View from the Hill

Where has the time gone?

It seems just the other day that I arrived at Borough House on my first day at Sue Hill Recruitment, but in fact almost seven years have passed since those days after graduation when I was scanning the guardian’s jobs pages et al. 

I remember reading through my contract and noting the very attractive long service benefit of a one month paid sabbatical available after five years.  At the time five years time was further away from me than my A-levels so I didn’t think too much about it. But as the days and weeks and then years passed by, the more a part of the SHR team I became, suddenly it’s year number seven and I’m being forced out the front door with strict instructions not to come back for four weeks!

It’s a very generous benefit to offer and arguably a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to disappear for a chunk of the summer, to adventure around Scandinavia and come back armed with biscuits and sweets for the rest of the team, in return for them not renting out my desk while I’m away.  After some planning and scheduling I have many sights to see in what now seems like four short weeks. Amongst these I’m sure there will be time for The National Library of Sweden, the Royal Danish Library and the Norway Memorial Library.

But joking aside for a moment, the past seven years have been both challenging and hugely rewarding and I appreciate all the contacts I have made in this time, all the people who have introduced me to the information world and to the whole team here at SHR.  I’m looking forward to a month of trains, planes and automobiles and also to coming home again, reinvigorated and ready to learn something new.

 

- Jeremy Clarke

Economy and change - I'll say it again "Economy and Change - and did I hear outsourcing?"

Breakfast at Roast Restaurant this week ended with a vox pop of the eleven replete breakfasters.  The question asked was: "In one word, what has had the biggest effect on your daily work in the last five years?"   We all thought, wrote down our word and then said it out loud:  economy, change, economy, enterprise2, change, outsourcing, change, outsourcing, transparency, market research, change!  So four for change, two each for outsourcing and economy (surely related in some bizarre spider web way) and one for the rest.  There was consensus that the speed of change was the highlight.  It will be interesting to see who has what to say on that topic next week.

 

Earlier, while delectable kippers, old-fashioned boiled eggs with marmite soldiers, lush eggs Benedict and copious quantities of coffee were consumed the conversation focussed on the many things that occupy our working (and sometimes waking) hours.  Change of course had featured then as well.  A recruitment freeze was seen as both positive and negative in that it encouraged managers to think smarter as teams got smaller.  That tied in with showing demonstrable ROI when new systems or ways of working were introduced.  Decision making surfaced both as a positive (where prompt and effective decisions were made) and as a negative where failure to make decisions is like a weight around our necks impacts on progress.  Decisions lead to change - keep change positive - give colleagues credit to understand why change is needed, keep communication lines open and include them.  There was more of course - at times intense and at times we roared with laughter.   

 

Want to know more?  Come to a Sue Hill Recruitment Networking Breakfast.  You won’t be scrambled or boiled - just the eggs will be. 

 

- Sue (Hill)

 

 

Library lottery and salt in short supply

Travel certainly broadens your mind and opens your eyes to to differences in things we often take for granted.

Last week whilst wandering around the lesser known areas in Hong Kong I was intrigued to see crowds of people fighting to get to the front of what could loosely be called a queue.  Were they after Lady Gaga tickets I wondered.  No.  A mysterious white powder was being shovelled into small plastics bags and money was frantically changing hands. When I got back to my hotel and read the South China Morning Post it seems salt was the prized item in demand.  Salt had sold out in China and the rumour that iodised salt would ward off radiation from the Fukishima disaster was now rife in Hong Kong.

I read on and was astounded to hear that the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications had controversially announced that library seats (in high demand by students) were to be allocated by lottery. The university intended to use lucky draws to distribute seats and tenancy for the  fortunate winners would be for one academic year.  Currently large queues of eager students wanting library seats form in the early hours of the morning.  There are grave concerns that those who fail to secure a seat will find it difficult to find other places to study.  (For a fabulous example of machine translation that gives more information see this China Daily post.)  I undestand that most universities have the same problem of more students than library seats.

I see here a wonderful opportunity for a lottery draw in the UK.  Once the majority of libraries have been closed and or opening hours reduced to the barest minimum the remaining library seat availability could be added to the weekly Saturday Lottery Draw. 

- Sue H

A life changing few seconds

I confess to be quietly holidaying in New Zealand - catching up with family and friends. You will all have read or seen the news of the earthquake that struck Christchurch. What you probably don't see in Europe is the continuing coverage and the stories that emerge: of heroism, of disaster, of tragedy and of life changing events. Christchurch is the second largest city in New Zealand and one that almost every tourist visits. A good proportion of people who have temped for us over the years have come from there too.

Once the shock and horror of buildings crashing to the ground and killing and injuring so many people had been assimilated the longer lasting effects started to become clear. Many people have no homes and are so shaken by the many after shocks they have made momentous decisions to leave the place they were born and educated in or that they moved to - in many cases forever. Businesses which until 12.50pm on Tuesday 22 February were thriving have gone for ever, and many of the employees too. A week or more out of action with no access to computers, premises and all of the other things we take for granted as we commute into work on a cold winters day sadly leaves little hope for long term survival of organisations - large or small and thus little hope of work for those who now need jobs more than ever.

