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Our Latest Jobs
about 13 hours ago
Leeds
PR Account Manager - B2B
We are on the hunt for a talented PR Account Manager to join an agency based in central Leeds. They agency are enjoying a busy period and with client still requiring their services they actually need another PR AM to join the team. This agency is driven by a passion for integrity and for delivering results through hard-working tactical implementation. Having grown quickly and established themselves as a specialist in their market the business is going from strength to strength. Key responsibilities within this role include; Building strong relationships with clients and liaising with key stakeholders Writing press releases and content across social Selling into the media and maintain strong relationships Support with the strategic direction of campaigns Identifying opportunities to maximise client business Sit within management team and help to train Account Executives The ideal candidate will have: At least three years’ experience, ideally with an agency Strong written communication skills with attention to detail and a creative voice Working knowledge of social media Commercial awareness Working knowledge of social media This agency care so much about their company culture. They tend to look for bright, hungry, enthusiastic candidates that want to work there and develop their careers.The salary for this role is negotiable and dependent upon experience. If this sounds like one for you.. then click apply!
3 days ago
England
Paid Social Manager
Pitch are working with a growing Digital Agency who are looking to bolster their paid social team with a Paid Social Manager. Their paid social requirements are growing month on month and they need a skilled team member to join the department and take a lead with the paid social offering. So, they’re looking for a Paid Social Specialist/Manager to join the team and drive the growth and development of this division. Not only do they have an incredible client base across B2B and B2C sectors, a talented team and a super benefits package but they’re always evolving their offering, constantly pushing the boundaries and are never afraid to try something new for clients. Whets more due to recent changes in their working model they can offer great flexible work from home options and only require minimal office visits on a monthly basis. So, what are they looking for; Experience in optimisation and management of paid social accounts across multiple clients. Knowledge of working with multiple social platforms including – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Working with the different agency teams to strategically develop client paid social needs. Capability of managing budgets and report on progress and ROI. Experience in team management. The role will involve the day-to-day paid media planning, execution and delivery of our paid social media programmes, working with the head of Paid Media and the growing paid social teams to deliver quality campaigns for clients. This type of role rarely comes around, especially for an agency of this calibre. If you’re keen to find out more then get in touch! Rebecca@pitchconsultants.co.uk 0121 270 4080
8 days ago
Glasgow
Field Sales Executive
Pitch are proud to be an exclusive partner of an innovative online trading platform that continues to pioneer a market-leading suite of services and rewards for clients, their customers and key staff. The business gives you access to the most powerful business-to-business advertising and rewards program available to business owners in the UK. Through their partnership, you can grow your business by advertising to their member base of business owners and directors, save money and increase efficiency by finding suppliers who are members, as well as increasing your customer loyalty and winning new customers using a unique points system. With their members at the heart of the business, the company are looking for a Sales Executive to join their team to generate customer leads and new sales across their Scotland territory. This is a home based role, which requires an independent and dedicated sales professional to look after the following: Identifying and creating relationships with key referral partners. Generating customer leads and sales through cold calling and prospecting. Presenting and promoting services to prospective and existing customers. Developing and maintaining key relationships with internal and external contacts. Dedication to achieving set KPIs. Tracking sales and providing status reports on a daily basis. Daily communication with the internal team, reporting on any customer needs, challenges and competitor activities. Continuous self growth and development. To be considered for this role you must have experience in a field sales role and hold a valid driving licence. You will have a competitive spirit and have a proven track record in selling, ideally within the Financial or Professional service industry. AA123 No job description added
8 days ago
Manchester
Senior Medical Writer
Pitch Consultants are currently representing a well known Medical Communications agency who are looking for a Senior Medical Writer to join their team based in Manchester. Due to the current climate, this role will be on-boarded and based remotely initially, and will transition into a more flexible working schedule once able to do so. The agency operates at global level but has successfully kept their non-hierarchical culture in their UK offices. With a collaborative and positive environment, they are very proud of their low staff turnover. The Senior Medical Writer requires an experienced and bright professional who has proven success in medical writing. Key responsibilities include: Ensuring top quality content of medical writing briefs to meet client needs. Regularly review written output of the writing team to suggest and support in improving terms of content, readability, creativity and accuracy. Take and implement client briefs and delegating strategy plans to appropriate team members. Potential line management responsibilities, ensuring the well-being and motivation of the team. Keep up to date on key areas of the medical industry, acting as an in-house expert. Constant delivery of high-level editorial advice and support across the business, acting as a mentor and leadership figure Regular analysis of the market, considering product and competitor information To be considered for the role, you must have a minimum of 3 years experience working within a medical writing or communications role. Salary is dependent on experience. If this sounds like a business that you would like to be part of, please send your CV across for immediate consideration. Interviews will take place this month! AA123 No job description added
22 days ago
Manchester
Editorial Team Leader
Pitch Consultants are currently representing an established Medical Communications agency who are looking for a number of Editorial professionals to join their teams based in Manchester and Cheshire. Due to the current climate, these roles will be on-boarded and based remotely initially, and will transition into a more flexible working schedule once able to do so. The agency operates at global level but has successfully kept their non-hierarchical culture in their UK offices. With a collaborative and positive environment, they are very proud of their low staff turnover. The roles available require experienced and bright individuals who have proven success in medical communications roles. Key responsibilities include: Ensuring top quality content of medical writing briefs to meet client needs. Regularly review written output of the writing team to suggest and support in improving terms of content, readability, creativity and accuracy. Take and implement client briefs and delegating strategy plans to appropriate team members. Potential line management responsibilities, ensuring the well-being and motivation of the team. Deliver outstanding editorial work, meeting agency and client standards for each project. Keep up to date on key areas of the medical industry, acting as an in-house expert. Constant delivery of high-level editorial advice and support across the business, acting as a mentor and leadership figure Regular analysis of the market, considering product and competitor information To be considered for the role, you must have a minimum of 3 years experience working within a medical communications role. Salary is dependent on experience. If this sounds like a business that you would like to be part of, please send your CV across for immediate consideration. Interviews will take place this month! AA123
