The Bitch Ditch

If you are an Employer looking for permanent staff, using agencies can be an efficient and cost effective method of recruitment. Do your homework carefully and you can concentrate on what you do best, running your business.

Here are some example questions to ask

How will they charge? - Most agencies these days supply permanent staff on a contingency basis. This is where, you only pay the agency if you select and recruit one of their candidates. The popular term for this is “No placement no fee”.

What will they charge? - You need to make sure you understand how much using an agency will cost you. This is normally expressed as a percentage of first year salary. This will depend on a number of factors such as industry, location, level of role etc, but fees can often be between 10% and 30%. You might at first consider this to be rather a lot of money but just think how much its worth to you getting the right candidate with the minimum of fuss.

Is there a rebate structure? - Make sure that you agree to some form of rebate structure. Like it or not, some candidates will start a job and decide that its not for them and leave after a short time. You need to make sure that if this happens you can reclaim some of the fees paid to Recruitment Agency. This is normally done via a rebate structure. A typical example of this would be

If they leave within 4 weeks 80% of fees paid are refunded
If they leave within 8 weeks 50% of fees paid are refunded
If they leave within 12 weeks 20% of fees paid are refunded

However these scales vary between agencies. It is also becoming more common in competitive areas to see 100% refunds if the candidate leaves within 12 weeks.

What is their CV policy? - You need to make sure that they are going to make things easier for you and not just send through dozens of CV’s that they have on their books, just on the off chance. Most reputable agencies will have a definite policy on this and be able to give you an idea of the number and quality of CV’s in advance.

Any Client testimonials? - This is to help you ensure that you are dealing with the right agency. You don’t want to have to spend a lot of time explaining to them what your company does or how they do it etc etc. The best way to avoid this is make sure that they have satisfied clients in similar business to your own. This will also give you an idea of how experienced the agencies and their consultants are in your business area.

How many agencies should I appoint? - It is a good idea to have a small number of agencies working for you as long as they are all on a contingency basis. This way you maximise your exposure to potential candidates while not spending all your working day dealing with agencies. A good idea is to start with 3 to 5 of them & see how it works out. You can always add more if you need to later.

What about a specialist agency? - Where possible you should consider industry specific agencies this if possible. Although they may charge more in fees this may be offset by the fact that they will probably be able to advise you more knowledgably about the type of candidates available, market salary rates etc.

Are there any trade bodies? - A number of agencies are members of the REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation), which represents the industry within the UK. You should try to confirm that they are members and that they conform to their code of conduct.

Will they do Candidate referencing? - You should check to confirm that the agency you plan to use both will confirm the identity of the candidates they send you but also if required can take up their references on your behalf.

And finally

Any other useful facilities?
Do you have an interview suite? - very useful facility as it means that you can interview prospective candidates at their offices.
Do you offer Psychometric testing / ability testing?
Can you provide salary survey information? - This enables you to offer the candidates a realistic salary

Remember, recruitment agencies can charge you quite a lot of money so make sure that they are working for you!

E & O E - Copyright 2005 CVwriting.net

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Action learning provides a structured approach to making progress on difficult and sometimes emotive issues. Taking part in an action learning set can help improve skills vital to leading a business forward, namely:

Being objective and making decisions

Improving listening and questioning

Creating the climate for purposeful discussion

An action learning set normally numbers between 5 and 7, and at the start is facilitated to give the group a good foundation. Each member of the group gets a period of time to explain their issue, and then gets questioned by the rest of the group. Each member of the group can take a turn. A good set has trust between the members, a good set of ground rules that have been adopted, and individuals learn to ask the right questions so that another member of the group can make good progress.

They probably learn this from each other.

Action research is quite similar. Using similar questioning and listening techniques it may be possible to make progress on an issue that has been difficult to resolve. Again the key is asking the right question, and exposing yourself to an answer that may be uncomfortable.

Within action learning having the right sort of climate is important. Trust is key to this.
For instance if you were having a meeting and the following signals were given, how would you feel?

1.’I'm judging you’

2.’I'm in charge’

3.’I can manipulate you’

4.’I don’t give a damn about you’

5.’I'm superior to you’

6.’My mind is made up. Nothing you can say will alter it’

(Gibb, J, (1961). Defensive communication. Journal of Communication, 11, 141-148)

One of the problems of considering joining an action learning group is that it could be uncomfortable and public, at least with the other group members. Another Gibb (AA Gib, Enterprise Culture 1987), suggested that entrepreneurs focus on active learning and the opportunity (amongst other factors). An interesting debate is whether entrepreneurs have learnt these skills through experience, or possess them naturally as they are inquisitive.