Shops and business are closed. Libraries are closed as are many schools. No-one can sell their houses - for if they are not wrecked they are un-insurable; renters are faced with paying rent for somewhere they can no longer live. Children have had to move away to continue to go to school and the elderly to move to care homes hundreds of miles away. The list of the dead and missing covers over 20 nationalities proving how attractive Christchurch was to live or visit. The whole scenario is bleak for such a wonderful thriving city.

What has been so wonderful to see is the stoic attitude of the Cantabrians as they pitch in to help others. Many who have no homes are busy shovelling the unbelievable piles of liquefied mud from others houses and gardens. Teams of experts from all around the world have flown in to work tirelessly; students have joined the teams of helpers as have many others. Everyone in New Zealand is doing their bit to help. Every time I shop in my local supermarket I am encouraged to spend an extra $2 to help Canterbury recover. it doesn't seem much when you have just bought food and wine - something that those down in Christchurch don't even have ready access to at the moment.

Whilst the mood in New Zealand is very sombre and sad it is at the same time uplifting. Everyone is all thinking about others and what they can do to help and for a while not concentrating on their own problems that suddenly have become inconsequential. The future is difficult to predict and things will take a long time to return to any sort of normality in Christchurch.

It has certainly brought home to me that we must live our lives to the fullest and make the best of what we have.

- Sue H

Capital - Jakarta?

Who can tell me which country comprises 17,508 islands, and has a population of around 230 million?

If you, or anyone friends, have a strong grasp of the official language and are interested in some extra hours working from home then please contact me.

- Jeremy Clarke

Intangible Cultural Property

I was introduced to the Japanese concept of "Intangible Cultural Property" last night at Asia House at a performance of Okinawan music by Shinjin Kise - a "Living National Treasure" no less! It was a fascinating evening in many ways and, as most of us are, I'm familiar with the generational passing on of information through storytelling and music and other arts.

When Kise described intangible cultural property - the passing on of historically important arts and crafts to ensure their lasting legacy - I got to thinking about the transmission of knowledge in our profession. My experience last night seems to me a useful example of why it is vital we capture knowledge - the Okinawan language, for example, I learnt last night, is kept alive mainly by the elders of the islands and through music. It's vital that this continues otherwise the language ceases to exist.

How much information are we failing to capture in our workplaces? What "languages" have disappeared and thus had an effect on your service or business?

- Suzanne Wheatley

The Power of the Local Library

Happy New Year to all SHR Blog Readers! I thought I'd start the blogging year by looking at people power at home and abroad...

An inspirational project is taking place in Vietnam's Mekong Delta - teaching children to swim. This is vitally important here as the area is highly prone to flooding.Look at image number 8 in this BBC photojournalism article - specifically the accompanying quote. Never underestimate the impact of a local library.

Here in the UK, your peers and the public are fighting to keep libraries open. Have a look at this Channel 4 news report video. Is this the way forward for 2010? Could public libraries benefit from the business strategies put in place to ensure survival of corporate libraries?

Keep warm!

- Suzanne Wheatley

Time Out

So you have just been made redundant.  What now?  Have you thought about having a gap year?  A recent survey conducted by Travelex, the foreign exchange company, conducted a survey which showed that 78% of people who have recently been made redundant have taken the decision to take time out and travel.  In fact the 30-55 age bracket are twice as likely to travel that the 18-24 year olds.

But what about skills and continuing professional development?  Well you can take the opportunity to volunteer, whether overseas or closer to home.  Freepint have produced some helpful information on how to keep your skills up and how to stay in touch with the information world. 

Whether you have taken a self-imposed time out or you had no choice in the matter, you have options.  All doesn't have to be lost.  It can be an opportunity and the advice and guidance is out there and available.  And we, being information professionals, will be able to find it.

 - Katharine Liu 

 

Through hell and high water

In this time of careful economics we are all looking for ways to save a bob or two, whether it is through using your local library instead of Amazon, or trading your travelcard in for something less credit crunching, like a mountain bike to take you to work.

All of we brave souls who struggled into work on 'snow day' a few months back will not have forgotten the ingenuity this involved, whether this meant an hour and a half walk, a chilly boat trip or looking out the old snow shoes.

In the spirit of cheaper, environmentally friendly and adventurous travel we have just learnt of truly dedicated employee who takes advantage of the Summer months to canoe to work! What a fantastic way to start the day.

Perhaps this brave soul should be an example to us all to explore fresh paths and the route less travelled, or perhaps this is the catalyst we have been waiting for to prompt Mayor Boris to instigate a kayak to work scheme.

Lazy, bad mannered or just plain selfish?

Just every now and again I could scream.

Every day we hold interviews to enable people who are job seeking to register and come and present to us not just their credentials (Passport, ID checks etc) but also to chat about what they want so we can make a good match.  We offer Saturdays too as we know not everyone can get here during the week.

You would be surprised how many people don't bother to turn up and can't, don't or won't make the effort to phone, email or wite to let us know or to apologise.  If my team are prepared to give up a Saturday they expect people on the list to show.  Last week there were three who couldnt be bothered.  Particularly annoying as there was a waiting list.  How selfish is that?   Could we trust those people to turn up at a job interview?

On the day the snow was deep and crisp and even and not even London's buses were running, we had an interview candidate arrive on time who had walked to get here.  Good to know the world isnt totally going to pot.

On that note I am off for a little r&r.