22 days ago
Greater Manchester
Account Manager
Pitch Consultants are currently representing an established Medical Communications agency who are looking for account handling talent to join their Manchester based team. Due to the current climate, this role will be on-boarded and based remotely initially, and will transition into a more flexible working schedule once able to do so. The agency operates at global level but has successfully kept their non-hierarchical culture in their UK offices. With a collaborative and positive culture they are very proud of their low staff turnover. This is a new Account Manager role in the business, that will play a key role in the day to day communication, management and delivery of client campaigns. Taking the lead with a section of brands you will lead with research and strategy of projects, delivering creative marketing solutions. Key responsibilities include: Developing project timelines to ensure successful delivery and budget management Participating in management meetings, actively adding value to business decisions Monitoring financial performance, adjusting projects as needed Liaising with editorial teams to create proposals detailing cost and delivery plans Leading various projects, ensuring successful management of client relationships and teams Maintaining up to date knowledge specific to the medical industry to ensure the business is able to advise and assist clients as effectively The ideal candidate for this role will have Account Management experience in a medical communications agency. If you’re looking to be part of a company that encourages autonomy, champions creativity and have a positive culture then this is the medcomms role for you. Apply today for immediate consideration. AA123 No job description added
about 2 months ago
Greater Manchester
Account Manager
Pitch Consultants are currently representing an established Medical Communications agency who are looking for account handling talent to join their Manchester based team. The agency operate at global level but has successful kept their none hierarchical culture in their Manchester office. Meaning there is positive feel to the environment and team focused approach. As an Account Manager, you will play a key role in the day to day communication, management and delivery of client campaigns. Taking the lead with a section of brands you will lead with research and strategy of projects, delivering creative marketing solutions that really produce results. The ideal candidate for this role will have Account Management experience in a medical communications agency as well as experience with direct line reports at Account Executive level. If you’re looking for an agency that encourages autonomy, champions creativity and have a positive culture then this is the medcomms role for you. Apply today for immediate consideration.
11 months ago
Chester
Social Media Executive | B2B Marketing Agency
A top ranked full-service marketing agency in Liverpool are on the hunt for a savvy Social Media Executive to join their leading team. This is one of the region's most established marketing and communications agency, boasting an impressive portfolio of B2B clients across a range of different sectors. They produce exciting campaigns, developing brand stories and challenging boundaries. Culturally, they also have a list of perks and benefits that really sets them apart from other agencies in the region. Key Responsibilities: Champion social media for the agency Community management of client's social media channels Deliver effective social media content plans and campaigns Regular market research and monitoring of the social media landscape to make recommendations to the team Setting up and analysing Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn advertising campaigns Using creative tools such as Canva Extracting data from Good Analytics Using scheduling software Using reporting software The Ideal Candidate Requirements: At least 2 years experience within an agency is essential In-depth knowledge of social media with experience of implementing strategies across a variety of platforms Experience with management tools such as Hootsuite, Sprout, Buffer and Google Analytics Will keep up to date with the latest digital trends and technologies Will be ready to hit the ground running within a very busy marketing agency This role won’t be around for long so click apply now!
Our Latest Opinions
3 days ago
By Rob Markwell
How we have been supporting SME’s and our community
The Coronavirus pandemic has sadly had a very negative effect on our closest communities. With an estimated one in eleven people claiming unemployment benefit in the Birmingham and Wolverhampton areas and unemployment increasing to 6.7% in Manchester (above the national average), we feel it is our duty as a responsible business to offer as much support as possible right now to our local regions. A snapshot of what we have been doing to help Keeping you up to date with key industry figures Even though many of you have been coming to us asking for advice, we will be the first ones to admit we do not know everything. Which is why we have partnered with a range of industry experts and figures to provide you with the most up to date industry information. From podcasts discussing how you should adapt your marketing strategy and business strategy to the in’s and outs of furlough, we aim to keep pushing the boundaries of our knowledge, whilst also promoting local activities and businesses to our social media community. You can keep up to date on all of our information by following our Linkedin page. Free CV guidance and workshops With unemployment going up and a new generation of graduates entering the workforce, competition for jobs is likely to be higher than ever. And rightly so, you will want to know how you can adapt your CV to stand out in this market and cut through the noise. As specialist recruiters in the Marketing, Digital, Creative and FMCG space, we have spent the past 13 years seeing the industry evolve and adapt to changing market dynamics, meaning we are well versed to help you find the next stage of your career. To help you, we have partnered with The Marketing Meetup and Brand Recruitment to deliver free 30 minute CV workshops across the United Kingdom. You can book your slot here, where we will also be hosting a webinar on the current employment market, what you can do to stand out and answering your questions. Our services for free We know not everyone is hiring right now, but for those businesses (especially SME’s) who are struggling to make ends meet but could use an extra pair of hands, we are offering our recruitment services for free to help talented candidates who are out of work. No catch, nothing. Perhaps you need help taking your business into a digital space or launching a new product offering, either way we are here to help. If you want a more in-depth discussion about this, feel free to get in touch with us. Giving back Whilst it may feel like there is a heavy emphasis on the financial impacts of Covid-19, we also recognise the societal effects. Since entering lockdown, domestic abuse cases have increased substantially, with charities like Refuge seeing as much as a 700% increase in calls to its helpline. With no London & Manchester marathon, and so many other fundraising events, charities like Refuge are missing out on vital donations which help to keep services running. To help make an impact our fantastic team and extended families have taken part in the 2.6 challenge. We have seen everything from 6 half marathons in a row to 260km on a bike and 26 shoulder touches in a handstand and are proud to say we have so far raised over £3,400. If you have not seen our challenge, you are more than welcome to visit our just giving page, we will be keeping donations open for a while longer so if you can spare a couple of pounds it will go a long way to helping those in need.
