office* elite Education Zone – July 2010

TIME TO UPSKILL THAT CV – CRONE CORKILL

SMART E MAIL MANAGEMENT – KEEPING WITHIN YOUR MAILBOX LIMIT – MESMO CONSULTANCY

EFFECTIVE WAYS OF MONITORING STAFF ABSENTEEISM – MTIS LIMITED

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING IN…? – THESUPERMARKETONLINE.COM

GUEST COLUMNIST – WRITE IT RIGHT! – HEATHER BAKER

TOP TEN TIPS

Things are definitely on the up in terms of the office support jobs market. The recovery is well and truly underway and we are seeing skill shortages in several key areas with candidates once again having a choice of two or three offers. It’s vital therefore to make sure your CV is as up to date as possible and that it not only covers you work experience and responsibilities – but also your core competencies and skills sets:Languages: Make sure that any language ability is highlighted on your CV. We are seeing a lot of requirements for bi-lingual PAs and office support staff – and it’s not just the traditional western European languages such as French, German and Italian but also languages from the BRICs economies (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). Shorthand and audio and minute taking: Contrary to popular belief these have not died out so don’t forget to include these skills on your CV if you have them – we are still seeing demand outstrip supply in this area.

How many times have you received that annoying and at times distressing message saying ‘you are now over your mailbox limit’? Too far over and you may not be able to send or receive any more emails. You have to stop and immediately reduce your mailbox: depending on your systems, you may find yourself locked out of your mailbox for a few hours.

Attachments, not the number of emails are the major cause of exceeding your mailbox limit. Your mailbox size comprises the sum of all the emails in your received, sent and deleted folders. A common problem is that people delete emails and then forget to empty the deleted/trash can.

Excellent email housekeeping is one of the ways to avoid falling foul of these limits. Always aim to keep within seventy five percent of your allocated mailbox limit.

Here are smart ways to stay well within your allocation. These will help you save time and reduce the email stress factor.

• Save all attachments outside your mailbox and preferably in the file on the main server to which they relate (e.g. project, client, event etc). If working remotely with limited network connectivity save them to your laptop’s hard drive. Then remove them from the email.
• Add the Size field to help you spot those big attachments as they arrive.
• Regularly clean up your mail and delete old emails and attachments. For Outlook use the Mailbox ‘clean up’ function (and Search folders) to check mailbox and folder size. In Notes this is called the mail quota fuel gauge.
• Remember to empty the deleted folder before closing down. Most software has a built in prompt – make sure this is switched on.
• Remove all attachments which you send – as they too will weigh down your mailbox and as the sender you should have the original file!

Do you want to discover more tips like these which can save you time and stress dealing with your email? Attend my Smart Email Management session at Office* 2010 see www.officeshow.co.uk/seminars Dr Monica Seeley, founder of Mesmo Consultancy, is an international leading expert on email best practiced – drawing on a wealth of experience (from businesses of all sizes and sectors). Until 2008 she was author of The Times Crème Section column ‘PC Stress Busters’ and is co-author of ‘Managing in the Email Office’. Her new book ‘Brilliant Email’ is due to be published by Pearson in November 2010.

As the ‘Emaildoctor’ on Twitter – Monica posts daily tips on smart email management. She can be contacted at 01202 434340 or info@mesmo.co.uk or www.mesmo.co.uk.

One task that often falls upon PA’s is finding a method of monitoring Staff holidays and absence.
Staff absence continues to be the issue that concerns small and medium sized businesses more than any other. Ahead of cash flow, IT issues and maternity/paternity leave.

This is not surprising. The annual CIPD survey (published July 2009) states that an average of 7.4 working days per employee is lost each year due to absence. This equates to an average cost of £692 per employee per year i.e. a company with just 80 employees is loosing over £55,000 in absence costs.

The first step to be taken to reduce absenteeism is to install an effective way of monitoring absenteeism and ensure all staff are aware that a system is in place.

The traditional way of recording holidays on a wall chart in all but the smallest of companies lacks flexibility. Changes soon make the chart unattractive if not illegible. It provides little opportunity to easily provide the current status of peoples leave entitlement and if it is not backed up by a rigorous monitoring and approval system the markers indicating holiday days can mysteriously disappear once the holiday has been taken.

Today there are a large number of alternative solutions. Web based systems can be attractive in that those who work remotely from the office can be given access to the holiday monitoring system. Many comprehensive HR packages include an extensive absence monitoring element often including holiday application and approval processes.

Spreadsheet based systems are very popular and easy to use. With most staff these days being familiar with spreadsheets no training is required to install an implement an effective absence management system. Spreadsheet based systems have the great advantage that they can easily proved a wealth of statistics enabling managers to quickly identify departments where absence is prevalent. Patterns of regular absence can be spotted and dealt with before they become a major impediment to a business.

MTIS Holiday Scheduler is simple to install and use. MTIS Holiday Scheduler can be downloaded from www.spreadsheetservices.co.uk and can be trialled free of charge for 7days. MTIS Holiday Scheduler will be showing a spreadsheet based system on stand 5028.

