth and purpose. ​ Been rejected? Go out there and really show ‘em what you’re made of. Like Annie, you’ll be laughing about it one day as you happily move the email into your ‘got to keep’ folder. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola​

​...by which we're not talking personality (though it's unlikely to be a bad thing), but whether you'd thrive in one of the outstanding leadership roles we're thrilled to be handling for the innovative Plymouth-based charity of the same name. Effervescent is a fresh and truly unique organisation, a charity strongly committed to improving the lives of vulnerable young people, but doing so as a creative agency, bringing their formidable creative and campaigning skills to collaborations with the likes of socially-motivated brands, charities and universities, and most importantly of all, children and young people themselves. They've worked with organisations like Barnardo's, Exeter University and Plymouth City Council to create campaigns on foster care, mental health, child sexual exploitation, asylum and other issues directly affecting the children and young people who have played a key role in each project. It's all about social alchemy ...which isn't (as we confess to first thinking) a GCSE we could have opted for if we'd dropped one of the humanities, but about inspiring, engineering and facilitating these unique collaborations between potentially disparate groups - bringing remarkable people together, as a certain charity recruiter might say - and creating something beautiful and powerful as a result; something that can genuinely make a difference in young people's lives. Effervescent's work to date has been so successful that they've recently received investment to grow, and as part of their ambitious plans to do so, we're delighted to be helping them find the right individuals for three brand new leadership roles that will be central to the organisation's future, namely a Director of Marketing and Sales, Director of Operations, and Head of Enterprise and Product Development. These are truly fantastic opportunities but enough from us; far better to hear more about the organisation, their values and the roles in question from their inspirational founder, CEO, creative director (and TED-talker!) Eloise Malone, by clicking the Welcome button below: A six-page guide to the charity and available roles ► More opportunities from Harris Hill Executive Search ► Back to the blog homepage ​

Hiring great people is one thing, but holding on to them can be quite another when there's tough competition for talent. The good folks of Charity Finance Group recently asked our finance specialists Simon Bascombe, Belton Bass and Matthew Smith about talent retention among charities and charity finance professionals in particular: what drives them to stay put or move on, and what kind of retention methods are working for charities? Originally published in CFG's Finance Focus magazine, here's what they had to say.​ ​ There’s something a little ironic about a charity recruitment business advising charities on staff retention. It's a bit like smartphone providers encouraging you not to upgrade to a new one, or sofa companies telling you how to get a few more years out of that two-seater so you needn’t go to their last ever closing down sale (again). But even for those of us who thrive on filling charity vacancies, high staff turnover is rarely good news in the long term. It’s generally a sign of problems in the organisation that are likely to be exacerbated by the ongoing loss of experience and skills, affecting productivity, increasing costs and lowering morale with every leaving card that comes around. Tackling the issues takes a toll on limited resources and the organisation’s ability to achieve its goals, while persistent problems may threaten its long-term viability as a charity. Which is bad news for beneficiaries, supporters, staff and yes, even recruiters. With most UK industries reporting skills shortages, talent retention isn’t just a third sector issue of course, and it’s worth remembering that zero staff turnover isn’t necessarily desirable either – would you really sign up for the charity where no-one ever leaves? But surveys over the past decade have consistently shown turnover in the voluntary sector to be above average for the UK workforce, suggesting there may be particular challenges facing charities. Challenges in charity finance In our experience of staffing within finance, two things in particular stand out: 1. Of all the charity professionals we meet on a daily basis, candidates for finance positions tend to have by far the clearest view of where they want to work. They’re rarely interested in simply working for ‘a charity’ but have a particular cause or organisation firmly in mind, and will hold out for the right opportunity. 2. Finance staff will typically remain in their roles for considerably longer than, say, fundraisers, who in London can move as often as every 12-18 months, since a major shortage of candidates means there’s always an employer willing to offer a higher salary to tempt them away. That’s true to an extent in finance too, but in our experience a tenure of 4-5 years in a role is far more typical, perhaps reflecting the relative importance of organisation/cause vs remuneration for finance professionals. Those priorities are also borne out when it comes to counter-offers. As the battle for talent has intensified over the last few years, we’ve certainly seen a rise in higher salaries being offered in a bid to retain departing employees, but in our experience more than 90% of these bids fail, as salary is rarely the key driver of the move. However the latest CIPD/Hays Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey reports that not-for-profit organisations find qualified professionals (such as accountants) the hardest category of workers to retain, with 38% of organisations experiencing difficulties, so there’s little room for complacency. Meanwhile Brexit – in whatever form it may eventually take (or not) – is also expected to exacerbate issues, with Charity Finance Group recently telling MPs that ‘an end to free movement, and further restrictions on immigration, will make it even harder for charities to hire the workers they need.’ What the sector is saying about retention In the course of our work, we have conversations with candidates every day which naturally touch on their motivations for moving on or staying in their current role. Finance officer Afsheen Khan, Finance Officer at the British Heart Foundation, noted the varied workload and sense of working for a worthwhile goal, telling us “it makes me feel I’m giving back to the community. The sector requires different skills and I hear incredible stories which I do not find in the private sector. It’s inspirational working for an organisation that addresses public health issues, and in the back of my mind the cause is always there.” Fellow charity finance candidate Lookman Kazeem also cited a relaxed working environment and flexible working from home as factors with strong appeal for those seeking a better work/life balance or with family commitments, and told us that more opportunities for progression, better pay and more investment in training would have the most positive influence on retention. Many charities are taking this on board, experimenting with flexible working, the work environment, or a focus on employee wellbeing. International campaigners against environmental and human rights abuses Global Witness recently did all three, as chief operating officer Mark Woodridge told us: “The old Global Witness office had 9,700 square feet of space and 95 fantastic staff each with their own desk. The atmosphere was library-like, staid and stifling. The odd eruption of laughter often met with a stern look! The number of hours worked equated to an employee’s commitment to the organisation as well as neglected dead plants. This environment was at odds with our ethos of being pioneers and innovators and a stated commitment to putting our employees’ wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. We moved to a 5,500 square feet space where our architects won the trust of our staff, taking them (grudgingly at first) on a journey to agile working i.e.70 shared desks and a number of other work settings. We also introduced complete flexibility on the location and timing of work within a seven-hour day and put a plant on every desk. These days, the buzz immediately hits you when you enter the office and working effectively is more important than long hours. We believe this can only help us attract and retain staff. Nurtured by an employee team of urban gardeners, even the plants are thriving.” Meanwhile fellow green campaigners the Environmental Investigation Agency have recognised the potential benefits of our furry, four-legged friends on employee wellbeing, designating their Islington HQ a ‘pet-friendly office’ – which in practice has meant a dog-friendly office to date, but is almost certain to improve retention, not least of their owners. Greater engagement and integration with the organisation was also cited as key factor in retaining employees by Channing Rider, director of finance with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust: “Good staff retention is often a reflection of the recruitment process having been thorough, so the right person is in place for the opportunity created. People will always eventually leave an organisation for one reason or another but, I think, the sort of factors that encourage people to stay are: good working relationships with colleagues, a job with a learning curve, opportunities for progression and training, a sense of purpose, a decent working environment. I think people tend to leave if they feel detached from an organisation, with decisions being made without any reference to them so that work becomes a transactional arrangement rather than a relationship where mutual loyalty and respect is allowed to grow. We experience very little turnover, which I interpret as a good sign.” Our tips on retaining your charity finance team It’s important to note where charity finance employees are ‘lost’ to. Given their skills are perhaps the most transferable of all charity workers, it’s perhaps unsurprising that a significant proportion of staff move onwards not to other charities, but to companies in the private sector. However, as the Harris Hill inbox always ably demonstrates, plenty of commercial finance staff are very keen to move in the opposite direction. In a battle for retention with commercial organisations, charities typically have clear differentiators in matters like work/life balance, flexibility of working hours and locations, the working environment, and the attraction of working for the greater good. Most will never be able to compete with the private sector on salaries, but in our view this needn’t be cause for concern. Employees motivated primarily by money are always likely to leave the sector, but our experience shows that finance staff are drawn to charities by those very differentiators, and suggests that the organisations best placed to retain a long-term, highly committed workforce are those who embrace them most fully. And the same can be said when the competition is from other charities. The employees most likely to become your dedicated long-term staff are the ones who chose your organisation precisely because of the factors that make it unique. They want to work for a charity, and they want to work for your charity because of its particular strengths, so the best method of retention is to play to them, emphasise them and exemplify them! ______________ Simon Bascombe, Belton Bass and Matthew Smith Specialists in charity finance recruitment, Harris Hill First published in Finance Focus, the magazine for CFG members, January 2019 Contact our finance team on 020 7820 7311 or via email. ► Search for jobs in charity finance More from the Harris Hill blog ► Why it pays to give feedback, even if it's a no You've made an offer to the brilliant candidate who won your panel's heart. Sadly, that means rejection for the other interviewees. But giving useful feedback can be vital for remaining on good terms - and for your desirability as an employer. ► Back to the blog homepage

We're delighted to be working on four fantastic marketing and communications opportunities at the moment with The Donkey Sanctuary, a truly world-class charity and leading global authority on the welfare of donkeys and mules. Based in a beautiful area of East Devon with such a well-regarded and forward-thinking organisation, these really are exceptional opportunities for marketers which are open until Friday 8th March 2019, so we didn't want you to miss out! Specifically, we're looking for the following: Director of Brand and Communications Head of Brand and Content Head of Communications Brand and Design Manager Keen to find out more? You'll find plenty of information on the roles, this great organisation and how to apply on The Donkey Sanctuary pages of our site. Click here or on the donkeys below to check them out!

​ How do you become a fundraising director? Why work for a charity and what's the toughest job in fundraising? You'll find answers to these and much more in the latest Charity Careers, our series in which Nicola Greenbrook talks to key influencers in the charity sector, inviting them 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 even what their dream breakfast might look like when they do... This month, Nicola was delighted to chat to Andy Harris, Director of Income Generation for Shelter UK and discover how his team contributes towards the charity’s invaluable work, why every donation bag tells a story and what to do when you’re stuck in cosy corner… Hi Andy: how would you describe Shelter's purpose and the work you do? Shelter was founded 52 years ago, not by the wealthy or the powerful, but as a community organisation whose purpose was to change society. That means we’re needed now more than at any other time in our history: for millions of our fellow citizens, the fundamental human need for a safe home is ignored. Shelter exists to defend the right to a safe home. We’ve recently spent time as a charity looking at Shelter’s purpose, what were we founded to do and how we deliver against that. Shelter is changing and to help us we set ourselves five change mantras: Shelter will change the country, our enemy is social injustice, we say what we believe, we are all one Shelter, and we only do what meets our purpose. We're open 365 days a year so that no-one is left to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own. Every year, Shelter helps more than four million people providing expert advice and support through our free helpline, face-to-face and online services. For example, our legal advisors might represent someone in court facing eviction or negotiate with a council to find a homeless family somewhere to go. What are you personally responsible for? I’m responsible for income generation with an amazing team of around 350 spread right across the UK, comprising fundraisers and shop staff. There are around 90 Shelter shops on high streets with great community shop managers, assistant managers, volunteers and van drivers and they’re doing really well. We’ve seen a boom recently, possibly spurred by Marie Kondo’s Netflix series, but we always need more stock! Thankfully 2018 was a record-breaking year for income generation at Shelter as we’ve raised more than ever before, recruited more regular givers and smashed our Christmas fundraising targets too. I’m also responsible for our incredible Direct Dialogue fundraising team; street and door-to-door fundraising, with around 150 people at its peak. Where did you start your career and any key roles along the way? I began as Commercial Events Manager for a marketing company then saw a tiny advert in The Guardian (when you actually bought a newspaper to job search) for ‘Events Manager, London Charity’ and applied directly to the trustees. It was Mayhew Animal Home and I’ve never looked back. From there I worked for Macmillan Cancer Support as a Capital Appeal Manager in Epsom. I was a bit of an idle fundraiser to be honest; appeal managers would be called to a monthly review meeting with the big-wigs and each month I’d proudly report that I had exceeded the monthly target required…with next month’s in the drawer already! That was good major donor fundraising. A job at Sue Ryder for a Head of Regional Fundraising became vacant, supporting fundraising managers in all hospice and neurological centres, and I did that for seven years. I recruited a team of 100, knew everybody and had a great line manager (we love you Eric Grounds) but I realised in one of our management away days I was in ‘cosy corner’ so started seeing what was out there. A Director of Fundraising role came up at Action for Children, but I considered it a waste of time; that they’d never see me and that I didn’t have the experience. An agency persuaded me to allow them to send my CV in…and the rest is history. I stayed there for four years. When I saw the Director of Fundraising and Marketing role at Breast Cancer Care, I convinced myself they wouldn’t want me. As the closing date approached, I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to apply but the consultant was hounding me. So, I opened the job pack when the kids were up at 6.00 am watching Peppa Pig one Saturday. I thought I’d have a quick read and think of two or three things to say about why I wasn’t suitable; basically, talking myself out of it. Then I really read the job pack, researched and realised it was the job for me. After the first interview I walked out thinking what an idiot I was, believing I’d messed up. I got through to the next round, spent time with the CEO, Samia al Qadhi, the Board and all the direct line reports and knew this was such a good job and would be annoyed if I didn’t get it. I spent five years there; I was clear from the outset I would stay for around two and a half but there was big stuff happening internally and externally - a new brand, an office move, changes with our corporate partners, so it kind of swept me in. Then the job here came along which was back working with the incredible and hugely talented Polly Neate who I had worked with at Action for Children. You appear to have been driven by a continuous hunger in your career: when you exceed your targets and reach cosy corner, you do more. Has that appetite waned at all? I think that’s the job; if you’re stuck in cosy corner, or not striving to do more, it’s time to move over to let somebody else have a go. I could never work in a charity where I was simply required to raise £10 million for the next ten years. Where’s the drive in that? Essentially, I’m a salesman. I don’t have a pen or a car, but I’m selling a desire and a dream - the ability to defend the right to a safe home. Everyone has that fundamental right. There was a guy who worked in a pizza restaurant by day and slept on a park bench by night. He’d go to the local swimming baths for a shower, get dressed and work for 12 hours, then go back to sleeping on a park bench. That’s what drives me to do more. How do you keep your skills fresh and build your knowledge? I read books, blogs and trade press and always talk to people - I’m a great believer in recommendations. I’m not a massive social media fan. I tried Twitter for a while; I recognise it makes you accessible, but it didn’t raise money so I didn’t bother! What advice would you give to graduates considering a move into charity, or managers keen to become directors? From entry level, the best way up would be to start on a voluntary basis. Looking at those I’ve interviewed, their first fundraising jobs were being active in their student union, or as a volunteer fundraiser in whatever activity they are passionate about. I've also worked with some awesome fundraisers who joined from direct dialogue fundraising too. From managers progressing to directors, ensure you find the right people for your team. People can often become lazy; but it’s not always what the organisation will do for you, but what you will do for the organisation. If you want to develop your career you’ve got to put the hard work in. One thing the fundraising sector certainly needs is diversity; we simply won’t survive if every fundraiser went to university and reads The Guardian. What time does your alarm go off? Are you a snoozer or a spring-out-of-bedder? I don’t have an alarm - haven’t for years…I’ve got kids and a dog! Monday and Tuesday I have to be up mega early to drop the kids at breakfast club and this morning I was up at 6.15am. On a Wednesday or Thursday, if I’ve not got an early meeting, it’s nice to lay in until 7.00am. If you said to me you’ve got to get the 6.50 am train every day for the next five years, that would fill me with dread. I like the variety of the commute. The 8.10am has different people and is slightly less frantic. Whereas the 7.10am is a different world altogether… What's your dream breakfast and where would you eat it (and what’s the reality?) A fresh and vibrant greasy spoon (where you don’t come out smelling of breakfast!) in Glasgow or on the Isle of Wight. Where I used to work they used to do tea for 20p: where in London can you get a cup of tea for 20p?! My actual breakfast this morning was an apple and a coffee at my desk. I used to buy a big bag of pre-cut apple from Boots at Waterloo station to snack on during the day, but I was told off by my team! So, I bought 4 apples from M&S this morning and actually washed and cut them up myself. I’m trying to do my bit to reduce plastic. Can you talk us through your typical day? I spend a lot of time with the team, meeting people and talking to our service users and beneficiaries; I’m naturally curious. What Shelter does is quite complex, so if I have to ‘sell’ it, I have to understand it. There’s nothing better than spending the morning talking to volunteers and customers, hanging out in the shop and understanding people’s motivation. There’s always an interesting story and every bag of donations tells a different one. Our shops are all individual; because of the manager, volunteers and community the shop takes on a life of its own. The volunteer who works in the Brighton shop on a Tuesday and Friday controls the music and has a real distinct style; you can’t touch the music on these days! That’s great and it makes it memorable. To me, this encouragement to be an individual, reaffirms why I work for a charity and not for Mercedes Benz selling cars. Where and how do you spend your lunch break? I don’t really have one and I eat at my desk - that’s bad isn’t it? I prefer to do an hour ’s work then leave on time as it makes me more productive. Whitecross Street Food Market, just around the corner from Shelter’s offices, is great but very busy at lunchtime. It’s lovely in the morning when they’re cooking onions and there’s a Turkish family making flatbreads. I could stand there and watch them for ages. What’s been your best career ‘up’ and worst ‘down’ to date - why, and what did you learn from them? My ‘up’ would be doing the unexpected, like when Action for Children partnered with an elephant conservation charity the Elephant Family to create The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. Or when a breast cancer charity (Breast Cancer Care) wins a partnership with The Football Association to create the Pass it On campaign rather than, for example, a prostate cancer charity. As for my ‘down’? Repeating the same thing and not getting the same result. We ran an event that was really successful; then re-did it the second year and it wasn’t. When the expectation of £2 million becomes £300,000 it’s a big disappointment. Who do you look up to within the sector? Our direct dialogue fundraisers. I spent a few days knocking on doors and standing on the street with them and realised they get knocked back hundreds of times every day. On one occasion it was pouring with rain and I felt like the ‘wally with the brolly’! It was the hardest day's work that I’ve ever done as a fundraiser and I felt emotionally and physically destroyed. Although people were really pleasant, it was soul destroying…nobody signed up and I gave in too easily! The team are amazing. Those in the sector who do more than me to improve the profession; being active in the speaking circuit, on boards or giving their advice freely. I know fundraisers that do masses for the sector and I always feel guilty. What gets you out of bed in the morning, even when it’s cold and rainy? The need to do a good job. You’ve got to get on, it’s easy to get stuck moaning! Some of my colleagues at Shelter who are active Tweeters are subject to some horrible trolling and abuse, and that would destroy me. I try to keep everything compartmentalised; I keep my work and home life separate and switch off between the two. It helps me focus. I am a doer but it annoys me that I can’t flick easily between the two. What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment? Although I read quite a bit, I dip in and out as I don’t have a great attention span, and the idea of reading an academic book from front to back bores me to tears! I’m currently reading The Coaching Bible and a book called The Culture Code. I’m listening to Michelle Obama’s autobiography on my walk from Shelter (Old Street) to Waterloo. She has a lovely voice, and the 40 minutes with no disruptions flies by. I’m currently loving The Crown and a programme called Secrets of Her Majesty’s Secret Service about the creation of MI6. If It told you the music I’m listening to, people would take the mickey out of me…it’s quite cheesy! I need to get better at finding work-related podcasts (suggestions please) but I’m currently enjoying That Peter Crouch Podcast; if you’re a big football fan, you have to listen! What can’t you get through the day without? It sounds bad, but my phone (I never turn it off) and people. I get lonely working at home and prefer to be surrounded by people. I thrive on talking to my team and service users; you can’t do this job without that. I really love the fact that within a typical fundraising team you have such diverse roles. Often people with data, digital or analytical skills think they can’t work in fundraising. As a director, I try not to shut myself away. On joining Shelter, I moved out of my own office into the open plan, then encouraged all of the other directors in Old Street into doing the same and this neatly aligns with our ‘One Shelter’ mantra. What do you do in your spare time? What spare time?! I spend time with my family and walking the dog. Weekends are good for chilling, recovering, socialising and getting stuff done. My three boys are all into football so Sunday mornings mean different games at different times…so that keeps me busy! A very special thanks to Andy for his time and fascinating insight into his career to date and Shelter’s invaluable work, which you can find out more about here. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola​ Check out more Charity Careers: ► Sara Rees, Head of Fundraising, Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity ► Hannah Sanders, Consumer Brand Partnerships Lead, Save the Children ► Back to the blog homepage

The Charity Series Quiz Night results! Firstly we can only apologise if you’ve been on the tip of your toes waiting to find out what happened at this year’s quiz night, because that’s really gotta hurt by now. But we do have news of another excellent night and the closest-ever contest, hosted in style as ever by the good folks of Patch St Paul's and your super-suave quizmasters Rob Wyatt and Matt Glass, ably assisted by Palak Bhatt, Stato crunching the numbers and more, with a superb sum raised for and by the excellent fundraisers at QEF! Your trusty blogger couldn’t actually be there in person, on account of preparing to launch Harris Hill Scotland on an unsuspecting Caledonian public via the lovely (and patient) people at Third Force News, Scotland’s leading third sector publication; our first ever appearance in Scottish press! But we've gathered the goss from the rest of Team Harris Hill who were out in force, enough to field not one but two quiz teams, one placing a respectable 15th and the other, erm, keeping the bottom end of the table warm in traditional style. We have our uses. ________________ And the winners were... Things were exceptionally tight at the top, with four teams too close to call and the final placings coming down to some very tense moments with tiebreakers… …from which emerged the top three, with the bronze going to the chaps from Lumos, the children’s charity founded by a vaguely successful author you may have heard of, and silver to the Cafological Liars of CAF (Charities Aid Foundation). But just pipping them to the post with the tiebreaker were The Cantelopes, the softball-forged partnership of Can Mezzanine and Disability Rights UK! An honorary mention too for The Bearos (of CAB), only narrowly nudged into fourth in an exceptionally close contest – so congratulations all round! Prizes galore! There were plenty of winners too in the charity raffle, with our very own Faye and Frances on ticket-rummaging duties to despatch all kinds of excellent prizes, generously donated by the wonderful people at (deep breath): Embody Wellness, Whistlepunks Urban Axe Throwing, the Beefeater Gin Distillery, Floatworks Vauxhall, Psycle, Kennington's Windmill Flowers, the Sipsmith Gin Distillery, Oliver Bonas, the Biscuiteers and Mondo Brewing Company! A huge thank you to all of these brilliant businesses for their donations, which together with help from our CEO Aled Morris and their fundraising team, resulted in a tremendous total for QEF (Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People)! You’ll find a few more photos below which need little explanation, except to note that Stato was - we believe - unharmed in the making of the penultimate pic. Meanwhile the next stage of the Charity Series is already taking shape, which is the big one. Yes, next week the great and the good (citation needed) of the organisers and sponsors will be convening right here at Harris Hill Towers to make plans for the 2019 London Charity Softball League! Until then... More from the Harris Hill blog: ► Have your say on charity recruitment and win £150 at Amazon! ► I QUIT! How to leave a job gracefully... ► Back to the blog homepage

​ What do you look for in a charity recruiter? Where can things be improved? And - be honest now - does our bum look big in this? Okay, not the last one (sadly we already know) but two of these questions are central to our survey with Third Sector Jobs, where you can share your views on charity recruitment with the chance to win a £150 Amazon voucher! What are we asking? As a charity professional you’ll already appreciate the importance of listening to the people who use your services: it’s vital to get a true understanding of their needs, how well you’re currently meeting them, and how you could evolve to benefit them further. That’s exactly what we’re keen to know too, so we've once again partnered with Third Sector Jobs for a short survey on recruitment in the charity sector. ► If you haven’t worked with us before, don’t worry – you can still complete the survey and enter by sharing your thoughts and experiences of charity recruitment; what works for you and what doesn’t? What could recruiters do better and what are the key things you look for? And even if not from direct experience, if you have any perceptions of Harris Hill (though we appreciate that's not compulsory), we’d love to hear about them. ► Meanwhile if you also have feedback from working with us - to recruit or to look for a job (or both) we're very keen to hear about it too; what's worked well, where improvement's needed, and what you’d most like to see from us in the future. How to participate Since last year’s survey we’ve been hard at work on changes both front of house (like this very site) and behind the scenes to continuously improve what we do, but only you can tell us if we’re going in the right direction, and what really matters to you when it comes to recruitment. So please do, and with a bit of luck you could soon have some spending to do too! The survey closes on Thursday 28th February and we’ll draw the prize winner as soon as possible thereafter - you’ll find all the terms and conditions on the survey page. Find out more from Third Sector or just click below to get started: To complete the survey should take no more than 5 minutes and you can choose to express your views based on experience of job hunting within the sector, recruiting, or both. If you'd like to answer from both perspectives, select 'I have hiring responsibility' to answer firstly as an employer, and the questions relating to job-seeking will follow afterwards. However you only need to answer from one perspective to be entered for the prize draw. Back to the blog homepage ►

On February 20th & 21st we're attending our very first event in Scotland (did you know we're operating in Scotland now?) and we'd love to meet you if you're there. Here's a quick rundown of the details... Organised by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and now in its 16th year, The Gathering is Scotland’s largest event for charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. With the support of Scotland's leading third sector publication TFN (Third Force News) it's grown bigger every year to become the largest free third sector event in the UK. Nearly 3,000 people enjoyed last year's packed programme of events, learning and networking opportunities, and this year we're delighted to be joining them! ------------------------------------------ Meet the team It's all happening on 20th and 21st February 2019 at the SEC in Glasgow, and you'll find us at Stand 16. There'll be Harris Hill staff on hand, including our man in Scotland Jason Jederon and Philip Nelson of Harris Hill Executive Search (our specialist division for charity CEO and senior executive recruitment) to answer any questions you may have on recruitment or retention issues, your career in the sector, applications, interviews and much more. ------------------------------------------ Share your views We're also keen to find out how we can help you: what are your biggest challenges and what would you love to see from a charity recruiter? Your requests and requirements will be fundamental in shaping our services in Scotland to make sure we're truly meeting your needs. So if there's anything you'd like to discuss, please don't hesitate to grab one of the team for a chat. Check out @scvotweet for the latest on the event and if you're heading along, we look forward to meeting you there! More from the Harris Hill Blog: ► Meet Jason Jederon: our charity specialist in Scotland ► Welcome to Harris Hill Scotland

After considering a career move for some time and exploring new opportunities, at last, you're invited to an interview. You’ve faced your fears and carefully prepared, and after an excruciating wait, discover you’ve nailed your dream job. You feel on top of the world! Temporarily. There’s just one small thing left to tackle… leaving your current one. For this month’s guest post, Nicola is exploring why resigning can feel painful, how to do it gracefully and avoid making a spectacle of yourself at your leaving do. There’s a quote I like by an unnamed author; “You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one” which aligns nicely with this month’s topic. It’s a natural stage in our professional growth to want to move on; to experience a different culture, sector, city (or country) or to build a portfolio career. It’s also not uncommon to feel deep sadness and a fear of the unknown when resigning. Why is it so hard to leave? After conducting a quick straw poll, I discovered that people feel a range of emotions when resigning, regardless of whether they’d been in post for 12 weeks or 12 years. “Absolutely sick to my stomach”, “terrified”, “disloyal” and “guilty” were just some of the responses I had. Many people feel a deep sense of commitment to their job and employer, even if they’re stagnant or deeply unhappy there. If you’ve been personally invested in - via training, a paid qualification, a coach or mentor, supported through a difficult life issue or have formed close relationships with your colleagues, it can be difficult to choose between devotion for your company and the best career move for you. When work-family boundaries become blurred, you can show disproportionate levels of commitment and fidelity - and neglect your own interests. Even the best organisations can’t choose employee loyalty over what’s best for business. As Allison Green, founder of career advice blog Ask a Manager says, “There’s nothing wrong with loving your work, enjoying your company and having good will toward your co-workers… But it’s still O.K., and even good, to put yourself first in the long-run.” Every role has an expiry date and so when it’s time to move on, move on. I’ve made up my mind... where do I start? Always finalise the details with your new employer before taking action with your current one. Get the offer in writing and carefully review the contract, be clear on the package offered and if you want to negotiate terms, do so before accepting. Once that’s clear, it’s time to, gulp, resign. Consider giving your manager a heads up in advance - and prior to your formal resignation. A good manager will know your long term plans and have actively supported them - but it might still come as a shock if you hit them with a letter out of the blue. As Alex Dawson, Director of Technique Training and Development notes, "If you’ve got the kind of line manager who is invested in your career, knows where you want to get to, gives you the support and challenge you need to get there AND makes sure the organisation gets what it needs from you, then leaving feels likes a very natural step". When you’re ready, ask your manager for a private meeting and always ensure they’re the first to know. Hold this face to face if you work in the same location, or consider an initial call / Skype if you don’t. Only send an email if there are unusual or unavoidable circumstances. Keep your resignation letter brief but professional with a warm tone, but don’t over do it. A separate card for your manager is a good way to express your gratitude and appreciation. Inevitably, it’ll be daunting but it’ll be over before you know it. In a previous role, I’d emailed my manager to ask for a catch up (to resign) and we booked it in for later that morning. I’d just printed off the maternity policy for another meeting and as she handed it to me off of the printer, she shot me a expectant look and a grin. It was NOT AWKWARD AT ALL when I had to deliver my actual news. What shouldn't I do? You may be familiar with the scene from 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary when Bridget, utterly fed up with her sleazy boss Daniel Cleaver, leaves on the spot for a job ‘in television’. When he tries to enforce her notice period, she responds in the open plan office, "If staying here means working within ten yards of you, frankly I'd rather have a job wiping Saddam Hussein’s a**e.” before spinning on her heels to the tune of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”. We’ve all dreamt of a similar (and brilliant) departure but in real life, storming out is not recommended. It’s also not the same as resigning, as ACAS notes in their useful article. Instead, put your resignation in writing and always work your full notice unless you mutually agree otherwise or there are extenuating circumstances. It shows commitment, avoids leaving your colleagues in the lurch and allows sufficient time to find a replacement. I’ve resigned... But need to change my mind! Generally, once a resignation has been given it can't be withdrawn; unless the employer gives their express permission or if it was given in the heat of the moment, and then promptly retracted. Although most resignations are straight forward, sometimes… well, life gets in the way. A friend of mine had resigned, then discovered she was pregnant on December 23rd. She needed to ask her employer to take her back; a rather nerve-racking prospect by anyone’s standards. The office was closed until the New Year and so, after agonising over Christmas, at 8.30 am on January 2nd she went immediately to her department director. They had built an excellent relationship based on mutual trust and respect, and she told them honestly the reason for retraction. That they were expecting and that their plans to move cities - the original reason for resignation - had changed. With a deep breath, she asked if she could stay. The director congratulated her, smiled at what my friend describes as her "crazy, messy life", accepted immediately and consulted with HR to get things sorted. A masterclass in managing a potentially tricky situation, brilliantly. I’d like to thank... When your last day finally comes around, don’t let others dictate your ceremony; do it your way. If it’s the done thing in your company and there’s an expectation you’ll say a few words, have a speech prepared with genuine thank yous. When I left Breast Cancer Care the first time in 2007 to work in Australia, I stood in front of my lovely manager, team and colleagues, who I’d worked with for four years and who had given me so much, and sobbed uncontrollably. It was very ‘Gwyneth Oscar Acceptance 1999’, but with not a single word spoken at all. I still regret it to this day. I atoned the second time around by planning my leaving speech properly. Enjoy your leaving do, but go easy, too. You may not be returning to the office on Monday, but your colleagues are potential future contacts. In my early twenties when leaving one of my first jobs in HR, I began my leaving celebrations at 4pm in the local pub and accepted the generosity of my colleagues in buying me drinks. The leaving do ended abruptly with me literally falling out of a nightclub at midnight and incurring a black eye which required treatment by a St John’s Ambulance first aider and my arm in a sling for good measure. When I started my new job on the Monday, I was armed with an elaborate story about a gardening injury. Thankfully, social media did not exist then and fortunately for me, I’ve grown up quite a lot. Departure - Final call Some further suggestions on executing a graceful departure are below: ​►​ Plan your exit story and tell the same narrative to all. Keep it positive so you don’t burn any bridges. ► If an exit interview is not on offer, suggest one - the company will benefit from feedback on your time there. Be constructive and genuine, stick to facts and suggest ideas for improvement based on personal experience if you can. Polite and positive critique keeps everyone’s dignity intact. ► Deliver an excellent handover - verbal and written if you can manage it. Add to it daily, rather than scribbling a panicked, fragmentary list on the last day. Be thorough and review your task lists, diary and projects to avoid any nasty surprises when you’re gone. ► Build your networks in your final month by arranging lunches and attending internal events (balanced with getting your head down and delivering an excellent handover of course!). This creates some lovely memories, but it’s likely your paths will cross again - potential mentor, future hire/hirer or business partner - so make strong connections now. ► Take your personal items home gradually during your notice period, rather than necessitating the hire of a removal van for your shoes, personal memorabilia and plants on your final day or leaving your colleagues to arrange a courier. ​You’ve approached your manager in the right way with a professional letter, your desk is spotless and you’ve totally aced your handover. You’re leaving with great memories and even better connections, with the backing of your manager and colleagues behind you as you go forth into the unknown. You did it! As Liz Carroll, Chief Executive of The Haemophilia Society wisely says "it's not about how you leave, but how you are throughout your time. Be fair, supportive and honest and it will be positive in leaving". Congratulate yourself on a job well done and take a breather before your exciting new challenge begins. It’s going to be great! Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola​

The year might just be waking up but the 2019 Harris Hill Charity Series is already raring to go! Here's a quick update on the forthcoming quiz, bowling shenanigans and our Golden Softball competition winners... In search of answers... ​ For everything we've learned as a species about science, evolution and the intricacies of the universe, some things remain impenetrable mysteries, the eternal unknowables; questions that have baffled mankind throughout history and continue to do so today. Most of them will probably turn up in the Charity Series quiz if past form is anything to go by, which returns for 2019 on February 5th, run by the all-knowing softball committee and contested by as many charities as our brilliant hosts at Patch St Paul's can possibly squeeze in! It's an evening of fun, fierce competitition and fiendishly difficult questions - plus prizes galore in the charity raffle. Last year's event raised a great sum for Muscular Dystrophy UK and this year we're hoping to do even better for QEF (Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People) - not least because the raffle tickets are no longer cash-only, you'll be able to go contactless too. ► Pre-event update: unfortunately as it turns out, it's not quite as easy to get a handy and portable card payment machine as the TV ads would have you believe, so we're working on a partial online solution. If you can though, please bring along some cash if you'd like to take part in the raffle. Which we highly recommend, as there's already a superb selection of prizes, generously donated by many of our local businesses and more across London. There's still more to come but huge thank-yous already to Embody Wellness and Floatworks Vauxhall, Oliver Bonas, first-rate florists Windmill Flowers, and both the Sipsmith and Beefeater Gin Distilleries! (we don't know who's been getting through all the gin, but keep up the good work). Team-wise the ones to beat are last year's top three: bronze medallists Asthma UK, runners-up Citizens Advice and 2018 champs the Canal & River Trust! Bring it on, as people reportedly say. A big night at the bowling! Meanwhile there were strikes to spare in November as the Charity Series returned to Rowans Tenpin Bowling in Finsbury Park for another high-stakes (by which I mean there were chocolate advent calendars to be won) bowl-off between the best part of 40 leading charities. A great night as always, and an astonishing one for Team HH: in a twist on our traditionally-terrible total it turns out last year's fifth place wasn't a fluke after all, and after a mere 172 years of the contest we might have finally got the hang of throwing the ball-thing in roughly the right direction. But it's not about us, it's about the brilliant charities taking part, and after a single year in third place the mighty 2015 and 2016 winners Age UK returned to the top, swiftly followed by a stellar performance from GOSH and a delighted Dogs Trust cracking the top three for the first time:​ At the end of the day we can probably all agree that the real winner here was bowling, but also top scorer Anthony of St Mungo's with a record-breaking 193 personally-earned points, the highest-ever individual score. Props too to CAF's Jack, Numan and Amy of St John Ambulance who we believe was the highest-scoring female bowler but shout if you know otherwise! Until next time... And finally, in (golden) softball news... Should you have somehow escaped missed it on Twitter and be wondering who won our competition for last summer's charity softball teams - or indeed what on earth we're talking about - then wonder no more. As you might have heard mention, we're immensely proud sponsors of the London Charity Softball League, which brings countless charities from the capital together throughout the summer, and never fails to impress us with the sheer dedication, good humour and hard work of players, supporters and organisers alike. It's a challenging, superbly organised and phenomenally popular contest which, were it not for those qualities, might have something in common with our very own summer-long challenge: Harris Hill's Golden Softballs! So what's it all about? Who won? And why? ► Read on for the full 2018 competition, all the balls, and news of our winners! ► Back to the blog homepage