How we have been supporting SME’s and our community
The Coronavirus pandemic has sadly had a very negative effect on our closest communities. With an estimated one in eleven people claiming unemployment benefit in the Birmingham and Wolverhampton areas and unemployment increasing to 6.7% in Manchester (above the national average), we feel it is our duty as a responsible business to offer as much support as possible right now to our local regions. A snapshot of what we have been doing to help Keeping you up to date with key industry figures Even though many of you have been coming to us asking for advice, we will be the first ones to admit we do not know everything. Which is why we have partnered with a range of industry experts and figures to provide you with the most up to date industry information. From podcasts discussing how you should adapt your marketing strategy and business strategy to the in’s and outs of furlough, we aim to keep pushing the boundaries of our knowledge, whilst also promoting local activities and businesses to our social media community. You can keep up to date on all of our information by following our Linkedin page. Free CV guidance and workshops With unemployment going up and a new generation of graduates entering the workforce, competition for jobs is likely to be higher than ever. And rightly so, you will want to know how you can adapt your CV to stand out in this market and cut through the noise. As specialist recruiters in the Marketing, Digital, Creative and FMCG space, we have spent the past 13 years seeing the industry evolve and adapt to changing market dynamics, meaning we are well versed to help you find the next stage of your career. To help you, we have partnered with The Marketing Meetup and Brand Recruitment to deliver free 30 minute CV workshops across the United Kingdom. You can book your slot here, where we will also be hosting a webinar on the current employment market, what you can do to stand out and answering your questions. Our services for free We know not everyone is hiring right now, but for those businesses (especially SME’s) who are struggling to make ends meet but could use an extra pair of hands, we are offering our recruitment services for free to help talented candidates who are out of work. No catch, nothing. Perhaps you need help taking your business into a digital space or launching a new product offering, either way we are here to help. If you want a more in-depth discussion about this, feel free to get in touch with us. Giving back Whilst it may feel like there is a heavy emphasis on the financial impacts of Covid-19, we also recognise the societal effects. Since entering lockdown, domestic abuse cases have increased substantially, with charities like Refuge seeing as much as a 700% increase in calls to its helpline. With no London & Manchester marathon, and so many other fundraising events, charities like Refuge are missing out on vital donations which help to keep services running. To help make an impact our fantastic team and extended families have taken part in the 2.6 challenge. We have seen everything from 6 half marathons in a row to 260km on a bike and 26 shoulder touches in a handstand and are proud to say we have so far raised over £3,400. If you have not seen our challenge, you are more than welcome to visit our just giving page, we will be keeping donations open for a while longer so if you can spare a couple of pounds it will go a long way to helping those in need.
8 days ago
By Rob Markwell
How we are prepping for a post covid-19 future: What may recruitment look like
Like many businesses we are currently navigating the logistics of returning to a physical office in the near future. Whilst trying to wrap our heads around how we will reach the 6th floor without sharing a lift is a struggle, we cannot deny that we miss being in the same room as our colleagues whilst sharing a laugh and the stresses of daily life amongst each other. In two months we have come so far as a business, from having to adapt to a remote working pattern to putting in place various adaptations to ensure our clients who are hiring during the lockdown are safe. Whilst sometimes we crave a sense of normality, truthfully we have come too far to return to our normal patterns and recruitment is unlikely to be the same in the future. Digital Recruitment As more businesses engage in digital transformations and social media, we can argue the recruitment process has been slow to adapt to the digital age. Up until March, businesses still relied on face to face interviews to determine the effectiveness of candidates, and many would feel uncomfortable conducting video and remote interviews (even for first stage meet and greets) because it was not what they were used to. Going into April we have all had to challenge the status quo, and whilst 86% of B2B marketers and 88% of B2C marketers have temporarily paused recruitment, those who have continued to hire during these unprecedented times, either through Pitch+ or other video interviewing software, have generally found the process more engaging and efficient. Video interviewing not only increases the time to hire, but also can reducing hiring costs by as much as 80%, especially for those larger organisations who fork out on travel and assessment centres. Whilst it can be difficult to virtually determine organisational fit in a virtual space, conducting online interviews reduces the pressure and time involved during the first-stage, meaning that leaders can focus on getting a feel for personality during a face to face second interview. We don’t expect recruitment to become a fully digital space in the next year, but recent events may increase the favourability of organisations to use digital techniques during first-stage interviews. The image issue Everyone knows it, the recruitment industry has a poor reputation. If you listen to the general complaints we are often sales, target and money driven without recognition for the emotional issues around employment, everything has a sale behind it. Only it doesn’t. During this lockdown, we have seen multiple recruitment businesses sacrificing their bottom line and time to help their communities. Personally, we have removed barriers to paid services like Pitch+, offered our services for free to struggling companies and SME’s, raised money for Refuge and offered free CV workshops whilst trying to keep our clients and candidates informed on the most up to date information. For us this is part of our DNA as a brand, we have always done it, it is what makes us standout in an industry with an arguably tarnished reputation. But for some this is a new leap, one which if incorporated for the long-term may help to change perceptions of the recruitment industry for the better. Though we wish we could say the recruitment industry is going to be okay, we know there are many challenges including a looming recession ahead of us. But whilst we navigate those challenges in the moment, we know that we can look back and be proud of what we and others in the industry have achieved over the past two months. Image Credit: Header: Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
How we are prepping for a post covid-19 future: What may recruitment look like
