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ADVERTISING FEATURE VICKY KINGSTON MANAGING DIRECTOR, JUICE RECRUITMENT 01225 447870; juicerecruitment.com

ANGELA WEST

What professional accomplishment has made you proudest? After starting my career within brand management and sales and then investigating the intriguing world of recruitment, I quickly realised I loved the pace and interaction with both businesses and people, knowing I was able to make a real difference to both. Despite being successful, I quickly realised that I wanted something that allowed me to bring more of my personality to work. After meeting Emma Summers, I knew Juice was the environment for me because as a business they love what they do and are exceptional in their ability, and now ten years on, I am delighted to be MD of this amazing and fast expanding organisation. Becoming MD means I now look after Juice’s strategy, operations, financials and its people – all of which play to my extensive experience and knowledge of the recruitment market. This is my proudest moment!

Why is employment/HR law so important? Your employees are probably your most important business asset. Without your employees your business could not function. Sir Richard Branson is infamous for having stated, “Take care of your employees and they’ll take care of your business”. This is so true. I am often required to advise on grievances and disputes brought by employees, which snowball into very unpleasant situations and sometimes result in a complete break down of the working relationship, when quite often these situations could easily have been avoided. With the absence of tribunal fees, we see many employees bringing claims at tribunal which have little or no merit, but still require considerable operational time and cost to defend. Many employers and employees will spend most of their adult life in work, so being able to create a positive and rewarding working environment is so important, and the key to many successful businesses.

ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR & HEAD OF THE EMPLOYMENT DEPARTMENT, GOUGHS SOLICITORS 01249 444499; www.goughs.co.uk

What advice would you give on how to motivate and incentivize existing teams? My advice would be to work with passion, have an honest approach and communicate when support is needed – there is no better support than the team around you. As an organisation we listen to what individually incentivises our team and act on it . We have a bespoke rewards scheme that not only incentivises….. but motivates! The people I work with every day are incredible. Not only from a work perspective – they’re also all-round great people who I care for dearly. I love our clients, and for me, hearing how we exceed their expectations and how we are critical to their success is my inner motivator to continue to expand on what we do great. What makes you different from others in your profession? I joined Juice because it was the only recruitment company I had come across that I felt shared my vision for constantly providing innovative solutions to work-based problems. In order to do this effectively, we are working on transitioning the company from being a pure recruitment company into a talent consultancy, where we partner with our clients to look at the entire workforce journey in their organisation. We’ll improve it at every step: from their attraction strategy to the recruitment of new staff, to the retention and performance improvement of current staff. It’s a new journey! What makes me different… I am that crazy person that loves recruitment and actually wanted a career in it. I believe you spend the majority of your life at work so you have to love what you do… I love what I do!

What is your favourite part of the job? Without doubt it is the variety of issues which arise – there is never a dull moment! I also enjoy the psychology involved when dealing with people and how to resolve a difficult situation. In a typical week, I will advise various companies on numerous issues including sickness absence management, occupational health referrals, directors service agreements, disciplinary hearings and dismissals, recruitment, performance management, and corporate and contractual documentation. Quite often I will come into the office knowing what (I believe) my day holds, and then receive a call from a client requesting urgent advice. This week alone an employer has needed urgent advice about an employee who attacked another employee with a Stanley knife, a commercially sensitive non-disclosure agreement, and a senior executive who was given an ultimatum to resign or face serious allegations of misconduct. I pride myself on getting to the heart of the issue and achieving a good outcome as quickly as possible.

JO KANGURS

FOUNDER, KeystoneHR 07866 487673; www.keystonehr.co.uk What key bit of advice would you give a client? Your people are your most important and valuable asset, so take time to ensure that you are looking after them. Happy, motivated and engaged staff are much more likely to go the extra mile, therefore improving productivity and, in turn, profitability. What is the most common staffing issue you see? Not nipping poor performance in the bud. If you allow people to under-perform, you are setting yourself up for a problem further down the line.

There are always challenges whether that be changes in legislation, new technology or employee’s expectations. It is also extremely rewarding. I love helping businesses make positive changes, which in turn have a big impact on company performance and culture. Why should one use an outsourced HR consultant? As a business owner it is down to you to figure out how to attract, retain, manage and motivate your people. All this takes time. The law can be complex and ever-changing; managing people is time consuming and often, tricky. Outsourcing HR gives you the peace of mind that your people, policies and procedures are being taken care of, leaving you to do what you do best – running your business.

What is your favourite part of the job? HR is never boring and no day is ever the same.