If you’re anything like us, we’re guessing whatever you expected from 2018 wasn’t…well, whatever THAT was. It’s certainly been an eventful year, where even the legendary Sunset Beach would have struggled to top the procession of implausible storylines and ever-more-outlandish plot twists. Thankfully we've had a great year at Harris Hill though, and among many highlights we’ve thoroughly enjoyed having guest blogger Nicola Greenbrook on board, bringing us a fresh perspective on intriguing topics from her diverse background in HR, the charity sector, commercial firms, freelance writing and as a still-fairly-new mum! Much more to come from Nicola next year, plus a wealth of new features we're excited to bring you, and if you're thinking it might be time for a new job too, why not take our quiz and find out? In the meantime, our sincere thanks for reading this year, we hope you’ve found something interesting or useful along the way, and to see us into 2019, Nicola’s translated key tips from her columns into career goals for the year ahead. Assuming we haven’t all been repurposed as fruit pickers by the summer...​ Wedged between the festivities, last-minute Christmas shopping and enjoying a steady flow of prosecco-on-tap in December, I try to reclaim some time to reflect on the twelve months gone by. It’s a useful time to contemplate life or career milestones/achievements; what went well, not so well, and why - and any useful insights to pack up in your kit bag for the new year. I’m a natural reflector and very curious (qualities the CIPD believes important for HR and L&D professionals. Phew.) so I’m interested in the world around me and strive to find ways to do things a bit better. Even if you forgo the traditional concept of resolutions, it can be useful to have some aspirations to dip into every now and then. I’ve loved writing a range of articles for Harris Hill in 2018 and having the opportunity to interview two inspiring and successful charity professionals. Here’s a round-up of my articles, along with some suggested personal and career resolutions for your own personal 2019 compendium. January 2018 - Making a career change In January, I shared my personal experience of a career change and how utterly terrifying but hugely fulfilling it can be. I’d recently resigned from a senior charity HR role without the comfort of another job to go; to enable me to balance my HR career with a growing freelance business, and still be a good Mum to my precious two-year old son. I was keen to share my own adventures in transformation with anyone nervously considering doing the same. I offered some tips on what to consider when embarking on such a change - like doing the maths, having a plan and keeping focused. 2019 Career Resolution *I will take calculated risks in the pursuit of achieving my life and career goals* February 2018 - How to conquer your interview fears This month, I tackled one of the most unnatural forms of human interaction head on - THE JOB INTERVIEW. Drawing on my own experiences and some invaluable advice from a range of senior charity professionals, I shared ten ways to ensure an interview doesn’t metamorphose into an ordeal. This includes doing a dummy run, going all out with your prep and dressing for success. (I also confessed that I toppled down the stairs on the way in to a recent interview - not advised). 2019 Career Resolution *I will be not let fear get in the way of nailing the interview for my dream job* March 2018 - Charity Careers: Sara Rees I had the pleasure of interviewing Sara Rees for Harris Hill’s new feature, Charity Careers. I invited Sara, Head of Fundraising for Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity, to share her personal career story to date and describe how she navigates the professional world (plus what she’s reading and her dream vs actual breakfast). Learning about Sara’s inspiring career so far, her thirst for learning and the energy she derives from the invaluable work of her team was infectious. She also shared the best piece of advice that always sticks in her mind. 2019 Career Resolution *Tell yourself now what you’d tell your young self; ‘I am unique; I know my strengths, I trust myself, I don’t need to seek approval or try to be someone else….I can handle it* April 2018 - That awkward moment: why we should embrace everyday embarrassments in working life For April’s feature, we went all-out cringe and focused on awkwardness; one of the most uncomfortable but common qualities we experience daily in our personal and professional lives. shared learnings from Melissa Dahl’s excellent book 'Cringeworthy: How to Make the Most of Uncomfortable Situations' and provided some insight into why we feel awkward, how to manage it, and why even the most painful moments could be valuable to our development. With tips that included not running away from a red-faced moment, planning a difficult conversation and altering our mindsets, this month we were ready and willing to embrace the cringeworthy. 2019 Career Resolution *I will reframe an ‘awkward’ moment and manage it well; growing my courage and experience in the process* May 2018 - Would HR in the charity sector work for you? Here’s the inside view. In May, I asked my friends and colleagues in the charity HR sector to join me in exploring what makes working in charity HR so different from other sectors and the challenges unique to not-for-profit. We also shared some tips those wanting to make a career change and for charity HR people looking to improve their current processes. I learnt motivation is often the key driver for charity HR professionals, that the most common misconceptions about working for a charity can be easily dispelled and that prior charity experience isn’t always necessary when considering a leap from corporate to charity - even for the large organisations. 2019 Career Resolution *I will consider work that can potentially change the world - on a voluntary or permanent basis* June 2018 - How to start a new job… and survive If you started a new job in 2018 you might agree with the CIPD’s depiction of how it feels; ‘…like going to a party where you don't know anybody - pretty intimidating and not very enjoyable’. I began a new role in May and although I love it now, I felt like the shy, terrified new girl for the whole of month one. So I wrote a feature about being the newbie, what strategies to deploy, and what to do (and not to do) in your first few weeks into a new job to ensure a successful inauguration. From ‘starting before you start’, preparing yourself for feeling utterly silly and bringing your entire self to work, my tips were aimed at easing your newbie nerves and pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone so you could enjoy the party. 2019 Career Resolution *I will aim to always make a good impression, consider my ‘personal brand’ and be friendly to everyone as a rule* July 2018 - How to overcome impostor syndrome This month, we delved a little deeper into the psychological pattern of Impostor Syndrome (IS) - the persistent inability to believe your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved. I outlined the symptoms to look out for, why we need to tackle IS to avoid people-pleasing, overworking and becoming stressed or depressed and ways to cope with it. I was surprised to learn IS doesn’t discriminate; the most outwardly confident and successful people - Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, Tina Fey and Lupita Nyong’o - were amongst the award-winning, high achievers affected. 2019 Career Resolution *I will defy impostor syndrome and remember it’s hard work, tenacity and skill - not luck - that drives my success* August 2018 - Charity Careers: Hannah Sanders In the second Charity Careers interview of 2018, we met enthusiastic polymath Hannah Sanders, Consumer Brand Partnerships Lead for Save the Children. I discovered that by studying hard, learning from the guidance of some inspiring colleagues and having a constant appetite for knowledge, Hannah secured her dream job. She shared some great insights and left us in awe with her zest for life and impressive hobbies that included drawing, Lindy Hop dancing and learning Welsh. 2019 Career Resolution *I will be curious, inquisitive and build an appetite for knowledge to broaden my skills and advance my career* September 2018 - How to be productive at work Are you one of the half of workers who regularly fall down an Instagram rabbit hole, find it difficult to sidestep chatty co-workers and suffer from email overwhelm? In September, I shared some useful hacks to limit procrastination and help us all be more productive at work. Tips included avoiding starting anything without a to-do, get to know when you’re ‘peak you’ and avoid overdoing it or eroding performance by working through lunch. As Maya Angelou once wisely said, 'Nothing will work unless you do’. 2019 Career Resolution *I will reframe the day’s first hour as ‘Power Hour’; planning, prioritising and organising my day rather than looking at my phone* October 2018 - The (subtle) power of introversion In October, I warned Harris Hill Blog readers that the introverts were coming… and that it was good for business. I shared my research on introversion, ambiversion and extroversion and why being an introvert doesn’t equal low-energy, a lack of resilience or rudeness. Conversely, introverts make great leaders, have excellent listening skills and use their preference for quiet working to boost creativity and deliver. I made the case for the quietly contemplative, encouraged by the work of attorney-turned-author Susan Cain and her Quiet Revolution, and outlined some ideas to channel introversion into success at work. 2019 Career Resolution *I will embrace my personal traits, rather than correct them, and learn how to use them to my advantage* November 2018 - Why a workplace mistake could be the best move you’ve made Finally, in November I shone the spotlight on the the work blooper - the nausea-inducing, embarrassment-causing (but great for pub anecdotes) experience of making a huge mistake. I wrote about why we make mistakes, reassured readers that it’s good to make mistakes, provided some insight on what you can learn from a mistake and suggested ways to manoeuvre your way out of a potential crisis. I reached out to friends, colleagues and LinkedIn’ers to ask if they’d be willing to reveal their most unforgettable career-clangers - and the result was a fascinating (and hilarious) tapestry of goofs to entertain and reassure anyone who still feels sick about the mistake they made three months ago. 2019 Career Resolution *I will not ruminate over mistakes I’ve made at work but use them to do better next time* —————————— I wish you all a happy, healthy and successful 2019; crammed full of all the things you love doing. Merry Christmas! Nicola Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola More from the Harris Hill blog: ​ ► Quiz: Should you look for a new job in 2019? ► Specialist charity recruitment: now available in Scotland! ► Back to the blog index

A new year, a fresh start, and time for a new job? How do you know if it’s really time to move on? It’s a question that can get stuck in your head, like a hit from the ‘80s, or a metal plate. Should I stay or should I go, you wonder – wouldn’t it be good? How will I know? And when will I be famous, exactly? Well, wonder no more, because our hastily-cobbled-together new year quiz is here to help you find out! As the UK's leading specialists in charity sector recruitment we've got decades of experience and expertise, absolutely none of which went into this spurious exercise. Ten simple questions, zero scientific legitimacy: just select the end of each statement that best completes it for you. (You’ll need to tot up your answers at the end – we'd have made it interactive but had a party meeting to get to and largely imaginary coding skills. Plus the last time we tried embedding anything - well, let's just say there was bit of a misunderstanding and now we can't look anyone from IT in the eye). Let's move swiftly along and get started... ​ For each of the ten statements below, simply choose the ending that's most applicable for you: 1. Your boss is… A An endless source of inspiration! B Quick to show appreciation C No real cause for celebration D Hopeless beyond explanation E Under police investigation 2. You’re expecting the year ahead to be… A More amazing than ever! B Pretty good, on the whole C More of the same D 365 more days of relentlessly soul-destroying misery E 1989 3. The moment you wake up in the morning you’re… A Bouncing up and out of bed! B Planning for the day ahead C Wishing it was Sunday instead D Overwhelmed with fear and dread E Sorry, you’ve lost me there. Wake up…in the morning? 4. You travel in… A With a smile on your face and a spring in your step! B With a packed schedule and everything you need for a busy and productive day C With far too many other people - it's definitely getting worse D With grudging resentment and an emergency bottle of gin E Style, regardless of expense 5. At 4pm on a typical Monday we’d probably find you… A Sighing with contentment - we're doing something wonderful here B Trying to get as much done as possible by the end of the day C Buying things online – there's some brilliant deals on Groupon this week D Crying in the stationery cupboard. Mondays are cruel. E Flying, probably. I’m always flying somewhere. 6. If they made you CEO tomorrow you would… A Probably burst with pride and delight! What a privilege! Though I hope this doesn’t mean something terrible’s happened to Martin? B Be very surprised, super-nervous, but pretty chuffed I guess – I’d certainly give it a go! C Of this place? Oh, right. Well, so long as there's a decent payrise. D Derive immense pleasure from firing each and every one of these ‘people’ E Be totally confused but hey, how hard can it be - yeah, why not? 7. You’ve won £50 million on the lottery*! (*you haven't, just to be clear for legal purposes: it’s a hypothetical premise in a made-up quiz) You would… A Donate the lot to charity and keep on coming to work of course – I couldn’t leave these guys! B Throw the biggest leaving party this place has ever seen. Free champagne for everyone! C Be out of here before you could blink D Bribe the board to retire, take over, and derive immense pleasure from firing each and every one of these ‘people’ E Oh, Marbs or Ibiza darling, straight away. Miami if it’s winter. 8. The highlight of your time there is… A Probably yet to come! But otherwise, gosh, so many to choose from! B Getting that great new project off the ground – we've been able to make a real difference with the revenue generated C Hard to remember off the top of my head, but I’m sure there was something a few years back D ...going to be the look on their faces when I finally announce which orifice they can kindly insert their job into E Highlights? Are people still having those? 9. With a month left to use it, you've still got a week of your annual leave. You… A Don’t want it anyway – who’d skip a single day with these wonderful people? B Try and book the rest of it in without missing anything too important C Immediately book the next week off and head for a Spanish resort to soak up the sun, sea breezes and your bodyweight in Sangria D Don’t understand the question. Obviously I got through it all months ago - why on earth would I be here otherwise? E Sorry no, you’ve lost me again - my annual what? 10. When the time eventually comes to move on, you’ll… A Miss these guys SO much, we’re like family! Actually some of us are now – oh, that was a beautiful wedding. Shame they can’t stand each other now of course, but if we sit them at opposite ends they can't throw anything sharp past the photocopier. It's a pity our interns keep leaving, though. B Keep in touch, at least with the people I'm closest to here. Probably my manager too, you never know if I might want to come back one day. C Have to do leaving drinks I suppose. If I fake being totally hammered by 7.30 I can probably get home in time for Bake-Off. D Write a tell-all memoir of my heroic struggle, describing the countless misdemeanours of my colleagues in unnecessarily salacious detail E Already be living it large in the next place to be - the party's wherever I am! Job done! You've made it to the end of the questions. So what does the year ahead have in store for you? Should you stay put, or start searching? If your answers were... Not that you'd dream of it, but don’t even think about moving! Stay exactly where you are; they love you there and by golly, you just love them right back. Possibly a little bit too much but honestly, who can blame you? It’ll all end in tears of course, because you’ve never built the ten-foot wall of cynicism that shields the rest of our blackened hearts, but don't listen to the doubters. You're having a ball, so good for you and long may it last! However unlikely that may be! Top tip for 2019: Maybe just start keeping track of the cats you're adopting - is that the fourth now? It's all good! You've got a decent employer, you’re valued, doing well and even if it’s not your ultimate dream job, it’s right enough for right now. There’s no harm in scanning the job ads occasionally in case there's something even better, but you’ve still got potential there yet, room to grow, and so much going on that it's highly unlikely you're doing trivial internet quizzes. We're wasting our time here, basically. Top tip for 2019: They won't be reading this, so if everyone could just quietly hum to themselves to fill the gap here, that’d be great thanks. It's not you, it's your job. Or maybe it is you - oddly we can't quite be sure despite the forensic questioning. Either way, whatever fireworks there may once have been have long since burned out and the relationship's stuck in a rut. You're going through the motions but it's not bringing the best out of either of you and frankly, you both deserve better. There's always the chance you can turn things around - like there's always the chance of it snowing in August - but if we were in your shoes we'd ask ourselves a) if we still want to be there in three years' time, and b) why on earth we're borrowing your shoes. We're not even the same size. Top tip for 2019: You're capable of so much more, so dust off your CV, do something about your hair (trust us), and get searching for a great new job! Okay, before we can talk we'd appreciate if you'd put that thing down. That's better, thank you. Well, we're sure you don't need us to tell you it's time to move on, and the sooner the better for all concerned. Life could be so much better in a job that you actually like, surrounded by people you don't loathe with every fibre of your being. We can't guarantee you'll walk straight into that kind of job - not while the bitterness can still be seen from space, at least - but it's got to be worth a try, right? Things have turned toxic and it's time to shape up and ship out. And if you can do it without anyone requiring emergency services, it's an achievement to mention in interviews. Result! Top tip for 2019: Even if you've already checked today, it's always worth making absolutely sure you're not the prime minister. ​ …we should point out this is NOT a dietary recommendation. Because, well we don't quite know how to put this, but we ran your answers through our highly sophisticated analysis machine and the phrase that came back was 'either too high or too rich to function'. The machine's words, not ours - and frankly a bit much from an overpromoted calculator that can barely manage to switch itself on, but that's modern technology for you. Either way it's not something we see in a job specification all that often, so the prospects there aren't brilliant - but at least you're happy, artificially-induced or otherwise. Here's to 2019! Top tip for 2019: Wherever is the new 'new Ibiza', after whatever was the new Ibiza last year. And never be photographed without sunglasses - have them surgically attached if necessary (somebody will know somebody, just ask around). That's the end of the quiz and should it not be already, we’d like to make abundantly clear that none of the above should be taken as remotely sensible career advice. But if you'd like some proper assistance with finding new jobs in the charity sector, just get in touch with one of our specialist consultants! Alternatively you can browse through our current vacancies, or give us a call on 020 7820 7300 - we'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, good luck if you're thinking of moving, and our very best wishes for 2019! Team Harris Hill ​ More from the Harris Hill blog: ► Specialist charity recruitment: now available in Scotland! ► 2018 review and career resolutions for the new year ► Back to the blog index

​ Dramatic landscapes and majestic scenery, vibrant cities and buzzing nightlife, the people, the whisky, the slices of square sausage – what’s not to love about Scotland? Bagpipes aside of course, but we trust the UN will eventually intervene. At Harris Hill we've always worked with charities nationwide from our London HQ, but we've long been eager to provide more local, face-to-face support for organisations further afield; to which end we’ve recently opened a brand new office in the South West. So when one of our most experienced recruiters, Harris Hill legend and all-round top bloke Jason Jederon relocated north of the border earlier this year, the decision was easy. Step forward, Harris Hill Scotland! Working from his conveniently-located new base in the middle of Scotland’s central belt, Jason’s little more than half an hour from Glasgow, Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, and easily able to meet with charities in key cities like Dundee, Perth, Stirling and St Andrews too. And since we’ve been celebrating the brilliant work of charities all over the country for #UKCharityWeek 2018, what better time for the HH Blog to quiz our man in the North on the new venture, life, work and the charity sector in Scotland? Though to our eternal shame we forgot to ask about the square sausages.​ L-R: Jason Jederon, an unexpectedly picturesque Aberdeen, and potentially something very rude about the English in Gaelic (but probably just a straight translation) So firstly, why Scotland? For me it was the opportunity to experience a different place and lifestyle. I’m a born and bred Londoner and have never lived outside of the capital, so I’ve always thought about experiencing something different and when the opportunity came up, I felt it was now or never. I’ve been coming to Scotland for many years thanks to my wife and have always loved the people, the scenery and the Scottish banter. In terms of opportunity, the potential is huge for Harris Hill. We know there’s a buoyant sector up here to work with and feel there’s a genuine gap in the marketplace for a recruitment provider with our pedigree and longevity to provide support to existing and new clients. What kind of roles are you recruiting for? As in London, the focus is on permanent and contract recruitment for charity head office roles. My recent background has been within fundraising so that’s the natural place to start off, but I also have experience of working broader roles in areas such as operations, marcomms, project management and finance. And who have you been working with so far? I’ve started by building on the warm relationships we have with organisations we’ve previously recruited for and who have requirements in Scotland; like the Head of Fundraising - Scotland role I’m currently recruiting for a national children’s charity. Beyond that I’ve been actively securing meetings with potential new clients in Glasgow and Edinburgh for causes such as environmental, healthcare, medical research and hospices. L-R: Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland's three biggest cities basking in the sun. Not all on the same day, obviously. How have you been finding the initial response from charities and candidates? Coming into the market as a new player has been quite interesting. Once you leave the comfort of London to come here, I quickly realised that we’re not as well-known as I first thought. Some of the people I’ve spoken to are familiar with us but the majority I’ve engaged with aren’t yet aware of who we are and what we do. But since I’ve started in this new role the response has been very encouraging, and from what I’m hearing there’s a genuine appreciation for a professional recruitment consultancy to provide an alternative to the current suppliers. For those who don't yet know us, what can they expect from Harris Hill in Scotland? I’m here to provide a strong level of service and support to the sector and to assist them with finding their most important commodity: people. I’ve been recruiting within the charity sector for nearly six years now, so I'm able to bring with me a strong awareness of charities’ needs and challenges in the current climate. I’ve also recruited large numbers of fundraisers, operations staff and marcomms professionals so I’m aiming to use the knowledge and experience I’ve gained for the benefit of our clients in Scotland. Any successes to share so far? It’s early days so far but I’ve filled roles with an environmental charity in Dundee, finding them a Director of Fundraising - and most recently we’ve just placed a Community Fundraiser for a national homelessness charity in Glasgow. I’m awaiting the outcome of interviews for the Head of Fundraising role, so fingers crossed there too. So relative to the London/South East market, what's different about recruiting for charities in Scotland? So far I’ve definitely noticed that because there are fewer charities to choose from (compared with London) people tend to move around less frequently. For fundraising in particular there seems to be something of a skills gap, with fewer suitable candidates for the roles that do become available. I’ve had conversations with senior fundraisers who feel there's a real lack of major gift fundraisers to choose from, for example. Also the universities and educational institutions here provide a great deal of competition in the battle for talent. Glasgow at Christmas, and Jason with fellow fundraising specialists Hayley Wilson, Natalie Lawford and Rudolph (seasonal temp) What have been the biggest challenges in getting started? So far it’s been about getting our name out there and raising our profile, so that people get to know that we’re genuine about this and here to stay. Maybe we’re seen as a London/Southern focused business without much of a track record in Scotland. But I think that actually having a physical presence here makes such a difference - and I’d like to think that I’m gradually changing people’s initial perceptions of us. In terms of competitors there aren’t many of the specialist charity recruiters you have in London, but there are some generalist agencies who dabble in providing support to charities. Getting the message out there that we’re genuinely specialist and only work in the charity sector is the biggest part of my pitch and so far, I feel that’s helped a great deal. So outside of work, how have you been adapting to life in Scotland? It’s taken a little time to adjust but I’m enjoying my time here and I feel that I’ve been welcomed along with my family. It’s good that we have friends and family close to us who’ve helped with the transition. The pace of life is a little slower but so far it’s been good to experience being away from London, and I feel I was at the stage of life where I was ready for a change. We have access to the countryside and a more active, outdoor lifestyle (when the weather permits) and I’ve been getting in to Glasgow and Edinburgh more when I need a bit of city life. And finally (since it's nearly here), what are your ambitions for Harris Hill Scotland in 2019? I want the Scotland business to grow and to show that we’re in it for the long term. Launching a new venture like this is tough but I’m hugely excited by the potential and from the early encouragement I’ve had so far. Ultimately, it’s all about generating business and delivering great service but if that can be done consistently over the next few months I’d like to feel we could expand the headcount, add one or two staff members and potentially become a full regional office. It’s early days but I’m excited by the challenge ahead! If you're a charity professional in Scotland and would like to find out how we can help with your recruitment needs, or get an expert view of the potential opportunities for your next move, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Jason on 07388 949510 or email jason.jederon@harrishill.co.uk Related posts: ► Bringing remarkable people to you: introducing our specialists in Scotland and the South West ► UK Charity Week: celebrating UK charities (and some great opportunities to join them) ​​

It’s probably safe to say that historians of the future, should there be one, won't be regarding 2018 as one of humanity’s finest years - globally or within our own (barely) United Kingdom. But as we grapple with increasingly unacceptable levels of conflict, poverty and Boris Johnson, it’s all the more important to remember there are plenty of great people out there too, doing plenty of truly great things. Hundreds of thousands in the UK alone in fact, working or volunteering for good causes and the benefit of others, through nearly 200,000 registered charities. This week is all about celebrating those people and the fantastic work of UK charities (many of whom we're delighted to work with), so naturally we're proud to be an official supporter of #UKCharityWeek 2018! ​There's a huge amount happening which you can check out at the official site, and our very best wishes if you're organising or taking part in one of the many events and celebrations. Inspired to work for a UK charity? Charity jobs are of course what we’re all about at Harris Hill, bringing remarkable people together with fantastic opportunities throughout the sector. And if you've been inspired to find a great new job with a UK charity, here's a top selection of our currently available vacancies, from the north of Scotland to the southern shores of Jersey (which turns out to be a real island and not just invented in the 1980s for tax purposes and Bergerac after all, so it's definitely worth a look). On to the jobs below! Head of External Relations Edinburgh, £excellent This is a key role working on behalf of Scotland's only national charity dedicated exclusively to the prevention and response of child sexual abuse. You'll need to be quick with this one though, as applications close on Thursday 6th December. ►More details Membership Development Officer - Woodland Trust 18 locations nationwide including Aberdeen, Brighton, Carlisle, Durham, Glasgow, Lincolnshire, Liverpool, Manchester, Southampton and Suffolk Part-time (min 22.5 hrs per week), £11,500 per year We're delighted to be working with the Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity, on a nationwide hunt for people who share their passion for the UK's native woods and trees, with the enthusiasm to inspire plenty more! You'll be the face of the Woodland Trust, talking to people from all walks of life about why woods and trees are special and how we can ensure their protection. ►Find out more and see the full list of locations on our Woodland Trust pages, or view more details of the role ​ Events Fundraising Manager Southampton, £31,000 - £34,000 per year This is a great role for an Events Fundraising Manager to work with a national and international social welfare charity in Southampton, dealing with a range of challenge and special events; where you'll also have the opportunity to travel abroad. ►More details Fundraiser Watford, £23,000 per year This is an opportunity to get plenty of hands-on experience running programmes, initiatives and events to support the strategy and tailored fundraising programme of this Watford-based charity. ►More details Social Media Developer (Temporary) Surrey, £25,000 - 35,000 per year If you're looking for something short-term this is a fantastic three-month opportunity for a Social Media Developer to join this youth related charity, where you'll help to plan, coordinate and implement all of their social media communications. ►More details Fundraising and Development Manager (Temporary) Surrey, £25,000 - 35,000 per year ....and with the aforementioned youth related charity, this is also a great opportunity to join them on a temporary basis for three months, developing relationships across the charity's local communities and delivering a portfolio of fundraising and awareness-building events throughout the year. ►More details Community Fundraiser Hampton, Surrey, £24,000 per year Famous for Hampton Court Palace, former residence of wedding addict and guillotine enthusiast Henry VIII, Hampton is thankfully now home to a rather more genteel community, who you'll work closely with in this role, implementing this charity's community partnerships strategy by growing income from all forms of local area fundraising. ►More details Head of Fundraising and Partnerships St Helier, £34,375 - 36,672 per year Based in the beautiful setting of St Helier and working with one of the UK's most loved children's charities, this is a role with huge appeal where you'll take the lead on fundraising, partnerships and raising the charity's profile throughout Jersey and the Channel Islands. ►More details We've also got a wealth of great opportunities elsewhere in the UK (particularly in London and the South East) in charity finance, fundraising, marketing, digital, data management, HR and many more fields, so if we can help with your job search or recruitment needs please don't hesitate to get in touch. ►View all charity jobs In the meantime, we highly recommend following the #UKCharityWeek Twitter feed to keep abreast of what's happening, and from all of us, have a wonderful UK Charity Week 2018! Team Harris Hill Back to the blog index

Made a mistake at work recently that was your fault? Are you still agonising over it? For my guest article this month, I’m exploring why a work blunder might feel like your world has ended, never mind your career, but could turn out to be the best thing you’ve ever done. ​​ Ah, the work blooper. Whether you’re an intern or the CEO, a self-orientated perfectionist or if you swear you triple-checked your email recipient, one day you WILL make a mistake. It’s an inevitable and unavoidable part of life. For article research, I asked friends, colleagues and LinkedIn’ers if they’d be willing to reveal their most unforgettable career-clangers. The responses wove a fascinating (and hilarious) tapestry of goofs. A helpful reminder that we’re all human - it’s the quirks of our mental make up that truly makes us interesting - and that even the most painful slip-ups can be helpful… Why do we make mistakes anyway? From clean forgetting the attachment on an all-company email to accidentally forwarding a highly inappropriate spam video to your Chair of Trustees - rather than flagging it with your PR team as you’d intended - the workplace gaffe is cringingly familiar. It’s safe to say most people have experienced the palpable gut-wrench of making an absolute clanger. So why do we make mistakes? Are we simply being careless or in a rush? Ignoring our intuitions and pushing ahead with an approach we know deep down will fail? Or is there more at play than personality and intelligence? American journalist and author Joseph T. Hallinan thinks so. In his book ‘Why We Make Mistakes’, he believes humans are pre-programmed to mess up because of our inbuilt ‘design flaws’. That it’s the way we think, see and remember - and forget - that leads us to make mistakes. By delving into psychology, neuroscience, and economics, he deduces that the same qualities that make us efficient can also make us prone to error. These design flaws, like when our eyes play tricks on us, are all-too-relatable. ‘I once sent an email about how incompetent and what a pain in the a***e a client was - only to send it directly to him’ said one of my friends. Not spotting a missing letter can also wreak havoc, as a teacher friend discovered. ‘My teaching assistant was responsible for the gardening club and needed to write an emergency flyer home to parents due to bad weather. She intended to ask them to wear wet-weather gear - wellies in particular. But, the note read something along the lines of... ‘Dear gardeners, please don’t forget to bring your willies to school tomorrow!’. It was my job to check - I missed it and the note went home. Thank goodness our parents are fairly good humoured!’. Why is it good to mess up? Most people are compassionate enough to realise mistakes happen and see the funny side when wellies go rogue. None of us are entirely flawless but we’re acclimatised to curated perfection in our virtual worlds. We share our successes and luminous achievements to our followers, but we rarely exhibit our failures when things haven’t gone so well. Then again, messing up can feel like the end of the world. The immediate reaction is usually negative; panic, nausea, wild irrationality. As you simultaneously update your LinkedIn profile in readiness for a new-job search and WhatsApp your friends requesting an urgent wine-up to wallow in catharsis, you can feel like the worst (*add job title here) in the country. Yet giving yourself permission to make mistakes could actually make you stronger. No matter how crushing they feel at the time, getting it wrong can be right in the long term. As Viv Groskop explains in her article for The Pool, ‘the more we stumble the less likely we are to head towards a major fall’. Making a mistake allows you to pause and reflect on the decisions made and actions taken which caused the error. Essentially, you get clarity on what’s gone wrong and can take steps to put it right. Post-mistake anxiety - the I never want to experience this embarrassment or worry ever again feeling - can be the driving force to do better next time. You may also push yourself in a way you wouldn’t if you’re used to playing it safe and striving for perfection. Author Elizabeth Day’s inspiring podcast ‘How To Fail With Elizabeth Day’ celebrates the things that haven’t quite gone right. Every week, she asks her interviewee what they learned from their failures and how to do it better next time, - and succeed. In her article for The Guardian, she shares, ‘I realised that the biggest, most transformative moments of my life came through crisis or failure’. Crucially, she survived. ​ ​ So, what can I learn from a mistake? The cringy, 'it feels like my career is over' kind of mishaps are often unforgettable. Yet, for most people their world didn’t actually end, it got better. Mistakes can: ► Embed a valuable skill. When one senior designer first started out in publishing, he printed '10,000s of John Grisham audiobooks with the title misspelt on the spine. It was…quite a biggy’. Gulp. Yet, the one thing they’ve carried with them, apart from an innate fear of a legal thriller, is how crucial it is to double check anything that goes public. My friend who sent a disparaging email about a client TO the client? ‘I never wrote a single word about anyone on my work email ever again!’. ► Steer you down a career path you REALLY want to take. One of my great friends ‘invited 60 Financial Services big-wigs to a CPD event up in Liverpool, only to receive a phone call from one of the attendees telling me that the venue hadn’t a clue about the event and there was no booking. Yep - I hadn’t booked it. To be fair to me that season I ran over 140 events nationally, but that was a spectacular fail! It was then I realised, Events was not for me…’. They have since built a successful and exciting career in HRIS with notable brands on their CV - and haven’t given CPD events a second thought. ► Alter your behaviour. ‘I wondered and commented on why a young lad was looking at a notice up really really close’ mused one of my contacts. ‘Unfortunately he had a very bad eye problem. I was mortified that I had commented and have learned that all disabilities may not be that obvious. I’m very considerate and helpful to all my customers'. Although naturally respectful, it reminded her that consideration towards others goes a long way. Argh, I’ve made a huge mistake. Now what?! Here are some suggested ways to navigate yourself out a potential crisis in the event of a blooper: 1. Clear your head. Stop, take a deep breath and consider what’s actually happened (i.e. did you email the person intended or the whole company?). In your eagerness for damage control, avoid sending an email immediately. It could make things ten times worse and appear you’ve lost control. 2. Face up to it. Don’t run away, hide in the loos or blame the whole thing on Stephen from Finance. Be upfront with your manager and apologise, but don’t over do it. Present a clearly thought-out solution for their approval and display a calm and professional exterior (even if you’re sobbing inside). 3. Try not to catastrophise. It’s natural to assume the worst - but don’t let panic or imposter syndrome overwhelm you. It’s likely your colleagues won’t notice your mistake, as everyone’s too busy making their own (I mean, getting on with their work). 4. A slip-up shared...Talk to a friend or loved one. What feels like the end of the world this morning could make for a terrific anecdote by this evening once you’ve nailed (1), (2) and (3). Swapping ‘you’ll never guess what I did today’ tales can offer reassurance, a reality check and a giggle. Then, stop obsessing and let it go. 5. Show em’ what you’re made of. Don’t let a blip derail you. Work extra hard over the coming weeks to restore your confidence. Genuine colleagues and good line managers will want to see you succeed. 6. Check yourself. If you’re making small but frequent mistakes at work, there might be something else at play. Are you overloaded with a heavy work-life balance or anxious about something in your personal life? Or are you bored, taking your eye off the ball? Consider talking to your manager or HR, or access other support mechanisms like an employee assistance programme or a work/life coach. ​No matter how agonising at the time, work mistakes can provide invaluable lessons to file in our ever-growing life manual. Although it’s hard to visualise in the moment, the personal growth you’ll experience will make it all worthwhile. Trust me. It’ll all be OK. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola​ There were too many brilliant mistakes to include in this article so... ..for the purposes of solidarity in our slip-ups, here’s some more mistakes to share. A huge thanks to everyone who bravely participated! Interviewing the wrong person for a role was a good one! Two sets of interviews were happening at the same time. I knew my candidate was a Sikh gentleman and never for a moment imagined the other candidate would be too, so didn’t check his name, just asked if he was here for a interview. It was only when we got to the technical questions that he actually asked what the role he was being interviewed for was! Before I moved into professional services I worked for a fairly big haulage company in their Finance dept. I was working closely with two very experienced women who were great to work with and helpful. We got on well as a team apart from our direct line manager who was David Brent before he was conceived as a concept. Unfortunately one of said women had a massive hang up about her age (she was in her mid thirties) and one day I tried to get her attention to discuss a project and forgot where I was and called her 'mother'. She thought I was being cheeky (due to sensitivity around age) but it was a genuine oversight. Everyone else in the office was rolling up in tears. Lesson learned, always remember somebody's name and their relationship to you. For context I was 18 at the time. It can’t be as bad as a) inviting all your personal contacts to a staff breast awareness session or b) an unfortunate ‘Beast Caner’ typo (breast cancer) in a print run of 5,000. Back in the day and being an over-helpful people pleaser I offered to help our Company Secretary "guillotine" the sides off of his eldest daughter's GCSE music manuscripts to tidy them up for submission to the examiners. (His PA was on a day off). I nervously lined them up on what I thought would be a nice, neat line - only to chop off about an inch of the actual music as well! Not sure what I learned other than what a complete twit I was! And of course it’s something I've never forgotten - and apparently neither had he when I met him at a reunion almost 20 years later! I did a whole day of interviews. We had one candidate that got louder and higher pitched with each question and answer, to the point where on the panel, we couldn't look at each other and were shaking with holding the laughter in. Somehow we made it through that interview, but didn't do the sensible thing and take a break, get it out and breathe… no, we just ploughed on. The poor next candidate came in and started her interview, but then two of us made eye contact and one of us lost it. One interviewer had to leave the room after snorting out a laugh. All of us fell apart laughing - absolutely full-on crying, belly laughs. It was awful. The poor candidate had no idea what was going on. In the end we had to stop, explain and start again. It was so unprofessional. However, she got the job and was a fabulous team member for many years. We are still in touch now… ​ More from Nicola Greenbrook: ► How to start a new job...and survive ► How to be productive at work ► Charity Careers: meet Hannah Sanders, consumer brand partnerships lead for Save the Children

If you’re keen to play an active role in protecting the environment, and prefer talking to people in the great outdoors than being stuck in an office on the phone, we might have just the job. The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity with more than 500,000 members and supporters and over 1,000 sites nationwide. They protect and campaign on behalf of the country’s woods, plant trees, and restore ancient woodland for the benefit of wildlife and people. Their vision is of a UK that’s rich in its native woods and trees, with all the benefits that brings for the population, as well as restoring and protecting the natural habitat for wildlife. We’re delighted to be working with the Trust on a nationwide campaign to find people who share their passion and have the confidence and enthusiasm to engage and inspire others, to join them as Membership Development Officers. It’s a fantastically varied role where you could be working from home one day, staffing an event the next, and exploring the woodlands of any of the 18 areas where they currently have openings. If that all sounds appealing, visit our Woodland Trust page to find out more about the organisation, more details of the role, and how you can apply. Find out more ► ​​