Like many businesses we are currently navigating the logistics of returning to a physical office in the near future. Whilst trying to wrap our heads around how we will reach the 6th floor without sharing a lift is a struggle, we cannot deny that we miss being in the same room as our colleagues whilst sharing a laugh and the stresses of daily life amongst each other. In two months we have come so far as a business, from having to adapt to a remote working pattern to putting in place various adaptations to ensure our clients who are hiring during the lockdown are safe. Whilst sometimes we crave a sense of normality, truthfully we have come too far to return to our normal patterns and recruitment is unlikely to be the same in the future. Digital Recruitment As more businesses engage in digital transformations and social media, we can argue the recruitment process has been slow to adapt to the digital age. Up until March, businesses still relied on face to face interviews to determine the effectiveness of candidates, and many would feel uncomfortable conducting video and remote interviews (even for first stage meet and greets) because it was not what they were used to. Going into April we have all had to challenge the status quo, and whilst 86% of B2B marketers and 88% of B2C marketers have temporarily paused recruitment, those who have continued to hire during these unprecedented times, either through Pitch+ or other video interviewing software, have generally found the process more engaging and efficient. Video interviewing not only increases the time to hire, but also can reducing hiring costs by as much as 80%, especially for those larger organisations who fork out on travel and assessment centres. Whilst it can be difficult to virtually determine organisational fit in a virtual space, conducting online interviews reduces the pressure and time involved during the first-stage, meaning that leaders can focus on getting a feel for personality during a face to face second interview. We don’t expect recruitment to become a fully digital space in the next year, but recent events may increase the favourability of organisations to use digital techniques during first-stage interviews. The image issue Everyone knows it, the recruitment industry has a poor reputation. If you listen to the general complaints we are often sales, target and money driven without recognition for the emotional issues around employment, everything has a sale behind it. Only it doesn’t. During this lockdown, we have seen multiple recruitment businesses sacrificing their bottom line and time to help their communities. Personally, we have removed barriers to paid services like Pitch+, offered our services for free to struggling companies and SME’s, raised money for Refuge and offered free CV workshops whilst trying to keep our clients and candidates informed on the most up to date information. For us this is part of our DNA as a brand, we have always done it, it is what makes us standout in an industry with an arguably tarnished reputation. But for some this is a new leap, one which if incorporated for the long-term may help to change perceptions of the recruitment industry for the better. Though we wish we could say the recruitment industry is going to be okay, we know there are many challenges including a looming recession ahead of us. But whilst we navigate those challenges in the moment, we know that we can look back and be proud of what we and others in the industry have achieved over the past two months. Image Credit: Header: Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
11 days ago
By Rob Markwell
Has an influx of unemployed permanent staff restricted freelancers?
We can all agree that things are pretty emotional at the moment. We have heard all kinds of concerns employees and small business owners may have from ‘how can I earn some extra money to make up the furlough difference?’ to ‘what kind of support is there available for the self-employed?’. One of the biggest concerns we have come across recently are freelancers feeling unsettled by the volume of work in the market. Whilst we try to reassure them an upturn will come and advise them where to best look, research indicates that 50% of freelancers have lost up to 60% of their income over the past couple of months. Whilst some freelancers have attributed a downturn in work towards furloughed workers offering their skills and services for free, which may have reduced the attractiveness of businesses paying for a freelancer in todays tough economic climate. In reality, the economic landscape is likely to be a more reliable and consistent cause. As businesses are looking to strip back costs and discretionary spending, work which historically may have been outsourced to freelancers may be reallocated to internal teams with more time on their hands. Furthermore, dependant on their sector some businesses may have had contracts cut short as other businesses seek to do the same. Either way freelancers are likely to be feeling the pinch of reduced work at the moment. I have been negatively impacted by a loss of freelance work. What can I do? If you have recently lost out on work, it is important to remember that you are not alone. Many other people are experiencing a similar situation, and whilst it is concerning now is the time to be more adaptable than ever. It may sound obvious, but it may be time to consider work in alternative sectors of the economy. Currently med-comms and E-Commerce are experiencing significant upticks in demand and may be potential avenues to consider. Keep your mind busy and grow your network. Prior to the pandemic, how much time did you allocate towards networking and increasing your business connections? If the answer is little, now may be the time to connect with likeminded companies or even complete some of that free work going around. This will not only keep your mind busy and your skills honed, but may provide some fruitful connections once businesses begin to reopen. What do you expect to see in the upcoming months? As more businesses are encouraged to return to work, including some in leisure and hospitality later down the line, there will inevitably be an uptick in business. Unfortunately we don’t own a crystal ball, so we can’t tell you how large or small this will be, but either way an increase is anticipated. As this happens, those business who sadly had to let people go during the earlier days of the pandemic are likely to need a set of readily available helping hands for either a short or long-term basis whilst business settles. As business confidence in the longer-term picture may remain low for while, they may not be willing to hire more permanent staff immediately, this is where freelancers and temporary contractors may benefit. We know there are probably 101 concerns on your mind right now, which is why we want to say if you need us we are here to chat. We won’t try to sell you anything, or get you signed up (unless you want to be) but we will try to help steer you in the right direction to the best of our ability. Image credit Header: Photo by George Becker from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Sebastian Voortman from Pexels
Has an influx of unemployed permanent staff restricted freelancers?
