Posts

COVID Creates More Opportunities For Work Experience Placements

/in /by

StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article |Virtual Work Experience|COVID Creates More Opportunities For Work Experience Placements

In the last year, Speakers for Schools witnessed a huge rise in work placement opportunities within the UK. Overall, there was an increase of 5,890 work experience placements secured compared to the pre-pandemic. Founded by Robert Peston in 2010, the organisation has been matching eager young students with employers across the country to create the best experience possible for all involved.

Most of these new placements were in England, which made up 2,361 of the total secured. However, with all these English placements being offered as virtual work experience, location is now irrelevant.

6,192 nationwide placements were secured over the last 12 months. With the vast majority of these being virtual work experience, young people from across the UK were able to access their dream placements.

Students in Northern Ireland have previously been victims of their location and unable to attend their ideal placements in Britain.  One example, Spotify, based in London, has always been a popular name with younger people and a sought-after palace to attend work experience.

Thanks to virtual work experience, Spotify have increased the number of placements secured by 4,168% compared to last year and are taking on students from all over the UK with remote work experience.

With just under ¼ of young people concerned for their education during the pandemic and the same number of 18-year-olds being unemployed at the end of 2020, virtual work experience is providing rescue to so many young people who have missed out on opportunities during this time.

10% of students from disadvantaged areas had their exam results downgraded in Summer 2020 due to the new scheme of grading results. Many of these students are still in the process of appealing this. However, while they wait for answers, they may have missed out on further education or career opportunities due to this.

100% of placements that were completed with Speakers for Schools during the pandemic were done so by pupils from state schools, many of which were from disadvantaged areas. This provided a connection between these students and the professional world that may have been unachievable previously.

Work experience is nothing new, so why is this newly adapted virtual experience potentially proving more popular than the traditional work experience we all know?

Location Restrictions Removed

It isn’t just those who undertake work experience who lose out if they live in remote areas or aren’t able to access transport. Businesses offering free work experience are limited by location with their applicants. Some may offer expenses and even accommodation if they are travelling great distances, but this isn’t common.

However, this obviously comes at an extra cost and many young people may be put off applying altogether if they are unaware of these benefits offered.

Virtual work experience removes these barriers and allows businesses to access minds across the country, and even the world. While also allowing young learners to have access to some of the best placements available within their interest.

Future-Proofing

Working from home is more common than ever and it looks like this practice is here to stay. Virtual work experience allows young minds to see what it is like to work from home and get used to working with home distractions

This also benefits businesses for future onboarding experience. Even if businesses expect to have new starters in a few days a week at the start, managers and senior staff can learn how to train remotely and understand what needs to be adapted to ensure optimum efficiency.

What’s more, many industries are now looking to hire from any location across the globe, opening up their businesses to the best talent available.

However, there is the obvious worry of onboarding, training, meetings and reviews that are 100% remote. Could this work for a particular business? Will communication between teams be efficient? Free virtual work experience allows businesses to test drive this new approach, without the commitment of actually hiring someone.

Be First In Line

It’s common practice for those undertaking work experience to be offered a role, should they prove themselves a good fit and there is a suitable open position.

This allows businesses to snap up school and university leavers before competitors get to them. It’s a fantastic way to onboard with a sense of ‘try before you buy’ for both the employer and the employee.

We all wish we could trial a new candidate or spend a week or two at a potential new role before taking the plunge, this way everyone gets a candid view.

It’s Free

Some businesses will offer some form of reward to work experience students, such as gift vouchers, free lunches and travel expenses. However, these are not required. Having an eager new worker for a few weeks or months for free is something any business should be elated over and that’s exactly what virtual work experience is.

What’s more, some organisations will find these candidates for you, also for free, meaning there is no cost and very minimal effort. Really, there is no better reason to sign up than this.

So overall, virtual work experience is beneficial for not just students, but employers across the country. This ‘new normal’ is here to stay. While in-person placements will commence once restrictions allow, it is predicted that as much as a third of placements are now going to be virtual permanently.

Speakers for Schools are one of the fortunate organisations that have managed to adapt to the pandemic and thrive with their employers and students. This newly released data reflects one of the few, but crucial, elements that have had a positive impact since the start of the pandemic. Virtual work experience has proved such a success, it is here to stay.