If this is so - that suggests that good business people are able to create the climate in which they can learn from others.

Many small business owners find creating the right environment quite difficult, especially if it might involve some aspect of change on their behalf. This manifests itself in frustration, anger, submissiveness and fails to create the right climate. This in turn may expose them to making comfortable decisions and not succeeding in the way they would have liked.

Although many action learning sets are set up with the aid of a facilitator, the intention is for a set to be self sustaining. With no outside help.

This makes them very cheap, and an environment where you can learn some of the fundamental skills needed to be an effective businessman.

Roger Croft is Managing Director of PRD partnership which helps commercialise ideas into new products, services or new processes. He also works with the University of Bath Small Busines Hub, writing and delivering courses and seminars for small businesses. roger.croft@prdpartnership.com http://www.prdpartnership.com

Get yourself some free cigars. Whether you are a cigar smoker or thinking about trying a cigar for the first time chances are you wouldn’t mind a free one. To be honest, I didn’t even know businesses did this until today. Apparently on certain days of the week some cigar companies actually offer “Stogie days.”

Stogie Days, or Stogie Guys Friday happens on Friday of course. You can go in and try some of the cigar samplers. Don’t worry about them charging you they are hoping you’ll like them enough to buy more to make up for the one you just had.

There are even websites online that’ll give you free cigars. Hurry though because it is widely known that June is Cigar Association Month and many will be headed to the stores on Friday to get their own. Sometimes you’ll be able to purchase cigars and get one free. This also helps the stores as well as you. You get to try a free cigar and they can hope to introduce you to a new brand of cigar that you may enjoy and come back later to buy.

Head on in this Friday and see what type of cigar samplers you can pick up.

I have heard that WET FEET are NOT bad for ME-

-says the River Birch tree.

For humans, wet feet are VERY bad and cause “Athlete’s Foot” fungus on the skin. The soles of our feet are where the most sweat cells, the densest concentration in our whole body, are found. That’s why athletes who sweat so much often get the foot problem which also got their name. And what happens to our skin when we stay in the bathtub or swim too long?

As for trees, some trees actually DIE if the soil that immediately surrounds them is very wet. CONSTANTLY wet. Just ask any Norway Spruce tree.

Maybe you want to drink a lot of water when you run, or do a workout, or heavy physical labor. Well, similarly, trees that grow fast and grow large, want to drink a lot of water too. But, they don’t want to stay permanently immersed in it!

That’s part of the problem with clay soil, the poor drainage and moisture retention. Some clays can hold water over 40 times their volume. Wow.

Even when rainfall is below average, there are areas on most any property where water collects and the ground is especially wet.

So, look for low spots, look where perhaps where there are springs where groundwater constantly rises, and what about looking for where gutters and storm drains empty? Then, plant a River birch Tree right there and watch it grow! The following web sites provide River Birch trees in the Plumsteadville area: http://www.seedlingsrus.com http://www.zone5trees.com http://www.highlandhillfarm.com

It is amazing how the World came together to help the victims of the Sumatra Earthquake. Billions of dollars poured into the region and it was a Herculean Effort indeed. Even two former Presidents got together in a non-partisan funds drive to secure the help needed. And the United States brought in Cargo Ships, Helicopters and water making vessels to assist.

But what is happening now? Well some say that the region is an environmental disaster and this issue came up in an online think tank recently as Karishma in regards to the environmental disaster caused by the Indonesia Tsunami states;

“. . .and today when things have subsided there is yet no framework or system that provides some form of environmental security some assurance that a better environment can secure a better future. . .as this is my contribution to think tank, it would be great if anyone could suggest to me good reading material on environment, its importance and its effects to our lives. . .looking forward for more.!”

I see so you have a solution to the environmental disaster and wish to set up framework to insure that the people there and the environment can continue to prosper into the future and are concerned that nothing is being done? It is a problem when an issue is in the mass media and then the media subsides and the assistance goes away. We must make sure that when we rebuild areas that we are careful to insure their on-going vitality into the next period and part of that of course is making sure the environmental issues are secure. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Chris Boardman is probably Britain’s most succesful cyclist of all time with 3 World Hour Records, an Olympic Gold and holder of the prestiguous yellow jersey in the Tour De France. During his peak Chris was virtually unbeatable in time trials (racing against the clock)

Chris initially rode for one of the UK’s top amateur clubs - The Manchester Wheelers. On the domestic time trial scene he won over 30 national titles including National 10, 25, 50, and National Hill Climb Championships. Only Scotland’s Graham Obree was able to challenge Chris in domestic time trials.