We can all agree that things are pretty emotional at the moment. We have heard all kinds of concerns employees and small business owners may have from ‘how can I earn some extra money to make up the furlough difference?’ to ‘what kind of support is there available for the self-employed?’. One of the biggest concerns we have come across recently are freelancers feeling unsettled by the volume of work in the market. Whilst we try to reassure them an upturn will come and advise them where to best look, research indicates that 50% of freelancers have lost up to 60% of their income over the past couple of months. Whilst some freelancers have attributed a downturn in work towards furloughed workers offering their skills and services for free, which may have reduced the attractiveness of businesses paying for a freelancer in todays tough economic climate. In reality, the economic landscape is likely to be a more reliable and consistent cause. As businesses are looking to strip back costs and discretionary spending, work which historically may have been outsourced to freelancers may be reallocated to internal teams with more time on their hands. Furthermore, dependant on their sector some businesses may have had contracts cut short as other businesses seek to do the same. Either way freelancers are likely to be feeling the pinch of reduced work at the moment. I have been negatively impacted by a loss of freelance work. What can I do? If you have recently lost out on work, it is important to remember that you are not alone. Many other people are experiencing a similar situation, and whilst it is concerning now is the time to be more adaptable than ever. It may sound obvious, but it may be time to consider work in alternative sectors of the economy. Currently med-comms and E-Commerce are experiencing significant upticks in demand and may be potential avenues to consider. Keep your mind busy and grow your network. Prior to the pandemic, how much time did you allocate towards networking and increasing your business connections? If the answer is little, now may be the time to connect with likeminded companies or even complete some of that free work going around. This will not only keep your mind busy and your skills honed, but may provide some fruitful connections once businesses begin to reopen. What do you expect to see in the upcoming months? As more businesses are encouraged to return to work, including some in leisure and hospitality later down the line, there will inevitably be an uptick in business. Unfortunately we don’t own a crystal ball, so we can’t tell you how large or small this will be, but either way an increase is anticipated. As this happens, those business who sadly had to let people go during the earlier days of the pandemic are likely to need a set of readily available helping hands for either a short or long-term basis whilst business settles. As business confidence in the longer-term picture may remain low for while, they may not be willing to hire more permanent staff immediately, this is where freelancers and temporary contractors may benefit. We know there are probably 101 concerns on your mind right now, which is why we want to say if you need us we are here to chat. We won’t try to sell you anything, or get you signed up (unless you want to be) but we will try to help steer you in the right direction to the best of our ability. Image credit Header: Photo by George Becker from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Sebastian Voortman from Pexels
30 days ago
By Rob Markwell
What we want to be remembered for
In our podcast brand building for SME’s we discuss the importance of having a good brand and what this means for your reputation as a company. Branding is no longer just about the visuals of your company, but rather what you do to embed it within society and the wider world. It is about how others perceive you and your willingness to contribute and help solve their issues. In today’s climate, your behaviour as an organisation is more important than ever, where many brands will either succeed or fail in retaining customer favourably. Due to their negative handling of the Covid-19 crisis, brands like Sports Direct, Virgin Atlantic, Wetherspoons and countless others are at risk of consumer boycotts following their perceived inability to put people at the heart of their organisations over profit. And right now, putting people first is exactly what brands should be doing. People are not going to remember your bottom line or profit and loss statements, what they will remember is what you did to help. Giving back is one of our values as a brand. In the early weeks of the crisis, we ensured our team were safe by moving to an entirely working from home model, a scary move at the time but one which has payed off by our teams adapting positively and doing everything they can to ensure the cogs of business keep turning. And then we got to thinking ‘how can we give back to our community?’. How can we connect people and ensure they are able to maintain a sense of normality during an abnormal period? Resources One of the ways we have decided to give back is through our knowledge. As an organisation we are constantly in contact with agencies, in-house brands and candidates alike who all share concerns and insecurities about the current period and we are constantly learning that the action of one may have a positive impact on the other. With this in mind we are working around the clock to bring you resources in the form of blogs, PDF’s, video’s and mailers which may benefit you as a business owner or candidate. More resources are still to come in the following weeks, but here’s a list of some of the most popular resources requested so far with how you can access them: Candidate telephone and video interview guides. Guide for how business owners or managers can onboard someone remotely. How you can upskill yourself and your teams remotely. Recruitment during Covid-19 FAQ’s, including which sectors are hiring and whether the freelance/temporary route may be an ideal solution. Positive updates and wellness advice. Our staff Whilst Pitch exists as an organisation, it is its employee’s which turn it into a brand. Many of our team have taken it upon themselves to reach out within their own communities and help those in need, some going as far as volunteering for the NHS to give them a sense of pride and meaning during this unusual time. Pitch+ Traditionally offered to our exclusive and retained clients at an upfront, Pitch+ is our premium virtual interview platform. When the crisis hit, we made the decision to reduce some of our income and offer this for free to everyone until a period where we can all resume business as usual. This was to ensure businesses are able to stay connected with prospective hires and on boarders, keeping the flow of talent open for those who potentially could not afford their own video interviewing software but need some extra support. If there is anything we can do to help you or your business then please reach out to us. Image credit Header: Photo by Riccardo Bresciani from Pexels
What we want to be remembered for
