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Looking for a Voluntary Finance role? Support Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

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Wherever we can we aim to support local charities, part of this support is helping to advertise their volunteer opportunities and vacancies. If you have some time free and would like to help this fantastic organisation to keep their finances in order, please get in touch with Terry Lowell, Volunteer Coordinator today on 01909 517360 or email: terry.lowell@bluebellwood.org    Volunteer Role:          Finance About the hospice: Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice offers care for children and young people in South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, North Lincolnshire and North Derbyshire. Our highly specialist care team look after children and young people with a vast range of complex medical needs. We support the whole family on their life journey offering respite care, day care provision, community support, 24 hour urgent response and end of life treatment and care. Sibling support is also at the heart of our work; as well as counselling and bereavement services, hospice at home and befriending.  About this role: We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals to assist the finance team with basic administration and support. Key tasks for Fundraising Support volunteers: We require you to assist with some or all of the following tasks dependent on your skills and experience: Receipting of income Counting and reconciling donations General accountancy support Updating of the donation system, Communicate positively with members of the public, staff members and other organisations, always aiming to build relationships and present Bluebell Wood in the best light. Support the finance teams by carrying out some basic administration tasks, eg data input, making phone calls, sending letters. Receipting for donations. At all times respect confidentiality, in particular the confidentiality of electronically stored data in line, with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Any other reasonable duties that maybe designated by the Volunteer Lead What we are looking for: Ideally you will:  be comfortable working with money and numbers be flexible be friendly be willing to be part of a team be able to cope well under pressure be able to operate basic office equipment, under supervision have a confident telephone manner communicate well  What we offer:  The opportunity to develop new and existing skills The chance to be at the heart of your local children’s hospice Meet new people Be part of an enthusiastic team  General  All Bluebell Wood volunteers are asked to: Be a minimum of 16 years Have a current enhanced Disclosure & Barring check (DBS) generated by the hospice Attend Induction Training if required Abide by the Health & Safety at Work Act Display an identification badge at all times (if applicable) Respect confidentiality applying to all hospice areas Comply with the hospice no smoking, alcohol and substance misuse policy Adhere to hospice policies and procedures Comply with the hospice no smoking policy Participate in and contribute to team meetings (if applicable) Co-operate and liaise with colleagues. Additional Information Please be aware that if you do not have your own transport, or live locally, the hospice is very difficult to get to by public transport. If in doubt please check buses etc to see if it is feasible for you to volunteer here. We are over one mile from the nearest bus stop. Bluebell Wood is committed to safe volunteer recruitment practices. Enhanced DBS checks will be sought where appropriate and references taken. t: 01909 517360 | m: w: www.bluebellwood.org    Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice | Cramfit Road | North Anston | Sheffield | S25 4AJ

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Still happy almost 3 years later…

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We love a bit of feedback at Human, especially when it comes in out of the blue from a candidate we placed almost 3 years ago. This week Sam got in touch to say thanks for helping him find a great role.   I met Amy during a very difficult period of my working life. I was in a job in which I was having a very hard time and had spent weeks apply for over 500 jobs in the Rotherham and Sheffield area. This process was becoming increasingly draining and depressing as nobody seemed to contact me which left me doubting myself as a worker. Amy was one of only 3 people who contacted me.   She heard my story and knew how much I needed to leave the role I was in. She kept me level headed and encouraged me to carry on and see out the end of my contract to ensure I did not blemish my CV. I met Amy on a couple of occasions and I found her to be friendly, supportive and driven to support the needs of her client. I felt valued and this gave me the confidence I needed to excel in my new role with Assa Abloy.   During my time under contract with Amy, we liaised almost daily via email or phone, she was always keen to know how I was doing and if there was ever anything she could do. When she had heard I was being taken on full time by the company, she even brought doughnuts and ice creams in to celebrate me being taken on which was a lovely touch!   I am now approaching almost 3 years employment with Assa Abloy, I have grown from a Warehouse Operative to Spare Parts Sales Co-Ordinator and now undertake many other roles within the company. I still stay in contact with Amy and can never thank her enough for keeping me focused during the months in which I was struggling and looking for a way out of a job I had to get out of.   I would highly recommend Amy and Human to anyone in need of employment and again thank them for all they have done for me.   Sam