Marketing & Communications Executive £45,000 per year plus benefits Based in London, The Insurance Charities has been in existence for over a hundred years, helping past and present insurance employees and their dependants. They give over £1.2 million of help to insurance people in need each year, and Harris Hill are proud to be partnering with the charities as they recruit their Marketing and Communications Executive. Read on below for further details of the role and how to apply. How does the Marketing and Communications Executive contribute to The Insurance Charities? The Marketing and Communications Executive will be a driving force for the charity. In this exciting and varied role, you will be responsible for managing communications with the Charity’s stakeholders via face to face meetings, social media channels, on-line and direct mail campaigns and at events within the insurance industry. You will create digital content, including newsletters and flyers, and keep our website vital, and up to date. You will work with the CEO and the Charity’s Marketing Committee to support volunteers across the UK and Ireland in their publicity efforts as well as engage with insurance employers to develop partnerships to encourage applications from past and present employees, where appropriate. Current or recent experience of working within the insurance and financial services markets would be a definite advantage. Who are we looking for? • The ideal candidate will be a self-motivated and focused individual who can work independently, but as an integral part of a small team, and has exceptional communication skills at all levels. • You will be a credible marketing specialist who is business savvy and will come in with innovative ideas to drive the charity forwards. • You will build long-term relationships, and be adaptable to differing environments and be passionate about growing the charity’s reach. • The ideal candidate will have an insurance or financial services understanding, however this is not a pre-requisite. Why work for The Insurance Charities? A competitive salary, generous pension scheme and the opportunity for flexible working awaits together with the satisfaction of being an instrumental element of a charity which has already improved the lives of many thousands of individuals. Additional information • The role is permanent, with the flexibility of either part-time 4 days or full-time 5 days a week. Salary £45,000. • If you feel you meet the above criteria, please do apply and if you are shortlisted you will be contacted directly by the consultant. • Please get in touch before the closing date to avoid disappointment. If you would like to apply for this role, please send your CV and supporting statement to hannah.whittington@harrishill.co.uk Closing date for applications: 8.00am Monday 3rd December 2018. Interview date: Wednesday 12th December 2018 ​

After a busy day at work, do you crave the solitude of your own home? During a creative meeting, do you prefer to listen and reflect rather than engage in lively debate? Is downtime essential after a run of team drinks and networking events? You could be an introvert… and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. For my guest blog this month, I’m exploring why introversion should be celebrated at work, not corrected, and how it can be a powerful trait for accomplishment and contentment. First, the theory… The terms introversion and extroversion were popularised by Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung, one of the first to define these characteristics in a psychological context and suggest that we all fall into one of these two categories. Psychologically speaking, an introvert is someone who is principally concerned with their own thoughts and feelings rather than with external things. Although not necessarily uncomfortable around other people, they prefer not to be the centre of attention. Conversely, extroverts are concerned primarily with the physical and social environment and find being in the spotlight energising and stimulating; it’s when their best qualities shine through. ​ A quiet extrovert? How would you describe yourself? I’ve always assumed I was an extrovert as I relate to several of the behavioural traits usually associated with extroversion (such as being sociable, outgoing and people-orientated) and I’m not shy or reticent as the dictionary definition of introversion suggests. When I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment at work a few years ago, I wasn’t surprised to see one of my dimensions was ‘E’ for extrovert - I love team working and draw energy from being around others and the external world. So I’ve been surprised recently to find myself retreating a little. Seeking quiet spaces to think, work and concentrate rather than flinging myself willingly into the open plan office or a busy café if I’m freelancing. I really enjoy social gatherings both in and after work, but I’m drained if my calendar is too jam packed. Although not passive in meetings, lately I’ve also appreciated listening and reflecting before making a point. So, does this make me low-energy or lacking in resilience? Will people see me as shy (or worse, rude), and will I be overlooked at work or less successful? Extroverts and introverts in society If you’re a fan of social media or reality TV, you could be forgiven for thinking that society values the outgoing and gregarious above others, both in and out of the workplace. As journalist Freya Parr cites in her article for The Huffington Post, these platforms ‘create a culture in which we assume that extroversion is aspirational, because, put simply, if you have an outgoing disposition and get on with others, you’re more likely to win’. (The Apprentice anyone?). Outside of work, we’re encouraged to amass new friends and followers on our social and professional networks and ‘put ourselves out there’. Yet, 24/7 connectivity or as Viv Groskop says in her article for The Pool, ‘a world of constant connection and chatter and sharing and me me me’ can be kryptonite for introverts. Introversion at work In work, it’s not unusual to see the most dominant and confident speakers presenting at the all-company meeting or assigned to a crucial new business pitch. Shyness, sensitivity and seriousness are often seen as negative, and in a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even embarrassing, to be an introvert at work. According to People Management magazine, many of us are hard-wired to associate leadership with extrovert traits, and report that 96 per cent of business leaders identify as extroverts. Arguably, the world’s most important workplaces or institutions are designed or set up with extroverts - and their need for stimulation - in mind with open plan design, group participation and team development days often on the agenda. Yet, what if you prefer listening to talking, and more intimate discussion to group settings? What if the idea of an open-plan setting fills you with horror, and you find yourself sloping off to a quiet meeting room for peace and concentration? Making a case for the quietly contemplative You’re not alone. It’s thought at least a third to half of people are introverts, including some of the world's most talented. Without them we wouldn't have the Apple computer, the theory of relativity and Van Gogh's sunflowers. One of the most popular TED talks of all-time focuses on the power of introverts. Attorney-turned-author Susan Cain passionately argues that introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world but have often been misunderstood as shy or, damagingly, inept. According to Susan, introverts prefer listening to talking and think before they speak.. She believes that although collaboration and interaction are great for exchanging ideas, introverts are most alive and capable in low-key environments and solitude is crucial for unleashing their creativity. Individual introverts view themselves as focused, capable and able to work without distraction. Executive Leadership Coach Leo Aspden expands on this further in his article for Training Zone, arguing that introverts make great leaders, just as good as their more visible extroverted colleagues. The quietly contemplative possess several leadership qualities such as (a) great listening skills, (b) the ability to make calculated decisions (c) the capability to balance extroverts (d) the ability to work independently in solitude and (e) the tendency to allow colleagues the space and freedom to share ideas. He believes that in order to get the best out of introvert leaders ‘it’s important to embrace their unique brand of charisma and their strengths as listeners and strategic thinkers’. Finally, Susan suggests that we all fall somewhere in the middle of introversion-extroversion, rather than being neatly one or the other. The American social scientist Kimball Young even created a word for this in 1927; ambivert - ‘a person exhibiting features of an extrovert and an introvert’. So, perhaps it’s time we reconsider the introvert-extrovert dichotomy… The power of the introvert So how can you channel introversion (or ambiversion) into success at work and take full advantage of your strengths? Here are some tips on how to put yourself out there, quietly but powerfully: ► It’s likely you’ve fully prepared before a meeting but if you’re thrown off guard by a question you’re not equipped to answer, don’t panic. Make a note and confidently explain that you’ll follow up after the meeting rather than be pressured into a hasty response. This enables you to think things through in your own time. ► If you work in a bustling open plan office, don’t feel afraid to leave the pack and head for a designated quiet area (or any nook you can find) to give you the thinking space required to work at your best. You’re likely to get more done as a result, and smash the deadline/nail the presentation/concoct the idea. ► At work, even away from the comfort of your own social circle, believe in what you say. Speaking less frequently but with conviction can be hugely powerful. The most engaging person in the room, or the office, isn’t always the loudest. ► If you’ve committed to a networking event, make a plan in advance to ease your nerves. Vikas Shah, CEO and Managing Director of Swiscot Group shares a good strategy; he mingles a bit at the start of the event, stays on for the important talk and then excuses himself. “You don’t have to be the last person standing” he says. “Allowing that flexibility makes a big difference to how you cope.” The introverts are coming… It could be the time to join the Quiet Revolution and rethink the idea that it’s a drawback to be an introvert. In fact, it could be good for you, and for business. Giving yourself time alone to work, think and recharge could increase creativity, make you worker harder and reap tangible results at work. In the very wise words of (shy introvert) Mahatma Gandhi, “in a gentle way, you can shake the world.” -------------- Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola More from Nicola Greenbrook • How to be productive at work • How to start a new job...and survive • Would HR in the charity sector work for you? Here's the inside view

Bringing remarkable people to you: introducing our specialists in Scotland and the South West! At Harris Hill we've been bringing remarkable people together with some equally remarkable charities for somewhere north of two decades: yet typically south of the Watford Gap. Given the preponderance of charity and not-for-profit headquarters in London and the South East, and the roles we recruit, it's perhaps no surprise that so many of our vacancies derive from the lower right-hand corner of the UK map. Nonetheless we've got a long history of working with great organisations all over the country too, from Exeter to Edinburgh, Dover to Dundee, and hopefully Brighton to Belfast for alliterative purposes although we might have to check that one. Until now though, it's all been done from our London base: Vauxhall's very own Charity Towers, where the Thames views are stunning and the 1970s never really went away. So we're enormously pleased to let you know that we've branched out both north and west, with two of our highly experienced charity recruitment specialists now based in Central Scotland and the centre of Bath, home to our first ever regional office! ► Scotland Jason Jederon is our man in the North: a Harris Hill veteran and long suffering standing member of our fundraising team. He's an expert in trusts, statutory and legacy fundraising but with far broader experience too, covering a wide range of charity and not-for-profit roles at all levels. He's also recruited extensively for commercial sectors including printing & graphics, banking and international finance (but try not to hold that against him etc). Based right in the heart of Scotland's central belt, Jason's ideally placed to work with organisations in Glasgow, Edinburgh and throughout the region, and can bring the full support of our resources, specialist teams, established brand and extensive database to tackling your recruitment challenges. If you're based in Scotland and have a recruitment requirement or enquiry you'd like to discuss, please don't hesitate to contact Jason on 07388 949510 or email jason.jederon@harrishill.co.uk ► The South West Ben Pountney is a relatively recent addition to the Harris Hill Executive Search team, but with more than enough expertise to lead our board-level recruitment in the South West, South Wales and beyond, having helped to establish the executive search brand for another leading recruiter, and with ten years' experience of personally delivering executive search campaigns for charities, membership bodies and not for profit organisations across the UK. Harris Hill Executive Search recruit for CEOs, chairs, trustees and senior directors, with an exceptional success rate of 100% for the past five years and counting. So if you're seeking to appoint at this level within the region, it's sure to be worth contacting Ben on 07444 475489, via email to ben.pountney@harrishill.co.uk or very soon indeed, at our new Bath office address! Ben's already working from another location in Bath while the office is being prepared, but we'll share the new office details on the website as soon as possible. ► Harris Hill Executive Search ► New website, new locations - part 1: introducing the new Harris Hill website

Finding your ideal charity job hopefully just got a little easier, as we’re delighted to bring you the brand new, totally rebuilt Harris Hill website with a host of new features to help with your job search. And we're equally excited to let you know we're expanding beyond our London office for the first time, to deliver more nationwide, regional and executive recruitment services from new locations in Scotland and the South West! More on those in the second part of this blog; meanwhile read on to find out what's changed on the website to improve your experience, with some great new functions and features.. Welcome to the new Harris Hill website 'Something's different but...wait, don't tell me...' people have almost certainly been calling to say this week. '...have you done something with your hair?' Well, thank you for asking but no - not all of us anyway - but we have had something of a digital makeover to bring you a brand new version of the site, with some major improvements for your job search. Short version if you’re in a hurry ► Whether you're a regular visitor or first-timer, we hope you'll find it easy to use straight away, as it's more of an evolution than a radical departure - on the surface at least. The big changes are beneath the bonnet, where the site's been rebuilt from scratch on a brand new platform to help you register, search and apply for charity sector jobs as quickly and easily as possible. The longer version if you’re not in a hurry, keen to know more, or perhaps just pretending to be super-busy 'doing some research': here are more details of what's changed and why. ​ Making your job search easier Since our last major update in early 2016 – back when the world still made sense and wasn’t quite so often on fire – we’ve made various improvements and added a stack of useful or interesting (sometimes both!) original content that's generated some great feedback. But we also know that aside from great jobs, sometimes all you really want from a recruitment site is to search and apply with the minimum of fuss. Which we're acutely aware hasn’t always been the strongest point of our site; something we’ve long been determined to resolve. So we’re properly thrilled to bring you a brand new site that’s been fully rebuilt with that sole purpose in mind: to make finding and applying for your ideal charity job as simple and effortless as possible. Upgrades include: • A super-streamlined registration page of just six questions (half of which concern your name and email) so you can sign up in seconds – or with a single click via your LinkedIn profile • Your candidate dashboard where you can view, upload and update your CV and details whenever you like, track jobs you’ve applied for and see suggestions, manage your job alerts and much more • Fast and accurate job search functions by job type, location, salary, length of contract, even the kind of fully functioning keyword search you'd expect in 2018: amazing. • A couldn’t-be-simpler application page that helps you apply for jobs in moments - whether you’re on a desktop, on a tablet, on your phone, still on your phone but on a packed bus that’s alarmingly enthusiastic about corners - almost quite literally anywhere* *with a 4G signal obviously; we're not wizards. ​ What else is new? • In ‘What We Cover’ you can now find new pages for our specialist teams and check out individual profiles and photos for each of our consultants (opinion here remains sharply divided as to whether this is a feature or bug) • Tailored content and job recommendations; whether you’re in fundraising, finance or any other field you’ll see more of the most relevant jobs and blog content that might be of interest to you There’s also direct access from the homepage to our softball league and Harris Hill Charity Series content, latest blogs, annual salary survey and more.​ ​ A few last words... • To bring you the job search upgrades as quickly as possible, this is very much version 1.0 of the site: there are plenty more developments and improvements to come, along with more of our archive content. • We’re making regular check-ups for teething troubles like broken links and formatting issues, but it's always possible we could miss something, so please feel free to let us know via info@harrishill.co.uk if something’s not working for you. • Finally if you landed here first and now want to check out the homepage, just click here or our logo (top left) from any page on the site. • • • • • • • • • • Whatever your situation we hope you'll find the new website genuinely helpful and informative, and be it now or in the future, a valuable tool to seek and secure your next dream job in the charity sector. Don't hesitate to get in touch if we can help! Team Harris Hill Meanwhile there's more good news we're excited to deliver, with expansion to two new locations and our first ever regional office... ► Bringing remarkable people to you: introducing our specialists in Scotland and the South West!

Interviews are done, meetings concluded and everyone's finally agreed on the candidate...who's just got another job. Due to fierce competition for candidates, it's a familiar story for charities recruiting fundraisers, but our community and regional fundraising specialist Joshua Liveras finds some alternative methods that could put you ahead of the pack... The charity recruitment process – time for a change? If you've ever applied or recruited for a charity job, you'll probably be aware of the traditional process; job posted, deadline set, candidates apply, candidates shortlisted after deadline, interviews arranged. Until recently it's been a fairly solid process, allowing charities with limited time and resource to manage their recruitment process as effectively as possible. However, over the past 12 months there's been something of a revolution. A select few charities have built large internal talent acquisition teams, often by hiring considerable numbers from the private sector - typically individuals who are used to working in aggressively competitive talent markets like banking or financial services, using some very different methodologies. Speed is good For example, they have brought with them the concept of engaging top talent in the interview process as soon as possible, to reduce the risk of losing them. This helps those charities to snap up the best talent, quite simply because they are moving quicker than their competitors. So the question I'm posing here is: should all other charities follow suit and review their recruitment process to move with the times? How to avoid losing potential candidates Working closely with charities on a daily basis, I understand the challenges of having the right people available at the right times to hold interviews, but there are ways around this: For example, one of the UK's largest cancer support charities holds video interviews as their first step, meaning candidates record themselves answering a series of questions and sends it to the talent team. This way it's not taking extra time for the interview, and is also really engaging candidates in the first instance. Another example is a well-known international children's charity, who simply hold an initial 15 minute conversation over the phone with a candidate, whoever is available to do so, before the closing date to get the candidate engaged as soon as possible. A number of charities are heading away from a set deadline date completely, and simply saying they will interview as and when the right candidates come along - the fixed closing date is no longer their 'standard practice'. At Harris Hill we're very aware that candidate expectations are changing too - most are no longer prepared to wait weeks for a potential offer, so I think whatever strategy is adopted, it's vital that charities modernise their process to move with these demands. Every single charity has a goal to make significant change, and as I'm sure many senior leaders in charities will tell you, the talent at their disposal is the number one factor that will prove to be the success or failure of that change. The fight for talent is more competitive than ever - let's make it a fair fight! Joshua Liveras Community and Regional Fundraising Specialist, Harris Hill

We've all had those days. It's hectic, you're working hard, but it's even harder to see what you're actually getting done. Luckily, for this month's guest post, Nicola Greenbrook is exploring some useful hacks to ward off procrastination and help us be more productive at work. Just as soon as you've finished reading this, of course... 'I've done nothing today' 'Where has the time gone?!' 'There's never enough hours!' How to be productive at work According to HR software provider CIPHR, more than half of workers cite distractions such as smartphones, the internet, chatty co-workers and email overload as factors that prevent them from working properly and reaching their full potential. As well as external influences, our own personal approach to work can impact on productivity; as the American writer Mark Twain once said: 'Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow just as well'. Most of us defer until the last minute every now and then at work, but if you're a serial procrastinator it's likely you'll chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately seek out distractions. On the bright side, it's a habit that can be overcome. Here are some tips on how to boost your productivity at work. Don't do, without a to-do When you're busy, the temptation is to tackle work head-on and treat planning as a waste of precious 'doing' time. In fact, lack of preparation can contribute to reduced productivity. Some of the most effective workers set their key priorities before anything else; either at the end of the working day to eliminate decision-making tasks in the morning, or at the start when their mind is fresh. Writer, brand consultant and Women Who founder Otegha Uwagba, offers some great tips on maximising productivity in her modern career guide Little Black Book. She recommends not checking emails or social media first thing in the morning to avoid tumbling down an 'internet rabbit hole'. Instead, Otegha suggests reframing the first and most precious hour of the working day as 'Power Hour'; setting out the day's priorities and planning workflow upfront. Try categorising your to-do list into three parts: 1. the dreaded, least favourite tasks 2. stuff you're motivated and excited to complete, and 3. personal admin and the 'nice to do'. It's easy to launch straight into (2) and (3), but tackling (1) first could provide headspace and some well-earned smugness. Starting important tasks early avoids cramming two hours of work into one, sloppy work and frustration. Put pen to paper Modern technology offers some innovative tools to work efficaciously. My current favourite is virtual to-do list Wunderlist which helps you note, diarise and tick off your personal and professional to dos. It's a great app to 'mind dump', project manage and ease a brain that's crammed to bursting. You can also share lists with others (my husband really appreciates getting notifications at work that say 'Nicola has completed 'Buy Toilet Rolls') and it's great for planning. Yet, sometimes there's nothing better than the humble written list and, to quote Otegha, often it 'helps to go analogue'. I'm a part-time HR Specialist at an intellectual property law firm, which I hugely enjoy as well as freelance writing and parenting. It's essential I maximise office time and compartmentalise my varying responsibilities. Keeping a notebook on my desk keeps my sometimes-wandering brain in check; when 'buy nappies!' or a new article idea pops into my head without warning, I quickly scribble it down and carry on HR-ing. This means the thought or action doesn't disappear and I can jot it down quickly rather than add to Wunderlist on my phone (I hate colleagues to think I'm idly scrolling on my phone when I'm at my desk). It's safely stored, ready to tackle later when the time is right. Step away from Twitter! Ah yes, social media - productivity's nemesis. Most of us can relate to starting the day with good intentions, briefly checking our phones over coffee then looking up twenty minutes later after being lost in a Twitter abyss. Consider going cold turkey and removing apps from your smartphone, or 'rewarding' yourself with blocks of scrolling time at lunch or on the commute. Social media usage-limiting apps like Moment automatically track how much you use your phone, allow you to set restrictions and even force yourself off it (gulp) when you're over the limit. If you've discovered a fascinating article you're desperate to read now but know you shouldn't really at work, Pocket could be the answer. It's an app and web service that helps you manage a reading list of internet articles; when you find something you want to view later, you put it in your Pocket. For retrieving later when you can read about Bodyguard without getting in trouble. Know when you're 'peak you' Sunday Times bestselling author, podcaster and broadcaster Emma Gannon believes the key to productivity is knowing when you're at your best (her most productive time is between 10am and 3pm). She works in ninety-minute bursts and when she needs to 'deep work' and focus, she sets her phone to aeroplane mode or banishes it to another room and sets an out of office on email to ensure no disturbance. Get to know how you personally work best - there's no right or wrong. If you're at your least dynamic in the afternoon or suffer from energy slumps, save your admin and less creative work until then. Consider shaking things up a bit and begin your working day an hour earlier, if your lifestyle permits. This could equal precious time away from distractions, clients or colleagues and getting ahead of the game. Or set a 'do not disturb' and notify your team how long it applies for; this creates a personal responsibility to finish a task and you can't blame others if you faff about instead. Have a break, have a... Some days, the deadlines compete fiercely with each other, your to-do list runs off the page and you absolutely must leave on time. When lunchtime looms, it's easy to ignore the rumbling tummy, a slightly fuzzy head and simply plough through. Yet, skipping breaks can be counterproductive and significantly impact mental performance. Being at your desk doesn't mean you're being productive, and working hours on end without any break can make us slower. Silicon Valley consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang argues in his book 'Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less' that dismissing rest stifles our ability to think creatively and truly recharge. After each productive burst take a short break and, importantly, step away from the screen. Consider the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method developed in the late 1980s. Essentially, this means breaking work down into chunks of time, usually 25 minutes, and intersperse these with short breaks. This means you're not working non-stop and expecting your poor brain to be at peak performance for great big stretches of time. Being productive doesn't mean over-doing it. Making some simple adjustments such as establishing your key priorities before tackling the load, limiting social media and taking regular breaks could be the difference to working smarter, not harder. To quote poet and activist Maya Angelou, 'Nothing will work unless you do'. Now step away from the phone... Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola

What makes a wonderful charity workplace, and how can you tell if it's right for you? For the past year we've been teaming up with Third Sector to find out, highlighting examples of good practice and innovative ideas that have proven successful for a variety of organisations. Earlier this month (recently published by Third Sector) our business services specialist Shweta Prabhakar spoke to Channing Rider, director of finance at The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, about what he thinks makes a wonderful workplace and his top career tips for jobseekers. • Tell us about the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust's mission and the work you do? The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust runs the Churchill Fellowships, which are travel grants open to all UK citizens to research a topic of their choice anywhere in the world that can make a practical difference to their profession or community on their return. Applications for fellowships are open until 18 September 2018, and then again in May 2019. We were set up in 1965 as a living memorial for Sir Winston Churchill's leadership, and since then we have funded over 5,500 fellows to learn from the world. I have a very posh title, director of finance and resources. As there is only one person in finance (me), it means that anything connected to financial, admin or governance matters eventually ends up on my desk. • What does a wonderful workplace look like in your eyes and what are you doing at the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to shape this? A wonderful organisation has a passion for its mission, combined with a high concern for the team delivering it on every level. I am part of a management team which focuses on the mission and also ensures that everyone is valued and resourced to perform. The old story of the NASA caretaker, who, when asked what he did, always inspires me. He said: "I'm putting a man on the moon." Everyone matters. • Employer branding and culture has been a hot topic for some time; when did you start thinking about it and why is it important? Charities provide a vehicle for people from all walks of life to make a difference. It's a sector that needs to be valued, championed and put into the heart of society. If we fail to win public trust, engagement and confidence, then the consequences to some of the most vulnerable people in society are often very harsh; this is why charities must be subject to high levels of governance and scrutiny. People engage with charities in different ways as employees, trustees, donors and supporters, so the culture must be one of scrupulous honesty and openness to win their commitment, and be backed up by inspirational leadership. • How do you communicate your charity's working culture to current and future employees? It's useful when people come for an interview to have an informal chat with staff before meeting the formal panel. Yes, it's a little artificial, but it sends a message to staff that their views matter. It also gives future employees the chance to fish around a little and gain a better impression of the working environment, as well as a sense of what type of people work here. • What kind of people make a great fit in your charity? People who are a great fit in the charity are customer focused, professional, flexible, friendly and unstuffy. We are a small charity, so apart from our formal roles and functions, we all have to cover for each other and muck in. For example, we all help with meetings during very busy periods, making coffee, clearing up. (Mind you, the communications manager did cut his thumb earlier this year to get out of doing the washing up!). • How can third sector candidates identify if a charity's culture will suit them? Organisational culture is so difficult to assess from the outside. I think the chief executive very much sets the tone. Find out what you can about the chief executive and members of the senior management team. Look for non-verbal clues during the interview. Do as much research as you can. Sometimes, though, non-politically correct people can have a heart of gold, and vice versa. Try to square the circle of developing discernment without being judgemental. In the end it's best, in my opinion, to trust your instincts. It's also fine to take a risk. Working on a temp to perm contract is also a useful way of testing the water. • How do you develop your staff? The obvious things work best: one-to-ones, regular appraisals, feedback, training courses, in-house briefings, and just taking an interest in people. Where people are in the career life cycle is also useful to be aware of. I'm 57 and have been working in the charity sector since I was 28 but, honestly, the rate of change is so quick I feel as if I am new to the game. Learning from each other is vital. Be generous with what you know and honest about what you don't. I learn so much from digital natives in their twenties, and I like to think they learn some things from me, but perhaps they are just being polite. • What would be your advice to someone looking for their first charity job? Charities need experienced, qualified professionals. But even if you've just started as an intern, as long as you have a hunger to learn and work hard, there should be a place for you. Perhaps start with a smaller charity, as that will give you the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of issues and to make an impact. It is easier when starting out to get pigeonholed in a larger charity and feel remote from the mission. Mission Impossible becomes Mission Incomprehensible. • And lastly, what are your top career tips for charity professionals? I only have one tip. A little mental preparation that I do every day before starting work. I hope you find it useful. You may recognise the analogy adapted from St Paul: I imagine a Roman soldier. I think of myself putting on the soldier's armour. First, there is the belt of truth upon which everything hangs. Be honest to yourself and others. Integrity is everything. Lose your credibility and all is lost. Secondly, I put on strong boots or sandals so that I can be flexible, move fast, be in the right place. Thirdly, I have a shield which I can be confident in because of my training and preparedness. Fourthly, I have a helmet which stands for my intellect. You have a good mind. Use it. Think about what you are doing and why. How can the work be done in a better way? Learn constantly. Finally, I put on a breastplate. It is important to put your heart into a role. We all have off-days when it gets very difficult to carry on, but caring about what you are doing makes it easier to deflect the arrows of misfortune when they come your way, as they surely will. Good luck! Many thanks to Channing for sharing his insights and some very wise words for both employers and prospective candidates! If you'd like to find out more about the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, you can visit their website here. ​ ► Back to the blog homepage

​ What does it take to drive brand partnerships for a major charity? How do you get into the sector? And what on earth would it be like to be a morning person? Find out in the second of our Charity Careers interviews, in which Nicola Greenbrook talks to key influencers in the charity sector, inviting them to share their personal career story and describe how they navigate the professional world. We discover what they've learnt from their ups and downs at work, what motivates them to get up in the morning and even what their dream breakfast might look like when they do... This month, Nicola was excited to meet the ambitious, polymathic and springer-out-of-bedder, Hannah Sanders! Hannah is Consumer Brand Partnerships Lead for Save the Children, which turns 100 years old next year. As part of their centenary, the charity has three current areas of focus: to end all preventable child death from pneumonia, the number one killer of all children globally; to ensure a good quality early years education for all, and to ensure violence against children is no longer tolerated. I’m responsible for… I have a hybrid role in the Partnerships team, leading on all brand partnerships across account management and new business. My role is to secure new partnerships and develop existing relationships with some of the world’s biggest household name brands, to raise vital funds for our global programmes and to improve our brand positioning. I started my career… I graduated from university with no clue what I wanted to do with my life; only that I didn’t want a 9-5 job or to go back home and live with my parents. I saw a summer job advertised as a Roaming Street Fundraiser (you know, those really happy, planet savers who ask you to sign up to a direct debit for a particular cause!) I absolutely loved it and stood on high streets approaching complete strangers for two years, until I realised I had a massive passion for international issues. So I went back to uni to do a Masters degree in International Development with Child Poverty. Through the course I learnt about so many important things Save the Children brought about, like establishing the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and securing free school meals. I thought, I definitely have to work there! My key roles along the way were… After a few different fundraising roles at a few different charities, and having developed under the guidance of a few amazing people; I finally secured my dream job at Save the Children. I keep my skills fresh by… I absolutely love learning; I never want to stop. In fact, a lot of the feedback I receive regularly refers to my constant thirst for knowledge. I’m one of those people at parties who constantly asks people weird open questions, so I can learn more about life. To keep my skills fresh, I read a lot around topics people have suggested could be good for my development. I also sign up to a whole host of available resources and free training at work and have incredibly inspirational mentors. My advice for anyone considering a move to the charity sector… As with most industries, charities often look for specific experience when recruiting for roles so unfortunately, new grads may need to seek internships that are available as a starting point. This can be pretty difficult when you need to pay bills and commute to London. If that doesn’t work though, grad schemes are a fantastic door opener, if not a little competitive. You can also regularly volunteer for causes you care about to find out about upcoming opportunities or apply for an entry level role in any department and move from there. Often with charities, once you’re in, you’re in - they like to recruit from within. The best piece of advice that’s stuck in my mind is… People won’t remember what you said, they’ll remember how you made them feel. This is very true and something I feel is so important in today’s society, because you never know when people will pop up again, or when progress is made as a result of relationships you’ve had with people. You should always intend to inspire others and be the best human you can be (although not always easy on a rainy Monday morning!) My alarm goes off at… 6am. I’m definitely a morning person and a few times a week I can be found running along the Thames. I recently moved to Pimlico in Central London, so I keep pinching myself that I get the chance to free my mind by running over Chelsea Bridge as the sun rises! My dream breakfast is… I absolutely love a Spanish fried egg, chorizo and potato hash type mash-up. My actual breakfast is… A peppermint tea with an Alpen breakfast bar and I attempt to make it through to lunch. It’s a marked improvement from the Red Bulls I used to drink for breakfast in my care-free twenties! A typical day… Definitely no such thing! This morning I was presenting some new team activities we have in the pipeline as I lead our People Team. Over lunch I was running an evaluation workshop on a Peppa Pig fundraising campaign. This afternoon I’ve just got off the phone to Switzerland where I was sharing advice on cause-related marketing products. Now, I’m preparing for a new prospecting meeting with one of the world’s biggest beauty brands. It never stops but it never ceases to entertain! Right now I’m reading… I’m a member of Save the Children’s Book Club. Each month we read a book based in a particular country, and then we go to a restaurant to eat that country’s cuisine whilst discussing the book – great chat, great people, great food! I’d highly recommend When Breath Becomes Air (which made me re-evaluate how I think about life and death) and The Underground Railroad (an incredibly powerful novel about slavery in the 1800s). Right now I’m watching… A National Geographic documentary series called Genius about the life and discoveries of Albert Einstein. It’s brilliant. I love incredibly entertaining programmes, with very good actors, about real life events that I knew nothing about. I think I’m the only one not watching Love Island! I can’t get through the day without… Listening to loud music on my way to and from the office, it helps me separate my life from my work. I listen to a whole host of different genres; from chart-toppers, to hip-hop, to electric swing. My only frustration is when I see someone I know on the commute and am forced to enter the world of work a few songs too soon! In my spare time… I like to take on new hobbies and interests each year. Last year I did a life drawing course every Saturday morning, this last academic year I’ve been learning Welsh every Monday evening and now that’s finished, I’m on the quest for a new one. I’m thinking maybe Lindy Hop dance classes. A colleague recently told me about mentoring young refugees who recently entered the UK so I’m keen to get this in too. And finally on sleep… I can sleep absolutely anywhere at any time, in fact once my Dad leaned me standing up against his car whilst he shut the doors and I still kept on sleeping! I’m not a peaceful rester though, apparently I talk as much throughout the night as I do throughout the day! We're pretty sure it was daytime on this occasion, but either way our many thanks to Hannah for talking to Nicola and sharing these insights into her busy working life! There'll be more Charity Careers to come, and of course you can follow the work of Hannah's charity at the Save the Children site. Check out more Charity Careers: Sara Rees, Head of Fundraising, Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity ​

​Into each life, some rain must fall... Not our words, but those of either a great philosopher or possibly Steps, in their seminal turn-of-the-century opus Deeper Shade Of Blue. Probably accompanied by some sort of rain-indicating arm movement. Either way, they had a point, so it's impossible to begrudge a couple of days' worth falling into the most exceptional summer anyone can remember; it's just unfortunate those days have included today (though we're assured by every weather service under the currently-hidden sun it'll clear up by kick-off), and the end of last week, delaying some vital semi-finals. All of which goes some way to explaining why we're bringing you this year's final pair of finalists mere hours before they take to the field, but we're nothing if not up-to-the-minute round here. We're celebrating 12 years as lead sponsors, but thanks to the league growing bigger and more popular every season there's been room to bring more on board too, including print experts RNB Group, fundraising gurus Brightspot Fundraising, and the magnificent merchandisers known as Bluestep Solutions! They've brought plenty of great things to the league like food, team t-shirts and a brand new gazebo for the Harris Hill bar, but most importantly of all, a brand new trophy - the Bluestep Shield, which is what the talented teams from the RNLI and MS Society will be battling it out for today. Over to the captains! Amanda Robson and Nicola Winfield, RNLI How long have you been involved in the league? This is our fifth year playing in the league. Our first two seasons were pretty shocking - I think we won one game a season and one of those was potentially a walkover...nevertheless we all loved it and softball fever gripped the RNLI! We reached the last 16 of the Cup in our third season, and last year we made the semis of the Cup, losing out to Mind. So we were determined to reach the finals this year! What's the best thing about being part of it? Having the opportunity to socialise outside of work, with both RNLI staff and our lifeboat crew volunteers, meet people from other charities in the Tats and catch up with old colleagues that have moved to new teams. Also, being in a London park in the summer with a gin in a tin is pretty sweet! What's been your best or funniest moment this season? There was a moment in our semi-final against MSF when one of our fielders did a great stop and could have easily thrown the ball onto first or second to get an out, but somehow in a bit of a panic, managed to throw it vertically (probably the highest throw in recorded history) whilst essentially passing it to himself. It was quite a sight! Friendliest team you've played? We've played against some great teams this season - Global Make Some Noise definitely lived up to their name with the loudest cheerers! Sparks were nice in our quarters, and we had a really fun and close game against Sustrans in our group. Who've been your toughest opponents this year? Anthony Nolan destroyed us on a tough night in Regents Park where we conceded a mighty 73 runs over 4 innings (we probably should have just given up early and got home in time for Love Island). Their batting was great and a big hit towards third base resulted in a smack to our player Hannah's face 3 weeks before her wedding - fortunately the scar healed in time, phew! Who's been your MVP this year? It would have to be Sammy J, our 'Perfect Pitcher' (according to our umpire Jason from Marie Stopes), who is unfortunately is off on warm weather pitching training in Trinidad for the final. So what's the secret of your success? We always go into a new innings thinking its 0-0, we have an excellent cheer squad with chants and pom-poms, and we have incorporated some yogic breathing into our huddles which calms even the most competitive of us before each innings. We also have post-match reports each week done by different players which keep us all reliving the game and gets us pumped for the next one! What are you hoping for from the finals night? We'd love to bring back some silverware to the RNLI office but know it will be a tough game. Like last year we are also combining the night with a 'softball stag' for one of our players who is soon to be married - this year is Cub's turn so no doubt it will be a huge celebration if we win or lose! Georgina Carr - MS Society (aka The Mammoths!)​ Tell us about your team and the charity? We're the MS Society Mammoths - the most orange softball team around. The MS Society is here for everybody affected by multiple sclerosis. More than 100,000 of us live with MS in the UK. We're a community of people living with MS, researchers, fundraisers, campaigners and volunteers. We know together we're strong enough to stop MS. And we're working hard to make it happen. How long have you been involved in the league? The MS Society has been part of the league for 8 years, and this is very first final (and we are VERY excited about it - check out our video for more on how we've been preparing). We were re-branded as the Mammoths around 3 years ago, and since we adopted the name we've gone from strength to strength. What's the best thing about being part of it? There are so many positive things about being in the league - it's allowed us to develop lots of new relationships in the sector, which has been hugely beneficial for our work. It's also improved relationships internally no end - it's far easier to work with people when you get to know them outside of an office setting. It means you get a far better understanding of their work, their motivations and priorities in a more informal way, and that can have huge benefits when it comes to working together further down the line. There are many conversations internally that could have been far more challenging had I not got to know colleagues through the softball team. Getting to the final has just been fantastic - the entire organisation has got behind us, which is incredible, and it's likely that a few staff will come down and watch. Our internal news story about the final is the most engaged-with story on there - testament to the power of the league in getting people to rally together in support of the organisation! What's been your best or funniest moment this season? There have been many, but one my favourites was when our pitcher, Jonathan Blades, got someone out at home plate but couldn't seem to find the base - he looked like he was treating it like a dance mat. Friendliest team you've played? There have been so many - Shelter were particularly lovely in the semi-final. Who's been your MVP this year? Joe Murray - he's had a stormer of a season. What do you think has got you to the final? Hitting the ball LOW and HARD. And some seriously solid fielding - our fielding has got us through some very tough times this season. And lastly, how confident are you feeling about your chances this afternoon? We are obviously in it to win it, but we're genuinely thrilled to get to the final - of course, like any good captain I am going in confident (and the team have been playing exceptionally well), but this has already been our most successful season ever! Our huge thanks to Amanda, Nicola, Georgina and all the teams, players and supporters who'll no doubt be making it an unforgettable afternoon and evening. We're off to pick up an entire lorry-load of refreshments but we'll see you at the park (or the pub), and may the best team/s win! Team Harris Hill