In our podcast brand building for SME’s we discuss the importance of having a good brand and what this means for your reputation as a company. Branding is no longer just about the visuals of your company, but rather what you do to embed it within society and the wider world. It is about how others perceive you and your willingness to contribute and help solve their issues. In today’s climate, your behaviour as an organisation is more important than ever, where many brands will either succeed or fail in retaining customer favourably. Due to their negative handling of the Covid-19 crisis, brands like Sports Direct, Virgin Atlantic, Wetherspoons and countless others are at risk of consumer boycotts following their perceived inability to put people at the heart of their organisations over profit. And right now, putting people first is exactly what brands should be doing. People are not going to remember your bottom line or profit and loss statements, what they will remember is what you did to help. Giving back is one of our values as a brand. In the early weeks of the crisis, we ensured our team were safe by moving to an entirely working from home model, a scary move at the time but one which has payed off by our teams adapting positively and doing everything they can to ensure the cogs of business keep turning. And then we got to thinking ‘how can we give back to our community?’. How can we connect people and ensure they are able to maintain a sense of normality during an abnormal period? Resources One of the ways we have decided to give back is through our knowledge. As an organisation we are constantly in contact with agencies, in-house brands and candidates alike who all share concerns and insecurities about the current period and we are constantly learning that the action of one may have a positive impact on the other. With this in mind we are working around the clock to bring you resources in the form of blogs, PDF’s, video’s and mailers which may benefit you as a business owner or candidate. More resources are still to come in the following weeks, but here’s a list of some of the most popular resources requested so far with how you can access them: Candidate telephone and video interview guides. Guide for how business owners or managers can onboard someone remotely. How you can upskill yourself and your teams remotely. Recruitment during Covid-19 FAQ’s, including which sectors are hiring and whether the freelance/temporary route may be an ideal solution. Positive updates and wellness advice. Our staff Whilst Pitch exists as an organisation, it is its employee’s which turn it into a brand. Many of our team have taken it upon themselves to reach out within their own communities and help those in need, some going as far as volunteering for the NHS to give them a sense of pride and meaning during this unusual time. Pitch+ Traditionally offered to our exclusive and retained clients at an upfront, Pitch+ is our premium virtual interview platform. When the crisis hit, we made the decision to reduce some of our income and offer this for free to everyone until a period where we can all resume business as usual. This was to ensure businesses are able to stay connected with prospective hires and on boarders, keeping the flow of talent open for those who potentially could not afford their own video interviewing software but need some extra support. If there is anything we can do to help you or your business then please reach out to us. Image credit Header: Photo by Riccardo Bresciani from Pexels
about 1 month ago
By Rebecca Thomas
Our month in lockdown: The realities of working from home
By the time you will be reading this it will have been just over a month since Pitch Consultants shifted from an entirely working from the office to a working from home model. Whilst we had been examining ways to offer greater flexibility to our teams, a fully remote working model was certainly an unprecedented leap we had not anticipated to be making during 2020. In fact, despite more businesses offering remote working as part of their benefits package, this has been a large learning curve for many business owners. With questions raised like “how do I keep my teams motivated and productive?” And “how can I continue hiring?” Being raised continually, it is easy to get lost in trying to maintain a sense of normality when the abnormal is happening. In our recent blog about how you can incorporate flexible working into your business, we discussed that in order for a remote working model to work effectively, every now and then you will need to take a step back and assess what is working and what isn’t. Being a month into our lockdown, we decided now would be the best time to share what we have learned, hopefully offering you some guidance for your business. The best laid plans will go to waste Before we went into lockdown mode, many of our team members planned a few weeks of activity to ensure that we as managers and business owners knew that our teams had a sense of stability and productivity to their days. One month in and little of these plans have been completed. Not because our teams are not productive, but because we failed to account for unpredictables in our day to day. We have found that candidates want to speak for longer and business owners are more inquisitive than ever as to what market conditions are like. At first, we were concerned this was an indication that productivity would slip, but the reality is our consultants are having more open and candid conversations with people and are forging stronger relationships for the future. In recognising this we have learned that being adaptable to your teams is the most important thing right now. Forget about targets which have not been adapted for the current climate, forget about micro-managing, it won’t work at present. Take each day or week as it comes and remember to check in on your team members, if they are struggling to create the same output or stick to rigid structure, the likelihood is that there is some unpredictable which you may not have considered pre-lockdown which you may need to adapt to. Maintaining a work/life balance Previously it felt as though we spent so long in the office that we hardly had anytime to see family and spend meaningful time with loved ones and now we have taken a cartwheel flip over to the other side of the work/life balance debate. Everyone’s situation here is likely to be unique, some may be pulling their hair out after being stuck inside with parents or children all day and others may be experiencing difficulties in creating a separation between home and work. Some of us are eager to return to the office, but we know we are always going to look upon this period as ‘that time everything got put into perspective’. If we are honest, we miss our daily commutes and lunch time trips but we have learned that as a business we are capable of working from home and our team has adapted to it fantastically. These are feelings which will not dissipate upon our return to the office, so we are looking into the future and adapting ourselves accordingly. This is perhaps something you may want to consider looking into, as we are sure employee desires to have a flexibility option in their package will increase post Covid-19, especially if your business as proven efficient during