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Think relationships, not transactions: Could talent pipe-lining solve your recruitment headaches

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Could talent pipe-lining solve your recruitment headaches? Some of the most senior business leaders in the world believe skills shortages in the workplace are reaching crisis levels. According to accountancy giant PWC’s annual CEO Survey, concerns over skills shortages have been rapidly growing. In 2009, just 46% of CEOs cited skills shortages as a concern, this year the number rose to 73%. Clearly it’s a growing problem, so how should your business attract the best talent? Lack of active candidates in the market place coupled with growing numbers of businesses needing to overcome skills shortages in the workplace means re-thinking the traditional recruitment process. Progressive employers have recognised for some time that attracting the best talent isn’t simply about following the traditional recruitment model of placing an advert or engaging with an agency and waiting for CVs to land on their desk. Wait to recruit until the last minute and your already on back foot. By appointing an agency or indeed several agencies on a contingency (no placement, no fee) basis to scour the current available talent there is a clear onus upon finding individuals quickly but this can mean you are limiting your ability to really tap into the market place. After all, there’s a world of difference between the best candidate and the best available candidate. It’s all about choices: Do you want the best available talent delivered to you as quickly as possible or would you rather employ an individual, who shares your company’s vision and values, but isn’t necessarily active in the jobs market? Proactive talent pipelining is defined as the skill of identifying, channelling and engaging with candidates BEFORE a job has even become available. It’s an approach which is being increasingly embraced by organisations who want to attract and develop top performers for their teams. Effective recruiters are capable of identifying and responding not only to existing immediate needs within the business but also ensuring future ones are met by working alongside you to develop and nurture your talent pipeline. There are many advantages to employers when adopting this strategic approach; here are five factors you should consider when building a talent pool: Identify your top talent. What makes a superstar in your organisation? Where did they come from? How did you engage them? What keeps them motivated? All of this information will help you establish how to duplicate your recruitment process and start engaging likeminded applicants with a similar skill set. Understand risk. Is your business future proof? What potential gaps are likely to appear in the skills of your workforce? Do you have contingency plans if a top performer exits the business? Are you prepared for maternity, paternity or adoption leave? Look for all areas where your business may be exposed to risk and add those roles to your talent pipeline. Developing the right strategy will reduce the time needed to fill positions Developing a pipeline of talent means you should understand your long term business plans. Recruitment strategies should always reflect your business strategy, enabling your business to respond to future challenges and opportunities. Working proactively means you don’t have to compromise on the quality of hire, meaning your team will continue to run smoothly even throughout the recruitment process. Communication is king A talent pool isn’t simply about having a fist full of candidate CVs which match your skills sets or needs, it’s ultimately about ensuring they match the culture and values of your business. Spend time getting to know candidates outside of a formal recruitment process, it can help to assess whether they are aligned with the vision and values within with your existing workforce.  Once you have approached and forged lines of communication, you need to keep them engaged. Place them on a mailing list for a company newsletter, add them to the Christmas e-card list, send them a vacancy update once per month. Give them a call once per quarter to gain an update on their skill set and situation. It doesn’t really matter how you engage them as long as you keep them engaged with your business and any future opportunities that may be coming available. Think relationships, not transactions Even if there isn’t a role available for them right now, the benefits of proactive talent sourcing far outweigh the ability to fill vacancies on time and within budget. Building a talent pool is about building confidence within your business and creating opportunities to attract the best possible candidates who are already engaged with your visions and values. Recruitment is changing: From the way individuals look for work and discover potential opportunities to ultimately building and developing their careers within your business. Gone are the days when posting an advert resulted in a flurry of talented individuals flocking to your door. Your inbox may be full but is it full of the right applicants? To help solve your Talent related headaches, Human has developed a new process to support you and your business to attract the best talent in your market place not just the best available talent, on time and in budget. To learn more about the Human Approach to Recruitment, click here to book a free 15-minute consultation. I hope you found this of value. Amy

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Tailoring your job search to company values