MTIS Limited, 21 High Street, Kimpton, Hertfordshire, SG4 8RA
T. 01438 832869 e-mail sales@mtis-ltd.co.uk

By far and away the more traditional PA roles tend to be in sectors such as corporate business, finance and manufacturing, but did you know with your experience as a PA there is a whole world of opportunities open to you?

One in particular, which certainly sounds glamorous, is that of PA to a celebrity, read on for tips and advice on getting a job in this area:

There are 2 key things to becoming a celebrity to a PA, firstly experience, and secondly getting a referral. Most PAs in this sector tend to get their jobs through referrals; the worst thing for a celebrity to end up with is a PA harbouring secret ambitions to be an actor therefore prior knowledge of the prospective candidate makes picking their next PA a whole lot easier.

Networking is key to getting to know the kind of people who may be able to refer you. Online networks are the best way to get started, make a little time each day to research those you’re interested in then start posting! When networking remember to offer advice and tips as well as requesting them – people will learn to trust you and know you have experience within the industry.

Next up is experience. When working for a celebrity, as well as referrals, many will look for experience in the service and hospitality industry, with 5 star hospitality experience being particularly favourable. Bear in mind though that getting a 5 star PA role will probably require you to have a few year’s worth of experience in a 4 star role so it might be worth starting to plan for the future now!

When applying for celebrity PA roles, identify the celebrities ‘people’; there will tend to be a network of people surrounding the celebrity such as agents, business managers, lawyers and personal managers – write a SHORT letter to each of them (they are busy people!) stating your intentions and bullet points, if they’re interested they can get in touch with you and you can forward on your CV.

Finally, this is quite a specific sector so industry knowledge is key. Understand the life of a professional actor and what their expectations of you will be. For example you may have to buy expensive gifts, so taste is useful, plus you’ll be expected to travel quite extensively so consider your home life and if it will allow you to do so.

As a parting word, if you get to interview stage treat like an audition and make sure you shine!

Best of luck!

How much time in a day do you spend writing? Emails, letters, reports or notes – it can be a huge part of our time. We’re bombarded with messages to which replies are required or we have endless requests to make. We don’t have time to think about what and how we write …. but we really should.

6 Basics :
1. Don’t rely on spell check – it doesn’t actually check your spelling.2. Ensure your grammar and punctuation are faultless – if you’re not sure about something – check.
3. Don’t use “text speak” – computer screens are not mobile ‘phones.
4. Well written, full sentences give clarity and prevent misunderstandings.
5. Prepare your correspondence – effective preparation can save time, embarrassment and, possibly, money.
6. Always proofread – STOP before you click on “send”; this could be the best thing you ever do!

If you want to learn more about these points and also some great tips for effective and persuasive communications, come along to office* on 21 – 22 Sept 2010.

These are Global Action Plan’s 10 top tips for greening your office and reducing costs.

1. Measure and Monitor – monthly monitoring of gas, electricity and water meters can highlight areas of excessive use. Monitoring the amount of rubbish produced can help identify any areas of improvement. Measuring and monitoring can also provide quantitative reduction targets and help feedback successes to external stakeholders as well as encouraging staff involvement.

2. Maximise Energy Efficiency – check temperature settings are between 19-21 degrees; choose the most energy efficient bulbs (e.g. compact fluorescent or LEDs) when replacing light bulbs; and disable lights that are not necessary (e.g. in summer switch of lights near windows).

3. Be Water Efficient – put up signs to switch off taps properly – a dripping tap can waste up to 10,000 litres per year; place water saving devices (hippo or save-a-flush) in toilet cisterns; and replace bottled water with mains fed filters and coolers.

4. Green your IT – activate power management on PCs and turn off computers, printers and other equipment when not in use to save energy and reduce bills.

5. Minimise travel – save travel for when it is absolutely necessary. Try holding more meetings by video or teleconference and launch a cycle to work scheme. Set up a travel policy to provide staff with alternatives and information on sustainable modes of travel in the area.

6. Procure Sustainably – when buying tea and coffee opt for fair trade brands, and buy environmentally friendly cleaning products which do not use any harsh chemicals. Also, change to recycled or FSC paper.

7. Office Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – operate the waste hierarchy by setting all printing to double-sided by default, placing clearly labelled recycling bins by printers (for paper) and in kitchens (for food waste) and investigating composting organisations for food waste.

8. Environmental Management – Environmental Policies and Management Systems provide a structured and documented approach to environmental performance. You can gain accreditation to ISO 14001, EMAS or BS 8555 standard which creates access to new markets and improves competiveness.

9. Make it Easy – the easier it is for staff to change their behaviour the more likely you are to see positive results. For example, make it as easy to recycle as using the general waste bin with separate clearly labelled bins.

10. Engage Staff Positively – using positive communication campaigns can make efficient behaviour the norm. Reward positive behaviour and encourage competition, for example leave chocolates for those who switch off their computer and monitor at night.

For more information on how we can help your organisation:
Call: 020 420 4439
Email: business.support@globalactionplan.org.uk
Visit: www.globalactionplan.org.uk