Bring on the battle of the champions! It's crockery-holders all round for the big match as previous cup-winners Cancer Research UK take on previous plate-winners Plan, aka The Pandas! But first an apology. Somewhere in a previous post we casually referred to sunshine for the softball finals, and now we've broken the British summer. In our defence it's been on the blink for years (2018 aside) so it might not be entirely our fault, but just in case, we're sorry. Either way it's bound to turn out fine though, because even the weather gods love charity softball and there'll be sunny smiles all round, not least from the teams who'll be taking home a trophy. So with just 24 hours to go it's time to meet the contenders for the biggest and most prestigious annual prize in London-based inter-charity softball: the one and only Harris Hill Cup! For Cancer Research UK it'd be like bringing home an old friend as they've won it no less than three times already, with this being their fifth cup final appearance! Last year they triumphed in the Harris Hill Plate, and of the six 2017 finalists they're the only ones making a return appearance tomorrow. No pressure then for the plucky Plan UK, though they're previous plate-winners too (in their very first year!) who've consistently qualified ever since, with an equally consistent lineup of players that could prove to their advantage on the pitch. (Look at us pretending to write about sport! It's probably not even a pitch is it? Field, maybe? Court? We'll stick to running the bar...) Anyway, enough from us - over as swiftly as possible to CRUK co-captains Leah White and Anna Paynter, and co-captain Tarik Hasan of the Pandas! Leah White and Anna Paynter, Cancer Research UK Besides winning the cup (of course) what's the goal for Cancer Research UK? Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. In the 1970s, less than a quarter of people with cancer survived. But over the last 40 years, survival has doubled - today half will survive. Our ambition is to accelerate progress and see three-quarters of people surviving the disease within the next 20 years. Tell us about your history in the league? Cancer Research UK has been part of the London Charity Softball league for ages! We've had some great successes in the past, having won the cup in 2008, 2009 and 2014, and sadly losing in the final in 2010. However last year we did win the Plate, so we're hungry for another victory! We both joined the CRUK softball team last year and absolutely loved it, so have really enjoyed being captains this year. What are the best things about the league and making the final? The best thing about being part of softball is getting to meet lots of new people, having some friendly competition and enjoying softball and drinks in the sun! We're really pleased to have made the finals as the majority of our team are new this year, with only four players from last season. To see how far we've come when compared to our first training session back in May makes us really proud and proves all those practices and friendlies were worth it! What's the most memorable moment of the season (so far, at least)? Best moment of the season has to be during a particularly tense match against the Raptors on the night of the England game! We'd had to stream the game to an iPad on the side of the pitch so we didn't miss it, and we halted play when England were awarded a penalty. All of the tension slipped away as both teams crowded around the iPad, British Red Cross players mixed in with CRUK players, with us all losing our minds when England scored the penalty! Friendliest team you've played? Easy question - every year it's Unicef without fail! This year we weren't in the same group, but made sure we organised a friendly with them just because we always have a great night playing and drinking with them! Who's been your MVP this year? One of our newcomers Alex 'Briggsy/TheBull/Bully' Briggs has been sweeping the floor with MVP awards this season! So what's been the secret of your success? We think it's probably that we've approached every game with the same attitude - keen to win, but there to have fun! Most of our team being brand new this year worried us at the start, but everyone's been so keen to play, even cancelling plans once we got through to the knockout stages, to make sure they were part of the team that got us through to the next round. We may be biased, but we think we have the best team around - they're funny, no one puts pressure on each other, you get the p*ss taken out of you and they're as committed to going to the pub afterwards as they are attending the games - what else could we ask for? A fourth cup win on Thursday? We're going to approach the finals as we have all our other games - play hard, have fun and enjoy the atmosphere. We're obviously hoping to be up on that stage lifting the cup as the team goes wild - fingers crossed that's what we see tomorrow! Last year's night ended with the teams popping champagne on Hyde Park at 1am whilst making human pyramids, so we've got big expectations for tomorrow night! Tarik Hasan, Plan International UK Tell us about Plan and The Pandas... Plan International UK is a global children's charity. We work to give every child the same chance in life. The Plan Pandas softball team is made up of members from throughout the organisation representing all departments. We have an incredibly dedicated bunch of people, and we usually have the same team every week. How long have you been involved in the league? We've been playing in the league since 2012, and after a very difficult start that year, we found a rhythm and then went on to win the Plate final! Since then we've managed to qualify for the Cup or Plate every year, but our best achievement was the cup quarter-final three years ago. We have currently have three players in the team that were part of the Plate winning team of 2012, and most players have been around for at least two or three seasons. What's the best thing about being part of it? Getting to meet so many people from across the charity sector, and also getting to know people at work really well and creating lots of new friendships. We currently have one softball related wedding on the cards! Friendliest team you've played? St John's Badgers. They are very friendly and always give us a very competitive game (and they don't mind a beer or two after the game). We regularly play friendlies against them when we don't meet them in the league. And who've been your toughest opponents this year? British Heart Foundation were an incredibly good team in our last 16 game. They were very well organised, very competitive, and also very fair with all of their calls. It was a very tight game that finished 30 - 26. What's been the secret of your success? Balance. In previous years we always relied on a few players to carry the team through, while this year everyone knows their positions and can get to first base. In this game (just as they say in Moneyball) it really is all about everyone getting to first and not about players scoring home runs. So the big question: who's going to be taking home the trophy tomorrow? I think it'll be close, but if we play our game I think that we have a really good chance. It's definitely going to be one to watch - thanks and best of luck to Leah, Anna, Tarik and their teams for tomorrow! We'll be squeezing in one more set of finalists in the morning but in the meantime, get some rest, sleep well, and failing that you can always check out some of our other features below... Team Harris Hill

Who are the brains behind the super-successful softball league and just how do they make it all happen? We caught up with the committee members who've most recently joined to find out more... L-R: Vanessa Furey, Leo Visconti, Paul Mehta, Rob Wyatt, Anastasia French, Matt Glass, Palak Bhatt London Charity Softball League 2018: meet the organisers! Team Harris Hill will be out in force (of course) for the finals this Thursday, where - via the world's biggest beer run and armed with enough ice to build a small Arctic village - we'll be racing to keep the refreshments coming cold and fast for up to 1,000 thirsty supporters. But if we think we've got a challenge, it's nothing compared with the tremendous team who do the real hard work of keeping the whole show on the road throughout the summer, co-ordinating countless charities and a multitude of matches each week to make it happen. Factor in that they're all volunteering on top of their full-time charity roles, and you have to wonder just how they do it. We caught up with the original fab four back in 2016, who are still very much present and invariably correct (it says here), but since the team's grown bigger along with the league, we wanted to find out more from relatively-new kids on the block Anastasia French, Matt Glass and Palak Bhatt... ​ L-R: Anastasia French, Matt Glass, Palak Bhatt What made you want to join the committee and how did it happen? Palak: When I joined the league, what was intended to be a casual pastime for the summer turned into a genuine passion when the Royal Parks and Will2Win threatened to stop play and charge charities to play at Hyde Park. The league decided to protest and Will2Win had no idea what they were getting themselves into! Everyone came together and defended the right to play for free and since then, I've been hooked. Frankly, it was a no-brainer when I was asked to be part of the committee. The league is unique, welcoming and such incredible fun, and I'm so proud to be a part of it Matt: I'd stepped down from being a captain as I wanted to just get back to playing the game. Little did I know that, along with Palak, the committee had noticed my enthusiasm and decided to see if I wanted to get involved - which I totally did! Anastasia: I've been a captain for a few years now, leading my team to no success whatsoever, but was very impressed with the amount of effort that the committee put in to making it work. I had a very tense showdown with Leo last season though, so when I offered to help out I wasn't sure they'd accept it! What are the best things about being involved, and the biggest challenges? Matt: The best thing about the league is without doubt finals night. I can't describe how rewarding it is to see how many people come together to support the league and the finalists each and every year! The most challenging is fitting the time in around your work and personal lives. Anastasia: The best thing has been getting to know the committee more! I was a bit scared of them but they're a really committed, lovely bunch of people. I have nothing but admiration for the sheer amount of skill, effort and enthusiasm they all put in to make it happen. Palak: The best thing about being in the committee is to be able to watch the league unfold and seeing so many people get involved and excited about softball. Not least, witnessing the unabashed rivalry between committee members is always very entertaining. Balancing a full-time job/education while helping out as the committee is always tough though. I'm currently finishing up my Masters so it's been challenging juggling committee duties and writing a dissertation! Although time-management has been a lifelong issue so maybe I'll get my act together eventually! (I won't.) How has this season differed from previous years? Palak: Unfortunately due to issues beyond our control, the league had to be condensed into fewer weeks - but as per usual, the teams have handled the challenge like pros! It did help that most of July saw London bathed in a cool 35-degree heat, ensuring our teams were able to play all of their games and get a bunch of friendlies in. Matt: Definitely the weather - it's been blisteringly hot which NEVER happens. Given the condensed season, we could never have done it if the sunshine hadn't come through for us! Anastasia: As the groups stage had to be squashed, we played more friendlies than competitive games. This actually made it more fun and relaxed, letting the teams focus on having fun, which is why it was created in the first place. What have been your highlights or surprises of the season so far? Matt: The biggest surprise I have to say, given it was only their first season last year, was seeing Dogs Trust make it all the way to the Cup playoffs this time - an incredible achievement they should be very proud of! My personal highlight was watching Alzheimer's Society get the furthest they've ever been and make it to the Plate quarter-finals. Anastasia: I heard a rumour that one player got it on with a rival player after being invited back to "stroke her ferrets"! Palak: Letting Leo have control of the Instagram page has been a revelation. Waking up on Thursday mornings to typos, blurry photos, the overwhelming amount of St Mungo's posts - it's truly a sight to behold. Any predictions for Thursday - and who will you be (secretly or otherwise!) supporting? Anastasia: A lot of my favourites are out so I'll be cheering on all the teams, whilst clutching a free beer courtesy of Harris Hill! Palak: It doesn't matter which sport or life event, I always root for the underdog - I've never really known why but it may have something to do with being 5ft3. I think it's the Saints' first time in the finals so I guess my money's on them! (FYI, Leo did not make me say that) Matt: All my favourites are already out, but I do hope Leo gets another win under his belt, despite how insufferable he'll be after - good luck! Lastly as long-term league veterans, what's your advice for teams who are just starting out... Matt: Keep the games fun and you'll always have plenty of people wanting to turn up week in, week out. Have more than two captains - being a captain is a lot of work and splitting it between three people can really help with the workload when holiday season comes along. And get out and practice, the weather usually allows for friendlies to start in April! ...or thinking of joining the fun? Anastasia: Get involved! Merge with another charity, get a catchy team name and you'll be sure to get a spot. Palak: Do it! Bats, balls and beer - what's not to love?! Many thanks to Anastasia, Matt and Palak (and the rest of the committee of course!) - and if you've been inspired to get involved next year, check out the league homepage, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter feeds for ways to get in touch.

It's time for the softball league finals! Yes, already. We couldn't believe it either. But if you're thinking 12 months can't possibly have passed because you'd be a year older which is obviously nonsense, we have great news: they haven't! Well, not quite. This year's London Charity Softball League grand finals hit Hyde Park a week earlier than usual, on Thursday 16th August, making it a mere 11 months and three weeks. So we're all still hurtling towards our own demise at a frankly terrifying speed, but at least it's fractionally less terrifying than you might have thought at first. Hurray. But we're even more delighted to see the third sector's legendary league going from strength to strength in its 16th year (and our 12th as lead sponsors), getting bigger and better than ever, and bringing together well over 120 charities from all corners of the sector in fierce-but-friendly competition. We'd love to claim credit, but in reality it's all down to the energy and exceptional efficiency of the league's organisers (more of whom in due course) and the sheer enthusiasm and commitment of the teams who've bravely battled through months of relentless sunshine and socialising to make it this far. Not forgetting our brilliant fellow sponsors Bluestep, RNB Group and joining the party this year, Brightspot Fundraising - who'll all be helping to make sure Thursday's finals are a day to remember, even if it's a little groggily, some time the following afternoon. So with no further ado, let's meet the teams who'll be tussling for one of the three top titles: the Harris Hill Plate, the Bluestep Shield, and the Harris Hill Cup! First up it's Saints vs Sluggers, better known to the wider world as St Mungo's and Sustrans! Both teams are first-time finalists who'll be battling to blag the nearly-priceless Harris Hill Plate: we asked Sustrans' team captain Cliff Matsuya, and what transpired to be almost half the St Mungo's team, about their success in the season so far... Paul Nanson, Katie Wimpenny, Matt Taylor and Emmeline Wilcox, The Saints Tell us about the team? We're The Saints, made up of staff and clients from St Mungo's, where we work to prevent homelessness and support people's recovery to stay off the streets for good. We're an inclusive and diverse team and that's what makes us click. We have staff based all over London, so it's a great chance for people to meet others in the organisation they wouldn't usually meet up with. How long have you been involved in the league? The Saints were reincarnated four years ago by Emily Whittaker: if it wasn't for Emily and her extremely loud grunting, we wouldn't be here today. It took us a while to get the knack of throwing and catching, taking us three years to win a game. Since then we've been absolutely flying though, making the Cup knockouts last year and through to the Plate final this year. What's the best thing about being part of it? The chance to do a bit of throwing and catching with a beer in the English sun. The best games are the ones where both teams play with a great spirit and don't let the competitive edge get the better of them. Best/funniest/most memorable moments of the season? Best: the team togetherness and the way everyone supports each other no matter what. Funniest moments have got to include Kevin admiring his hit before realising he has to run and falling over at first base, Kerri hitting herself in the face, and seeing our MVP jacket evolve over time! With the zebra print jacket being at the heart of the outfit, each MVP adds something different for the next week. The outfit now has a strong animal print theme, some great gold trousers and funky sunglasses. Each MVP has to travel home in it and takes a picture for proof! Who've been the friendliest team you've played this year? Comic Relief, St Joseph's, FareShare, Rethink - they're all 100% absolute babes. And the toughest opponents? Rethink - we drew 12-all and they were great in the field, with some absolute huuuge hitters. They came top of the league and 100% deserved it. Any mascots or MVPs to mention? Jordan, who is a St Mungo's client, is our official cheerleader. He comes along to every game, music playing from his phone. He even made a special semi-final playlist. Hold tight for his final one. He's also won MVP twice without even playing. Absolute bloody legend. MVP = the whole team. Everyone contributes to each game, we wouldn't be in the final without each person that's played. So what's the secret of your success? Having fun, playing with a smile on our faces and not taking ourselves too seriously. Also, doodle polls and saying Saints very, very loudly. And how are you feeling about your chances on Thursday? To have got this far is unbelievable. Our aim for Thursday is enjoy it as much as possible. If you can't enjoy the game, there's no point in playing. There'll be some nerves, there'll be some dodgy team talks and there'll definitely be a few drinks afterwards. Good luck to Sustrans, we hope it's a great match! 'King' Cliff 'Batsuya', Sustrans Sluggers How long have you been involved in the league? The Sustrans Sluggers (affectionately known as the Slugs), formed in 2016 - since then Slug Spirit has swept the office, and match days will usually see a sea of slugs behind each desk. The Sluggers are usually fairly easy to spot on the field, as we're the ones with a horde of bikes parked up by our game. We've also been known to spend (far) more money on Sluggers branded clothing and accessories, and resorting to cable tying our cheap gloves together before each game. Friendliest team you've played? Pitch 'n' Mix have to be one of our favourite teams to play. We set up a friendly with them first thing of the season, because we know that no matter which way the game goes, it'll be great fun. We also love to play the Dogs Trust - particularly because of their amazing hats with ears on. Best catch/longest hit? Too many to mention. Our outfield will be the stuff of folk songs and legend. Who's been your MVP this year? Ben 'Hedge Catch Guy' Addy and 'Mean' Roisin both have been awarded two MVPs each this year, Izzy Stannett 'Baratheon' has the most appearances with 31 innings, while 'Sharface' Sharland has a perfect batting average of 1.000. But all round MVP has to be first baseman Toby 'TJ' Jones with a batting average of 0.867, thirteen put outs, and a swing that just won't quit. Lastly, congrats on making the finals for the first time (in only the team's third year!) - how have you done it? As you can see from the above answer, there's two secrets to the Slug Success - nicknames, and stats. Each player is given a nickname that will stick with them - whether they like it or not - both on and off season. We (by which I mean 'I') also love collecting detailed records from each game and inputting them into an overly complicated spreadsheet to generate wealth of stats. This provides no tactical advantage, but it does create one hell of a competitive spirit in the office. Big thanks from us and best of luck to both teams for Thursday! Meanwhile don't forget you can follow the build-up over on the league's Twitter feed, and watch this space for more from the finalists tomorrow... Team Harris Hill ​

​It's often said that the best things come in small packages, though apparently never within earshot of anyone from Amazon, which is why your watch battery will arrive in a box the size of Bristol. But size certainly isn't everything when it comes to choosing the kind of charity you want to work for. Small charities make up a mighty 97% of the sector, so whatever the scale of your ambition there's sure to be somewhere you'll fit. It might be the mega-charities who hit the headlines, but there's a big world beyond the big names, and it's one that can have plenty of advantages for your career. As this year's Small Charity Week draws to a close you may have seen some of the fantastic things even the smallest of organisations can achieve, and if it's inspired you to get involved, we're sharing some good reasons and great opportunities to go for it. Why work for a small charity? The lovely people over at Charity Job came up with 6 reasons why working for a small charity is amazing and if you already do, you'll probably know of plenty more. Both large and small organisations have their advantages of course, but one of the key differences is in the breadth of experience you're likely to gain in the role. Major charities may have teams for everything from data management to digital fundraising, challenge events, corporate partnerships or internal communications, which can often operate as fairly separate functions. So you could become a first-class community fundraiser, or master the dark arts of DM, but the opportunities to get involved (and gain experience) in any other capacity may be relatively limited - those things will be someone else's job, after all. If you're widely-experienced already that may not matter too much, but early in your career there's a danger of pigeon-holing yourself before you've had chance to try anything else. Smaller charity = bigger remit This is somewhere smaller charities can really shine. In a small organisation you'll generally have more responsibilities since there are fewer people to share them, and they can often be things that wouldn't normally come anywhere near your remit. The fewer people on board, the more likely you'll need all hands on deck, particularly around things like events and major projects, when you could easily find yourself pitching in as a publicist, events manager or volunteer co-ordinator for example, and almost certainly as a fundraiser. Even within your 'official' role, you're likely to have a wider remit than you might do elsewhere, giving you broader experience of many more things, which can only be good news for your career prospects. So with no further ado, here are six of the best opportunities we currently have with fantastic small charities - just click any of the titles or links for details of each role and how to apply. Corporate Fundraising Executive London £25,000 - £30,000 We're delighted to be supporting The Big House, an award-winning London-based charity who are undergoing an exciting phase of development. The charity supports care-leavers through a three-month programme that includes employability workshops, pastoral support and culminates in a three-week theatre production. This opportunity is ideal for someone with a good understanding of corporate fundraising who is looking to take on more responsibility for this income stream in a small but ambitious charity. Read more... Marketing & Social Media Co-ordinator London £23,552 A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join an award winning, thriving community association in the heart of North London. Working in a small but high profile vibrant local charity, your role will be broad and varied. The primary purpose of this exciting role is to market our activities and services, grow our social media presence, updating websites, creating regular newsletters, developing and implementing the marketing and communications strategy for the association and its new and emerging social enterprises. Read more... Communications Officer Oxford £25,000 - £30,000 full or part time Are you passionate about helping support people out of homelessness and enhancing the skills of homeless people to get them back on their feet? This is a newly created role, where you'll develop and deliver a comprehensive, innovative and effective communication and campaigns programme on behalf of the charity. The aim is to create a movement around social value through the planning, designing and implementing of impactful campaigns. Read more... Fundraising Development Manager Farnborough £27,000 - £30,000 Harris Hill are very pleased to be working with a UK Health charity based in Farnborough to recruit a Fundraising Development Manager. This development role will cover the whole spectrum of fundraising including corporate, community, challenge events and charity led events. This is an exciting opportunity for an innovative, ambitious fundraiser to develop skills in all areas of fundraising and really make your mark! Read more... Fundraising & Marketing Officer Sutton £25,000 This is a role with a faith-based charity, covering many aspects of both fundraising and marketing. Working on a full-time permanent basis, you will be responsible for providing key support to the Head of Fundraising & Marketing and the Direct Marketing Manager. You'll also work closely with the fundraising and marketing team, finance team and other heads of department in support of objectives set out the organisation's overall strategic plan. Read more... Project Coordinator London £24,500 This rewarding role supports the delivery of a popular project for older people, with particular emphasis on the volunteering elements which ensure that older people using the project feel an increased sense of community, become more active, experience improved physical/mental health because of their engagement, and feel less lonely or isolated.

As part of our commitment to the sector, we sponsor a hugely popular series of inter-charity events including a giant quiz night, ten-pin bowling and the London Charity Softball League! Collectively known as The Harris Hill Charity Series, the contests get more popular by the year, with co-sponsors Bluestep Solutions, RNB Group and Bright Spot Fundraising now also providing fantastic support, while the tireless organising committee (all from charities themselves) do an outstanding job of organising the hotly-contested events each year. We're delighted that the events really bring charities together: more than 120 charities now take part in the softball league every year, with well over 1,000 participants and supporters getting involved from charities like RNIB, CRUK, Sparks, Muscular Dystrophy UK, the British Heart Foundation, Mind, CLIC Sargent, Marie Curie, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and many (many!) more. Not forgetting of course the cup-winning champions of both 2016 and 2017, CoppaFeel and Movember UK, collectively known as Tits'n'Tache! Aside from the series' events, staff at Harris Hill regularly organise and participate in our own array of charity fundraising activities, from dress-up days to sponsored walks, the London Marathon, rugby matches and the occasional attempts at baking. July 2018: Latest from the softball league Hard to believe it's here already but this year's league has hit the quarter finals! It'll be a super-competitive couple of weeks as the 24 remaining teams are knocked down to the last few standing, who'll be tussling for one of the tremendous trophies at the grand finals on Thursday 16th August. There could be some new names taking the honours too, having already said farewell to half of last year's finalists, including a surprise knockout for the British Heart Foundation last week, while things finally went Tits'n'Tache up for last year's winners too. You can keep up with the build-up on Twitter and we'll be talking to the teams who've made the finals on the Harris Hill blog very soon. February 2018: Charity Quiz Night February's annual inter-charity quiz night was another huge success this year, kicking off the 2018 Harris Hill Charity Series in style! For all the details of what went down and who came out on top, check out our blog via the link below: The 2018 Charity Series is off to a winning start! November 2017: Striking it lucky 2017's Charity Series bowling night was an absolute ball, full of friendly competition and surprises galore on the scoreboard too. Over on our blog, you can get the lowdown on the throwdown in our post-match report. Get ready to roll! As the nights draw in and the clocks go back, that little beacon twinkling through the darkness can only mean one thing: yes, it's time for Age UK to comprehensively thrash everyone at bowling again! Or will they? Last year a strong challenge from Macmillan Cancer Support came close to toppling them, Action on Hearing Loss maintained their impressive top three placing, and with strikes to spare from Anthony Nolan, St Mungo's, St Joseph's and many others it really could be anybody's game.. We'll be there with the beers, pizza and those all-important medals for the players, while selflessly keeping the bottom end of the scoreboard warm (totally intentional, of course). And with an enormous 39 teams taking part this year, selling out in record time it's all looking set to be a big, big night on November 23rd! The London Charity Softball League finals, August 2017 Well, another summer season of softball may have shimmered into the September sunset (ok, late August but we're anyone's for a little alliteration, look at our name) - but what a fantastic finale it was! The pitches at Hyde Park were probably the busiest and undoubtedly the buzziest we've seen in our long history of supporting the league, with the cheers of the hugely supportive crowd carrying far and wide as the three tightly-fought contests reached their conclusions. Taking second places but nonetheless able to hold their heads up high - or as high as possible under the sheer weight of an almost-priceless 100% genuine imitation silver Harris Hill medal - were the valiant teams from Muscular Dystrophy UK, Save the Children and Mind. But the grand honours went to Cancer Research UK for the Harris Hill Plate, a nailbitingly close finish saw the Raptors of British Red Cross raise the BlueStep Shield, and taking home a trophy for the second consecutive year, this time the mighty Harris Hill Cup, the seemingly-unstoppable Tits & Tache! Can they bust their way to a third win next year or will their chances finally get a little hairy? We'll be back in 2018 to find out for sure - our thanks as ever to the brilliant organising committee who do the really hard work (not forgetting founding father of the league Leo Visconti who couldn't be there for the first time ever but was surely somewhere in spirit!), our fellow sponsors RNB Group for the post-match pints, BlueStep Solutions for our fantastic new tent, t-shirts and much more, and above all the sheer energy and enthusiasm of the hundreds upon hundreds of players and supporters of charities from all corners of the sector, who continue to make the league such a pleasure to be part of. If you'd like to register an interest in getting your charity involved in next year's league, the aforementioned Mr Visconti is the man to talk to - or just get in touch if you'd like the details of how to do so. Meanwhile you can check out more pictures from the grand finals over on our Softball Gallery page! Last but not least, here at Harris Hill we ran something of a softball-themed contest of our own over the summer, and the result was revealed on Friday 1st September. So it's congratulations to the winning player in our prize draw, Jonathan Birrane of The Children's Society, who are the team we'll be taking on a great night out to celebrate very soon! That's all from us for softball this season but with the approach of autumn it's almost time to bring on the bowling - look out for details of the next event here soon... Charity Quiz Night - February 2017 We're delighted to say that this year's quiz night on 21st Feb was a record-breaking success! Packed to capacity as ever, a fantastic selection of prizes from fellow sponsors Snap Print Management, together with the teams' generosity, helped us to achieve record sales of raffle tickets, contributing to a grand total of more than £1500 raised for the Mental Health Foundation. Huge thanks to everyone involved in organising, our excellent hosts Patch Bar, Snap Print Management, and many congratulations to the team at Friends of the Earth UK who can legitimately claim to be the smartest people in the charity sector, at least for the next 12 months! Obviously as key sponsors, our very own Harris Hill team were playing just for fun, deliberately trying not to win: clearly the only possible explanation for our score so we're sticking to it!

The 2018 Harris Hill Salary Survey is here! Our charity salary survey for 2018 showed that the average salary in the charity sector is £25,000 although salaries vary greatly depending on the role. We found the average executive salary in the charity sector to be around £60,000. Just a small 0.05% of charities have employees earning £100,000 or more. We're delighted to bring you the Harris Hill 2018 Salary Survey, our 13th annual guide to remuneration for roles throughout the charity and not for profit sectors in the UK. Based on the thousands of third sector jobs we've worked on in the last 12 months, we provide comprehensive and detailed salary ranges for both permanent and temporary positions at all levels for the key roles and job functions in each of our specialist areas, including: Data Management ▪ Digital ▪ Executive Search ▪ Fundraising ▪ Finance ▪ Human Resources ▪ Marketing & Communications ▪ Operations, Admin & Support ▪ Press & PR ▪ Projects & Programmes ​​ We also highlight some of the major trends we've observed over the past year in each specialism and the wider sector, such as: What's at the top of 2018 candidates' wishlist when it comes to their next role? Are salaries being pushed up by the high demand/short supply of candidates in many areas? On limited budgets, how can charities attract and retain talented staff? What are employers really looking for, and what kind of skills and experience are likely to be among the most highly-prized over the year ahead? Executive salaries This year we've also taken a closer look at the senior executive market, in particular the ever-controversial issue of remuneration for charity CEOs: are six-figure salaries as widespread as some suggest, and what are the particular responsibilities of a charity CEO that justify the higher level of pay? How we gather the information All the data is taken from the actual roles we've worked on over the past year (approximately 3,000 in total), then analysed by our specialist consultants, applying their insight and expert knowledge of the wider market to ensure the figures are a realistic reflection of the salaries being offered in each field. As such it is not an exhaustive list of every charity and not-for-profit salary paid in the last year but is a detailed and representative guide which we hope you'll find a genuinely useful reference tool. If you'd like any further information on salaries with the sector, please get in touch with us on 020 7820 7300 or contact the relevant team below: Data Management 020 7820 7304 data@harrishill.co.uk Executive Search 020 7820 7323 executive@harrishill.co.uk Fundraising 020 7820 7326 fundraising@harrishill.co.uk Finance 020 7820 7340 financerecruitment@harrishill.co.uk Human Resources 020 7820 7340 humanresources@harrishill.co.uk Marketing, PR & Digital 020 7820 7333 marketing@harrishill.co.uk Operations, Admin & Support 020 7820 7304 operations@harrishill.co.uk Projects & Programmes 020 7820 7304 projects@harrishill.co.uk Temporary & Interim 020 7820 7325 teamtemps@harrishill.co.uk

Ever feel like you're faking it? You're in good company, as Nicola Greenbrook explains in this month's guest post, exploring the psychological pattern of Impostor Syndrome (IS), how it could be affecting you, and what you can do about it. You're fully-qualified and experienced in your industry, role or position but do you worry one day you'll get 'found out'? Even with regular praise for your accomplishments, do you discount your efforts and feel like a total fluke? Do the voices in your head tell you you're no good before that all-important presentation? You may be suffering from Impostor Syndrome...and you're not alone. What is Impostor Syndrome? Every quarter the Oxford English Dictionary adds a raft of new terms or words to keep up with the rapid development of the English language. Along with 'binge watch' and 'silent generation', the latest update includes IS. Defined as 'the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own effort or skills', it's not a new syndrome despite the recent OED entry. It was first identified in 1978 by clinical psychologists who noticed that certain high-achieving women believed the success they had worked so hard for was purely luck and, therefore, were unworthy of it. They thought they'd fooled everyone and were a fake, an impostor. Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg talked about IS in her 2013 book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. She admitted being a sufferer, explaining "...every time I took a test, I was sure that it had gone badly. And every time I didn't embarrass myself - or even excelled - I believed that I had fooled everyone yet again". How do you recognise it? People affected by IS usually have a proven track record of success and receive plenty of external validation of their achievements. They're often on the receiving end of praise and compliments, but the cunning nature of IS means that for sufferers the effects are heightened rather than alleviated - they'll believe the confidence trick they play must be working even better. Rather than accept, they'll bat off compliments or discount their personal involvement in a successful project. Other symptoms of IS include: - Belief that success is only down to good fortune, not hard work or talent, or that someone has clearly made a mistake or is going to take it away from you any time soon. - Fear that people you consider important (seniors, mentors, people you look up to etc) will find out you're not as capable as they think you are. - Constantly comparing yourself to others, believing everyone else to be superior or more intelligent than you. - Being dismissive of praise for an accomplishment, toning it down or depreciating the importance. - Focusing or ruminating on incidents where you've not done your best, or made a mistake, more than the times when you did do your best. Perfectionism is often seen as a correlate of IS. Those with a tendency to consider themselves an impostor will internalise every flaw, mistake or criticism and feel a glum sense of satisfaction when it happens - 'there you go, that proves it. I'm not perfect and therefore, no good at what I do'. Mistakes can slowly but surely dent self-confidence and people who feel the need to do everything perfectly may feel fraudulent when they can't achieve this impossible standard. Who does it affect? Although IS generally affects high-achievers and those with a reputation for success, the phenomenon doesn't discriminate. From Maya Angelou (Pulitzer Prize nominee, multiple Grammy-winner for spoken recordings and much more) to Lupita Nyong'o (hugely influential actress, Best Actress Oscar winner) and Albert Einstein (you may have heard of him), there are many well-known and successful people who suffer from low-esteem. Actress, comedian, writer and producer Tina Fey once confessed that she sometimes screams inside her head, "I'm a fraud! They're on to me!". According to a major 2011 study, it's estimated that 70% of people will experience the feelings of IS to some degree in their lives. It's often perceived as something more likely to affect women, while Yomi Adegoke writes in The Pool that race can also play a part, noting that 'when you're at the intersection of both race and gender - as women of colour are - the feeling can be doubly hard to shake'. Meanwhile The British Psychological Society recently reported research claiming that under pressure, IS may actually hit men harder than women, causing increased anxiety and impacted performance, which they speculate may be due to traditional gender norms placing a greater expectation on men to be competent. So it seems IS can affect anyone - from actresses to journalists, to inventors to authors. Oh, and me. Why do we need to address it? IS is an insidious creature. According to New York Magazine's Science of Us, those with high IS have difficulty feeling satisfaction about a job they've done really well, which could mean they take less pleasure and meaning from their work. It's also been reported that IS sufferers tend to people-please, overwork and may even suffer from stress and depression. They often experience self-doubt and are generally uncomfortable with their achievements, refusing to believe in themselves. This can be damaging for their colleagues, their team and even their personal relationships. However writer and life coach Fiona Buckland believes that if you spot the symptoms, this can present a great opportunity. You may develop greater self-awareness, 'generate pragmatic empathy' and apply practices in your work and personal life that could support you to live a more fulfilled life. How to cope with it Inspired by Fiona's article for The Guardian, here are some of my suggested coping strategies: - Next time you convince yourself you're a fake, stop and take a breath. Name the feeling for what it is - impostor syndrome. You may start to feel a sense of control and begin to spot the signs before you're overwhelmed. - Don't forget you're the expert in your field and if someone is asking for your help or guidance, they lack the knowledge only you can provide. If the CEO is asking for your HR advice, it's because they aren't an HR professional. They genuinely value, and need, your expertise. - Write down 'your story'. Think about your qualifications, jot down a synopsis of your career history and proudly list your key achievements. Refer to it privately in those 'wobbly' moments. Soon you may realise it's not down to luck, but sheer hard work, tenacity and skill. - Enlist the help of a mentor or someone else you know with IS who may be willing to share similar experiences and swap coping strategies. Ask HR if you're unsure where to begin. - Clarify your values, think about what you stand for and write it down somewhere you can easily refer to it. You'll soon know what you uniquely have to offer so you can stop pretending you're someone else. ------------- Impostor Syndrome is a complex and difficult condition but if you can relate to any of the symptoms or descriptions in this article, or if the voices in your head are particularly LOUD today, you're not alone. Fiona believes if you recognise your IS, sense some control over it and practice some of the coping strategies that work for you, it can be overcome. Consider how you can use IS to your advantage to keep on your toes and motivate you. Helen Mirren once said "It would be wrong to think that you're always right and correct and perfect and brilliant. Self-doubt is the thing that drives you to try to improve yourself." Life is a lot better, after all, when you can appreciate who you are and what you've accomplished. You're doing great. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola

Our 2018 salary survey is now available, with comprehensive salary tables for roles at all levels within charities and not for profit organisations. Along with the figures, we look what's happening more broadly with recruitment in each of the areas we cover: here are some of the key trends noted by our specialists in data management, operations, admin/support and projects/programmes. Data Management The rights and wrongs of data usage are headline news these days, and a major focus for many charities too, dealing with their own data-based demons but also recognising the potential benefits and building teams accordingly. Following a steady influx of data professionals for some years, time has naturally progressed, as have most of those hired, which means the once rarely-spotted charity data manager can now be found in far greater numbers. The challenge for many now is where to go next, as further opportunities for progression within the sector are relatively limited. For many experienced data managers, seeking more scope, variety and responsibility, the answer is often a move to a smaller charity, where with a smaller team (or as sole data manager) they'll generally have a far bigger remit. Demand remains high and ongoing for staff with Raiser's Edge skills, while Salesforce skills are increasingly sought-after, and those who are multi-skilled (particularly with systems migration experience) are the most highly-prized of all. Meanwhile in our experience, data professionals are just as keen to work from home as their colleagues in other functions, but for data confidentiality reasons, anywhere outside the office is rarely an option. Many employers in this field are fairly receptive in this respect though and often prepared to offer flexibility on working hours instead. Operations, Admin & Support Over the past year the most noticeable trend has been the increase in part-time or contract-based roles, generally at the expense of full-time, permanent positions. Some things never change though, one being that vacancies for junior level positions continue to generate hundreds (and hundreds) of applications. Given the numbers it's a real challenge to make the shortlist - both for the candidate and employer - but for candidates, demonstrating genuine interest and commitment to the charity sector (for example through volunteering) will make a difference. Meanwhile the nature of admin and support roles continues to evolve as it has for some years now. Purely secretarial roles are giving way to more wide-ranging admin and support roles involving tasks like data cleansing, social media updates, organising events or preparing proposals. The traditional office manager role has all but disappeared too, with their responsibilities often absorbed into an EA/PA role. Projects & Programmes This area can be particularly affected by the political climate, and with continued cuts in government funding, there's high demand for people with experience of successfully sourcing it elsewhere, such as from institutional donors. Next year we'll be publishing this guide, in theory at least, from somewhere outside the EU, with whom we'll have some as-yet-unspecified agreements. Or not. One of the few things we do know is that there will be fewer available funding options for UK projects, increasing competition for what remains. As a result there's high demand for those with experience of proposal/bid writing, and the ability to put together a winning grant application is likely to be one of the most valuable skills going. Last year we noted the growing number of educational programmes, but in the year of #MeToo it's perhaps fitting (or connected) that this year's most noticeable increase has been in projects relating to female empowerment. The subject of the role/project is particularly important for those in this field - often significantly more so than salaries, which remain fairly static. Projects and Programmes people are often more willing than most to be flexible on things like salaries, hours and location, but it has to be for the right project, ideally something for which they have a genuine passion.