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In our last post, we talked about positive employee behaviours, but as a job seeker, it’s also important to be sure that the company values of a potential employer resonate with your own, and that their business model suits you too. The values that a company holds dear can be a great indicator of the way they treat their staff members and the overall culture you can expect as part of their team. This is one of the reasons why we spend time with our clients, shadowing the roles we’re recruiting for so we can help match candidates with companies that suit their personality – after all, you want a long-term relationship, not just a casual fling. What kind of company values matter to you? Working in an environment where you feel relaxed is essential if you’re going to settle in, perform well, and look forward to going to work in the morning. A little research and a chat with your recruitment expert will help you to discard roles that will ultimately be unsuitable for you. Here are a few things to think about when assessing their company values:   1. Ethics – if the environment or community-consciousness is important to you, ask about their CSR (Corporate and Social Responsibility) policy. Also, what industry do they operate in? Does it conflict with your own values, such as an oil company or cosmetics business that tests on animals?   2. Recognition – are they invested in their staff? Do they reward hard work and long service, and recognise team/individual achievements? Feeling valued in your role will mean less stress and make you feel more motivated.   3. Hierarchy – how is the business structured and how do management teams interact with their staff? Are they locked away in an office, or do they work alongside their teams? What are internal communications like, and do existing staff feel they can approach their superiors with issues and concerns? Does it feel like a ‘family’ or is it more formal? Do managers mingle with other staff at company events? Not being able to relate to, and work with, higher tiers within an organisation can feel uncomfortable for some people. Others prefer that distance.   4.  Benefits – do they offer additional incentives to their employees to make life easier for them? This could be private healthcare, bonuses, flexible working, staff discount schemes, wellbeing programmes, or a really good pension.   5. Development – some companies put a strong emphasis on professional development, and will invest heavily in training to help you take your next step on the career ladder. If you’re looking for a permanent role with opportunities for internal progression, a company that values and encourages the development of staff could be a good fit. Ways to check up on prospective employers Apart from a frank and honest chat with your recruitment agent, other ways you can find out about a company and its values include: Look on their website for policies and company/recruitment information See if they have a company LinkedIn page, and look at the profiles of current employees Search online for their company name and add words like ‘employers’, ‘reviews’ to see what comes up in forums and on social media Use a dedicated review website, such as Glassdoor, where you can search for ratings and comments from previous and current employees Doing your homework is important – remember securing a new job is a two-way process, so they have to be the right fit for you, as well as the other way round.

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Employee behaviours and attitudes that can boost your business

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When recruiting for new staff there’s a lot riding on you in terms of overall business performance – so it’s essential that you secure individuals that demonstrate the right employee behaviours and values. If staff values aren’t aligned with company values it can lead to a lack of productivity, low team morale and high staff turnover rates. While historically HR and recruitment has tended to focus on skills and industry experience, it’s possible to train employees that show potential, but behaviour? Not so easy. Leopards may well be able to change their spots over time, but for the best outcome in the shortest time you should look for candidates that will fit in with your business culture, display essential key behaviours and quickly become a positive contributor to the team. 5 key staff values and attitudes to look for Get your company and staff values aligned and everyone’s singing off the same hymn sheet, working together instead of pulling in opposite directions. Every company is different, so specific values may alter depending on your internal culture, but here are our top 5 employee attitudes and behaviours to look for when recruiting for any kind of role…   1. Professionalism and positivity – you want employees who will dress, speak and act in a professional manner at all times, are eager to do the job and do it right. Are they articulate and engaged? Can they evidence delivery of quality work, attention to detail and speak enthusiastically about the role and your company?   2. Flexibility – work processes, systems and strategies are always being updated, so you want staff members who can adapt quickly, without getting stressed. Look for someone who’s willing to step-up or step-in when needed, and can demonstrate how they’ve handled change in previous roles.   3. Self-motivation – employ motivated individuals and their managers will thank you. Someone who’s happy to ask questions to bridge gaps in their knowledge and who displays a desire to take on challenges will be a genuine asset to your business.   4. Loyalty – it’s normal for people to move around in their career, but someone with lots of short-term roles behind them is less likely to stick around. Candidates who speak well of their current/previous employers, have spent several years (age allowing) with the same company and have secured a promotion or two in that time display a sense of loyalty that will be good for business.   5. Ambitious – an ambitious employee will be driven to succeed, focused on their targets and prepared to go the extra mile in order to stand out. That said, you also need to make sure that they’re a true team player, otherwise they may be too set on their own individual success to work effectively with their colleagues. Identifying employee behaviours   Whatever your recruitment process, there are lots of ways to draw out the information you need to identify these values and behaviours. The right interview questions, assessment centre activities or even role-playing scenario will help you to see if the candidate has the right attitude to bring real value to your business. Good luck, and if you need any help, you know where we are!