which. The pre-meeting meeting Over the past month we have found ourselves becoming more streamlined with our approach to internal communications. Using Slack rather than email has certainly helped us to co-ordinate projects more effectively and gone are the days of the pre-meeting meeting. As a business we are more aware of our time and our teams are happier for it. All that project management and internal comms software you signed up to pre-lockdown is likely to have a strong purpose in making your business more efficient during the longer-term. Now may be the time to consider how it can be maintained and incorporated into daily working habits come return to the office. Team work makes the dream work A month into working from home one of the biggest things we have learned is how fantastic our team is at adapting quickly to new technology and market conditions, and we are thankful for that because without them we wouldn’t be here today. But, we have also used this period to assess how our business performs under specific conditions and make the adaptions required to compete in future markets. In one month we have learned that adaptability is key to what being under strict working from home conditions is about, where being willing to move with the tides is how businesses will survive for the future. Image credit: Header: Photo by LinkedIn Sales Navigator from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Jopwell from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Our month in lockdown: The realities of working from home
By the time you will be reading this it will have been just over a month since Pitch Consultants shifted from an entirely working from the office to a working from home model. Whilst we had been examining ways to offer greater flexibility to our teams, a fully remote working model was certainly an unprecedented leap we had not anticipated to be making during 2020. In fact, despite more businesses offering remote working as part of their benefits package, this has been a large learning curve for many business owners. With questions raised like “how do I keep my teams motivated and productive?” And “how can I continue hiring?” Being raised continually, it is easy to get lost in trying to maintain a sense of normality when the abnormal is happening. In our recent blog about how you can incorporate flexible working into your business, we discussed that in order for a remote working model to work effectively, every now and then you will need to take a step back and assess what is working and what isn’t. Being a month into our lockdown, we decided now would be the best time to share what we have learned, hopefully offering you some guidance for your business. The best laid plans will go to waste Before we went into lockdown mode, many of our team members planned a few weeks of activity to ensure that we as managers and business owners knew that our teams had a sense of stability and productivity to their days. One month in and little of these plans have been completed. Not because our teams are not productive, but because we failed to account for unpredictables in our day to day. We have found that candidates want to speak for longer and business owners are more inquisitive than ever as to what market conditions are like. At first, we were concerned this was an indication that productivity would slip, but the reality is our consultants are having more open and candid conversations with people and are forging stronger relationships for the future. In recognising this we have learned that being adaptable to your teams is the most important thing right now. Forget about targets which have not been adapted for the current climate, forget about micro-managing, it won’t work at present. Take each day or week as it comes and remember to check in on your team members, if they are struggling to create the same output or stick to rigid structure, the likelihood is that there is some unpredictable which you may not have considered pre-lockdown which you may need to adapt to. Maintaining a work/life balance Previously it felt as though we spent so long in the office that we hardly had anytime to see family and spend meaningful time with loved ones and now we have taken a cartwheel flip over to the other side of the work/life balance debate. Everyone’s situation here is likely to be unique, some may be pulling their hair out after being stuck inside with parents or children all day and others may be experiencing difficulties in creating a separation between home and work. Some of us are eager to return to the office, but we know we are always going to look upon this period as ‘that time everything got put into perspective’. If we are honest, we miss our daily commutes and lunch time trips but we have learned that as a business we are capable of working from home and our team has adapted to it fantastically. These are feelings which will not dissipate upon our return to the office, so we are looking into the future and adapting ourselves accordingly. This is perhaps something you may want to consider looking into, as we are sure employee desires to have a flexibility option in their package will increase post Covid-19, especially if your business as proven efficient during which. The pre-meeting meeting Over the past month we have found ourselves becoming more streamlined with our approach to internal communications. Using Slack rather than email has certainly helped us to co-ordinate projects more effectively and gone are the days of the pre-meeting meeting. As a business we are more aware of our time and our teams are happier for it. All that project management and internal comms software you signed up to pre-lockdown is likely to have a strong purpose in making your business more efficient during the longer-term. Now may be the time to consider how it can be maintained and incorporated into daily working habits come return to the office. Team work makes the dream work A month into working from home one of the biggest things we have learned is how fantastic our team is at adapting quickly to new technology and market conditions, and we are thankful for that because without them we wouldn’t be here today. But, we have also used this period to assess how our business performs under specific conditions and make the adaptions required to compete in future markets. In one month we have learned that adaptability is key to what being under strict working from home conditions is about, where being willing to move with the tides is how businesses will survive for the future. Image credit: Header: Photo by LinkedIn Sales Navigator from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Jopwell from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
about 1 month ago
By Rob Markwell
Leadership and remote working