​ Every so often in the press - usually once we've finished frothing about GCSEs being too easy/too hard but before we start panic-buying for the Worst Winter In 200 Years (again) - we're all invited to be incandescent about the salaries of charity executives. But while the weather prediction will be 99% nonsense with a tiny titbit of truth ('Met Office says Carlisle to be bit chilly for fortnight in Feb'), are the stories of 'vast sums being pocketed by charity fat cats' any more accurate? In the past seven years, our senior executive specialist Jenny Hills has recruited more charity CEOs than you'd fit on any of the superyachts they supposedly sail around in, so for our 2018 Salary Survey, we asked her for the truth behind the tabloid tales: what do charities really pay their chief executives, and just as importantly, why? Over to you, Jenny! Standard executive salaries For roles at this level it's difficult to provide a meaningful or truly representative list of market rate salaries. Firstly, non-executives in the sector very seldom receive salaries for their work. Secondly, for CEO roles, salaries vary wildly depending on the organisation. In the past year, we have placed CEOs on salaries of £45,000 to £100,000, and everything in between. CEO salaries are dependent on the scale of the organisation, its complexity, location, geographical coverage, sector, regulatory requirements, as well as the particular challenges of the role. For example, CEOs who are hired to turn around an organisation at risk of failure are often compensated for the additional work, compared to the same role at an organisation on a more even keel; or we often see higher salaries for CEOs who are expected to take on the lead fundraising role for their charity. These multiple factors make setting useful categories for organisations and their CEO salaries more complex than we have space for here. However, a service we do provide is bespoke salary surveys for organisations looking to benchmark the salary of a particular role. For these pieces of work, we are able to focus in on, identify and interpret the data that is most relevant to your organisation and role, using all the criteria discussed above. Pay and public perception As ever, charity sector salaries are often a point of contention in the press and public consciousness, especially those paid to CEOs. The myth of the typical charity executive being paid six figure salaries is just that - a myth. Of the 168,237 charities registered in England and Wales as of 31st December 2017, just over 0.5% of them had any employees earning £100,000 or more, according to official figures from Charity Financials. Nevertheless, we regularly have conversations with boards looking to hire their next chief executive who are nervous about openly advertising the salary. To which our answer is always: are they worth it? To really hone in on what trustees are looking for in their next CEO, we like to focus on the impact the board expects them to make. How is the organisation going to be different in one year, five years or ten years, if the new CEO is successful? The shape of success Most of the time, our CEOs are brought in to deliver significant change, such as dramatically growing a charity; turning around an organisation with tough challenges; or developing new services and income streams. They need to do this in a highly regulated environment - always the Charity Commission, often CQC, Ofsted, the Fundraising Regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, not to mention the oversight requirements of statutory and grant funding. They are also often in the full glare of the public eye: think of the difference in profile between the CEO, for example, of your local hospice, versus the CEO of the average local commercial business of comparable scale. At the same time, they need to lead on strategy for the organisation, manage its finances (often taking a large chunk of responsibility for bringing in the income in the first place), manage the staff and volunteers and any physical assets. They need to be skilled negotiators, managing relationships with stakeholders from the life-long supporter to the actively hostile, so to dramatically understate things, it's a big job. The smaller the charity, the more hands-on they have to be. As well as leading the organisation, we know many CEOs who, when needs be, will literally stuff envelopes. Setting the salary Every charity CEO role is different, but it's safe to describe it as a job that most people could not do, and of those who could, many make use of their skills elsewhere in the public or private sector - for considerably higher salaries. We will always help our clients to set the right salary - one that will attract the talent they need, and that also fits the organisation's circumstances. Sometimes this involves tough conversations about the board's expectations versus the salary budget, and advising on what can be done to stretch it further. Options could include offering the role on a part time basis, or offering home or more flexible working. On a few occasions this year, we have secured a new CEO on a lower salary than the board were expecting. ---------------- Ultimately, once the decision to pay a given salary is made, the strongest argument against those who object to charity staff getting paid at all is the complexity and breadth of the job description. Charity CEO is a highly skilled professional position with exceptional demands, requiring a highly skilled professional with exceptional capabilities in order to be successful. Jenny Hills, Harris Hill Executive Search View the full Harris Hill 2018 Salary Survey A brief introduction to Harris Hill Executive Search Now a distinct and growing brand within Harris Hill, our executive team have been building a rock-solid reputation with charities around the country for exceptional service, a genuinely bespoke and consultative approach, and a record of successful executive and non-executive appointments that's unmatched within the sector. Principally recruiting Chief Executives, Trustees and Chairs, plus SMT positions such as COOs, Senior Directors and Deputy CEOs, the team deliver superb results every time, thanks to their extensive candidate network, sector knowledge and search capabilities, coupled with an unwavering commitment to highly professional, diligent, ethical and inclusive recruitment practices. ► Harris Hill Executive Search

Our all-new 2018 salary survey has current market rates for roles at all levels within charities and not for profit organisations. Along with detailed salary tables for all key teams and departments, we look at the factors behind the figures and what they mean for recruitment - here's what's happening in one of the most challenging areas for charities... Fundraising For all the changes in fundraising over the past few years, some things remain remarkably constant - but unfortunately those things include the shortage of candidates for almost every income stream. Not all areas are equally affected though, and while sourcing quality candidates is a challenge for everyone, those in events are perhaps having a marginally easier time of it than those looking for community fundraisers, particularly outside London, and those seeking major donor specialists, who may frequently feel they've more chance of finding Elvis. Straight to the source? 'Maybe you're just terrible at recruiting?' a (very) untrained observer might wonder, but we can sadly confirm that it's not just a problem for us, or recruiters in general, but charities hiring for themselves too. Across the board, many organisations are seeking to recruit more staff directly, given the array of easily-accessible digital tools now at their disposal. But when it comes to fundraising, many of our clients are nevertheless finding vacancies harder and harder to fill, and enlisting our help precisely because the direct routes have already been tried and exhausted. This is where our vast network of candidates and sector contacts really comes into play by the way (subtle plug alert..) along with the size and structure of our fundraising team. Each of our fundraising consultants recruits for specific income streams, and this tightly-focused approach means they're able to maintain exceptionally comprehensive, sector-wide knowledge of their particular market at all times. So if anyone can find you that elusive corporate partnerships specialist... Keeping it real Naturally, as the shortage enters its 173rd successive year (give or take), many fundraisers are well aware they're in short supply, expecting sizeable salary boosts with each move. Which can be frequent if there's ever-more money on offer. Many of the increases requested would have seemed far beyond achievable just five years ago, and many still do, but candidates whose expectations are fairly high but rather more realistic will often find them met. Some employers may also benefit from a little more realism when it comes to remuneration, as those hoping to get the same for £25k as they've done in years gone by are likely to be a little disappointed. However many charities have now recognised the issue, having become more aware of what candidates are offered elsewhere and the salaries needed to attract them. Maybe somebody published a guidebook. Great expectations Having accepted the need to pay more, employers may often (and understandably) expect rather more for their money, like experience of multiple income streams at second-job level. However, few candidates are likely to have this, so filling these vacancies may once again require a certain level of expectation-adjustment from both parties. Candidates can help themselves out here by taking on extra responsibilities and getting involved with other income streams where possible, but ideally without job-hopping too regularly. Finding the right fundraiser isn't often easy, and the last thing many employers are looking for is to be looking again in six months' time. So a long list of short-lived jobs can be seen as cause for concern; they want someone who'll stick around. After several short-term roles you might be longing to do just that of course, but if that's not the impression your CV's creating, consider how you can make it clear that you're looking for the long haul. It had to be you... Candidate shortages also explain one final trend of note: the increasing number of requests we're receiving to headhunt specific individuals. Traditionally the preserve of senior executive search and selection firms (rather than we regular recruitment mortals), it's a sign that charities are having to pull out all the stops and for candidates to beware: your next employer could be stalking you on Facebook as we speak! Although in reality: a) it's more likely to be LinkedIn, and b) they're probably far too busy for that, or somewhere sobbing quietly in a cupboard. Possibly both. To sum up then: Recruiting fundraisers? Still difficult. Next!

According to the CIPD's People Management magazine, starting a new job 'is like going to a party where you don't know anybody - pretty intimidating and not very enjoyable'. Regardless of the organisation, the role or your previous experience, beginning a new position has to be up there with one of life's most terrifying prospects. You've survived the interview process and accepted the offer triumphantly. Yet, before you know it your first day has arrived and your legs are like jelly. For this month's guest post, I'm exploring why we feel nervous about being the newbie, some effective strategies to deploy, and what to do (and not to do) in your first few weeks, to ensure a happy and successful inauguration. Following a career change in 2017, I recently started a new part-time HR Specialist role in the City which I'm enjoying hugely. I've had a thorough induction and my colleagues have been warm, friendly and welcoming. However, I've had lingering new girl nerves since day one and discovered that as well as the role technicalities the most unexpected things, like familiarising myself with the general office environment nuances, have left me feeling unusually shy. Three weeks in, I'm still pulling doors that need be pushed. Despite having a good memory, names fly out of my head the minute their owner is introduced to me. I keep mistaking the dishwasher for the fridge. I'm not alone. According to the CIPD, 'an effective induction process can help new joiners become productive more quickly and help prevent them from leaving within their first six months in the job'; which suggests it could take half a year for new recruits to feel fully integrated. Being the rookie is overwhelming; navigating the mysteries of a new role, meeting a whole new set of people and learning about not just your team, but the wider team's dynamics. It's hard to know how to feel productive and show capability from day one without being appearing flashy. Thankfully there are survival techniques to deploy as you wade through uncharted territory. Writing recently for Stylist Magazine, Jason Sackett, an executive coach and contributing author to the book Compassion@Work: Creating Workplaces that Engage the Human Spirit, shared an important game plan to keep in mind when starting a new job and aiming to gain the respect of your colleagues and superiors. He suggests focusing on others rather than talking too much about your past achievements and future aspirations, as this can unnerve or annoy people when they haven't had the chance to get to know you just yet. Instead, be curious and inquisitive; ask about others' talents, and successes - this will demonstrate good listening skills and a willingness to learn and collaborate. Here are some other ways to ensure you survive - and thrive - in your first few weeks: ► Be prepared: Allow extra time to arrive comfortably on your first day and treat it like a first interview, even if familiar with the area and premises. Running late will send you flying into an even bigger panic. Although it's obvious, check the day's forecast and dress/protect yourself appropriately. I failed to do this on my first day at Breast Cancer Care and got drenched in an unexpected downpour en route to the building. My newly blow-dried hair stuck to my head and you could hear the squelch of my shoes a mile off. I've never forgotten to pop an umbrella in my handbag since. ► Start before you start: Pre-read as much as you can before the big day - enquire with HR if any materials are available to read in advance and get up to speed on company and people profiles via LinkedIn and Twitter. This provides a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with internal structures, policies and procedures and key people to track down in your first week. Even gleaning a small amount of prior knowledge can be provide some comfort as you venture into the unknown. ► Expect to feel stupid: Reached the end of Day 2 and still none the wiser? Try not to be too hard on yourself or be tempted to be carry on the interview façade; it takes time to embed into a new organisation and you're not expected to know it all or to excel at everything right away. All you can do is listen intently, take plenty of notes and ask questions to fill in the gaps or iron out any confusion. Use downtime to trawl the intranet and re-familiarise yourself with any induction paperwork provided. ► Audit your past: According to Management Today, it's useful to reflect on your previous role and ask yourself some honest questions; What did I do well? What could I have done better? What should I avoid doing in this role? Use your responses to create a vision of how you want to approach your new position - what to replicate, what to improve on and what to abstain from - and apply this as soon as you can. ► Use your initiative: It's likely your first few weeks won't be too work-heavy, so offer help to your colleagues where you can. Whether yours is a newly created role or you're replacing someone, it's likely your team will be swamped as they adjust to your joining and give up time in their diary for your induction alongside work commitments. Any tasks, whether menial or unfamiliar, form part of the learning process and it will help you feel part of the team. ► First impressions: Carefully consider how you present yourself and savour the first few meetings with your colleagues; preliminary interactions may seem trivial but first impressions really do count. When I left my last job, I was touched when a few colleagues said 'I still remember your first day' and 'you were the first person I met/who interviewed me and I'll never forget it'. When you're new, your initial impressions of the company have a lasting impact on how you see the employer brand but don't forget, it works the other way round too. As a general rule, be friendly to everyone you encounter! ► Bring your entire self to work: When you feel ready and when appropriate, reveal the true 'you', like your hobbies and interests (but avoid anything too political or contentious). At my new workplace, new joiners are encouraged to post a 'hello' message on Yammer (a social networking site for businesses) which outlines not just their role and team, but where they worked before, their interests, where they live and anything else of interest. I received some lovely, inquisitive responses and emails following my post and have already discovered one colleague with a mutual love of music, running and Dave Grohl. Our interaction has really helped to ease my nerves and made me feel less lonely. The first few weeks in a new job often mean experiencing a steady torrent of newbie nerves and smiling so much your face hurts. However, enjoy the discomfort if you can; as difficult as it may seem, this means you're pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone and doing great things. Your new role will provide a fresh start; the opportunity to break from the past and help shape a new and exciting future. Soon, you'll be enjoying the party. In fact, you'll be the life and soul. Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer Contact Nicola

2018 salary survey: marketing, PR and digital roles Our brand new 2018 salary survey is out now, with current market rates for roles at all levels within charities and not for profit organisations. Along with comprehensive salary tables for each specialist area, we also highlight some key trends we've observed in recruiting for them - here's the view from our marketing and communications specialists. Marketing, PR and Digital Candidate availability in marketing, communications, digital and PR is rather more mixed than in fundraising, but over the past year we've seen a particular shortage at marketing manager level in most areas. However when it comes to senior media and PR-related roles, it's a slightly different story: candidates may be relatively plentiful, but often feel the salaries on offer don't adequately reflect their skills and experience. As a result, rather than going through a job move only to continue feeling undervalued, many will choose to wait things out for a better offer. Press Officers aren't too impressed either, where the issue isn't a lack of candidates, but that the offers intended to attract them just aren't considered attractive enough. Feast or famine? There are mixed fortunes elsewhere too. The world of direct marketing has no shortage of job opportunities, but a significant shortage of candidates, and we've seen counter-offers to try and retain staff increasing sharply over the last year as a result. Meanwhile there's no shortage of people looking to work in policy, advocacy and campaigns positions, but vacancies in these areas are less plentiful. Digital expansion... If you've visited a charity news site over the past few years, you'll rarely have been more than two clicks away from something about the need for charities to go digital and the many advantages of doing so. And it's a message that's clearly been heeded, with charities investing more in their digital skills and strategy, creating more roles and making this a real growth area. However as time progresses, and more and more of us become more digitally-proficient, the pool of suitably-skilled and experienced candidates is expanding too. Taken together, this means employers haven't needed to raise salaries as much or as quickly this year as they often have in the past in order to fill vacancies. ...and consolidation As the digital market grows it's naturally also maturing, becoming more established and thus behaving rather more like others. With an urgent need to rapidly develop digital offerings some years ago, charities typically faced tough competition for the few candidates available, causing rapid rises in salaries. Many of those initial roles will have been as the organisation's first/only digital specialist, responsible for the entire digital remit, justifying high rates and regular hikes. These days however, larger digital teams often mean that responsibilities can be more widely shared, giving rise to more structured teams and specialised roles, each handling a smaller, more specific part of the overall remit, like social media or digital fundraising. This has taken pressure off the pay pedal too, with salaries having become more stable and consistent across the sector as a result. Recruitment and retention It's not all about salaries in digital, nor necessarily the organisation's particular cause. Many candidates (as you might expect) have a strong interest in new technology, but this means they can be difficult to retain for long: many will readily move for a charity with the latest/more innovative/better systems, so staff turnover can be fairly swift. In comparison with many departments however, digital teams are often considerably more open to looking outside the sector to bring in the skills required, largely out of necessity, though this may gradually decline as the number of digital specialists within the charity sector grows. For the rest of the guide including salary tables and trends for all of our specialist areas, you can view or download our 2018 Salary Survey here. Alternatively if you have any queries for our marketing specialists, please call 020 7820 7300 or email the team.

Our brand new salary survey for 2018 has just been released, with current market rates for roles in all the major job functions within charities and not for profit organisations. As ever, we've also taken a look at the key trends and changes we've observed in recruiting for the sector over the past year, in our market update. ​ 2018 market update It's certainly been another eventful year for the third sector, not least for fundraisers, PR and data teams, among many others. Few sectors are currently enjoying a golden period of good times and growth and the charity sector would appear to be no exception, with little sign of significant expansion. Yet given the formidable challenges many organisations have been grappling with, it's encouraging to have seen demand from employers and the flow of vacancies holding remarkably steady throughout the year, suggesting a sector in reasonably robust health. Also holding steady is the shortage of candidates in many key areas, and this year we've seen a marked increase in counter-offers as organisations bid to retain their existing talent. And while many won't yet have seen any significant change, there are some signs that the ongoing scenario of high demand/low supply is beginning to exert greater pressure on salaries. Flexibility is your friend In discussing this year's trends with our specialist teams, several common themes emerged, but top of the list by far - highlighted in all areas from finance to fundraising - is a steep rise in candidate requests for flexible working arrangements. Whether it's technology making home working more viable, changes in the work itself, or simply a greater appreciation of Dolly Parton's wisdom, the standard nine-to-five is no way to make a living for an increasing number of candidates, particularly at senior levels. Working one day per week at home is especially popular, as are flexible hours (often to accommodate family/childcare responsibilities), or a four-day week, freeing up a day for activities like voluntary/trustee work or a secondary career. While some organisations remain unwilling or unable to accommodate these arrangements, it's a major selling point for those who do. Strong candidates will typically have multiple offers at the moment, and between one with the desired flexibility and another without, there's very little question as to which contract they'll sign. Charities struggling to retain experienced talent could benefit from becoming more flexible too, removing one of the key motivators for staff to change jobs. The place to be Recently we've also seen location becoming a more important factor in candidate choices. It's probably fair to say that advances in transport haven't quite kept pace with those in technology (or those of an elderly tortoise, for those reliant on a certain southern rail firm) - and this combination may explain why fewer candidates appear willing to contemplate the long commuting times of the past. With several offers in play, a convenient location can often trump all other considerations. Minimum wage or living wage? As ever, salary increases are easier to find at senior levels where candidates are scarce, than at entry level where pay rises are rather more elusive. But the last year has seen some welcome development here too, thanks to (at time of writing) more than 800 charities choosing to become accredited Living Wage employers. This means offering at least the minimum salaries established by the Living Wage Foundation - something we're also committed to at Harris Hill. The picture's not entirely rosy though, as the recent Low Pay In The Charity Sector report makes clear, with many smaller charities unable to meet these minimums (the 800 signed up are predominantly the bigger names) and a full 26% of charity workers currently earning less than the real living wage. For the purposes of our salary survey in providing recommendations, we've excluded salaries beneath the Living Wage minimum, but for now at least, they can certainly still be found. Battle of the sexes No current salary discussion would be complete without mention of the Gender Pay Gap of course. With a roughly 65% female workforce it's probably little surprise that the charity sector scores more favourably than many: recent analysis published in Third Sector, Civil Society and elsewhere showed an average gap of 8% in favour of men, while 20% of participating organisations reported gaps in favour of women. And while women accounted for 71% of the lowest-paid employees, they also made up 63% of the highest-paid individuals, although purely at chief executive level Third Sector's 2017 research found just 32% were female - a trend we're proud to be bucking with women accounting for 48% of our CEO placements and 57% of our non-executive appointments in the past year. There's little else to add here from our own experience: some have suggested that pay requests are slightly more likely to originate from men and flexible working from women, or that requests may be more readily granted for one gender than another, but with zero actual evidence to support this (hey, it's 2018, who needs facts any more?) we'll just leave that right there. Answers on an ethically-sourced recyclable postcard if your DM team have any going spare. GDPR (and PR) challenges Few of our clients have yet been reporting or anticipating a major impact on revenues from the introduction of GDPR, but there's been strong demand in areas like marketing and communications, data, digital and HR for people with GDPR expertise, mainly on a temporary or contract basis. And while the recent string of high-profile allegations, revelations and resignations from major charities may not be great PR for the sector, we've yet to see any noticeable impact on recruitment, with most of the sector's best-known names (including those concerned) remaining popular employers of choice among candidates.

We're delighted to bring you the Harris Hill 2018 Salary Survey, our 13th annual guide to remuneration for roles throughout the charity and not for profit sectors in the UK. Based on the thousands of third sector jobs we've worked on in the last 12 months, we provide comprehensive and detailed salary ranges for both permanent and temporary positions at all levels for the key roles and job functions in each of our specialist areas, including: Data Management ▪ Digital ▪ Executive Search ▪ Fundraising ▪ Finance ▪ Human Resources ▪ Marketing & Communications ▪ Operations, Admin & Support ▪ Press & PR ▪ Projects & Programmes We also highlight some of major trends we've observed over the past year within each specialism and the wider sector, such as: What's at the top of 2018 candidates' wishlist when it comes to their next role? Is high demand and short supply in many areas pushing up salary offers for candidates? How can charities attract and retain talented staff on limited budgets? What are employers really looking for, and what kind of skills and experience are likely to be among the most highly-prized over the year ahead? Executive salaries This year we've also taken a closer look at the senior executive market, in particular the ever-controversial issue of remuneration for charity CEOs: are six-figure salaries as widespread as some suggest, and what are the particular responsibilities of a charity CEO that justify the higher level of pay? How we gather the information All the data is taken from the actual roles we've worked on over the past year (approximately 3,000 in total), then analysed by our specialist consultants, applying their insight and expert knowledge of the wider market to ensure the figures are a realistic reflection of the salaries being offered in each field. As such it is not an exhaustive list of every charity and not-for-profit salary paid in the last year but is a detailed and representative guide which we hope you'll find a genuinely useful reference tool. If you'd like any further information on salaries with the sector, please get in touch with us on 020 7820 7300 or contact the relevant team below: Data Management 020 7820 7304 data@harrishill.co.uk Executive Search 020 7820 7323 executive@harrishill.co.uk Fundraising 020 7820 7326 fundraising@harrishill.co.uk Finance 020 7820 7340 financerecruitment@harrishill.co.uk Human Resources 020 7820 7340 humanresources@harrishill.co.uk Marketing, PR & Digital 020 7820 7333 marketing@harrishill.co.uk Operations, Admin & Support 020 7820 7304 operations@harrishill.co.uk Projects & Programmes 020 7820 7304 projects@harrishill.co.uk Temporary & Interim 020 7820 7325 teamtemps@harrishill.co.uk

Finding the perfect candidate is only half the story when it comes to hiring fundraisers. With strong competition from other charities, it's just the start of the battle to secure them - and in our experience it's a battle that's only getting tougher. So how can you improve your chances of victory? Standout salaries might swing it, but with very few charities in a position to offer them, the deciding factor could well be something you have much more control over: the hiring process itself. Here are four of the reasons you might be missing out on top talent: (originally posted via Third Sector) 1. Decisions, decisions At a time when candidates are scarce and charities are competing for the best talent, things move quickly. By the time you've completed your interview rounds, deliberated over your chosen candidate and contacted them, they may have already accepted another offer. If you think someone is right for the job, make your offer without procrastination before they're snapped up elsewhere. 2. Employer brand With competing offers on the table, fundraising professionals are increasingly factoring the employer brand into their choices. Your working environment, culture, values and benefits can really make a difference to which offer they accept. Another charity may have offered a better remuneration package, but it could equally be that their working culture was more attractive, or simply demonstrated more effectively to the candidate. 3. Counter-offer In recent years we've seen a notable increase in charities fighting to hold on to their valuable talent and offering more to keep them. This is normally in the form of a salary increase but could also involve a promotion, greater flexibility or other benefits the candidate hoped to gain from a move. 4. Laborious application process It's not uncommon for charities to ask candidates to complete a lengthy application form as well as their CV (covering the same information), a supporting statement and several rounds of interviews. This risks losing their interest during the process and deters many of the strongest candidates from the outset, as they know there'll be other opportunities with fewer hoops to jump through. To secure the best, evaluate how much of your recruitment process is really necessary, make it quick and easy for people to apply, and run the interview process as swiftly and decisively as possible.

Since I steered my career path in a different direction last year, I've been dusting off my CV and dedicating time to reflect on my work experience as I prepare for interviews. I have over eighteen years' HR experience gained in both charity, commercial and creative environments; a deliberate move to broaden my skill set and although I've enjoyed them all, there have been some notable differences. For this month's guest article, I'm exploring: what differentiates working in charity HR from other sectors the challenges and considerations unique to the not-for-profit (NFP) sector ideas and tips for charity HR people to improve processes, even on a limited budget I've also reached out to other HR specialists with experience in both sectors to seek their professional views. What's different about working in charity HR? If you asked charity people what their key motivator is, I'm confident the spirited response would be 'passion!' You only had to be a spectator at the London Marathon 2018, observing a sea of charity running vests, masses of thunderous charity cheering squads and tired but enthusiastic post-race reception volunteers, to feel the sheer force of enthusiasm and personal investment that charity people give to their day jobs. Back in 2003, I worked for a large engineering firm that offered career progression, a competitive salary and financial support towards my professional qualification. Yet, I had a nagging, unshakeable feeling that something was missing. It's only when I saw an advert for 'HR Coordinator, Breast Cancer Care' in People Management magazine and immediately scrawled a ring around it (yes, an actual advert...on paper!) that the realisation hit; I was lacking a sense of purpose. I applied, got the job and never looked back. An HR manager with NFP experience I spoke to - now working in the legal sector - relates to this, explaining: 'It's often a very personal and passionate journey that charity employees go through. By comparison in professional services, employees are equally driven in their roles, but the reason for that drive is not the same kind/depth of passion'. Additionally, charity HR people may naturally be, or are often required to be, empathetic in their delivery and decision making which can ensure a considered approach and a high degree of integrity. However, this passion can sometimes be an obstacle for charity HR specialists, as supporting key procedures such as restructures, performance management processes and fair dismissals can feel much more difficult. What are the pros and cons? One potential 'con' for HR charity specialists (although dependent on type and size of charity) is often money; whether take home salary, budget availability or the justification on how to spend donated funds. Often, procedures such as recruitment authorisations or L&D expenditures are tightly managed and require careful explanation, and management structures including authorisation from trustees can take some getting used to. Harris Hill's 2017 Salary Survey (look out for the 2018 edition in just a few days' time! - Ed) reports average salaries for HR managers ranging from £35,000 to £42,000 per annum, depending partly on charity size. This compares with an average of £38,000 to £50,000 per annum in other sectors, so may be a key factor when considering a transition to the charity sector. However, Danielle Alsey, who moved from a large financial bank with no charity experience and is now HR Business Partner at Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has never looked back. 'I may not receive the (wonderful) annual bonus' she reflected. 'However I LOVE the organisation I work for and now have a lot healthier work-life balance'. Danielle also describes her fierce passion for the success of the charity and how 'immensely proud' she is to work for CRUK. Common misconceptions One myth I personally have to dispel, especially since seeking part-time roles outside of the charity sector, is that working in charity HR is easy. That it's soft and 'fluffy' and the HR issues I managed, the senior managers I partnered with and the pace I worked at during my charity sector experience was less complex or challenging. This is simply not true. Perhaps because of the passion, personal investment and individual experiences of the cause, it can be even more demanding. I worked with hard-working, creative individuals with incredibly high-expectations and my HR experience was enriched as a result. Danielle agrees, explaining 'to be clear, it is still a very demanding, high-expectation, driven organisation'. However, a definite 'pro' for working in HR in the charity sector is the potential to achieve a better work-life balance. As our legal sector HR manager points out 'the sector is not known for the same long-hours culture as other sectors' and Danielle has enjoyed CRUK's culture that 'doesn't expect/leave you checking your phone all evening and weekend'. Finally, although money is important, working in HR for a charity gives you a sense of contributing towards a much bigger goal. You are supporting, training, coaching and developing talented people who are working to change the world or make a difference - and that is hugely rewarding. What do I need to consider if I want to move into the charity sector? For those contemplating a career in charity HR from another sector or seeking progression you may want to consider the following: - Firstly, do the maths; the financial differential can be hard to adjust to at first, although there are many other benefits! Calculate your living and essential costs and then consider areas that may need to be tweaked. - Our legal contact also advises doing careful homework to find a charity that feels right for you personally rather than just diving in, explaining 'I interviewed with another large charity before my chosen one - but it didn't feel right for me; too haphazard, lacking direction and 'fuzzy'; that was not the right mix for me and would have frustrated me'. - Larger charities such as CRUK provide multiple options for a career change or entry such as apprenticeships, paid internships as well as entry level roles - and prior charity experience isn't always needed. - Finally, talk to an experienced consultant at Harris Hill; they're always on hand to provide advice and guidance and update you on any potential openings. Reaching out to other HR specialists with diverse experiences and reflecting on my own career choices has confirmed there are definite pros and cons to the charity and commercial sectors for those in HR. Yet, as I stood at the barriers last month watching the London Marathon 2018 and cheering on my brother-in-law and cousin running for two amazing charities; National Deaf Children's Society and Hospice UK, I felt a great sense of pride for having been an HR specialist in the charity sector. As my legal colleague so eloquently said, working in not-for-profit 'feels real every day - you are living the cause behind the charity and are part of it'. You are doing work that can potentially change the world. How wonderful is that? Nicola Greenbrook, Freelance Writer and HR Professional Contact Nicola Creative ideas for charity HR If you're already working in HR for a charity, you'll know that budgets are often limited, but this doesn't mean that creativity has to be economised. Here are three relatively simple and low-cost ways you may able to improve your charity's HR processes. ► Help - and reap the rewards Be available and willing to share your ideas, policies and time with your networks. As a colleague recently told me 'It's amazing how many favours you can call in/how you can ask people for help if you put in the leg work to help others'. ► Network wisely Utilise your contacts, professional membership and events well to get advice and ideas about available resources at a reasonable price. I learnt about Charity Days, a group of trainers who volunteer to give their time free of charge to registered charities this way, and it proved invaluable. ► Be creative Expand your L&D programme with help from your own internal talent; involve key teams in onboarding or ask if they would be willing to training other staff in their own specialist area. Reach out to contacts in other sectors and ask if they are interested in mentoring, running a lunchtime creative session or donating their time to guest speak at a course.