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How To Create A Great LinkedIn Profile

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Did you know that 4 out of 5 business professionals have an active profile on LinkedIn and that when someone googles your full name, your LinkedIn profile is often the first thing that people see? Fascinating data – which leads me onto a question: how do you make sure you have a great LinkedIn profile and that it’s doing a great job for you when it comes to building your own career profile? The power of a great LinkedIn profile As a search consultant, I look at LinkedIn profiles every day of the week. It’s one of my first ports of call when it comes to identifying the best HR candidates for clients. LinkedIn is THE business 2 business network with currently over 600 million active users globally and that latest data reports that the UK now has over 25 million members. We have talked about the value of having a great CV in a previous post and a great LinkedIn profile is your equivalent online.  How do you stand out? The good news is that even though there are 27 million profiles on the UK LinkedIn platform there are some simple ways to stand out. Add a photograph and contact details The latest data from LinkedIn clearly states that profiles with a photograph get 14x more views. Leaving your picture blank or having a logo only doesn’t put you across in a professional way either. A professional head and shoulders shot in business attire is the preferred option. Though a photo from your wedding with Mr or Mrs perfect or a recent night out might be your favourite, keep those for Facebook. You want to stand out as a professional – it’s easy to do, with most smartphones having amazing professional photographic capabilities. Check if your email address is still fit for purpose. That original email address you grabbed on Yahoo all those years ago, might need a change – e.g. BatoutofhellJane@yahoo.com probably isn’t going to have the impact you want. It’s easy instead to grab a Gmail address like JaneSmith123@gmail.com that puts you across in a professional way. Your title and heading Though you can add your role title in your heading it’s also useful to have a sentence about how you help your customers. Hint: This is something potential candidates I work with rarely do and yet it will make you stand out head and shoulders above the crowd. For Example: “HR Manager specialising in implementing change management systematisation to enable organisations to grow.” Your summary Your LinkedIn summary is a great ‘selling’ piece for you and the value you can add to future employers. It’s common for many people to forget to fill this section out and yet it’s the first-place a search consultant or a potential employer will look. Remember LinkedIn is still a social network and though the subject is business you have free space here to say why you and your skill set would be a great value add to any organisation. The key thing here is to understand your value and what you can offer a potential employer. Though on the surface a new employer buys you, importantly they buy your ability to solve their immediate problems. Depending on your role and expertise listing your skill areas on your profile and in your summary, will make your profile jump out compared to others. Fill it out in full! I know it’s easy to scrimp on this part and don’t. If someone is interested in you for their next role they are going to read everything you have on your profile. Therefore, make sure you: Fill out your summary, highlighted how you help employers with your expertise List all your past roles that are related to your skills and the results you deliver List any specific projects you have been involved with List all your relevant qualifications List any volunteering and/or hobbies that you are involved with Recommendations Though it sometimes feels uncomfortable, ask past colleagues and contacts for recommendations. These can be added to your profile and certainly help in raising your profile. f you act on the areas, we have listed above you will have a profile that will help you stand out from the crowd – guaranteed. Would you like more help with building a great LinkedIn profile and carrying out your search? Then get in touch by filling out a contact form or calling directly at 01709717212.  

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Productivity Hacks For Today’s Modern Manager