Improving Your ServiceNow Experience with a Planning Roadmap

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |ServiceNow|Improving Your ServiceNow Experience with a Planning RoadmapDuring the past two decades, technological advancement has rapidly changed how our society functions. All throughout the globe, there have been a multitude of technological changes that have greatly impacted how the world works, and one of the greatest changes has been within the economy. The economy has been affected immensely by technology, as novel innovations have made for new systems within corporations. As the economy has been impacted, one of the greatest changes we have seen is the growth of cloud management products. Cloud management programs are on the rise, and ServiceNow is one of the most effective of these systems. There are many uses that ServiceNow has, which is why it is so widely utilized throughout a myriad of different enterprises. When building up your ServiceNow infrastructure, it is important to plan and create a roadmap. Having a ServiceNow roadmap will not only help when working with your partner service, but it will provide a clear direction of your entire business model. Learning how to work with your ServiceNow partner service to create a roadmap will be extremely beneficial to your enterprise and will enable you to grow your company further.

ServiceNow Roadmap in Practice

When creating your business’ ServiceNow roadmap, you need to learn exactly how to strategize to attain success. You need to work with your partner service to create a roadmap with governance, optimization of process, using informed people, and strategy if you want the best results. You will also be able to operate workshops by using your partner’s planning tool, which will help you to achieve your goals. You can gain help from your partner service to determine your company’s needs, understand how to get internal alignment, and create a detailed and lucrative budget.

ServiceNow Roadmap Strategy

Once you have laid out the beginning stages of your ServiceNow roadmap, you can then determine what will be essential for this process. Your plan needs to focus on the facets of IT business management, quality security operations, GRC, IT service management, IT operations management, and HR service delivery. These various facets should lead your partner service to create deliverables for your enterprise, including a statement of work to designate your terms of engagement, a roadmap with long-term goals for your project including success milestones, a detailed project plan that outlines your entire system, and a strong budget. Another element you should expect to receive is a proof of concepts that defines your workflow. Finally, it is imperative for your business to ensure that your partner is certified as ServiceNow Elite Partner and a ServiceNow Managed Services partner, as this allows them to provide you with a multitude of specializations. Some of these specializations include cloud management, HR, risk and compliance, service mapping, software asset management, customer service management, event management, and more.

Final Thoughts

Making a detailed roadmap for your ServiceNow experience will prove to be extremely beneficial to your company. Learning the various steps and what to expect is imperative for your corporation’s success.

Starting A Construction Business: Everything You Should Know

/in /by

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a Construction Business|Starting A Construction Business: Everything You Should KnowYou’ve been working in the construction industry for a number of years, allowing you to build up a strong knowledge of every aspect of running a construction company. Now you have decided that the time has come to take a leap of faith and attempt to break out on your own and launch your own construction company. It’s an exciting time. There’s lots to think about and consider. Truth be told, you are starting to feel a little overwhelmed, after all there’s just so much that needs to be sorted out.

The good news is that while the concept of launching a construction business can become rather stressful, if you get your approach right, it doesn’t need to be a nightmare. It’s far easier to make a success out of a new business when you have got yourself organised, which is why it’s so important to ensure that you’re thinking every aspect of the launch process through.

In need of a little business launching guidance? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. For everything that you need to know about launching your own construction company, have a read of this!

Get your team sorted

When it comes to launching a construction business, one of the most important aspects is, of course, your team members. If you’re going to make a success out of your venture, it’s important that you have the right support on hand to help. That’s why it’s vital that you start organising your team structure and team members as soon as possible, to make sure that you get the right people on hand to help you with your new business.

Be clear about legalities and admin

It’s also exceedingly important that you take the time to think carefully about the legalities and administration tasks linked to starting a construction business. This is important, because if you get this wrong you could end up in a lot of trouble. For instance, as a construction company you will need to ensure that you understand why you need construction insurance in place. It’s important to be clear about what it takes to run your business in a safe and legal way from the get-go. Not sure how to do this? Seek support from a business advisor who specialises in construction.

Take marketing seriously

Word of mouth marketing is great but when you first start out you’re going to need more than just that. If you want to give your construction business every chance of success, you’re going to need to market your new venture properly. You can either do this yourself if you feel comfortable doing so, or you can opt to outsource the task to an agency or freelance, or you could opt to take on a full-time member of marketing staff. How you go about it is up to you, just make sure that your new business is being properly marketed, otherwise you may struggle to achieve success.

There you have it, a simple guide to the ins and outs of launching your own construction company.