Even the coolest of cats has the occasional moment when it all just goes paws up, and in the world of work, there's no shortage of opportunities for putting your foot in it too. But as our guest blogger Nicola Greenbrook finds, there are ways of turning these embarrassing experiences to your advantage... That awkward moment: why we should embrace everyday embarrassments in working life Awkwardness is one of the most common but uncomfortable qualities we can experience. Whether it's saying goodbye to someone only to find you're both walking in the same direction, or having to speak to a team member about their 'personal hygiene' issue, embarrassing moments and tricky conversations take place regularly in our personal and professional lives. In a new book by Melissa Dahl, senior editor at New York Magazine, called 'Cringeworthy: How to Make the Most of Uncomfortable Situations', she explains the compelling psychology of awkwardness. Why we feel it, how to manage it, and why even the most cringeworthy moments could be valuable to your development. Why we feel awkward Awkwardness can manifest itself in different ways: talking too fast or making terrible jokes for example, but why exactly do we feel it? Melissa defines awkwardness as 'self-consciousness tinged with uncertainty' and offers a theory; when the 'you' that you think you're presenting to the world clashes with the way the world actually sees you. As she explained in a recent interview with The Verge, "We like to think those two 'yous' are one and the same, and sometimes they are, but sometimes they're not". We may feel secondhand embarrassment for others quite easily, but when it comes to ourselves, it's not as simple to identify the gap between who we think we are and what the world actually sees. Office awkwardness Falling over on your commute is up there with the least desirable of situations, but the likelihood is you won't see the people who saw you stumble ever again (phew). However, saying something in jest in the office that caused offence or addressing poor performance with someone in your team can feel more tricky - after all, you see your colleagues every day and sometimes more than your family. Working in the third sector can arguably provide even greater potential for awkwardness. You might accidentally say "there's no need to shout, I'm not deaf!" to someone who (you then discover) relies on a hearing loss charity, or overcompensate when offering help to a wheelchair user, unaware you're actually causing them embarrassment or inconvenience. According to disability charity Scope UK, two thirds of people feel awkward around disability. Not enough people know or interact with disabled people and, because of this, they panic or avoid situations for fear of doing or saying the wrong thing. They created the #EndTheAwkward campaign which offers some invaluable tips to help everyone feel more confident about disability. Embrace the awkward With all this in mind, now could be the time to be an 'awkward-embracer'. Our natural instinct is to run away from an embarrassing moment but it could be an opportunity to remedy it. As Melissa says, 'it's useful information when your inner idealised person is not being perceived well'. This gives you a chance to consider the other person's perspective, how what you meant to say was taken in another way and to put it right. In the excruciating moments when we feel uncomfortable, we can get a little closer to the person we want to be. For example, attending a network event or a job interview can make you feel vulnerable and awkward, but can take you out of our comfort zone and help you develop. Managing cringeworthy situations In a professional environment it's likely you've been caught up in at least one cringeworthy moment, such as making a sarcastic remark about someone you've just spoken to on the phone - only to discover you didn't actually hang up. Or you may need to have a challenging conversation about something delicate, like a team member's personal issue that's impacting on their work. Both of which you may find awkward or even painful. ACAS defines a difficult conversation as 'where you have to manage emotions and information in a sensitive way'. Here are some practical ways to manage these situations: Confront Don't ignore or run away from an awkward moment or put off difficult conversations. Try to acknowledge and face up to the issue as soon as possible, handling it in the best way you can; you may avoid experiencing what Melissa calls a 'cringe attack'; little humiliations or awkward situations from your past that come back unbidden to haunt you, sometimes years after they first occurred. Plan Finding the right words during a difficult conversation can be hard, so planning in advance can help. Jot down a few notes to keep you on track - the facts, what you know about the individual, any policies to refer to. Avoid composing a script; you may feel obliged to read it word for word which will appear artificial, plus the recipient won't know their 'part' and so it will naturally go off script. Change your mindset If you categorise the issue as a 'difficult conversation' that's going to be 'awkward' it will only heighten your trepidation. Instead, view it as a 'normal' conversation and shift your approach. For example, if you're a manager giving feedback about poor performance, treat the discussion as way of providing constructive evaluation and helping the individual to develop. Apologise and move on If you've said or done something awkward, it's not the end of the world. Say sorry and express regret, but don't let it finish the conversation and do your best to move past it. Avoid re-running 'mental footage' later on - it's likely the other person has already forgotten. Melissa draws on our tendency to overthink how closely others notice what we do, which she calls 'the spotlight effect'. She reminds us that no one is really keeping track of what we said or laughing at our foibles for too long - they're far too busy worrying about themselves. Rather than berating ourselves for causing a cringeworthy moment or dreading that difficult-but-necessary conversation, it might be time to tolerate and even embrace the awkwardness. By acknowledging the occasions when you're not perceived well and putting it right immediately, preparing for a challenging conversation or apologising for (not running away from) an awkward situation, you may create a better, more memorable impression - and grow braver and more experienced along the way. Nicola Greenbrook, Freelance Writer and HR Professional Contact Nicola

Our very own director and deputy CEO Faye Marshall has recruited for countless charities, visiting all kinds of offices in the course of her career. So back in December, as part of their Wonderful Workplaces initiative, Third Sector Jobs asked for her thoughts on the kind of workplaces that appeal to candidates, and how charities can make sure they're an attractive prospect for the people they need. Read below for the full interview, reproduced with many thanks to Third Sector Jobs. ​ Faye Marshall, Harris Hill TS: Why do you think it's important for charities to highlight their working culture and benefits? FM: In most areas of the market there are plenty of opportunities but a shortage of candidates, so charities are competing for the best talent. Candidates frequently have several offers at once, but as few organisations can afford to outbid the others with major increases, the salaries may all be fairly similar. So things like the working environment, culture, values and benefits can really make a difference to which offer gets accepted. What are some of the best charities you work with doing to attract top talent? There are great initiatives happening in some organisations around flexible working - for example giving staff the opportunity to choose the times of their working day, provided they're present for agreed core hours (e.g. 11am-3pm) to allow for staff meetings. This means that candidates with all the right skills and qualities aren't excluded solely because they can't do a standard Monday to Friday 9-5 week, and gives these charities more choice of available talent. Other organisations are offering incentives such as paid travel to work or time off for volunteering, and an increasing number of charities are signing up to become accredited Living Wage Employers, which reflects well on the employer and is attractive for candidates. One aspect of the accreditation is that unpaid interns can no longer be used to fill staffing gaps, with most of the work going instead to freelancers and contractors. As a result there are more opportunities to gain paid experience within the sector and in the long term, everyone should benefit from a larger pool of experienced talent. In your experience, would you say candidates place most importance on a high salary or are other aspects like work/life balance now more important? Or perhaps they expect both? It's usually a combination of both (if a candidate were purely motivated by salary they probably wouldn't be looking to the charity sector!) but the balance very much depends on individual circumstances and the stage of their career. In general, at more junior levels there's understandably a greater desire to progress in terms of position and salary; whereas at more senior levels where they're perhaps more settled and financially comfortable, other factors like the working environment, flexibility and time off for looking after family may become more important. How would you describe a great team culture? Supportive management, plenty of co-operation and willingness to help each other out - good teamwork essentially. Variety and diversity are important too: teams with a mix of personalities and skills that complement each other are undoubtedly more effective than a collection of clones who all have the same strengths and weaknesses. A positive approach and celebrating people's achievements is always valued, and when it comes to socialising, the key is to ensure that everyone feels welcome if they want to, but not excluded from the in-crowd if they don't, or have other responsibilities to attend to. What should jobseekers look for in a great place to work? A good charity employer should be able to give you a clear understanding of their strategy, what they're trying to achieve and how you'd contribute to that within your role. You'll pick up a lot from the interview process - many interviewers forget that it's not just the candidate who needs to make a good impression - but if you're made to feel welcome and comfortable, shown around or introduced to more people, these are all good signs. Try to find out if people tend to stay and develop a career there, or is it somewhere no-one stays for long? Will you be trusted to do your job, or micro-managed to the tiniest degree? Lastly, don't assume that the biggest, best-known and most successful charities are automatically the best employers too. Many are indeed excellent of course but it's not necessarily a given: plenty of smaller, lesser-known organisations are equally good employers, and among fewer employees there may be a greater chance of taking on more responsibility. And how can they find out whether the culture is right for them? It's an obvious answer, but one of the easiest ways is to talk to us! Or at least another specialist recruiter. As we've always specialised in the charity sector it's more than likely we know the organisation and may have worked with them for many years. If we also know your personality as a candidate we'll be well placed to advise on whether you're likely to feel at home. Don't forget to ask plenty of questions at the interview; and why not ask to see around if you can (do people look happy and enthusiastic or stressed out in despair?) Look out for events run by the charity where you could chat to people who work there now - or better still, volunteer! Not only will you get to see what they're really like but it'll show commitment to their cause, a definite plus if you go for an interview. Lastly, how would you sum up what makes a 'wonderful workplace'? Everyone's different, so everyone's perfect workplace will be different too - but the essentials are likely to include a good fit with your colleagues, supportive management with clear aims and a positive approach, and somewhere your efforts will be welcomed and valued. But whether you're more attracted by flexible hours, fast-track progression or Friday night drinks will always be a personal and subjective thing, which is why it can be genuinely helpful to chat with one of our specialist recruitment consultants who really knows the field. Faye Marshall, Director of Permanent Recruitment and Deputy CEO, Harris Hill, interviewed by Jennifer Jackson for Third Sector Jobs in December 2017. You can contact Faye here, read more about how we work, or find more features on Wonderful Workplaces via Third Sector Jobs.

​ Welcome to our new series of interviews, Charity Careers, in which our guest writer Nicola Greenbrook talks to key influencers in the charity sector, inviting them to share their personal career story so far and describe in their own words how they navigate the professional world. We discover what they've learnt from their ups and downs at work, what motivates them to get out of bed in the morning and even what their dream breakfast might look like when they do... If you're a graduate curious about the not-for-profit sector, an emerging leader looking for inspiration, or simply want to read a motivating charity success story, look out for more Charity Careers features throughout the year. Starting us off with some much-needed sunshine, Nicola meets highly-experienced head of fundraising Sara Rees! Sara Rees is Head of Fundraising for Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity which exists to brighten the lives of seriously ill children and their families across the UK. The charity's work brings joy, hope and relief and creates precious memories for the whole family. Our charity's mission is... We believe these brave young people deserve to experience happiness and put their illness on hold, even if only for a day. We grant magical wishes (whether being a ballerina or fireman for the day or a trip to Disneyland), deliver services in children's hospitals and hospices (like installing play areas or running activity days with arts & crafts and entertainers), and organise days out and events (from Christmas parties to pop concerts). We've seen a 93% increase in demand on our services since 2011, and last year we granted our 6,000th wish and touched the lives of 12,000 children. I'm responsible for... Working with the fundraising and management team and Board to raise the funds that make our work possible. We do this through amazing events, corporate partnerships, patrons, community supporters, people taking on challenges in aid of us and lots more. I started my career... I studied languages at Uni, but I didn't really want to become a translator or interpreter. So I fell into jobs across a variety of sectors that played to my strengths. It was during a gap year when I was 25 that I realised I wanted a more meaningful career. Once back in the UK, I temped and half-heartedly tried to break into the charity sector. I didn't know what my transferable skills were though, so was unsure what jobs to apply for. About a year later, I was introduced to a friend of a friend who'd set up a recruitment agency. His advice was, start volunteering and work your way up. I found this so frustrating - I was certain I had so much to offer right then! He sent me a job spec anyway and it turned out to be an Account Exec role in the Corporate Partnerships team at Cancer Research UK. I nearly fell off my chair when I read it... someone had written my dream job down for me! It was then, only with hindsight, I realised my previous jobs shared a common thread: account management, business development, sales, relationship management. I got the job - and I haven't looked back since. My key roles along the way were... I spent 6.5 years at CRUK, thirsty for experience and taking on new roles or projects with greater responsibility every two years or so. Since then, I've worked on a Capital Appeal at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and then headed up the Corporate Partnerships team at Breast Cancer Care. I keep my skills fresh by... Learning new skills is one of my highest values. I'm grateful that my thirst for learning has been matched with some amazing developmental opportunities from day one. In my early career, I signed up for courses on everything from presentation skills to time and priority management. You name it, I went to it. My passion for development was noticed and I was trained to facilitate in-house learning sets and programmes. One of the best things I did was a post-graduate certificate in Leadership & Management and another highlight was joining the free Aspire scheme. I was paired with the most insightful coach I've ever met. They generated some massive breakthroughs and 'aha' moments, which I still apply on a daily basis. Cheesy as it may sound, I genuinely view every challenge as an opportunity to learn, gain experience of something new, and become better. My advice for anyone considering a move to the charity sector... For grads - first, work out your strengths and skills and what kind of role you could get really passionate about. Then apply for internships and volunteer roles in those areas. If a position opens up in the charity, you're in a prime position to apply. If not, the experience looks great on your CV and provides valuable content for interview questions elsewhere. To emerging leaders - get yourself an experienced mentor and read up on the world of management. There are plenty of books and courses on different management styles and techniques. Get equipped with as many tools in your belt as possible! The best piece of advice that's stuck in my mind is... I've heard some of the most successful women in business asked, "what advice would you give to your younger self?". They almost unanimously respond along the lines of "you are unique - know and play to your strengths, trust yourself, stop seeking approval all the time, don't try to be something or someone else, and relax - you can handle it." I love that advice. The older I get, the more I appreciate it. My alarm goes off at... 7.00 am - I'm so not a morning person! I'm more snoozer than spring-out-of-bedder. My 20-minute walk to the station is a life-saver - it wakes me up and provides great thinking time. My dream breakfast is... Eggs Royale; poached eggs, smoked salmon drizzled with lemon juice and wholemeal pitta bread - delicious. My other half also makes mean pancakes! Since I'm not a morning person though, and usually in a hurry, the Eggs Royale looks more like a nutrition shake or a nut bar with some fruit to snack on (I'm a 'fruit nut' as my old boss used to say). Oh, and a coffee. I love my coffee - the last sip is always accompanied by a resigned sigh. A typical day... Doesn't exist, but that's what I love about it. Today, I was in Leicester presenting with a colleague to a group of hotel chain general managers. Yesterday I was buried in budget spreadsheets, writing a strategy and pitching for new business. Some days I get to help out at one of our magical beneficiary events. Right now I'm reading... Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, a gift for my birthday. Also reading and definitely not enjoying - GDPR guidance papers! And watching... I grew up on classic comedies and can't get enough of brilliant stand-ups, sitcoms and satire. I whooped out loud on the tube when I read the BBC is giving Alan Partridge another series this year. I can't get through the day without... Good conversation. I get a lot of energy from connecting with people. Not just with colleagues, family and friends; I chat to random people during the day too. I really enjoy each encounter and it so often leads to something positive - from a simple film or restaurant recommendation to something more impactful, like a lead or an introduction. I can't imagine going through a day without it. And finally, on sleep... I love sleep, but I'm a night owl through and through. At the time I should go to bed, I get a new idea or an overwhelming urge to tick one or two more things off my to-do list. It takes me ages to finally get to bed - but as soon as my head hits the pillow, that's it. I'm a good dreamer but not a great bed buddy; apparently I sleep like a starfish and for a little person, manage to take up the whole bed. Then before I know it, it's 7.00 am again... We know the feeling only too well! Our sincere thanks to Sara for kindly being our first interviewee and sharing her insights - and of course to Nicola for bringing us another great feature: we're already looking forward to more! Meanwhile if you'd like to find out more about Sara's organisation, visit Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity.

The 2018 Charity Series is off to a winning start! February can only mean one thing around these parts: the great big annual inter-charity pub quiz, run by the all-star charity softball league committee, attended by the fastest 40 charities to bag a place, and sponsored by us as the first event in the 2018 Harris Hill Charity Series! Last Tuesday night's event kicked things off in fine style at the packed-out Patch Bar in St Paul's who were fantastic hosts as always, so a huge thank you - not just for the warm welcome and great service, but really getting into the spirit with a spontaneous extra prize for the fundraising raffle too! Speaking of which, our sincere thanks to all the brilliant organisations who generously donated prizes including (deep breath): health spas Embody Wellness and Floatworks Vauxhall, the Sipsmith Gin Distillery in Chiswick, Kennington's stylish Windmill Flowers, Irish and Welsh rugby teams Connacht and the Ospreys, and perhaps the most exciting-yet-slightly-terrifying of all, Whistlepunks Urban Axe Throwing! All for a great cause This year's proceeds from the quiz night raffle are going to Muscular Dystrophy UK, adding a healthy sum to the funds raised by their presumably-even-healthier challenge events manager Krishan Solanki. Undertaking both a gruelling Iron Man challenge AND the London Marathon in the next few months for the charity, we're delighted to be contributing to his support, and if you'd like to as well, just click here or on the image above to find out more. For us, there was just one problem when it came to selling raffle tickets: in our enthusiasm for the great cause and excitement over the stellar selection of prizes, we'd forgotten to factor in just how fast we've all gone cashless and contactless in the past 12 months alone, so understandably the coin buckets were looking a little lighter than usual at first. Luckily though, Harris Hill's outstanding, inspiring, wise and wonderfully generous (that's GOT to be worth a promotion or two, surely...) chief exec Mr Aled Morris was on hand, pledging to match the total raised and, having done so, rounding that up to a record-breaking raffle total of £1500! So a fantastic result all round, many thanks to everyone involved, and with further funds forthcoming for Krishan's fearsome feats, it looks being a great result for Muscular Dystrophy UK too. And speaking of results... ...it just remains to reveal this year's smarties of the sector and champion of the charities. With a maximum of 50 points on offer, and given a close run by third-placed Asthma UK and silver medallists Citizens Advice, it's gold-plated congratulations to the Canal & River Trust! We'll do it all again next year (hopefully with added card machine) - we hope to see you there! Team Harris Hill

If you're working for a charity, you'll already know that providing the right services means listening carefully to the people who use them. It's just the same for us at Harris Hill, so we've teamed up with Third Sector Jobs to give you the chance to air your views (and to win a £150 Amazon voucher!) in a short but sector-wide survey on charity recruitment in general, and - if you've used it - our service in particular. Whether you've enlisted our help to find a role, fill a role, or never worked with us at all, we're keen to hear your thoughts on: what you look for in a charity recruiter how you feel about the service you receive what we're doing well/not so well what could be improved to better support your recruitment or job search process ​ About the survey To complete the survey should take no more than 5 minutes and you can choose to express your views based on experience of job hunting within the sector, recruiting, or both (see below). If you'd like to answer from both perspectives, select 'I have hiring responsibility' to answer firstly as an employer, and the questions relating to job-seeking will follow afterwards. However you only need to answer from one perspective to be entered for the prize draw. All feedback will be confidential and Third Sector will remove names/personal details before sharing your responses with us. All data seen by Harris Hill will be anonymous so please feel free to be open and candid in your answers. To say a huge thank you for completing the survey, Third Sector will enter you into a prize draw on our behalf, for a chance to win a £150 Amazon voucher. Entries close on Friday 9th March 2018 and we'll announce the winner shortly afterwards. ----------- As charity recruitment specialists, the better our understanding of your challenges and requirements, the more we can focus our energies in the right direction and strive to meet your needs as efficiently and effectively as possible. So we'd love to hear what you think!

Brilliant, you've landed the interview! Except, now you've got to go to the interview. Yikes. For many of us, they can be a daunting prospect but worry no more: guest blogger Nicola Greenbrook is here with her top ten tactics for trouncing your trepidation... ​ How to conquer your interview fears According to a survey by Investors in People, nearly half of the UK workforce (47%) will be seeking a new job in 2018. If you are one of the millions considering a career change or looking for a new role it could be an exciting transformation for the new year. Although job applications can be time-consuming, being invited to an interview makes it worthwhile and is a huge morale boost. Yet, once the thrill of the invitation subsides the prospect of the actual interview leaves even the most confident of us a nervous wreck. It's no wonder - interviews are one of the most unnatural forms of human interaction. Under the spotlight, you try hard to stay calm and appear a highly knowledgeable expert in your field while convincing a panel of strangers you are not a robot and, actually, quite normal. That is, if you make it into the room in one piece. On a recent second interview, I toppled down the stairs on the way to reception thanks to smart but inadequately-gripped footwear. Fortunately, I was promptly helped up by a departing visitor and I think no one saw. With bruised knees/ego and laddered tights concealed by a table, I had to get on with the show because, after all, you only get one chance on the day. So what steps can you take to conquer your interview fears and make it a successful, even enjoyable encounter? Based on learnings from my own recent experiences and invaluable advice from a range of senior charity professionals, here are ten ways to ensure an interview doesn't become an ordeal. 1. Research Obvious, but the relatively simple act of learning about the organisation demonstrates your appetite for the role and is essential. Consider any challenges facing the charity and the wider sector itself. Meticulously trawl their website; know the mission statement, review the annual accounts and look for the obvious and less obvious. Approach your networks for valuable insights, and use social media for on-the-day activity. In-depth research will make you feel confident - and could give you the edge over the competition. 2. Practice makes perfect Aim to know the role description inside out. Prepare a few relevant examples of where your skills and experience directly relate to the role or where your transferable skills apply and write these down to read over on the commute. Devise thoughtful, inquisitive and interesting questions but not so many that the interview overruns - you can email any additional ones after the meeting. If you've been asked for a presentation, print a few copies in case of technical malfunction on the big day. Finally, practice your interview responses out loud on your housemate/partner/cat. 3. Keep it in perspective Thanks to their usual portrayal - hapless candidate grilled by ruthless, stony-faced panel - it's easy to think of interviews as something to fear. So why not think of them as something more familiar? What you're actually going to is a meeting, which not only sounds less scary, but more like the mutual discussion it's going to be. You'll arrive, meet some people in the same line of work as you, and spend time talking to each other about what you do. And when you put it like that, it actually sounds more like a cocktail party (though arriving with a large Martini is definitely not recommended) - so nothing too nerve-wracking at all. 4. Craft your story A recent interview I attended was one of my favourites (and I generally find interviews terrifying). It was a blend of competency-based questions about my HR skills and experience with an informal chat about me, my life so far and my interests outside of my HR career - including the book I was reading and my favourite sport. Whilst it shouldn't contribute to the overall scoring, it does give the panel an insight into your key attributes and behaviours, reveals your values and proves that you are definitely not a robot. Carefully craft your own (genuine!) personal story and tell it confidently and engagingly. 5. Do a dummy run Visit the building a day/week before if you can manage and arrive at least 15 minutes early on the day. Your nerves will appreciate you arriving early enough to grab a coffee, use the loo and review your notes rather than cursing and panicking on the Central Line. Sometimes though, lateness is unavoidable so be calm, always acknowledge and apologise for it and move on with the interview. 6. Be your best self When 'imposter syndrome' kicks in on the day, remember the panel invited you for a reason - you didn't invite yourself. Don't let fear sabotage your interview - be confident in your skills and abilities. Use positive imagery before the interview, such as imagining yourself in an enjoyable conversation with the panel and laughing, to get in the right frame of mind. 7. Dress for success It is likely you don't know the company dress code at this stage, so play it safe with a professional interview look, and avoid being over-trendy. A smart suit, dress, or elegant tailoring with a shirt or good quality top will work but mostly, dress like YOU and avoid trying a brand new look on the day. Steer clear of anything too tight/short/itchy/fussy and avoid accessories that take over the room - the panel should be focusing on you, not your necklace. 8. Be courteous Be polite and warm to everyone you encounter - they may be your future colleagues after all. ALWAYS be polite to the reception team, usually the first people you meet, as first impressions last. Their observation on your behaviour and initial approach could prove useful feedback to the panel. 9. Be engaged According to many senior fundraising professionals, the ability to win people over is an essential fundraising skill; engage the interview panel and you can engage supporters and prospects out in the field. Techniques include maintaining eye contact and nodding, using appropriate facial expressions and smiling throughout. Speak confidently, articulately and with passion. Apply great listening skills and be genuinely interested, rather than trying to be interesting. Look like you want the job and allow your natural character to show through. 10. Follow up After the interview, email everyone on the panel to express your thanks for their time, note anything you particularly enjoyed or learnt from the experience and ask the questions you didn't get a chance to. It shows good manners and demonstrates how much you want the job. ****** Overall, try not to overthink the interview too much on the day. Take a deep breath, use your in-depth research and excellent preparation as your armour, conjure up that positive image and focus on being your best self. Conquer your fears ... you may even end up enjoying it. Good luck! (Oh, and you might want to watch those steps.) Nicola Greenbrook, Freelance Writer and HR Professional Contact Nicola

Events coming up soon... Here's a quick round-up of events we're supporting over the next few months and some dates for the diary - including the Charity Series Quiz Night, Fundraising Week, and Buckinghamshire's first big Charity Meetup... It's question time February's here, the days are just about getting longer, but the real proof that summer's on the way is that we've started planning for this year's Charity Softball League! Before you know it, May will be here and London will be alive with the sound of countless charities thwacking their correctly-weighted balls around a park near you. Ahead of all that though, it's time to find out who'll be this year's smarties of the sector at the 2018 Harris Hill Charity Series Quiz Night! Twice in the past three years, the answer to that question - one of the few we can answer from last year - was Friends of the Earth, who we think must be saving trees by memorising encyclopaedias, as they clearly know far too much (speaking as neighbours of a certain well-known intelligence agency, trust us, we know the signs). So can any of the other 39 competing charities topple these titans of trivia? We'll find out, along with fellow sponsors Bluestep and the artists formerly known as Snap Print Management, now part of the RNB Group (not part of an RNB group - you're thinking of Beyoncé) at the ever-hospitable Patch Bar in just a couple of weeks' time! The Charity Meetup comes to Buckinghamshire! These informal but informative networking events are designed for charity and not for profit people to meet new peers, make new connections, and share new ideas. They're the brainchild of charity-turned-creative-communications expert Dawn Newton, whose contacts across the sector are so extensive she'll need a suitcase for her Filofax if the eighties ever complete their comeback. After 11 highly successful events in London, generating fantastic feedback and hosted by the likes of Google, JustGiving, Blackbaud and Impact Hub Kings Cross, the meetup is bringing the buzz to Buckinghamshire, thanks to Carers Bucks who are kindly hosting the next event at their Aylesbury offices. With the emphasis on a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable to chat and make contacts, the meetup is a flexible format where you can come and go as you please, entailing anything from activities and games to speakers and themes, cocktails and chat to a good old cuppa and a chinwag, depending where and when. In Aylesbury, it's a chance to chat with fellow charity professionals on the theme of 'Sharing our Challenges' and with previous events attended by people from organisations both small and large (like the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Guide Dogs, Scope and Unicef UK, to name but a few) it's well worth attending if you're keen to connect with others in the area. You can find out much more about Charity Meetups and how to book for the Buckinghamshire event here, or contact Dawn for further details. We may even be hosting a future London event ourselves before long, so watch this space for details... Come and meet our fundraising specialists! ...if you're heading to Third Sector's Fundraising Week 2018 that is, which we highly recommend if you haven't already booked your place. Full details to follow but on Monday 21st May we'll be speaking at the Recruitment Masterclass event for HR professionals and hiring managers, looking at how to create a game-changing hiring process that puts your charity ahead of the curve for candidate attraction. On May 22nd and 23rd, you'll also find our very own Team Fundraising at the Fundraising Conference 2018 so be sure to come over for a chat if you can. A seven-strong fundraising recruitment team is already unusual, but what really makes our consultants unique in the sector is that they each specialise in a particular income stream too. So whether you're an events, community, corporate, direct marketing, major donor, trusts, legacies or more generalist fundraiser you'll be able to chat with someone who doesn't just know the market, but actually gets what you do in detail, understands the challenges you face, the people you need, the options that are open to you, and where you might want to go next. NB: they'll probably have sweets too, as if further reason were needed. Probably Haribos. That's it for now, and however you're involved in the charity sector, we hope we'll see you at one of the many events we'll be involved with over the course of the year. Next up on the blog, our guest blogger Nicola Greenbrook is back with some words of wisdom that could help if you're one of the many (most?) of us who find the prospect of interviews ever so slightly terrifying...

Should you change your career in 2018? And how? Right now, many people's thoughts may be turning to the year ahead and asking a similar question of their career: am I happy with more of the same or is it time for a change? Or what if I love my job, but really want to explore other things too? It's a question that Nicola Greenbrook began to wrestle with 18 years into her successful career, happily working as a Senior HR Manager for a leading UK charity. But with a new-born son, a passion for writing, and a burgeoning music and fashion blog to take care of as well, a more flexible career path had to be found. We'll let Nicola herself tell you the full story below, but one item high on the agenda was more freelance writing, so with that in mind, we're delighted to welcome her on board as our regular guest blogger! With extensive experience in both charities and commercial environments, Nicola has a wealth of sector knowledge and HR expertise, so she's ideally placed to bring us regular insights into all kinds of charity, HR and careers-related matters. Not least: what happens if you decide to risk the security of a full-time job for a future in freelancing, following your dreams and raising a family? Over to you, Nicola!​ As the end of 2017 approaches rapidly you may, in a fleeting moment during the festive hullabaloo, be reflecting on what the year has meant for you work-wise and considering your career plans for 2018. Even for those who eschew New Year's resolutions in the formal sense, the start of a new year can provide ample opportunity to review, rearrange or even reinvent your current working situation - whether that's your role, company, sector or even profession. I set my resolutions quite a few months early this year, July to be exact. I veered off my intended career path, resigning from a permanent senior HR role without the security of another position to go to. Why change? The catalyst for my change was two-fold. Firstly, our son was born in 2016 and just like working parents everywhere, I had been shuffling work, commuting and parenthood since my return from maternity leave earlier in the year. I was keen to find a working arrangement that gave me a little control over the disorder, if such a thing existed. Secondly, and a major stimulus for the change, the creative writing I did outside of work as a hobby had slowly but surely evolved into a career opportunity and I couldn't find time to pursue the openings coming my way. Juggling writing with a busy HR role and a toddler, and working on the move, late at night or when Evan (sometimes) napped was taking its toll on my health and relationships - and something needed to change. Numerous discussions with my husband, friends and family took place. Late night planning, vision board-ing and scribbling down numbers replaced Netflix viewing. The outcome was a rough plan - I envisaged my ideal working week would comprise three days HR, one day writing and one day with my son. Risks and opportunities It was in no way an easy decision to make. With over 18 years' experience across a wide variety of sectors and a secure role as Senior HR Manager for a leading UK breast cancer charity, I was able to use my generalist HR skills in a singular, rewarding position that worked around my childcare commitments. How would we cope financially? Did a suitable part-time HR role exist in the competitive labour market? Could I secure paid writing clients? Would semi self-employment suit me? Was this just a fanciful hope? Was I any good at anything anyway?! I considered the working world around me. According to the CIPD's People Management magazine, self-employment has doubled over the last four decades, reaching 16% of the UK Labour market and rising. Earlier this year, the CIPD also reported that within twelve years, half the workforce will be freelance and saw this shift from full-time employment as HR's biggest opportunity. Furthermore, Work.Life observes the 'rise of the freelancer' which allows individuals to pursue any personal, commercial or academic interests or even lead an independent career. It is evident the future of work is changing, with trends driving the shift including the overlap of work and leisure hours, the significant demand for better work-life balance and technological advancements that are dissolving time and place boundaries. Making the move So, in September, I took the plunge and became part of the contingent workforce. So far, it has had its downs, but also some noticeable ups. I have secured some fantastic writing clients and cover music, fashion and lifestyle matters as well as HR-related topics and charitable causes. I am hooking up with likeminded creative people and expanding my networks, and have the flexibility to attend meetings and develop my website around childcare. However, balancing multiple interests is a challenge, as I had expected. Job hunting can be a protracted and often demoralising business with unanswered applications and job searches that spurt out brilliant HR-related matches such as 'HGV Driver, Barking' and 'Part-time Dental Nurse'. While I have been lucky to secure second round interviews and pursue some consultancy work, the right HR role has not presented itself just yet. Key advice So, as the year draws to a close and if you are considering embarking on a change yourself, here are some things I have learnt on my journey so far. Money - Carefully consider the financial impact of making a career change and plan in advance. Review your outgoings, make the relevant alterations and be prepared for a potential dip in earnings that could last for months, even a year. If you are fortunate to have a support network around you, utilise it graciously but commit to repaying back any loans and keep clear records. Plan - Jot down all the ideas swimming around in your head, whether practical actions or ideas and aspirations, and create your own vision board or visual plan to keep your head clear. Review regularly and chip away, bit by bit. People - Utilise your networks wisely and be open to advice and encouragement. Ensure your CV is up to date and your LinkedIn profile appealing, and be active and curious; take an interest in the area you wish to develop your skills in by reading and attending any workshops, seminars or groups. Courage - Don't let fear of failure or that people around you won't approve be a barrier. Know your skills and don't undersell yourself at interviews. Be confident in your decision to make a change and don't apologise. Focus - Avoid browsing social media unless it is for networking or research purposes. Inevitably if you are having a wobbly, uncertain day someone else has landed the job of their dreams/won an award (or worse, the lottery) and is generally winning at life in a hot climate. Be self-disciplined and focused and stick with your own plan and goals. Patience - Let's face it, this change will not happen overnight. Rejection, slow days and not hearing back about an application you spent hours on, especially when it is simultaneous, can be frustrating and disheartening. Don't forget, tomorrow is another day. At the time of writing, and in dramatic The Apprentice narrator style, while the freelance writing has progressed my search for the right three-day senior HR role... continues. Yet, this is a career change I am embracing and one I am determined to make a success of. With 2018 waiting in the wings, I am staying positive that my goal of achieving a better work-life balance, maintaining my valuable HR career and pursuing an exciting new one alongside it will be realised with some hard work, determination and maybe even just a bit of luck. Nicola Greenbrook, Freelance Writer and HR Professional Contact Nicola Many thanks to Nicola, and if you're one of the many people who's also contemplating a new challenge, or a change in your charity career, do get in touch with one of our specialist consultants who'll be happy to offer relevant help and advice. In the meantime, best wishes for the New Year from all of us at Harris Hill!

It was the 18th century poet Samuel Johnson who famously said 'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life'. He might have had a point, but there speaks a man who's never been to the Elephant & Castle shopping centre. There are plenty of excellent things in London of course, not least a myriad of major charities, who for reasons like practicality or personnel are often headquartered here in the capital. But you don't have to battle the big smoke to find a truly rewarding role with an outstanding organisation. This week we're proudly supporting #UKCharityWeek, so we thought we'd highlight some of those great opportunities you can currently find through Harris Hill, elsewhere around the UK. ​ ►► 2018 update. This is archive content from December 2017 so unfortunately the vacancies below are now closed. However you can always find the very latest opportunities (and select by location) on our jobs homepage. ​ If we haven't got a regional role that's right for you right now, don't despair. While London certainly dominates our listings we're always posting more positions from around the country too, particularly in areas like community fundraising, marketing, communications and digital, and within our Executive Search business for roles like senior directors, CEOs and chairs. In the meantime, good luck with your job search, let us know if we can help of course, and if we ever happen to find you something on the Cornish coast, we promise not to all come and stay at once. Honest. ​Team Harris Hill

Well, that was a blast! This year's Harris Hill Charity Bowling Tournament was the biggest yet with fantastic participation from nearly 40 charities, a great atmosphere and plenty of surprises on the scoreboard! A big thank you firstly to the tremendous team behind all of the events; with Mr Leo Visconti and M.C. Vanessa Furey flying the flag for the committee on this occasion, effortlessly holding the whole thing together with little more than a microphone, style and Sambuca. A well-deserved thank you too for our hosts Rowans Tenpin Bowling who somehow manage to take the annual onslaught of competitive charities completely in their stride, with super-efficiency and a sunny smile: great service as ever. And there were some pretty seismic shifts in the scoring... In the end, 2015 and 2016 winners Age UK didn't quite pull off the hat-trick that would have seen them keep hold of the trophy for good (next year's budget breathes a sigh of relief!) but nevertheless notched up yet another impressive top three placing. Meanwhile it was all change at the top with a flurry of fresh faces turning in prime performances and picking up points galore: congratulations to silver medallists The Prince's Trust and the clear 2017 winners with a mighty 734 points, Plan UK! Rounds of applause too for top individual bowler Guy from Rethink who single-handedly racked up 184 of their points, and presenting a major challenge to the male-dominated top three for the first time, with 151 points, top female bowler Amy from Anthony Nolan! Here are the 2017 top ten teams: ...where you might notice something of a surprise at number five! We've genuinely no idea how this happened: we're delighted to have taken on lots of great new talent over the past year but can promise that 'are you any good at bowling?' is not one of our interview questions. For much of the night we were even in danger of coming THIRD but - like those rare occasions when the UK accidentally sends something to Eurovision that isn't a direct insult to the contest, your ears, or music itself - the initial excitement and hopes of glory faded as the final results were delivered (albeit with fewer sequins and marginally less screaming). It's probably for the best though: winning your own prizes simply wouldn't be cricket (or indeed bowling). In fact it's a scenario we've never planned for as no-one thought it could actually happen, but if that's not bang on trend for 2017 we don't know what is. By next year we promise to write 58 reports on the potential outcomes and publish heavily edited bits of them while simultaneously claiming they don't exist. But enough of all this - it's all about the participation and for that, our congratulations and many thanks to absolutely everyone who's taken part and thrown themselves into this year's events with such impressive gusto, it's been a fantastic year and all we can say is bring on 2018! Team Harris Hill ​ ​ Find out more about the Harris Hill Charity Series Back to the blog homepage

It's the big week for charity bowling! Like many of us, you probably imagine people working for charities as kindly, caring types who wouldn't hurt a fly - more likely they'd find out if it was rare or endangered and start a protection fund to save it. And yet, around this time every year, dozens of London-based charity teams (and us) descend on the lanes of Rowans Tenpin Bowling in Finsbury Park, with the express intent of hurling a heavyweight assortment of differently-sized balls at some poor, defenceless and unsuspecting skittles. Maximum destruction seems to be the aim; word from the skittle community is that they fear another relentless assault from Age UK, while everyone hopes it'll be their turn to work the Harris Hill lane, given there's a pretty good chance of surviving the game entirely unscathed. Yes, this can only mean it's time for the last Harris Hill Charity Series event of the year, organised by the squad of third sector superstars behind the London Charity Softball League! Booked up in record time, this year sees more charities than ever taking part with a total of 39 teams, so the competition looks set to be fierce! Last year saw the aforementioned Age UK chalk up a convincing victory for their second consecutive year; three in a row would be completely unprecedented but could it be on the cards? We couldn't quite reach the team for comment, possibly confirming our theory that they've got to be practicing 24 hours a day to hit those stellar scores. At least, that's what we'll be telling ourselves as we fail to hit anything at all... But we did catch up quickly with last year's surprise challengers, shooting straight into second place to snap up the silver, Macmillan Cancer Support! Here's what personal assistant and team member Fonso Bennett told us: How long have you been taking part in the bowling night and what's been the highlight so far? This will be my second year and my highlight was last year's tournament. So incredibly well organised, great to see so many faces you see during the season, I had a fantastic time. There's nothing like the charity sector and those who work in it, simply sensational people. What's the secret of your success? Drinks, and lots of them! [Note from Team HH: we've tried this method - really quite extensively - and can confirm that sadly it doesn't seem to work for everyone...] Who would you say is the team's MVP? Everyone's an MVP, even you, the reader :) Is there a particular team you're determined to beat? It has to be last year's winners, Age UK!! You shook up last year's leaderboard with a second-place score that gave Age UK a real run for their money - could you go one better this year? We hope so! We've been at the bowling alley day and night [see - we knew it!] perfecting our game! Hopefully this time we'll actually turn up when we're called by the organisers, instead of being downstairs playing Ping-Pong! Our thanks and best of luck to Fonso and team, and of course all the other charities who'll be battling it out on Thursday for the honour, the glory, the prestige, the highly sought-after Harris Hill gold medals which can go for anything up to £1.20 on eBay*, and so much more! (*provided you offer free postage and a complimentary pound coin) As ever, we'll be on hand with pitchers of beer, pizzas and prizes, so may the best team win and we'll see you there! Team Harris Hill

Have your say on changes to charity reporting Back at the beginning of September, the Charity Commission opened a three-month public consultation on their proposed changes to charities' annual returns, which could apply from January 2018 onwards. The changes, covered in more detail here by Third Sector and Civil Society, are intended to improve public trust and confidence in the sector by increasing charities' accountability and transparency, and provide the Commission with more detailed information to help them regulate and support the sector more effectively. However the consultation is taking place as some of the proposed new questions, on areas like executive pay, overseas funding, payments to trustees and the use of professional fundraisers, are considered controversial by many within the sector. While the vast majority favour greater transparency, many have concerns around the new areas to be reported on, how the data may ultimately be used, and the increased administrative burden for charities who may be required to provide significant amounts of additional information. Charity Finance Group consultation One party with such concerns is the Charity Finance Group (CFG) whose members, working at all levels within the finance teams of charities nationwide, are likely to be among the people most affected by an increase in reporting requirements. As an organisation we partner with regularly on charity finance recruitment, CFG have been in touch to let us know about their own consultation, which is open until Monday 20th November and aims to find out how many share their concerns. Here's what they had to say: ----- "Charity Finance Group (CFG) are conducting a survey in response to the Charity Commission consultation on the proposed changes to the Annual Return 2018 (AR18). The Charity Commission is conducting a two year project to review the information they collect from charities. CFG has a number of concerns about the suggested proposals in the Annual Return 2018 consultation. This consultation is an opportunity for charities to ensure that the Annual Return remains an effective reporting tool that is focused on benefiting charities, while advancing the public interest. The more charities that take part in this consultation, the better CFG will be able to influence the final model of the Annual Return. CFG thanks you for participating in our consultation." Make your voice heard: take part in the CFG survey If you'd like to express your views on the proposed changes, you can click here to take part in the Charity Finance Group consultation at any time before 5pm on Monday 20th November 2017.