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No matter what anyone says about work life balance, todays modern employee is expected to do more and
. faster. Last week I was having a conversation with a HR manager and the subject of productivity came up. The individual in question was working across three different geographical sites, had 4 projects on the go and was part of a European company working party; in addition to the day job. That takes work and the skills of a real productivity ninja! Productivity and multitasking? Is a route to productivity multi-tasking? No. The truth is multitasking doesn’t work. A recent article on Health.com gave 12 proven reasons to stop multitasking now. All well and good, though exactly how do you become more productive in your role so that key outcomes are achieved, in a timely manner, whilst at the same time keeping your sanity. Well there are numerous tested strategies I want to share in today’s article. 1.Have a thought through documented plan I know this sounds blindingly obvious and yet many people plan back to front. What do I mean by this? Productivity is about getting the right things ‘done’, not hundreds of tasks on a to do list powered through, even though that might make us feel quite smug. True productivity requires making time for reflection and review to prioritise what is truly important. Much better to have several key priorities highlighted to achieve that week that is your focus, in other words the ‘must’ do tasks, rather than a string of activities that in truth are not business critical. One HR manager I know has a weekly meeting with himself where he reviews the week based on his plan from Monday morning. Did he achieve his top 3 priorities? What does he need to do differently? What is now going to be the next priority. If you aren’t a student of the 80/20 rule it would be a good time to start. Pareto’s principle states that 80% of our results come from 20% of our activities. It plays out in many areas of both our business and personal lives too. For example, we wear 20% of what is in our wardrobe. 20% of our sales people produce most our results. What might be your 20% of activities that will produce ‘more’ results? 2.Batch and batch and time Every role has at least some repetitive tasks; don’t they? Those tasks that once you are in the zone you can achieve more of, and at speed. Time plays an important role here too. It’s a fact that as human beings we can only concentrate for so long and then our productivity will wax and wane. One technique I personally use is the Pomodoro technique. This involves working in 25 minute blocks then taking a short break to recharge. It might be worth checking this out and giving it a try. Any reptititive task can be batched and this strategy alone will make you so much more productive.   3.The Banjo method This is a blast from the past and yet is working for me as well today as when I first came across it. It stands for, Bang Off A Nasty Job First. I know! Old school time management. One thing that often adds to our tendency to not being as productive as we want, is a touch of procrastination. Especially around our least favourite tasks. What I still find fascinating is that if I tackle the task I ‘don’t want to do first’ it always gives me an energy boost and creates momentum for the rest of the day. Look after yourself Eat well, exercise, drink water and get an early night. Nothing new here I know, and yet even the best of us can forget the effect that poor diet and lack of fresh air can have on us. You only need to look online at the habits of successful business owners and virtually everyone talks about the power of fresh air and exercise. Recently Sir Richard Branson revealed that as he is getting older he has built even more time into his day for exercise so that he can
… achieve more from each day. Projects versus tasks When it comes to being more productive what can often throw a spanner in the works is our perception of a project versus a task.  Many a to-do list can get thrown out when a project is added rather than a task. A project might be developing a recruitment campaign for the launch of a new department. Logically there would be many moving parts involved in delivering this project. The moving parts are therefore tasks, that once completed then build to deliver the project. One involved task for HR managers is recruitment. If you would like help with your next recruiting task, from an experienced search team then please get in touch here.

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4 Ways to Become a Standout HR manager

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HR leaders wear a lot of hats these days. Gone are the times when HR were ‘just’ there to fight fires and chase up contracts. The new generation of HR are business leaders, expected to deliver outstanding results on behalf of the company. Yet there’s a problem. HR managers often struggle to find legitimacy within the senior executive team, and are sometimes accused of being overly inward-looking as a department, or even of unintentionally obstructing the wider business goals. In truth, the HR department has a bad rap in many companies, and HR managers far too often find themselves battling these negative perceptions, or are simply not given the support they need to deliver the very outcomes the business requires of them. According to a large global leadership study published on Harvard Business Review, HR leaders are ranked by their companies, on average, at 6% below leaders of other departments such as sales, accounting, or general management. Yet within this data, a narrow cohort of HR leaders was rated as exceptional by their companies. So, what can you do to make sure that you’re one of these standout HR managers who are highly valued by their employers, and performing above the curve? We’re not going to delve into the standard HR strengths here, such as developing others, functional expertise, building relationships, and leading by example. These are things that it is already expected that HR professionals will do well, so it’s entirely crucial that you already have these elements mastered; in truth, it would be surprising if you’d made it in HR without excelling in these areas. The real gains in your performance and reputation will be gained when you make inroads on the things that HR leaders are not thought to do particularly well. 1.Build your expertise on the company. HR managers are already expected to have an exceptional functional knowledge, (for example regarding employment law), but how well do you know the operational details, challenges, and customer profile of the company? The better you know the company’s inner workings, the more you’ll be able to provide highly tailored HR advice, and know how your HR strategies will impact the company on a day-to-day basis. 2.Align yourself more closely with the wider business goals. HR leaders are sometimes accused of not understanding strategic business goals, of not considering the impact of their strategies on the company or end customer. If you seek to be highly valued by the company, you’ll need to send a clear message to senior management that you have a strategic perspective and are there to provide positive HR solutions to move the workforce towards the goal. 3.Be outward-looking. HR departments are perceived to be largely inward-looking and not thoroughly engaged with the company as a whole. Therefore, now is the time to start breaking down this reputation of being separate. You might want to represent the company at HR conferences, begin building your network in the company’s industry (not just in HR), or simply reach out more to the other senior managers so they increasingly see you as an informed and powerful player at the decision-making table, rather than an obstacle. 4.Learn to anticipate problems and respond to issues speedily. Interestingly, slowness in forecasting or reacting to problems is a common complaint about HR leaders. We understand that there are many grey areas in HR and that motivating or bringing about change in a workforce is a long and complex process, but you need to create a reputation for anticipating problems and being quick to provide solutions. The top-rated HR leaders in the HBR study showed that they performed stratospherically above the standard in the areas listed above. The competency gap between the top quartile of HR leaders and the rest was staggering, for example, they were rated in the 75th percentile on ‘Developing Strategic Perspective’, where other HR leaders ranked in the 25th percentile. Real success in HR management (as perceived by the company) is not about becoming a better coach or building better relationships. Those things are a given. True success as an HR manager is about learning how to do the things brilliantly that HR is often perceived as doing rather badly. There’s so much room to impress here, so get going! Until next time,