ALthough Chris specialised in time trials he also turned his attention to road racing and also competed in track disciplines, In the 1992 Olympics Chris was a gold medallist in the 4,000 metres pursuit. It was this Gold medal performance that launched Chris into the public light.

In 1993 Chris Boardman broke the World Hour Record. Initially he had been planning to break F. Moser’s mark of 51.1 KM. However Graham Obree managed to beat this record just before Chris’s attempt. However unduanted Chris broke both Moser’s and Obree’s new record setting a mark of 52.2 KM. This led to an unprecendented increase in the World Hour Record. Both Tony Rominger and Miguel Indurain set new records taking the record to 55 KM. Then in Manchester 1996 Chris set a new World Hour adding over 1 KM to the mark set by Tony Rominger. The New World Hour record now stands at 56.375KM - a mark that has not been broken
Chris Boardman’s World Hour Record of 56.375 KM

In this photo Chris is riding a position known as the “Superman ” Position this is because his arms are outstretched. This position is particularly aerodynamic but this shouldn’t detract from the spectacular athletic performance of this record.
Chris Boardman - Tour De France

Chris devoted the last 5 years of his professional career to try and suceed in the Tour De France. Chris experienced mixed fortunes. 3 times he won the opening prologue time trial, enabling him to wear the coverted yellow jersey. However in 1995 Chris crashed in the opening prologue, breaking his ankle and missing most of the rest of the season. He also crashed badly in the 1998 Tour (after winning the prologue. (1998 the year of the Festina crisis)

After he set this remarkable record the UCI decided to change the rules about technology that could be used for setting an hour record. Basically they reverted back to 1970s technology when E.Merckx set the record. Rules included no tribars no disc wheels e.t.c. Chris decided to try and break this record as a final swansong to his professional career.Riding at the Manchester Velodrome (at Sea Level) Chris just managed to break E.Merckx record setting a mark of 49.441

In 1998 Chris Boardman was diagnosed with a form of osteoperosis, making it difficult to train for long periods at high intensity. This needed treatment with drugs prohibited by the UCI therefore Chris decided to retire.

Chris Boardman says he always rode without the use of performance enhancing drugs because he didn’t want to damage his health. Some commentators have suggested this is why he struggled relatively in the Tour when it went into the mountains. Of course this effect is impossible to quantify but Chris always maintained a degree of honesty and integrity when many other professionals resorted to the use of drugs (e.g. Festina team 1998).

Richard Pettinger

For pictures of Chris Boardman cycling see
http://www.richardpettinger.com/cycling/chris_boardman

Albeit Property Index may be considered a rather young corporation, incorporated in March 2007, they have established expert status very quickly. On closer scrutiny, they are a rather incredibly incomplex agency and focus on offering guidance to anyone expecting to buy property almost anywhere in the world. They pledge to offer you assistance to detect smack what’s looked for quick plus in a trouble-free manner. There are a range of properties in France for sale on Property Index, from villas to apartments.

Land is being offered all over the place today, one of the hippest areas being land available in France. It should really be simply to list a slew of the superb realty you can purchase in France, one motivation for wanting properties here being a combination of the houses and apartments on the market and the fun opportunity to live among this eager and spirited people.

It’s one of the truly trendy markets currently, and in view of the beauty and the climate surrounding you all year long, you can’t say no… Estate in France is steeped in history, art and culture, this country is and has always been home to a fair number of indigenous cultures. Some 20 years ago you’d find a mere trickle English looking into property in France. These days that trickle become a veritable flood. Just ask any one single person who has chosen to remove to France and they’re likely to tell you the same…

Bond together two of men’s ultimate quests and what you’ll get is a rage that’s generally known as a sportsbook. Would you know of anything that could be more resourceful. If you imagine a cluster of sports aficionados clapping in support of a preferred local sports club, and almost all the time bets are advertised complementing the din. Aiming to catch more of the exhilaration, bystanders customarily strive to envisage who will prevail in the running struggle. Put together, this all will develop into a friendly bantering struggle called sportsbook.

Follow this link to join the hottest online betting online poker sports site.

In order to place your bet, we would advise you search for a sportsbook, i.e. a setup that tenders sportsbook. In America, there’s currently four states where we can do sports betting legally, but if legality is no concern, you can do it anyplace assuming that you discover a bookie and you are a legal adult. Included sports you can wager on are pro listed with college level football as well as college level basketball, professional baseball, professional hockey, listed with bets on both dog and horse racing. You might choose to risk money on the whole combined score of a game, on what round an opponent will be knocked out, and even if a coin toss in a game comes out either heads or tails.