How to deal with being turned down for a job For as long as there have been jobs, people have been getting turned down for them. It's been happening for centuries but your confidence can still take a hit when it happens to you - so it's important to stay positive and learn what you can. Here are six key tips for moving on after missing out, and using the experience to better yourself, your interview skills and your chances of success next time round. ---------- 1. Go to every interview you can When searching for your next move, it's important to consider potential roles carefully to see which of them you really want - but there's value in pursuing the other opportunities too. Even if you've got an interview for that dream job, there's no harm in having a backup plan in case it doesn't work out. Remember too that there's only so much a job description or advert can tell you. The only way you'll really know if an organisation is right for you is by meeting them, so it's worth attending every interview you're offered. The role that seemed perfect on paper might turn out not to be, while your third or fourth choice might jump into first place once you've been there and heard more. If nothing else, every interview is great practice for the next and will help to narrow down exactly where you do (and don't) want to work. 2. Ask for feedback It's always disappointing to be turned down, but it's important to understand the reasons. If the interviewer felt you weren't quite the right fit for the role, can they explain why? Or were you 99% ideal but someone else was just that tiny bit more so? Some employers are more forthcoming than others with feedback, but you have the right to request it (and a good recruitment agency will chase it on your behalf) to see what you can learn. Ask them to be as specific as possible so you can take their points on board and work on those areas. For example if you needed to give more detailed answers, provide stronger examples, demonstrate broader knowledge of the field, or be clearer about why you wanted the role, these are all things you can work on for the next time. 3. Remember it's nothing personal Often the reason you weren't offered the job may have little to do with you personally. It could be as simple as an insufficient budget to match the salary you're looking for, concern that the role won't live up to your expectations, or another candidate may just have had that bit more experience in certain aspects of the role. If that's the case, are there opportunities where your experience and salary expectations would be a closer match with the job on offer? These are the ones to target if so. If not, you're on the right track so all you can do is stay positive and keep trying! You might not have landed this particular role, but just getting the interview shows you were in serious consideration, so there's every chance you'll succeed before long. 4. Focus on your strong points Every bit of feedback will help to identify what others see as your strengths and weaknesses, and the better you know these, the more you can accentuate the positives. You might find that others' perceptions differ from your own, so it's worth thinking about why that might be. If there's a strength or talent that others aren't seeing, how can you make sure that comes across in your next interview? Most interviewers will ask about weaknesses too, and again self-knowledge is key. Everybody has their flaws (and how much would you trust someone who claims not to?), so being able to identify one or two and explain how you're tackling them shows you have a good degree of self-awareness: and that's another tick for the 'strengths' column. Result! 5. Stay positive Difficult as it may be at first, it's important to stay positive after being turned down for a role, as you'll need to be upbeat and confident for your next interviews. Once you get to those meetings, don't bring up past rejections and avoid being disparaging about past interviewers or employers. A positive attitude will be more attractive to potential employers than someone who's perfectly qualified on paper but has a negative outlook and little enthusiasm for the work. 6. Move on Most importantly, don't let the rejection get you down. None of the other applicants (bar one) got the job either, so you're far from alone and it's not a value judgment on you as a person. Approach all interviews with a fresh attitude, and while you may not relish the thought of more interviews, don't let it stop you from applying - they're just as much an opportunity for you to check out the organisation as for them to learn about you. So the more you do, the more you'll know where you really want to be. Remember, if you weren't 'quite right for the role', there's a very good chance the role wasn't quite right for you either. But the right one IS out there somewhere, and everything you can learn from every interview will help you track it down sooner!

​ If you fancy spending Christmas at the cutting edge of charity retail we've got eight fantastic new temporary opportunities in the London area we think you might just love. Retailing legend Mary Portas and Save the Children joined forces in 2009 to take the lead on a charity retail revolution, resulting in a blaze of publicity and a new style of charity retailing by the name of Mary's Living & Giving. The roles Right now we're looking for a team of eight Charity Shop Supervisors to support the stores' success over the Christmas period, in the following locations: Blackheath/East Dulwich Highgate/Hampstead Parsons Green/Fulham/Wandsworth Portobello/Westbourne Grove Richmond/Kew Stoke Newington/Islington Wimbledon/Barnes West London (flexible) Sound interesting? You can find out the rest of the details and, most importantly, how to apply for these brilliant roles by clicking here. Good luck!

2017 Softball League grand finals and gallery We hope everyone's just about recovered from this year's grand finals and the post-match celebrations - just a quick post to let you know where to find a brief write-up from the day itself: check out the 'Latest News' section of our events page. Plus there are plenty of pics in the updated Softball Gallery! All we can say is bring on summer 2018...

Meet the grand finalists for the 2017 Harris Hill Cup! There are less than 24 hours to go before the big one, the humungous happening that charity softballers across London, the brilliant committee, all of us at Harris Hill, Bluestep Solutions, Snap/RNB Group and frankly, the entire world have been waiting for: yes, the London Charity Softball League grand finals! All week we've been catching up with the teams who've made it to the final hurdle and today meet the contenders for the grandaddy of them all, The Harris Hill Cup! It's shaping up to be a fierce - but friendly - battle as league veterans Mind take on the tremendously-titled Tits'n'Tache, the only 2016 finalists (and winners, no less) to have made it all the way again this year! Last year they took home The Plate, and now they're back for The Cup, but can the determined state of Mind stop them walking away with the entire crockery set? It's almost quite literally a battle of boobs (and brawn) versus brains, so will we finally find out which is best? Over to the team captains! Liam McNeilly, Mind How long have you been involved in the league? Forever! What's been your highlight of the season so far? Winning our super-tense playoff with Shelter with a home run felt pretty sweet. Friendliest team you've played? It's been lovely to play our supposedly more serious knockout games in an especially great spirit this year. Shout outs to RGS and RNLI - those guys are great. We also played Tits'n'Tache in our group and get on well with them, so I think we're pleased for one another to meet again in the final! Funniest moment of the season? The Allies' lip-sync video. Hands down. Who's been your MVP this year? We've taken to calling Kelly Drewry MVP because of how often she got it. It started to get a bit embarrassing at one point actually. The soon-departing Tom Pollard has been racking them up in the knockouts though. Cy Young's got nothing on him. What do you think has got you to the final? Our team mantra is 'channel the vagina'. And we've had some very funny looks when that's been overheard this year. But it's just about not trying to be the big guy and doing the simple things really well. It's served us well. Lastly, what are your expectations for the big finals night? Lots of beer and beige food, that's for sure. After last year's finals we had one of our more debauched karaoke sessions - my version of 'West End Girls' is a team favourite - followed by beer from teacups in an unlicensed Chinese restaurant until 2am. I'm expecting nothing less of us this year. It'd be nice to win our game, too. Mark Fox, Tits'n'Tache (Coppafeel and the Movember Foundation) So who exactly are Tits'n'Tache? It's actually two charities. Tits represents Coppafeel, the breast cancer charity. Tache represents the Movember Foundation, the men's health charity. What makes it such a successful relationship? We both want to save lives through educating people to check themselves. Be that by checking boobs, testicles, going to get your prostate checked or by simply checking in with a friend when times get tough. But ultimately, it's all about having fun and doing good. What are the three things you love most about softball? It's just one thing. Getting together with amazing people to laugh and have fun. Highlight of the season for you? Our best moment was beating BHF in the semi-finals. We were up against it with the day we were playing but everything came together and the team did themselves proud. Such an incredible night. Best/friendliest team this year? Everyone in our league were lovely, but the game against NSPCC was a highlight. Super friendly, super fair and super fun. Best catch? Alex Fudge. Semi-finals vs BHF. Third innings. Second out. A high hit into left field and he sprinted to get there, and never should have made it. He managed to get a glove on it, flick it over his head and catch it in the other hand behind him as he was still running full pelt. What a moment. And lastly, what are you hoping for from the finals night? Lots of glitter. Lots of hugs and lots of Hotline Bling! Big thanks to Liam, Mark and all the teams who've filled us in on all the latest this week, and don't forget you can follow the more of the finals frenzy over on the league's Twitter feed. All that remains is to wish the very best of luck to all the players, organisers and supporters for tomorrow: let's hope for a spot of sunshine, may the best team/s win, and whatever happens we'll be ready with the refreshments at the brand new Harris Hill bar - see you there! Team Harris Hill

Introducing your finalists for the Bluestep Shield! Excitement is building by the hour for the 2017 London Charity Softball League finals, happening this very Thursday, 24th August! With the league growing ever more popular and bigger by the year, last year saw the introduction of a brand new trophy, courtesy of our fellow sponsors Bluestep Solutions (who are also responsible for our brilliant new branded bar tent, t-shirts and more), so this Thursday we'll find out who the second recipients of the Bluestep Shield will be! It's Sporks vs Raptors, or Save the Children vs British Red Cross as you may know them better, in a visually bewildering clash of the red and whites vs the, erm, white and reds! Here's what they had to say about the season and their hopes for the big match! Amanda Lenhardt, Save the Children (Sporks vice-captain) What are the best things about the league and making the final? The league is such an institution for so many of us, and something to look forward to every summer. Softball is such a sociable and inclusive game, and it's really remarkable to be able to assemble so many people in one league to enjoy it. It's always a great way to spend time with people from around the sector, and a great opportunity to bring people together within an organisation. Getting to the finals this year feels like an amazing achievement. We faced really great teams all year, went through a mid-season lull when numbers were low, and played through some pretty treacherous 'summer' weather. Getting to the finals feels extra special having really come together and found our stride in the second half of the season. Funniest moment? We played through some serious rain in our first game of the season against Crisis. I mean, monsoon-like weather - wind, rain, shivering cold. It started off alright, and both teams were having a great time, it was the first game of the season after all and we'd been waiting for this all winter! But the rain led to some serious bloopers all around. At one point the ball was hit into the outfield with two fielders running after it, and they somehow managed simultaneously slip right past each other and the ball skidded between them. Who've been your toughest opponents this year? We faced some brilliant opposition this year, it was a competitive league. But MacMillan were probably our toughest opponents of the season. We had a solid game that night, but they were great. Friendliest team? Despite our league being quite competitive, we had such friendly games. But our game against Rethink Mental Illness stands out as one of the friendliest. It was a good competitive game, but they were really nice and everyone had a great time. What are your expectations for the finals night? Our team spirit has been mounting over the last few weeks through so many exciting games. Part of that is song/chant tradition that's been building in volume week-on-week, so it's safe to expect some serious acoustics from our side. We're also expecting a good amount of support from people around the organisation that have been following our season and encouraging us along all the way through. We're also expecting to catch up with people from around the league, finals night is always a great opportunity to see everyone. Whatever happens, it's sure to be a big night out! Amanda Crozier, British Red Cross (Raptors captain) Tell us about your history in the league? The Raptors have been a longstanding team within the charity league and in the last two years our desire to reach a finals match grew; when I came on as Captain this year I set it as a clear objective - reaching the final. With my co-captain Amy to help, we knew it was going to be tricky with almost a completely new team. We recruited hard and scheduled practices in for good measure but the team were on board, we wanted to do well. The team spirit is great, and we worked hard! What's the best thing about being part of it? The best thing about being part of the league is the coming together of colleagues across what is a very large national and international charity. It's so hard to know everyone at our head office, but softball sees people from Fundraising, International, Legal and other directorates coming together that wouldn't normally always cross paths in day to day work. It's great! One of the highlights of the season so far? This year we had a funny incident which the team have proudly named 'Gita Gate.' Truthfully it wasn't a big scandal but it's more the joking around that comes with the new label to egg on the player in question Gita. But to tell you now what happened would be to out the so-called scandal and it's not my place to say. Who's been your MVP this year? This year the person with the most MVP's was our female pitcher Katie Clark. Katie is one of our new recruits this year and she has been an absolute trooper coming in to secure the title as star pitcher. She receives MVP for her consistent pitching style which I believe the other teams appreciate as her throws help players to best connect with the ball. She is also great with reflexes stopping a few shots into the field despite accidentally taking one ball to the face. Her cool, calm nature comes in handy when the pressure builds and a standoff between pitcher and batter mounts. Despite her smaller demeanour don't let her appearance fool you... Toughest opponents so far? This one I would have to say is Diabetes UK. It was such a close match and while we still had a lot of fun competition was tight. With the teams tussling as the points lead went back and forward across teams, before in the final moments we ended up tying the match. While I'm sure both teams would have preferred the win, the Raptors decided that there was actually no better outcome given both team's hunger and determination in the match to win! And lastly, what are your expectations for the finals night? The Raptors are quite a vocal team. We love cheering each other on and have our own chant. I anticipate a lot of fun, a little nerves and a supportive crowd. While we can't guarantee many of our supporters on site given the match time we know we have the whole organisation behind us. Working operationally in similar environments Save the Children and the Red Cross have a lot of history. Whichever team wins, it's a team well worth the title! Many thanks and good luck to both Amandas, all the Sporks and the Raptors, and may the best red-and-white (or white-and-red) clad team win! Meanwhile look out for our third and final feature tomorrow, meeting the teams competing for the grandaddy of them all, The Harris Hill Cup!

Meet the teams competing for The Plate! Can it really be that time of year already? Apparently so, as after another sterling summer of softball showdowns, it's time for the big one: the grand finals of the 2017 London Charity Softball League! The annual competition brings together over 120 charities (playing in 88 teams) from right across the sector and is a fantastic, friendly way of bringing people together, so we're delighted to be key sponsors for no less than our 11th consecutive year! The big event is this Thursday, 24th August in Hyde Park so we'll be there along with our brilliant fellow sponsors Bluestep Solutions and Snap Print Management (now part of RNB Group), to cheer on the players and keep the refreshments flowing for the huge crowd of teams and supporters that always make it such a superb day. Everything's set to go, including our brand new bar courtesy of Bluestep, so all that remains is to hope for that sunshine we ordered to arrive on time! Meanwhile, with outstanding dedication and commitment, the teams have been battling it out every week since the start of May, gradually whittling it down from 88 teams to the superstar six who'll be competing for the three grand honours: the Harris Hill Plate, the Bluestep Shield, and the Harris Hill Cup! Ahead of the big matches we're catching up with the six finalist teams, and over the next three days we'll be getting the lowdown on their seasons this year and hopes of taking home a trophy on Thursday... First up, competing for the Harris Hill Plate, team captains Anna Simons of Cancer Research UK and Lloyd Tingley of Muscular Dystrophy UK! Anna Simons, Cancer Research UK How would you summarise the charity's aims? Cancer Research UK is passionate about bringing forward the day when 3 in 4 people survive from cancer through research, influencing policy and innovative fundraising. What are the three things you love most about softball? Meeting new people, the atmosphere and all the weird nicknames and songs/chants we make up throughout the season. What's been your best or funniest moment? We had a hilarious situation when we played the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - a lovely lady ran into our fielder on 1st and grabbed them right in the boob to stop herself. Greatest player you have seen grace the diamond? Jon Fry - always MVP! Who've been the best (or friendliest!) team of the season for you? Unicef! Had a great game in such good spirits, the scoreline didn't matter and both teams had a great time! Best catch/longest hit? A rolling/diving catch form our Pitcher Sandy and newbie Nick hitting from one side of Hyde Park, over two other games and across the path! And lastly, any expectations for the finals you can share? A great atmosphere, a few nerves but hoping to shake them off for the win! And looking forward to seeing all the teams again at the pub! Lloyd Tingley, Muscular Dystrophy UK Tell us about your history in the league? We've been in the league from the very beginning, but back then we didn't have much luck! A lot of our current team came in about three years ago, when we became the Ducks. We reached the plate quarters that year, and were knocked out of the cup by eventual winners BHF last year. It's my first year captaining this talented bunch of softballers, and the furthest we've ever gone in the league! What's the best thing about being part of it? I'd say the best part of the league is getting to go out every week and have a laugh with some of the great people that work for the charity. It's a great way of bringing people together from different departments, and getting to know each other while smashing some home runs as well. The league is a real community as well, and over the years I've really enjoyed meeting players from other charities over a pint in the pub. I really think this league is a special thing, and we're very lucky to have it. So a massive thanks to the committee who I know put so much time and effort into making it as great as it is. Who've been your toughest opponents this year? We started our season off with a really tough game vs MS Society, which we lost. And I wasn't there to witness it (captains are allowed holidays too!) but I'm told Independent Age were another really tough team to play against. Friendliest team? We've played so many great teams this year who have been nothing but lovely. So it's hard to pick just one, but I'd like to give a shout out to Amnesty International. Sometimes I'm a bit wary of playing the bigger charities in the league in terms of tension and tight calls, but we had a brilliant high scoring match and they were great fun to play against. Highlight of the season so far? It has to be our semi-final win vs WaterAid. We'd already made history by making it to the semis, and we knew it would be a tight game. However the tight game part nearly went out of the window when we found ourselves 11-0 down after the first innings! After that we remembered how to play softball and clawed our way back into the game with some brilliant play. They were 20-19 up going into our last bat, we managed to get the 2 runs we needed to win, the celebrations that followed were incredible. Hopefully we get to repeat them for everyone on finals night! Any other special mentions? The whole team are just brilliant, and everyone contributes massively, from Jo who does our social media to Alec who hasn't missed a game all year. So a big-up to everyone who has played even a single game this year. I do have to give two special mentions though. Firstly to my vice-capt Krishan. He's supported me brilliantly all year and not to mention is a very talented softballer of course. Secondly to Ravi, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, one of the conditions we support, but more importantly the Ducks' chief cheerleader and always last in the pub. Will you be doing any special preparation or training? Quite simply no. We've played 17 games now this season (winning 14), which has prepared us very well for the big final. We'll go into the game confident with all of that softball behind us. My only personal special preparation has been to book the Friday off, because win or lose it's going to be a great night (that I may need a day to recover from). Bring on Cancer Research UK! Our thanks and best of luck to Anna, Lloyd and their teams, and we can only second the appreciation for the tireless enthusiasm of the organising committee who've been doing a fantastic job all summer (and well before) to make it all possible. Meanwhile you can follow more of the build-up over on the league's Twitter feed, and we'll hear from more finalists tomorrow!

Great opportunities to join our specialist recruitment teams We're always on the lookout for great new talent and right now we have some excellent opportunities for consultants to join our teams of recruitment specialists. Harris Hill are one of the UK's leading charity recruitment specialists and it's an exciting time to be joining the business. We've been recruiting for charities and not for profit organisations for almost 30 years, and 2016-17 was our most successful year to date, which we believe is down to the strength of our teams and their relationships with our clients and candidates, backed up by continuous innovation and investment in our recruitment methods. Naturally this year we're aiming even higher, with clear direction, plenty of enthusiasm and a brand new company strategy, supported by an extensive range of incentive schemes and rewards (not to mention our brand-newly refurbished offices in Vauxhall) to help us achieve even more. We're also closely involved with the charity sector, working with more than 700 organisations per year and as lead sponsors of major inter-charity events like the London Charity Softball League, currently gearing up for this year's grand finals! Current openings While we're always keen to hear from great new talent in any area, right now we have particular opportunities available for consultants to join our teams specialising in fundraising and marketing & communications roles. You'll take ownership of all roles within a particular area of fundraising or marketing, which means you'll get to know the organisations and the candidates working in that field in great depth, becoming a real expert in your specialism. So who are we looking for? One of the great things about Harris Hill (we say modestly) is that we're a genuinely diverse bunch where there's no single type of person you need to be, background you need to have, or style of working we insist on. That said, for the current openings you'll either need to have some experience within recruitment, or operational experience as a fundraiser or marketer within a charity or not for profit organisation, so that you'll have an understanding of the sector and the roles you're likely to be recruiting for, as something to build on. But you'll get plenty of support from our super-friendly teams and, if you've got the drive to succeed, plenty of opportunities to build your desk and really flourish in your new role. Want to know more or apply? Head over to our 'Work for us' pages, where you'll find much more about working for Harris Hill and the reasons we believe it's a great place to be. Meanwhile if you'd like an informal conversation about our current openings in fundraising and marketing recruitment, please contact faye.marshall@harrishill.co.uk and we'll set up a convenient time for a call. We look forward to speaking with you!

​ GDPR and Charity Fundraising: free legal guides from top 100 UK law firm Birketts Whether you're a charity, not-for-profit or indeed any type of organisation making use of customer data, you probably won't need us to tell you about the new general data protection regulations (GDPR) coming into force next year. But specific advice on the legal issues for charities and fundraisers from a leading UK law firm could be very useful indeed. The new regulations will apply across the EU from 25th May 2018 and, Brexit or no Brexit, the UK will be obliged to comply with them from that date. Thereafter, to avoid further upheaval in 2019 and facilitate partnerships with EU organisations on an ongoing basis, it's also widely expected that the regulations will be adopted into domestic law. So for anyone involved in the collection and use of data it's vital to be aware of the new legal requirements for GDPR. For charities in particular, it's one of many recent and forthcoming regulatory changes that will significantly affect the ways in which supporter data can be used by fundraisers, marketers, researchers and others. With this in mind, top 100 UK law firm Birketts have recently been in touch to let us know about two new guides they've produced which are available for charities free of charge: Birketts' GDPR Guide and Birketts' Guide to Charity Fundraising. The GDPR Guide covers the new regulations in detail, while the Guide to Charity Fundraising specifically looks at how GDPR and many other recent regulatory changes apply to charities and fundraising, identifiying specific actions to ensure compliance with the array of new legal requirements, so we feel these are a valuable resource worth sharing. The guides are available now from Birketts' web page, so you can find out more and request your free copies here. Please note these documents aim to provide overall guidance on these issues from a legal perspective, but should not be considered as specific legal advice for your organisation, for which you should contact your own representative/s. Want to know more about GDPR or need more specialist skills? Here's a useful summary of the regulations and their implications for charities from Daniel Fluskey, head of policy and research at the Institute of Fundraising, from The Guardian a little earlier this year. Meanwhile if implementing these changes within your organisation is going to require more staff or specialist skills within areas like fundraising, marketing, research, data management, admin, finance or HR, don't forget we have teams of specialist recruiters dedicated to each of these areas at all levels, so we have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the skills required and candidates available in the market. If you're looking for people with both the specialist skills and charity sector knowledge you need, we're ideally placed to help, so do get in touch with us on 020 7820 7300 or email info@harrishill.co.uk

Harris Hill 2017 Salary Survey We're delighted to present the Harris Hill 2017 Salary Survey, our 12th annual review of remuneration for roles throughout the charity and not for profit sectors in the UK. In our most detailed report to date, we give salary ranges for both permanent and temporary positions at all levels for the all the key roles and job functions in each of our specialist areas, including: Data Management ▪ Digital ▪ Executive Search ▪ Fundraising ▪ Finance ▪ Human Resources ▪ Marketing & Communications ▪ Operations, Admin & Support ▪ Press & PR ▪ Projects & Programmes We also highlight the trends we've observed over the past 12 months and look at the potential factors behind them: how are developments within and outside the sector affecting salaries, who are the most sought-after candidates and which skills are likely to be in highest demand over the year ahead? All the data is taken from the actual roles we've worked on over the past year (approximately 3,000 in total), then analysed by our specialist consultants, applying their insight and expert knowledge of the wider market to ensure the figures are a realistic reflection of the salaries being offered in each field. As such it is not an exhaustive list of every charity and not-for-profit salary paid in the last year but is a detailed and representative guide which we hope you'll find a genuinely useful reference tool. If you'd like any further information on salaries with the sector, please get in touch with us on 020 7820 7300 or contact the relevant team below: Data Management 020 7820 7304 data@harrishill.co.uk Executive Search 020 7820 7323 executive@harrishill.co.uk Fundraising 020 7820 7326 fundraising@harrishill.co.uk Finance 020 7820 7340 financerecruitment@harrishill.co.uk Human Resources 020 7820 7340 humanresources@harrishill.co.uk Marketing, PR & Digital 020 7820 7333 marketing@harrishill.co.uk Operations, Admin & Support 020 7820 7304 operations@harrishill.co.uk Projects & Programmes 020 7820 7304 projects@harrishill.co.uk Temporary & Interim 020 7820 7325 teamtemps@harrishill.co.uk

2017 salary survey - are salaries increasing for charity finance and HR staff? With an ongoing need to improve efficiencies, adhere to new regulations and implement the latest best practice policies, charity finance and HR roles are continually evolving - but are salaries doing the same? Here's the summary from our recruitment specialists in these fields. For all the finance and HR salary tables, plus those for fundraising, marketing and more, view or download the full 16-page survey here. Finance With the importance of well-run charity finances (and the consequences of getting it wrong) having been vividly demonstrated in recent years, it's no surprise that charities both large and small continue to seek top quality finance professionals to maintain high standards of governance. That keeps the demand for talented, efficient and highly capable candidates consistently strong, and the past year's certainly been no exception. Whether qualified or non-qualified, permanent or temporary, from junior assistants to director level, opportunities for skilled candidates are easily found. But it can be altogether more difficult for organisations to attract and retain the people they need. While finance skills are among the more transferable between sectors, many organisations are still reluctant to consider applicants without significant (and recent) charity sector experience, restricting the options to a limited pool of candidates, the best of whom will often have a number of competing offers. Conversely, others are actively keen to attract candidates from outside the sector in order to bring a more commercial sensibility to the team, but struggle to do so because of the disparity in salaries. The results of either approach are fairly similar though when it comes to remuneration. Those looking within the charity sector will often need to raise their offer to fend off rival bids, and continue to offer regular increases to avoid their star talent being swiftly poached away. Those looking to the commercial sector won't necessarily need to match or exceed the candidate's current salary, since the desire to join the charity sector is more often motivated by other factors - but nevertheless offers may need to be raised in order to reduce the pay differential to a level the candidate will accept. Either way, salaries are driven upwards, and that's reflected throughout our table this year, with moderate to (in some cases) fairly substantial increases across the board. And with greater crossover between the charity and commercial sectors we're gradually seeing the pay gap between the two begin to narrow - which in the long-term may benefit charities, who can already appeal to the jaded corporate accountant with a significantly better work/life balance and the opportunity to do something they feel passionately about. Notable trends The strongest rise in demand we've seen over the past year has been for Finance Business Partners, both in terms of the number of vacancies and the salaries they command, and that's likely to continue as charities seek to improve efficiency and connect the organisation's financial and operational activities more closely. One other trend of note: while the total number of opportunities remains high, we're seeing a slight but noticeable shift towards fixed-term, temporary and interim contracts in place of permanent positions, perhaps suggesting that some are taking a more cautious approach in light of uncertainties over future government funding, and the potential consequences of leaving the European Union. Human Resources The key trend we've observed in HR over the past twelve months has been an increasing move towards specialist roles - fewer generalist HR Managers for example, but more specialists in Employee Relations, Rewards & Benefits or Learning & Development. Meanwhile the demand for HR Business Partners has continued to grow where, as in finance, there's a drive to align the operational and HR functions more closely, improving understanding and making them better able to achieve the organisation's goals. These developments don't appear to have had a significant effect on salaries so far, although the figures have continued to nudge gently upwards. That's not to say there's been little change in other respects though. Like those working in Policy and Research, HR professionals have faced a recent raft of new rules, directives and procedures, and with these more than likely to continue in the current climate, keeping on top of the latest regulations and best practice guidelines has become one of the most important qualities a charity HR professional can demonstrate. Flexibility is becoming an increasingly important quality too, as we're noticing a number of roles that have would have been offered on a permanent basis in the past now being offered on more flexible, short-term or temporary contracts, leaving organisations more room for manoeuvre to adapt to the unpredictable course of the next few years. This may become an increasingly common pattern until the political and economic landscape is sufficiently settled for charities to make longer term plans with confidence. If you'd like any more information on salaries within any area of finance or human resources, please call the team on 020 7820 7340, email financerecruitment@harrishill.co.uk or humanresources@harrishill.co.uk Meanwhile for the complete figures for these and all other major charity job functions, view or download the full survey here.

2017 salary survey - what's the outlook for charity marketers? Here's the view from our marketing specialists... For all the marketing, communications, PR and digital salary figures, view or download the full 16-page survey here It's been another very strong year of opportunities for marketing and communications professionals across the charity sector: our six-strong team of specialists in this area have been hard at work filling more roles than in any previous year, with the demand for talent at all levels remaining consistently high. That's perhaps not surprising, given the key drivers of that demand have remained consistent too: increased competition for funding, ongoing media scrutiny and a shortage of skills in key areas. According to the Charities Aid Foundation's latest UK Giving Report, as individuals we're giving as much as ever to charitable causes - a total of £9.7bn in 2016, versus £9.6bn the previous year. But with an ever-increasing range of causes to support and ways of doing so, marketers are having to work harder and smarter to maintain their position, profile and share of those donations. Many aim to do so through innovation, in the form of new fundraising methods, new marketing channels, new ways of engaging with their supporter base and attracting more. And while these can provide exciting new opportunities, the proliferation of platforms can also present new challenges for communications professionals who need to ensure the charity's values and virtues are projected (and protected) in the most effective way for each channel, often requiring not only more staff but more specialist skills too. That's particularly noticeable when it comes to digital roles where we've seen a 35% increase in hiring, on top of a similar increase in the previous year. Yet there's still plenty further to go - surveys throughout the year have shown that in a post Ice Bucket Challenge world, few still need convincing of digital's potential, but progress and expansion is held back by the difficulty of attracting staff with the necessary skills. This frequently means searching out of sector, since charity digital specialists don't yet exist in anything like the numbers needed to meet the demand. But in common with most third sector roles, charity salaries for the required skillsets are often considerably lower than their commercial counterparts, making it particularly challenging to attract digital talent across the divide, and fuelling fierce competition for those already in the sector. Naturally those factors can't help but lead to pay increases but what's particularly noticeable in the digital arena is the sheer variety of roles and range of salaries on offer. That's because, unlike long-established, well-understood roles in more traditional marketing and communications (where salaries slide more sedately upwards this year), many digital positions are among the first of their kind within the organisation. They'll have new responsibilities, rapidly-evolving remits, no real benchmarks and quite often, if we're all being entirely honest, few who understand their role well enough to assign any kind of definitive value to their work. We hope our survey can provide some help in that regard but with the sheer diversity and speed of evolution within digital roles it's possible that, rather like the web itself, there'll be plenty of under and over-valuations before the market matures and settles at more consistent salary levels. But it's not just the new kids on the block who are in demand. We've seen increased activity within policy and research over the past year - perhaps not surprising given the fast-changing political climate. Recent battles over the Lobbying Act, a flurry of elections, new ministers and policies, increased public willingness to protest, petition and campaign plus of course the myriad consequences of last summer's referendum (not least on EU and government funding) will surely make roles in this area vital to their respective organisations for some time to come, even if this has yet to translate noticeably into salaries. If you'd like any more information on salaries within any area of marketing and communications, please call our Marketing team on 020 7820 7333 or email marketing@harrishill.co.uk Meanwhile for the complete figures for marketing and all other major charity job functions, view or download the full survey here.

2017 Salary Survey - what's happening in Fundraising? Here's the view from our fundraising specialists... For the fundraising salary figures, view or download the full 16-page survey here Given the fundraising landscape of the past few years has been shifting, changing and developing new features at a rate that would put your average teenager to shame, it's perhaps surprising how little has changed in terms of salary trends over the past 12 months. Following significant scrutiny, criticism and review of fundraising practices during 2015-16, the newly-established Fundraising Regulator is well underway towards launching the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS), aimed at giving the public greater control over the type and frequency of donation requests they receive. As the direct impact will be on direct marketing methods, many organisations have continued aiming to expand and strengthen their other income streams, innovating and diversifying, expecting the revenue generated from direct marketing to fall, at least in the short term. But will it? Appropriately enough for a group of people unafraid to head into uncharted waters, the RNLI pioneered a project which aimed to take an 'opt in' approach to 100% of their fundraising by the end of 2016. And while it wasn't entirely plain sailing (sorry...) the theory that better results could be achieved from a smaller audience who had actively chosen to receive communications than a larger audience who hadn't - certainly proved to hold water (sorry again...) for them, signing up over 450,000 donors, far in excess of the 255,000 that were predicted to do so. Which isn't to say that this will automatically be the right approach for every cause and every charity, and since even temporary falls in income, along with the cuts being experienced by many organisations reliant on government funding, could have significant consequences for some charities and their beneficiaries, there could still be stormy seas ahead (last nautical pun, we promise) over the coming year. So what does all this mean for fundraising salaries? Well, the good news is that we haven't identified any areas where we've found that salaries for fundraisers are falling or even entirely static. The overall trend we're observing continues to be upwards, albeit within a range of increases that runs from 'modest' down to 'almost imperceptible', depending on the income stream. It's a continuation of most of the trends that were already underway in 2015-16, with organisations aiming to expand their activities in areas with the greatest potential for growth, or those where innovative methods of generating income can best be developed The most noticeable salary increases have been in major donor fundraising, and when a single donation or regular commitment from a wealthy donor can sometimes outweigh hundreds of others, it's understandably an important focus for many charities. But it's also an area requiring specific qualities, skills and experience that are in very short supply. As a result, those with a strong record of forging fruitful relationships with major donors have no shortage of options, leading charities to increase their offers in a bid to secure these elusive candidates. However, following recent controversy over research practices and sharing of information on wealthy donors, some organisations may begin to adopt a more cautious approach to this area, which could translate into slightly fewer vacancies. Demand for talent is also outpacing supply in the world of events - perhaps not surprising when leading events portal Eventbrite recently reported that the number of charity events taking place in the UK each year has risen by a phenomenal 700% since 2007. Some of that may be linked to the rise of social media over the same period, making it significantly easier to publicise events and recruit/engage with participants (we suspect a certain TV baking show may have boosted the numbers too...), and the Institute of Fundraising's most recent research showed that a majority of charities were seeing income from events increasing, often quite substantially. But it also showed that a majority, though keen to do so, lacked the resources to expand their teams, so there hasn't been a corresponding increase in charity events professionals. Which inevitably means increased competition for existing candidates and upward pressure on salaries. Experienced candidates in legacies, trusts and statutory fundraising are also in high demand but short supply, and many organisations are keen to generate more from these income streams, recognising their often untapped potential to compensate for possible losses elsewhere. To an extent the same could be said of both corporate and community fundraising, and what's common to all of these areas is that salary increases have been much more noticeable within smaller charities than at the larger end of the scale, where there's relatively little movement. This might be explained by the biggest organisations tending to have long-established teams and programmes in place already, resulting in more settled salary levels, while smaller charities looking to grow these teams will often need to raise their offers in order to attract talent away from this limited candidate pool. With the Fundraising Preference Service principally affecting direct marketing fundraisers, most will need to devote significant time and resource over the coming year to ensure compliance with new guidelines and best practice. Whether using traditional or digital fundraising methods, making sure that donors receive only their preferred type and frequency of communications is likely to pose significant challenges, and uncertainty over the impact on revenue may have contributed to salaries in this area having shown little movement over the past 12 months. But whether it's a result of new regulation, or driven by technology allowing smarter use of supporter data, as a team we're seeing a sector-wide shift towards more tailored, relationship-based fundraising, nurturing existing donors and responding to their preferences, rather than a mass-targeting, one-size-fits-all approach. Those who can best adapt and thrive in this environment are the fundraisers we believe are most likely to see further increases over the year or two ahead. Good news for many if you're looking for a new role then, but what if you're looking to hire? With a shortage of candidates in most areas, limited budget, and pressure (not least from the media) to keep a tight rein on salaries, how can organisations secure the staff they need? Our advice remains simple: make the application and interview processes as swift and efficient as possible, consider motivated candidates from outside the sector with the right transferable skills (there's definitely no shortage!), be as flexible and innovative as you can on hours, benefits, terms & conditions (to compensate for salary limitations) and above all, ensure that line management and HR collaborate closely and agree a clear brief for the role, so that a decisive offer can be made almost immediately once that ideal candidate is found, before they're snapped up elsewhere. If you'd like any more information on fundraising salaries, please call our Fundraising Team on 020 7820 7306 or email fundraising@harrishill.co.uk Meanwhile for the complete figures for fundraising and all other major charity job functions, view or download the full survey here.