Smart Tips for Growing Your Business During the Pandemic

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Growing your business|Smart Tips for Growing Your Business During the PandemicThe COVID-19 pandemic tested many enterprises’ resolve, forcing many others to make significant adjustments to their standard business operations. Although companies suffered a severe hit in their operations and revenue, several others were flexible enough to adjust their approaches to survive the chaos. A US survey proposed that while consumers stayed home to limit the spread of the virus, millions of small business owners searched for creative ways to adapt their operating models to stay afloat. If surviving isn’t enough for you, here are some smart tips for growing your business during the pandemic.

1. Improve customer relationships

A business depends on its customers to grow, yet the pandemic has made it even more crucial to build and maintain your core clients. Lockdowns and staying home mean your clients are presently spending more time online, from remote working to virtual classes and organizing family events via Zoom and Google Meets. With the need for businesses to become creative with their email and social media marketing efforts, it has become essential as many people are spending more hours on their smartphones and laptops. Grow your online business presence using a website and social media to create client engagements. Be present, give them a reason to engage your business, and spread the word about how helpful your products and services have been to them.

2. Adapt to new trends

During a recession, most organizations center their efforts on salvaging their current client base. However, innovative businesses are looking for ways to add more. The present period offers an ideal opportunity for creativity to trump tradition. Understanding client needs during this challenging period is key to staying proactive and turning your plans into action. This strategy is excellent for exploring other consumer needs that your competitors are presently missing out on.

Who would have known that pickup and delivery offers would offer a lifeline for brick-and-mortar business today?

Identifying an emerging trend is crucial for growing your business even in the present business climate.

3. Explore the power of outsourcing

You may want to find out why entrepreneurs have proposed outsourcing as a practical choice in the current competitive and challenging business climate. In a period of increasing business costs and dwindling revenue generations, it has become a crucial tool for fostering business growth. From cost reduction to enhancing business focus and efficient resource use, outsourcing means allowing outside organizations to perform specific in-house jobs rather than employing new staff to handle demanding infrastructural needs. An example of this is engaging a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to drive your IT support.

4. Exploit changes in media consumption habits

The stay-at-home lifestyle has increased regardless of whether it’s compulsory or self-imposed. Individual lifestyles are affected, and there’s a surge in media consumption as there’s more time for leisure. These changes offer your brand an excellent opportunity to create a meaningful impression on your target audience or customers.

The pandemic prompted the need for remote working, with many businesses looking to make it a permanent feature. Your business can adopt this model to reach a wider audience using all the available media such as radios, television, streaming platforms, and smart speakers. You can successfully reexamine your business communication channels by analyzing consumption changes inside your specific business industry.

How You Can Attract More Customers With Promotional Gifts

/in /by

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Promotional Gifts|How You Can Attract More Customers With Promotional GiftsEvery single business needs to have a marketing strategy. That goes without saying. And, there are evidently a whole host of different and diverse advertising methods that a company can employ in order to attract more customers and make a bigger profit.

Nevertheless, there is a lot that needs to be contemplated when it comes to deciding which strategy to go for. After all, what works for one company may be an absolute disaster for another one. All in all, the truth is that what strategy is chosen lies within the makings of the business in question; how big or small it is and what industry it is placed in, and so on and so forth. For example, the likes of Allvision Billboards offer a service for businesses to reach a large number of people – ideal for big companies especially!

There are one or two methods that have been adopted by a whole host of companies that are placed in a whole host of different industries and have entirely different budgets. Billboards are one. Another one of these is the utilization of promotional gifts.

Using promotional gifts is something which has been used by a lot of companies for many, many years now. This may lead one to think that it is outdated. But that is certainly not the case. It is a method that boasts just as high of a success rate as it did ten years ago, if not better. The main reason behind its popularity is that it creates a bond with people and so they feel inclined to use the company in question whenever they require the products it sells or the service that it is offering.

Nevertheless, when picking promotional gifts to go for one has to be very careful. This is where a lot of planning and forefront has to go in. After all, the products chosen are the main component and so they will dictate whether or not the marketing strategy is a success or not.

One of the most popular options lately is the utilization of promotional bags. Reusable bags are great at present because more and more people are caring about the environment and shops and supermarkets have put a charge on plastic bags. Therefore, this is something that will certainly come in handy. Moreover, the scope for advertising is huge because whoever uses the bag in question will advertise the company to every single person that they pass by.

Perhaps the most common product to start with for a business that is just starting off with this strategy is pens. At the end of the day, a pen is something that will always be needed and always be used. Moreover, it is something that is relatively easy and cheap to employ, and it is a product that is also easy to distribute.

To conclude, the utilization of promotional gifts is one which has an evident success and popularity base. But it is important to regard just how crucial it is to ensure that one picks the right item or items for the job.