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How To Write A Job Spec That Attracts That Dream HR Team Member

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Competition is fierce for the top talent in human resources, and no wonder: the best HR candidates can genuinely transform a business in multiple ways. So how do you attract those dream HR team members? How do you stand out from the competition as being an ideal employer for their particular skill-set, and just as importantly, for their values? Here are some solid tips for creating a HR job spec that will speak loudly to the right candidates.   1. Don’t get fancy with the job title. Avoid vague or creative job titles (if it’s an entry-level HR admin assistant, say so) and be very clear about where the role sits within the department. The job title should be easily key-word searchable so that as many candidates as possible will see it.   2. Don’t include an ‘Essential Skills’ list that goes on and on and on. When you write your job spec, you’ve got your dream HR candidate in mind, but the longer the list is, the more you’re narrowing your pool and quite likely missing out on some other exceptional candidates. Consider whether every single one is truly ‘essential’ and if not, move it to your ‘desired skills’ section.   3. Use the word ‘you’. A candidate should be able to read the job spec and immediately picture themselves in the role. ‘You’ll be leading a team of 5 and reporting to X’. You’ll be responsible for creating a workforce planning program to take the company through to 2025. ‘You’re a solutions-focussed HR generalist with significant experience in employee and labour relations’. This is much more interesting than a bullet-pointed list of dry responsibilities. 4. Talk about culture. With Millennials now the dominant demographic in the workforce, culture has never been more important when competing for talent. Mention if the company has a friendly, supportive culture, a work-hard play hard culture, or a more formal professional culture. None are wrong of course, but you’ll get very different candidates, so choose your words wisely.   5. Highlight potential. Candidates want to know there’s room for growth, and that they won’t stagnate in the same role after joining the company. Briefly mention if your company encourages training and development.   6. Outline big goals. The best hiring happens when a candidate is deeply engaged or even inspired by the company’s work. So, share your big goals and how the candidate fits in, whether that’s expanding the HR team, launching a new change management program company-wide, or taking the company international and needing a huge HR push to do so. Remember, your job specification should make the candidate excited to apply, so even if there aren’t any big changes afoot, dig deep to think of what change they can be a part of.   7. Talk about the company. Most job specs do include some company information, but often, this feels formulaic and uninteresting. Where you’ll get, their attention is when you weave the candidate into the mission statement and company description. For example: ‘Our fast-growing company strives to help people learn, and the candidate who’ll succeed in our office puts real value on helpfulness, high standards, and integrity’. This kind of description speaks to the reader, who’ll immediately think whether the values of the company are a good match for their own.