Nine brilliant opportunities to help people dance their way to health! We're delighted to be working on a major recruitment campaign for Aesop (Arts Enterprise with a Social Purpose) who have just announced a £2.3m expansion of their innovative Dance to Health programme, which you can check out on video here. There are head office roles based in Witney, Oxfordshire for a Head of Operations, Head of Public Engagement & Communications and a Volunteer Support Officer, plus opportunities for Local Dance to Health Coordinators in Birmingham, Cheshire, Eastleigh, Sheffield, Swansea and Witney. It's a great initiative that offers the real opportunity to make a difference to people's lives, and with a successful trial run of the programme already completed, and funding already secured for this major expansion, it's an exciting time for the organisation and the perfect time for you to get on board. For full details about the organisation and the roles available, visit our dedicated page at www.harrishill.co.uk/aesop

​ A quick round up of our latest and upcoming activities across the sector, including the hotly-anticipated return of the Charity Softball League and news on our 2017 Salary Survey... Three cheers for community fundraising careers! A big thank you to the Institute of Fundraising's Community Fundraising special interest group for inviting us to lead Thursday's (27th April) workshop on the career development options for community fundraisers, followed by some well-earned drinks at The Castle in Farringdon. We were delighted to help and hope you were able to pick up some useful advice from our fundraising specialists. If you missed it you'll find a few of the tips over on our Twitter feed, which also happens to be a great way of catching the latest jobs as soon as they're posted. It's back... ...and raring to go! The start of May means the 2017 Harris Hill Charity Softball season is now officially underway, and as always we're beyond impressed with the sheer dedication of the countless charities involved - friendly (but fierce) practice matches galore already! You can follow all the fixtures and results here, and be sure to check out the Charity Softball Twitter feed for up-to-the-minute reports and all the charity softball chat you could ever need... Thanks as ever to the ultra-efficient organising committee (including a big welcome to your new members!), and to our fellow sponsors Blue Step Solutions and Snap Print Management/RNB Group who have got some great things lined up for the summer. High time for a higher salary? Lastly it's almost time to reveal our findings on the facts and figures, finances and funding that have driven charity salaries over the past 12 months - but in which direction? Watch this space for the brand new 2017 Harris Hill Salary Survey coming very soon.

Career development event for community fundraisers Thursday 27th April 2017, 4.00-5.30pm The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Street, Farringdon, London EC1M 6DB Institute of Fundraising - Community Fundraising Special Interest Group, with Harris Hill, specialists in charity and not for profit recruitment What are the career development options for community fundraisers? How can you advance to a more senior level? And what if you're looking to move into a different field? This Thursday you can join members of the IoF's Community Fundraising special interest group to explore these questions and more, with an interactive workshop led by Harris Hill's own community fundraising specialist Dawn Ballard. Dawn spent seven years in community fundraising herself before moving into recruitment (just one example of a career change that might not be obvious but can certainly be done!), while as a recruiter she's secured new roles for literally hundreds of community fundraisers, at all stages of their career and from all corners of the country. So she's perfectly placed to understand the demands of community fundraising and the questions you may be facing when it comes to career development. But with extensive first-hand knowledge of how others have developed their careers in community fundraising or different fields altogether, she can also advise on the options that may be open to you and how to improve your prospects of progressing within/into your chosen career. In addition, you'll hear from a selection of IoF speakers currently working in the industry as they share their top tips for making yourself the best fundraiser you can be, and have the opportunity to join everyone for drinks and networking at the bar. All community fundraisers are welcome but places are limited so click here for tickets and full details. Tickets are free for IoF members and £5 plus booking fee for non-members.

Supporting Harris Hill's Sam Kondic in the London Marathon! We love a charity challenge here at Harris Hill, but it's rare that one of us is brave/lucky/foolhardy enough to tackle one of the toughest of them all. Yes, the Virgin Money London Marathon, or as you may have also heard of it, the London Marathon. So we're delighted to be cheering on our very own superstar finance specialist Sam Kondic this year: top-notch charity finance consultant by day, but can he run as well as he recruits? With just a few weeks to the big day, we quizzed him on how and, perhaps more importantly, why he's putting himself through this... What made you decide to apply to run the London Marathon? My dad ran the London Marathon when I was 12 and I jumped over the barrier and ran the last mile with him! Ever since then it's been on my bucket list and I've been putting my name in the ballot for the past couple of years. How did you feel when you heard you'd got a place? In all honesty a bit daunted! I hadn't been running much last year so it was a bit of a reality check when I realised what I've got myself into and the amount of running I was about to embark on. But after the initial shock I was really excited to get started. Who have you chosen to raise money for? I'm raising money along with my brother who is also running the London Marathon this year, for a small charity called BackCare. BackCare is a national charity dedicated to providing support, advice and guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of back and neck injuries. We chose them because my brother suffered from back pain whilst training for the Brighton Marathon in 2015, and we wanted to support a charity that's doing great work in helping prevent back and neck pain. What's the furthest you've run before? I ran the Richmond Half Marathon back in 2014, however I wouldn't class myself as a natural runner! I remember that feeling like a huge challenge to complete and now I'm running half marathons in my training runs at the weekends, this is definitely a big step up! How's the training plan going? The training's going well, I'm now starting to really up my mileage every week with my longest run so far at 16 miles, just 10 more to go... How confident are you feeling and what's going to be the biggest challenge? I'm feeling good and am hoping to cross the line in under four and a half hours, however I've got a track record of running too fast too soon in runs (I don't like getting overtaken) so my biggest challenge will be pacing myself and not hitting the wall half way through. It's a marathon and not a sprint after all.... Are there any of your recruitment skills that will come in handy in the marathon? Every day in recruitment is different, and naturally there are highs and lows. That's mirrored in training runs where I can feel great after a 14 mile run one day and feel sick of the thought of running a 3 mile run home after work another day. Being in recruitment has taught me to always push through and stick with the task at hand. You never know if that perfect candidate you've been looking for is just around the corner waiting to find their dream charity role. What are the biggest challenges you face in charity recruitment and how does the marathon compare? I specialise in recruiting for accountancy and finance roles for charities and not for profits in London and across the UK; which includes everything from entry level finance positions up to qualified Finance Directors, both interim or permanent. So managing my time well enough to find the best charity accountant for each of the organisations I'm working with can be challenging, but as with the marathon I know that if I put in the time and hard work the results will come in the end. How's the fundraising going and most importantly, where can we donate? Fundraising is going well so far with lots of support from friends, family and colleagues; and even from Dr Brian Hammond, the Chairman at BackCare (thanks Brian!). If you would like to donate please visit our Virgin Money Giving page. And last but not least, what are you most looking forward to when it's all over? A beer and a burger! ------------ Cheers Sam and go Team Kondic! We're sure you'll have loads of support and certainly from all of us here of course (though we'll probably be better at the beer-and-burger stage than the actual running bit...) If you'd like to support Sam and his brother's marathon fundraising challenge, here's that donation link: Ben & Sam's London Marathon Fundraising Page Good luck to Sam, Ben, and everyone else who's getting involved this year, whether you're supporting friends or family, running yourself or supporting as a charity - all the best and bring on April 23rd!

You've made an offer to the brilliant candidate who won your panel's heart. Sadly, that means rejection for the other interviewees. But as Dawn Ballard explains, giving useful feedback can be vital for remaining on good terms - and for your desirability as an employer. You're great at supporter care? Fantastic. And the care for your beneficiaries is second to none. But what about those who apply to work with you? Working with all kinds of charities right across the sector we know that every organisation has unique pressures and challenges. But one that's shared by just about everyone is the difficulty of finding - and securing - candidates with the experience they need. In most areas, there just aren't enough to go round. The long-term solution can only be to invest in opportunities and training for new entrants to the sector. But for now, if you can't increase the pool of candidates, what you can increase is how much those candidates want to work for you. And the good news is that it needn't cost a penny: simply making sure that every applicant goes away with a positive impression - even if they don't get the job - can add to your reputation as an employer and push you further up the wishlist. The initial rush of excitement Here's a common scenario. You have a vacancy and want someone brilliant to come and join your organisation and your team. You speak to a recruitment consultant who understands your field (*waves*), telling them how great the role is and how amazing you are to work for. Your consultant, who's probably bounced out of bed at 5am for a ten-mile run, stopping only to tend flowers and injured kittens, channels your enthusiasm and excitement to the strongest selection of suitable candidates they can find, encouraging them to apply. Candidates do their research which confirms you're amazing and it's a fantastic opportunity. They love what you do and how you put your message across, and spend hours crafting a supporting statement explaining why they'd love to be an advocate for you. They tell their family and friends - excitement and buzz all round - and their application impresses you enough that you want to meet them for an interview. They research some more, practice and prepare as the hopes and nerves build. They take annual leave or sneak out of work to attend the interview... Then what? Unfortunately, for those who don't get the job, the answer is all too often: not a lot. A brief 'sorry you weren't successful' email, maybe even less. Which isn't just disappointing for them, but for their impression of the organisation too. Of course your main focus is quite rightly the brilliant candidate you've offered the job to, but it's always worth considering the impression you'll leave with everyone else. If you're working with a decent recruiter (*waves again*) who has a clear brief, you're unlikely to be interviewing anyone who's totally unsuitable. Far more often you'll have a selection of capable candidates, from which there might be an obvious standout or a trickier choice between two or three. Whatever the number, remember they've all put considerable time and commitment into their application - otherwise you'd have rejected them already. They're applying because they respect your brand, and as a hiring manager the interview is a perfect chance to be an advocate for your charity. Why not take the opportunity to create some more too? Making the right impression Your candidates already have a positive view of your organisation, so all you need to do is maintain it. Which means: Being courteous and professional throughout. Few things put a candidate off faster than an interviewer who's forgotten they're coming, turns up 25 minutes late or clearly hasn't read their application. Being open, friendly and sincere. There's a time and a place for your 'bad cop' routine - calling your broadband provider perhaps, or just in the privacy of your own home (we won't ask) - but it's not in an interview where you're aiming to demonstrate your charity's values. Keeping things simple. Jumping through unnecessary hoops will never appeal (unless you're recruiting border collies and have excellent treats). Following up the interview as soon as possible with constructive feedback, including a clear reason for your decision, and genuine appreciation for the time and effort they put in. Many hiring managers are great at the first three points, some with all four - but it's surprising how many fall down when it comes to feedback. ____________________________________________ Staying on good terms In many cases, a candidate may not have been right for the role, but could be ideal for another in the future. There might be an area that other candidates were stronger in. Or you may simply have felt they weren't right for the organisation at all. Whatever the case, it's worth leaving them feeling as positive as possible. You won't need us to tell you the charity sector is relatively small, close-knit and loves to talk! A negative impression can easily be passed on to friends and colleagues in the sector, and the more that reputation spreads, the tougher it may be to recruit in the future. Breaking the news Hopefully you've had a direct and honest conversation in the interview and most candidates will appreciate the same approach, whatever the outcome. Be clear on when they'll hear from you and stick to it - even if the decision gets delayed, keep them posted. And if they've dutifully slogged through a 30-page application form, supporting statement, three interviews and a role-play exercise, it's worth considering what that two-line auto-rejection letter is really saying about the organisation. But whatever your decision, and whether directly to the candidate or their recruitment consultant, please do give your feedback. It needn't cover every last detail, but what's most valuable is constructive criticism, with a clear reason why they weren't selected. The more information recruiters have, the better we can work with candidates to find the right role next time. And the more recruiters can find you the right candidates, the happier you'll be too. After all - most of the people you interview won't get the job, but if you've impressed them in the process, you might just have gained some supporters - and you can never have too many of those! Dawn Ballard, Senior Consultant (Fundraising), Harris Hill Back to the Harris Hill home page and job search

With charities of all kinds embracing the huge potential of digital techniques, Harris Hill's digital recruitment specialist Hannah Whittington explains why there's never been a better time to get involved. Well, we've made it into a new year and if there's one thing we've all learned from 2016, it's to expect the unexpected. The past year saw no shortage of surprises (putting it charitably) across the world, the UK and here in the charity sector - so it'd be a brave person who'd try to predict the 12 months to come. But there's one thing at least that's a nailed-on certainty: the continued expansion of all things digital. Whether you're an organisation or an individual, boosting your digital skills would be one 2017 resolution that's guaranteed to deliver significant rewards. Towards the end of last year I attended a number of events focused on digital techniques in the charity sector, from smaller charity groups, to the sector-wide CharityComms Digital Conference, where I had the opportunity to meet and learn from digital enthusiasts both within and outside the sector. What came across loud and clear from all the events is how digital can enable charities to make significant changes for the better - so naturally it's an area many charities are seeking to grow. Challenges and opportunities Three of the key themes of the CharityComms conference included understanding your brand, engaging audiences and the complexity of digital transformations. Digital channels, with social media being the obvious example, can play a huge role in helping to understand how people already relate to your brand, and in shaping how they do so in future. That kind of knowledge can be invaluable when it comes to engaging with audiences: understanding what people want to hear about means you can tailor content to their interests, building loyalty and connection with your organisation. If your stories are engaging enough, there's also every chance they'll be shared with your audience's friends and networks - all of which can ultimately attract new supporters and increase donations at significantly lower cost than many of the more traditional methods. So why isn't everyone doing it already? Many charities are already hugely successful online of course, but across the sector as a whole there's still plenty of room for development, which is where the 'complexity of digital transformations' comes in. In short, there can be a resistance to digital in the charity sector, given the changes that may be required to long-standing cultures and processes, and gaps in digital expertise that will need training or recruitment to fill. This normally requires investment, within a sector that, entirely justifiably, needs to look after their money. Even where there's a totally committed drive towards digital, limited resources and the complexities of rolling it out throughout an organisation can mean that progress takes its time. Driving digital can help your organisation - and your career If there's a skills gap, there's an opportunity. Whilst some employees may shy away from digital, learning new skills (which don't have to be coding!), getting involved with digital projects or working as part of a digital-first organisation offer amazing opportunities to not only drive change and take the charity forwards but also to develop your career. Digital is still a relatively new word in the charity sector, so staff with both digital and charity sector experience are highly sought after. But given the high demand, charities also need to look further afield, so if you've got the skills it can be a great way of getting into the charity sector for the first time. If you're able to show all areas of the organisation how digital can help them, whether it be content, fundraising or operations and gain buy in from everyone involved, embedding digital will be an easier (or at least more manageable) challenge. What's more, there's a good chance of making yourself a pretty indispensable part of the organisation. Innovation and creativity always welcome! One of the reasons I love specialising in not-for-profit recruitment is because charities are built on passion and when it comes to digital within the charity sector this should be no different. Valuing passion over process, thinking outside the box and taking risks can deliver benefits well beyond any initial outlay. Digital fundraising can turn passive supporters into active fundraisers in a matter of seconds and if charities view digital as a long-term investment (rather than a one-off project) it's a fantastic space for innovative ideas to flourish that will attract new audiences. ​ Blue Cross' Tap Dogs campaign A fantastic recent digital fundraising campaign came from Blue Cross, with the launch of 'Tap Dogs', where anyone wishing to donate to Blue Cross could simply 'pat and tap' the dog to make a donation using their contactless payment card. Tracy Genever, Blue Cross Head of Education Services said: "With today's increasingly cashless society, it made sense to introduce a contactless option to those wishing to give to Blue Cross." I loved this idea, where the dogs wore contactless card technology in their specifically designed jackets, as it showed that digital didn't have to be complex or technical but interactive, fun and face to face. Digital asks 'Are there ways we can do our job better?' and this is an excellent example of this. Not only did it raise funds but also raised awareness for Blue Cross for Pets. Digital channels also create a wealth of opportunities for innovative, fun and creative marketing, keeping in touch with supporters, sharing stories and celebrating successes, all of which can be seen and shared well beyond your core audience. Make digital your 2017 watchword Whether your organisation is relatively new to digital or has a well-established strategy already, my advice from a career perspective is simply: get involved! Even if it's not a core part of your role, any skills you can learn and any support you can offer will not only be valuable to your organisation now, they'll stand you in good stead for your future in a sector that's embracing digital more and more by the day! If you're looking for your next charity digital role, to move into the sector, or need more digital expertise for your team, please get in touch! I specialise in this area with charities right across the sector so I'd be delighted to help you and offer advice on working and recruiting in this fast-moving field. Hannah Whittington, Digital Recruitment Specialist, Harris Hill For further information and advice, call Hannah or the digital team on 020 7820 7320, email hannah.whittington@harrishill.co.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn. Check out our latest digital and related vacancies

Yes, with the clocks back and Christmas on the horizon it really is that time of year already: the Harris Hill Charity Series bowling night returns tonight and it's one of the most hotly-contested inter-charity contests there is! The good folks at Rowans Bowling in Finsbury Park will be hosting us once again, with no less than 36 charities battling it out for the coveted crown. We'll even be having a go ourselves, though on past form we'd like to reassure everyone that the sponsors will have absolutely no impact on the top of the table - 32nd would be an improvement! Last year saw some highly impressive scoring though - VSO took third place with 693 points, Action on Hearing Loss were second with 699, but way out in front were Age UK with a staggering 895 points - can anyone challenge that tonight? More photos and scores from last year below, and as ever a huge thank you to the legendary organising committee who make the whole thing happen - see you this evening and may the best team win!

If you want to be on every charity’s wish list when it comes to recruiting staff, becoming a data expert will certainly do the job. Harris Hill’s data recruitment specialist Shweta Prabhakar explains what’s driving the demand and the wealth of opportunities for data professionals from both within and beyond the charity sector.​ ___________________________________________________ Why charities need more data professionals In 2016, we’re used to online retailers, apps and websites making ever-smarter use of our data: what kind of things we want, what motivates us to buy them and what else we might like. You might see a reminder about a purchase you didn’t complete, a menu that adapts to your previous preferences, or adverts for a holiday you once looked at following you around your newsfeed. It’s an expanding area because it generates income, and exactly the same is true for charities. In the past year, Unicef UK generated an extra £100k just by making better use of the data they already had, so it’s easy to understand why third sector organisations of all kinds are starting to invest more in data specialists. At Harris Hill we saw a 26% rise in data roles in the year to April 2016, and in a recent survey, 82% of charities reported that while they’re collecting plenty of data, they lack the time and resources – essentially, the staff – to put it to good use. So we’re seeing that rise in vacancies continue. There are more reasons for the rise in demand too, like changes in the fundraising landscape. Social media and other new digital channels offer charities all kinds of innovative ways to attract supporters and generate donations, but to be truly effective these depend on smart and skilful use of the organisation’s data – and the people who know how to do so. And while they’ve always been an important consideration, the ethical questions on storing, sharing and using supporters’ data have never been more high-profile, with many organisations needing to recruit more data talent to maintain the highest standards. At the same time, many charities are under increasing pressure to become more accountable, to demonstrate exactly where donations go and the benefit they deliver. To the rescue? Data specialists again, who can track and analyse the organisation’s activities to provide this kind of information and help to inform future strategies. What kind of roles are available? Broadly speaking, there are three key roles in regular demand: Data Officers who handle and work with the organisation’s data on a day-to-day basis, using packages like Raiser’s Edge (widely-used across the sector) and other CRM systems like Salesforce Data Analysts with technical skills (typically SQL/SAS/SPSS) who focus on interpreting the data to identify patterns and trends, monitor effectiveness and provide key insights from the information Data Managers, whose role may oversee or include the above two, but who will also work with fundraising, operational and marketing teams, helping them to harness the organisation’s data in order to drive more effective campaigns and better service delivery In larger organisations (with bigger data teams) roles at each of these levels may specialise in particular areas like statistics, data quality/data cleansing, data segmentation and analysis – so there are numerous opportunities for people with specialist skills in these fields. In a smaller charity, where you might be one of only a handful of data experts – if not the sole data guru – it’s more likely that you’ll need to be a bit of an all-rounder and cover most of these areas to some degree, which is a great option if you’re less keen to specialise and want to be closer to the impact your work has on the organisation. What if you’re working in data and want to move into the charity sector? Getting into the charity or not-for-profit sector isn’t always as easy as you might think: a great deal of roles advertised will insist on previous charity experience, and that’s often because the organisation lacks the resources to invest in training newcomers up. The good news if you’re a data professional is that there is far more opportunity to move across from a commercial/private sector role and a variety of backgrounds. As a relatively new field, charities are well aware that there are simply not enough people already working in the sector with the requisite skills, so attracting talent from the commercial sector is vital in order to fill any gaps in knowledge and expertise. You’ll need to be realistic that starting salaries will be a little lower than corporate equivalents – our 2016 salary survey can give you a good idea of what to expect – but being in high demand and short supply will continue to exert upward pressure, and progression can often be relatively swift once you’re established within an organisation and clearly adding value. As with most charity sector roles, the slightly lower salary is a trade-off for what can often be a significantly better work-life balance, great culture fit, a more flexible and relaxed environment, and of course the opportunity to make a positive difference to the lives of others, or a particular cause that’s close to your heart. You can usually expect a great deal of independence and autonomy too: this might be particularly appealing if you’re used to simply fitting in to a large company’s existing processes. Within a charity, you’re likely to be one of only a few data experts, and you may well be involved in setting up new initiatives and processes. So your input and ideas will not only be welcomed and valued, but could well go on to shape the future strategy of the organisation. What if you’re considering data as a future career? It’s a very smart choice indeed. A recent survey by Tableau Software indicated that 75% of organisations plan to invest in big data throughout 2017, and highlighted the disparity between the many jobs that will be available, and the low number of graduates currently focusing on relevant subjects – such as statistical analysis and data mining, which LinkedIn recently ranked as the number one skill to get you hired in the UK today. The good news is that the options for training and education are increasing, with universities beginning to offer courses in data analytics, so for graduates, or indeed anyone looking to boost their employability and future job prospects, the data skills you learn will undoubtedly open doors, including to some brilliant opportunities in the charity sector! They say data is the future of everything: and certainly as far as third sector careers go, we think they might well have a point. ___________________________________________________________ Whether you’re already working in charity data or elsewhere, do get in touch if you’d like to talk about current opportunities and potential routes for your career. I specialise in this area with charities right across the sector so I’d be delighted to help you and offer advice on working in this fast-growing field. Shweta Prabhakar, Data Recruitment Specialist, Harris Hill For further information and advice on getting into the charity sector, call Shweta or the data team on 020 7820 7320, email shweta.prabhakar@harrishill.co.uk or get in touch via info@harrishill.co.uk

Appointing the right (or wrong) CEO can have a huge impact, so how do you identify the right person? Jenny Hills of Harris Hill Executive Search has helped many charities with this decision and shares some expert advice on the questions to ask. The challenges of choosing a CEO One of the biggest decisions a board of trustees can make is who to appoint as CEO of their charity. Hopefully, it is also a decision they rarely have to make (and given the new breed of charity CEOs who see roles as discrete projects, how often is too often is a question for another day). However, there is a potential lack of experience on boards in recruiting at this level. In our experience, this means that it can be difficult for trustees to pinpoint what criteria they are looking for in the recruitment process, the profile of their ideal new CEO, and how to identify the required experience in candidates. Luckily, all these are areas where Harris Hill Executive Search can provide a wealth of expertise. For shortlisted candidates, trustees generally have the following from each applicant to make their decision based on: - A CV - A covering letter or supporting statement - Commentary from the executive search consultant the board has partnered with on their interview and other interactions with the candidate - A one or two stage interview process Following this, trustees are expected to make a decision about who is going to lead an organisation. The right CEO can transform a charity and take it to new heights. The wrong CEO can be a disaster. So how do you start to identify the right candidates? The interview process is absolutely key, as it provides the in-person interaction that determines if the candidate is someone the board can see themselves working with, but how do you make sure you are getting someone who will perform as CEO, rather than someone who simply interviews well? Will they walk the walk? Can they do more than just talk a good game? It is absolutely possible and indeed strongly advisable to build in exercises to the interview process that will broaden the assessment of candidates, such as asking them to give a presentation on a pre-provided topic, meeting key staff members, and completing a written exercise. These can demonstrate how a candidate would perform in the role - are they a strong public speaker who can represent the charity? Can they write an incisive, focused commentary on monthly expenditure accounts for the board? Is there going to be a massive personality clash with the Deputy CEO? But it is the formal panel interview that is the opportunity to really dig into a candidate's experience and their interest in the role. It is crucial to ask questions that will do just this. The importance of competency based questions We recommend that our clients run competency based interviews that assess candidates' fit with the job description and/or person specification, and ultimately the strategic goals of the charity, with questions that encourage concrete examples of how candidates' experience is relevant. For example, imagine that you were the chair of a charity that needed a CEO to build and develop relationships with high net worth individuals to bring in major donations. This is key for your charity's strategy. You would want someone who had a demonstrable track record of success in this area and the personality of an advocate. Now for the questions. Take this one: 'How would you increase funding from major donors?' Having worked as a consultant with a number of people who have track records in doing just that, I know a fair amount about major donor fundraising, and could put together what would sound like a convincing answer to that question, especially if the interviewers themselves are not familiar with the area. There's just one problem - I've never brought in a major donation in my life! But what if an interviewer for this role asks me, an unqualified candidate but who knows my way around an interview, this version of the question? 'Can you give me an example of increasing funding from major donors at an organisation?' Now the truth comes out, because I can't. A good candidate will provide a relevant example. A great candidate will put the example they're about to give in context; explain what they did, how and why; and quantify the success. Of course, a great candidate will most likely answer the first question by referring to their previous experience. But the format of the question gives people without such experience much more room to hide than the latter. Use follow-up questions to check personal involvement The precise language used by a candidate can be highly illuminating. If they mention that "we did this" or "our strategy was", etc., it can be worth following up with questions to probe the extent of their personal involvement in the project they're describing. Did they lead it single-handedly, work with a team or even were they a relatively minor player? Such questions can be deepened by also asking how they would translate that experience to your charity: 'Can you give me an example of increasing funding from major donors at an organisation, and what have you learnt from this experience that you could bring to this role?' This style of questioning can also be turned towards investigating a candidate's personal qualities. Some examples: - 'How have you demonstrated emotional resilience in a challenging situation at work?' - 'What examples can you provide that show your alignment with the mission and values of this charity?' - 'Tell us about a time you resolved conflict in a professional environment.' A bank of similarly structured questions over the course of an interview will provide a set of tangible examples of how a candidate's overall profile fits with the role, which - critically - can be assessed alongside other candidates' responses to the same question. Fair and objective analysis Another strong advantage of the competency-based interview is that by asking each candidate the same question, you ensure that the process is as fair and objective as possible - every candidate gets the same chance to shine. These advantages are why we at Harris Hill Executive Search systematically follow the competency-based structure when we interview candidates for roles, and encourage our clients to do the same: we believe our track record of great candidate and charity matches speaks for its success. Jenny Hills, Senior Executive Search Consultant, Harris Hill If you have any queries on how my colleagues on the Executive Search team and I can support your senior recruitment process, please do contact me on 020 7820 7321 or at jenny.hills@harrishill.co.uk Meet the Harris Hill Executive Search team Back to the Harris Hill homepage and job search

Moving from the commercial sector into a charity might not be as easy as you think, but here are some tips to help you make the move. ​ As specialist recruiters for the charity sector, we often hear from people with significant experience in the corporate world who are keen to transfer. But it can be a more difficult move to make than many people imagine. While charities can often benefit from bringing in skills from outside the sector, the market is highly competitive so don't assume that it's going to be an easy change in career direction. Charities are often big businesses, with the need to be open, transparent and highly ethical, and where every decision can impact directly on the charity's beneficiaries. However, while it might not be an easy move, it's one we'd love to help you make. We're as keen as anyone to bring new talent and fresh thinking into the sector, and many charities are actively looking for candidates with a commercial background at the moment. With that in mind, here are five tips that will help you to make the transition: 1. Think through your motivation for moving Interviewers will be looking for more than just a nice person who wants to do their bit for a good cause and something beneficial for others with their career. These are admirable qualities, but they will apply to almost every candidate they meet, so what sets you apart? What's really driving your move and will make you an asset to the sector? Think about your reasons and make sure you can articulate them clearly, you'll be asked this question a lot. 2. Research charity roles and look at where your skill set fits You're likely to be competing against candidates with a charity background, so it's vital to highlight how transferable your own skills are, and apply for roles where these will be of most value. The Institute of Fundraising and NCVO are good starting points to give you an understanding of roles in the sector. Certain charity functions (like finance or IT/data) may be similar to their commercial equivalents, but in other areas you may need to think more laterally. For example there are strong parallels between fundraising and sales e.g. generating revenue, building relationships with clients and winning new customers/supporters. 3. Be realistic about pay and your choice of charity Moving from a commercial role is likely to involve a pay cut - there are few people who have made their millions working in this sector! Check out our Salary Survey to get an idea of current salaries in the sector. Where a job is advertised with a salary range, don't assume that being a well-qualified professional candidate automatically guarantees you the higher end. Be prepared to start low, but once you've gained a year or two of solid charity sector experience this can rise quite rapidly. Similarly, while you may ultimately be drawn to a particular cause or organisation, be prepared to consider others as a way of getting into the sector and gaining experience. 4. Recognise that you have a lot to learn It's a mistake to assume (as some do) that charity colleagues will be less skilled or knowledgeable, so your superior professional abilities will easily see you through. They are different worlds, so however brilliant you are in your corporate role, it's going to be a steep learning curve! Be aware that you'll need to pick charities who have the time and resources to train you up and fill that knowledge gap. As an agency we will be able to inform you about this on a case by case basis. 5. Get involved! Charities will want to know that you've got a commitment to the sector, so highlight anything relevant you've been involved in: CSR projects, volunteering, fun runs, a sponsored parachute jump - whatever it may be, make sure it's on your CV! Many companies operate partnerships with chosen charities which can be a great way to get started - don't just participate but get as involved as you can in organising events and promoting the partnership. Corporate partnerships are a major growth area for the charity sector so the experience you gain on one side of that fence can be invaluable in reaching the other. We hope this is helpful and whatever your plans, if you've considered these points and are keen to move into the sector, do get in touch! We'd be delighted to talk you through any suitable opportunities currently available and advise on your best routes into this rewarding sector. For further information and advice on getting into the charity sector, call us on 020 7820 7300 or get in touch via info@harrishill.co.uk

Meet the organisers of the London Charity Softball League! We love sponsoring the London Charity Softball League which gets bigger and more popular every year! But it’s only possible thanks to the four-strong organising committee of volunteers who work tirelessly all summer and beyond to make it happen. We asked spokeswoman Vanessa Furey (of consumer charity Which?) to introduce the dream team, share some highlights and who they might be tipping for victory on Thursday… The charity softball league is coming to the end of its 13th season and already planning on how we can make the 14th bigger and better than ever. What we love is just how many people want to be a part of it! The league is the brainchild of Leo Visconti who decided he wanted to do something to get his colleagues from across his organisation to work together, and others were interested too. We started out with just 9 teams and grew rapidly year on year purely through word of mouth. This year we've had to limit it to just 88 teams but many of them are made up of several organisations meaning that over 120 charities take part in the league, with lots on standby for next year. It's run by a committee of volunteers, which works really well as we have a range of different strengths that complement each other. Leo is Mr Fix, he sorts out all the relationships with the sponsors and also hands out the yellow cards when any issues come up. He's firm but fair and a stickler for the rules. Paul Mehta is our stats man, hence the nickname Stato. He pretty much keeps the league running on a week by week basis and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of seasons past. He's come so close to winning a few times but it's yet to happen, we're all keeping our fingers crossed for him for next year... unless he's in our leagues. Rob Wyatt (Earp) is the new guy on the committee and has been a brilliant support all season keeping teams in check and coordinating the pitch bookings in Hyde Park. He's essentially our logistics guy and always on hand to help solve a problem. And me, well I guess I'm the campaigns and comms one of the group. I look after our social media and try to promote what the teams are doing, getting them excited for the new season. I joined the committee after leading our campaign to keep Hyde Park free to play sport. Not only did we stop the Royal Parks charges, the whole campaign brought the league closer together. Our proudest moments have been seeing organisations come together to collaborate on things that wouldn't have been possible without the league. And we've lost count of how many relationships and babies the league has led to, hopefully another generation of softball players! We've also seen people go on to play outside the league with clubs in Softball UK's leagues. Claude Snape, who only took up softball due to the charity league, has even played for Great Britain and won numerous medals. With Rio coming to an end, it's great to see softball making it in to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Fingers crossed some of the people starting out in the league might catch the bug and go on to great things! As I mentioned, the league came under threat just a year after the London Olympics when the Royal Parks allowed a company to charge £30+ an hour to use the area in Hyde Park. This felt wrong and a campaign, supported by over 20,000 people soon saw us fighting back, not just for us but everyone else who uses the space or who wants to create something like the softball league. We rely on using free space to make the league accessible to anyone, and we'd love to see more places in London for people to play sports without paying a fee. The committee are obviously completely impartial when it comes to who wins, but with Leo finally taking part we'd be happy to see him finally get his hands on some silverware. But after months of planning and weeks fighting against the great wet and windy British summer, we are just happy to be able to let our hair down and enjoy the evening with everyone who has helped to make the league so special. Many thanks to Vanessa and all the organisers; we’ve got the easier job (along with fellow sponsors Blue Step Solutions and Snap Print Management) of keeping the crowds refreshed on the day and we’re looking forward to the celebrations!

If you're applying for a job in the charity sector, a supporting statement can be your biggest opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. We share 3 top tips for making sure your skills truly shine. How to write a great supporting statement Dedicate Time to Writing a Detailed Supporting Statement Make Sure That You Match the Person Specification Spell It Out And Make It Apparently Clear What You Have To Offer One day, there'll be some brilliant bit of technology that scans your brain for all the qualities, skills and experience your prospective employer's been looking for, and delivers a whizzy presentation about them directly to their iPhone 22. It'll be great, if slightly Orwellian. Until then, most employers depend on application forms, the good old CV (so old we're still using the Latin name), and in most charity and not-for-profit organisations, the all-important supporting statement. And it really is important, because it's your biggest opportunity to sell yourself to the hiring organisation. Let's be honest though, it's nobody's idea of fun. If you've already spent hours perfecting your CV or slogging through an employer's 30-page application form (we won't name culprits, but you know who you are...) the last thing you're in the mood for is writing 500 words of chirpy copy about your listening skills. So where should you start? First and foremost, the supporting statement is your opportunity to explain why you want the job - your interest in and attraction to the organisation. Whether that's down to your knowledge of the organisation from personal contact, research you've done, enthusiasm for what they do, or a great match between their values and yours, make sure it comes across loud and clear. Nobody ever hired the candidate who didn't seem all that bothered about getting the job. 1. Dedicate Time to Writing a Detailed Supporting Statement It might be the last thing you do but it's often the first thing an employer will read, and first impressions count. Unless you're right on deadline, come back to it when you're fresh and able to really think about your responses. Speaking of deadlines, if you're applying through a recruiter it's well worth a chat with your consultant to make sure you're totally clear on timings and exactly what's required. The statement has to come from you personally, but there's no reason you can't ask your consultant for feedback, so don't leave it to the very last minute. Get everything in as early as you can to give yourself time for a second draft if you need it. 2. Matching the person specification Application processes across the third sector differ of course, but here's a typical example of what you may be asked: 'Using each of the competencies as a header, please describe how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role as set out in the person specification.' So, you'll need to take each of the requirements listed in the person specification and describe how you meet them. By far the best way to do this is to give actual examples from your experience. If you've ever cringed at an Apprentice contestant declaring themselves the best thing since Branson it's probably not (just) because they're a truly terrible human being, but because there's not a shred of evidence to back up their claims. Examples are important. Using real-life scenarios means you can show, not tell, the employer why you're ideal for the role. Don't just say 'I have strong time management skills' but instead, talk about a project you worked on, a process you implemented, or a system you use that demonstrates your ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines. Focus on what you personally did and how your time management made it work. OK, but there are 30 requirements, yet they want a maximum of two pages? Sadly there's no getting around this one: writing a really good (but concise) supporting statement is never going to be a five minute job. But here are some tips to make it easier: • Firstly a little recruitment not-so-secret: 95% of person specifications are 95% the same. You know the score: communication skills, attention to detail, ability to multitask, demonstrating initiative, working within a team. Whatever your career, it's likely you'll run into certain requirements again and again. Create a master copy that covers all of these effectively and your future applications are already halfway done. Just be sure to tailor your responses to the role you're applying for, updating examples as your career progresses. • Speaking of which, even when you're not job-hunting, keep a record of projects that go well, however large or small. Trying to remember a specific instance that h