The sportsbook provider trust statistical mathematics to help you out choose which sports club you suppose will prevail. First thing you’ll find the probability, that’s lead pertaining to a losing side that is expected to lose by x number points. Of Course, this describes the sportsbook company’s calibrated form of offering unbiased stakes for a sportsbook. For a practical example we can choose to risk some money on a lineup that is expected to lose and and still make money on the wager assuming that the side is actually beaten by x number of points.

You will find so many varying classes of antes– parlay bets, straight bets, where you simply quote the contestant you believe is the likeliest to win or go under, over/unders, teasers, which are equivalent to to parlays, but you will respectively subtract or add points from the spread to improve your antes’ odds, and so on, the straight being the dominating one in sports betting.

So why don’t you just have a stab at it and chill out at one fell swoop. Just see to it that you won’t get too carried away and use up your entire social security checks on a fancy. Because you’re likely to catch yourself bemoaning it all life long.

As soon as the person chooses to practice bicycle exercises, he may require some basic facts of safety. Initially, for the utmost results of exercise bicycles safety, he ought to consult his physician to ensure that his body is suitable for this training. Choosing the convenient bicycle is the important issue. He can get this machine, which is characterized with flexibility. In other words, he has to select the machine that he can easily adjust its seat and handlebars as well to get comfort while practicing. Taking care not to practice bicycle exercises after a heavy meal is welcomed for healthy matters. Avoiding exercising when suffering from serious diseases will be great also.

Above all, to realize great exercise bicycle safety, the exerciser must taking care of his right position. It means to maintain his body straightly, head up, hands holding well the bars, and his legs are touching the pedals. It will be useful to avoid hypertension actually. Noticing the heartbeats will be regarded as a basic issue too, if beats run faster than normal, he must stop at once. Suitable time is important here. The exerciser has to take care of practicing daily at least for a fixed period, beginning with a short period and graduating to a longer one. He must keen to practice this continuously. Another important tip is to search of the supervision and guide of the specialist to get the best result as well.

When you begin to think about remodeling your home, it’s easy to go overboard, tackle too much, or overspend. However, if you follow a few basic home remodeling rules, you can avoid those difficulties. Here are some things to think about–even before you begin your remodeling project.

First, allow for the project to cost more than you originally thought it would. Regardless of which room you decide to remodel, you will typically find your ultimate cost to be about 25 percent higher than your original estimate. The same 25 percent figure also applies to the amount of time it will take to complete the project.

For example, if you have decided to spend $10,000 to remodel your kitchen and give yourself five weeks to finish the job, you can generally expect to end up spending about $12,500 and seven weeks on the project. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but one thing experienced remodeling professionals have learned–always expect the unexpected.

Next, take your measurements carefully, and do lots of research concerning the types of things that are available on the market to help you accomplish your remodeling goal. Go to your home improvement store and get test paint color samples. You can generally also obtain test samples of flooring materials such as carpet or hardwood flooring. Don’t be afraid to ask your retailer for samples. They expect it, and are generally happy to supply them. They want you to be happy–and you don’t want to make an expensive mistake by choosing the wrong materials. Ask your home improvement professionals for their input, as well. They will normally be aware of the latest developments in whatever field of remodeling you’re going to tackle. Again, that’s their job, and they will be happy to help.

Third, once you’ve decided on your main components, don’t forget to spend time on the small things, as well. It’s easy to get caught up in deciding upon big ticket items, but it’s often the interior design details, like trim, accent colors, and hardware that really make a remodeling project come to life.

Fourth, don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, remodeling is a sort of organic process, in which you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to change your mind and do things somewhat differently than you had originally planned, and you’re going to run into things that you hadn’t anticipated. That’s all part of the remodeling game, so just roll with it.

Finally, try to use the best quality of materials you can afford. If you’re planning to be in your home for awhile, you’re going to be living with the materials and hardware you use in your remodel, so you want them to be as nice as you can. It’s not worth it to sacrifice your future enjoyment of the materials by skimping on quality during the remodeling job. Cheaper products also generally have a shorter lifespan, so they may actually end up costing more in the long run, once you have to replace them again.

Overall, remodeling can be a rewarding experience, if you just follow a few simple rules and use common sense along the way.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Want the designer’s touch in your home? Have you ever wondered how to achieve that interior designer’s high-end look without charging up your credit cards? Bathroom Remodeling Design Jeanette Fisher teaches five ways to makeover your home for happiness. Author of interior design and real estate books, Jeanette Fisher has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. She teaches interior design college courses and seminars. Free interior design reports: http://interiordesignpsychology.com