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Recognising Super Hu-Mums – Mothers Day 2017

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To celebrate Mother’s Day we took the opportunity to speak to some colleagues, friends, and clients of Human to celebrate the hard working Super Hu-Mums across the region. Thanks to everyone who took part! Name: Maria Elliott When Did You Become A Mum? In 2004 when my gorgeous son Jasper was born, then again in 2013 when I started becoming a step-mum to Lily and Henry What Do You Enjoy Most About Being A Mum? Seeing the children flourish and grow into confident and lovely people. Especially when they do silly and funny things to make us laugh What’s The Hardest Thing About Being A working Mum? When I was employed it was harder, as I was compromised sometimes by the hours I had to work. However, since I’ve become self-employed I have felt more able to prioritise the children – putting their needs first and working around that. If You Could Share One Piece Of Advice With Other Working Mums, What Would It Be? That it’s OK. You have to do what you have to do for your family at the time. Don’t beat yourself up, as the choices you make will pay dividends in the future. If you are going out to work, you are setting a good example for your children that you have to work hard in life to get where you want to be. If You Could Nominate Another Super Hu-Mum Who Would It Be and Why? My nominated super hu-Mum is my friend Anne. Not only is she a single mum to 2 gorgeous children, she runs her own successful business and looks after a team of employees, often putting their needs before her own. Name: Emily Oxford When Did You Become A Mum? January 2015 – arrived a little earlier than planned but my little prem baby is now a full of energy 2 year old chatterbox!  What Do You Enjoy Most About Being A Mum? Seeing my daughter develop and discovering new things for the first time.  It is amazing how quickly she picks things up.  At times it can be testing and she certainly knows how to push my buttons, but listening to her sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to herself in bed before she goes to sleep makes any day end on a high! What’s The Hardest Thing About Being A working Mum? Dividing my time between work and being at home. Children don’t fit into a Monday-Friday 9-5 schedule but I make sure that I make the most of our time together by doing fun things.  I love working as much as I love being a mum and I want my daughter to grow up understanding the importance of work-life balance and that it is important to work hard to be able to achieve your goals. If You Could Share One Piece Of Advice With Other Working Mums, What Would It Be? Be realistic about how you can divide your time and understand that you might not be there for everything. I missed seeing my daughter roll over for the first time and take her first tentative steps but there are so many other things I have been there for.  If You Could Nominate Another Super Hu-Mum Who Would It Be and Why? My friend Claire – we had our babies 3 weeks apart so have gone through the ups and downs of pregnancy, new-born to toddlerhood together and it is a great comfort to have someone to share both worries and happy times with, even at 2am! Name: Karey Roberts When Did You Become A Mum? 2009 What Do You Enjoy Most About Being A Mum? The wonderful thing’s they say What’s The Hardest Thing About Being A working Mum? Juggling time If You Could Share One Piece Of Advice With Other Working Mums, What Would It Be? Do your Best and don’t feel guilty  If You Could Nominate Another Super Hu-Mum Who Would It Be and Why? My sister as she has been a great support and source of advice / sounding board. Name: Linda Lawry When Did You Become A Mum? January 2013 What Do You Enjoy Most About Being A Mum? The cuddles, kisses and the hilarious things they do & say, even the backchat. What’s The Hardest Thing About Being A working Mum? Finding the right balance.  I’m very lucky as I work flexibly but the thought of getting back into a less flexible work environment is frightening. If You Could Share One Piece Of Advice With Other Working Mums, What Would It Be? I don’t feel qualified to be handing out advice!  If You Could Nominate Another Super Hu-Mum Who Would It Be and Why? I know so many spectacular mum’s who are working, running businesses, raising families & supporting partners in their careers as well as dealing with everything life throws at them, it’s so hard to choose just one!  But there is one very special mum in my life & that’s my mum, she has put up with me, held down a job but never failed to show up when it counted & dealt with everything life has thrown her way, never seeming to be beaten down when I’m sure she’s felt that way many times.  She’s an inspiration. Name: Louise Turner When Did You Become A Mum? Boxing Day 2006 What Do You Enjoy Most About Being A Mum? Seeing my children grow, change and revel in learning new things. Oh, and snuggling with them both and a film on a rainy afternoon What’s The Hardest Thing About Being A working Mum? The juggle. Working for myself means I’m lucky that I can take the kids to school and collect them every day. But I often then go back to my desk. I’m lucky that my husband tends to be home by 4pm so he takes over at that point, making dinner so we can eat together as a family and sorting the children’s lunches for the following day.  I did recently discover five

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