It feels as though almost everyone on the planet has written a blog about how you can stay motivated at home and how you can transition from the office to a remote working pattern, these are great blogs, but they are often written from a worker perspective as opposed to a managerial one. Sometimes as a manager it can feel as though you should be the one with all the answers, but the reality is you are just as human as your employees. Much like their own, your job has gone through a massive change recently and the pressure to deliver, whether you are new to management or a managing director, is as intense as ever. Which is why you may be questioning your ability to keep your workforce motivated and productive, when you too are feeling a slight slump. Recognising this as a viable challenge many managers in our community are facing, we recently sat down with professional trainer Ruth Farrar to discuss how you can adapt your management style to suit a remote working environment in our most recent podcast. Have a strong relationship with your team To paraphrase Ruth, your teams will need you now more than ever. Of course you are devoting yourself to the business as much as possible, so we don’t mean from a professional perspective, but rather a human one. To ensure you keep your teams motivated and engaged it is more vital now than ever to be transparent, honest and more frequent with your employee communications. Remember your team are more isolated than ever, some may have household members and others may be living alone, but either way it is important to check in. One way of doing this could be through having daily team catch-ups. We go a step further and have two, one in the morning and another in the evening, where we discuss work, life and even some of the challenges we are facing. Outside of this it is important your employee’s know that you are available to speak with on a one-to-one basis. Whilst it can be difficult balancing the line of manager/employee relations during this period, sometimes having that one to one chat to discuss a broader range of issues makes you seem more approachable as a manager and can work wonders for team morale both during the immediate and long term. Productivity measures need to change Most employees will be used to working against some form of targets or deadlines, which they then use as a measure to internally evaluate their own performance. One of the biggest problems right now is that many of these measures may not be accurate for the current climate. There may be a reduction in sales or some projects will have been cancelled meaning your teams won’t be able to hit targets and thus their self assessment of their performance (along with morale) will decline. With this in mind, to keep your teams motivated it may be worth considering a temporary shift in how you measure performance. For instance, rather than targeting on new clients won or contracts sent out you may want to consider alternatives like effort into maintaining and rebuilding relationships with current or old clients or moving away from individual to more team targets or goals. This highlights you recognise the challenges your employees may be facing on the day-to-day, adding to that human managerial element addressed previously, where showing that you are willing to be adaptable and open to new ideas in the current market can potentially lead to stronger levels of employee innovation and engagement. Furlough and keeping everyone connected Many of us as managers and business owners have unfortunately had to make the decision to furlough either part or all of our team, and whilst there is some confusion about what you can and cannot request from your team whilst they are furloughed, staying in contact is not an issue so long as the business element is removed. We cannot stress enough how vital it is that you keep your team members engaged and interacting with each other whilst they are away from office. As we are examining the longer-term picture, imagine how challenging it may be to re-integrate those who have been furloughed back into a team environment, where previous failure to maintain regular contact could mean employee disengagement. Finding ways to maintain company culture and connection is key over the upcoming weeks to ensuring a happy workforce both during the present and future as people will remember you for your actions today. Therefore we suggest you find potential ways to keep employees engaged in your company, this may include anything from weekly updates on what has happened in the business to team lunches and virtual quizzes. Our biggest advice for you as a manager today is to ensure you portray a sense of humanity to your workforce. Keeping them connected, engaged and motivated will go a long way to ensuring your business is both able to perform in todays tough climate and will be a positive place to work in the weeks and potential months to come. For more detailed advice on how you can approach managing during Covid-19, feel free to get in touch with Ruth directly who will be happy to offer her expert guidance. Image source Header: Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels
Leadership and remote working
It feels as though almost everyone on the planet has written a blog about how you can stay motivated at home and how you can transition from the office to a remote working pattern, these are great blogs, but they are often written from a worker perspective as opposed to a managerial one. Sometimes as a manager it can feel as though you should be the one with all the answers, but the reality is you are just as human as your employees. Much like their own, your job has gone through a massive change recently and the pressure to deliver, whether you are new to management or a managing director, is as intense as ever. Which is why you may be questioning your ability to keep your workforce motivated and productive, when you too are feeling a slight slump. Recognising this as a viable challenge many managers in our community are facing, we recently sat down with professional trainer Ruth Farrar to discuss how you can adapt your management style to suit a remote working environment in our most recent podcast. Have a strong relationship with your team To paraphrase Ruth, your teams will need you now more than ever. Of course you are devoting yourself to the business as much as possible, so we don’t mean from a professional perspective, but rather a human one. To ensure you keep your teams motivated and engaged it is more vital now than ever to be transparent, honest and more frequent with your employee communications. Remember your team are more isolated than ever, some may have household members and others may be living alone, but either way it is important to check in. One way of doing this could be through having daily team catch-ups. We go a step further and have two, one in the morning and another in the evening, where we discuss work, life and even some of the challenges we are facing. Outside of this it is important your employee’s know that you are available to speak with on a one-to-one basis. Whilst it can be difficult balancing the line of manager/employee relations during this period, sometimes having that one to one chat to discuss a broader range of issues makes you seem more approachable as a manager and can work wonders for team morale both during the immediate and long term. Productivity measures need to change Most employees will be used to working against some form of targets or deadlines, which they then use as a measure to internally evaluate their own performance. One of the biggest problems right now is that many of these measures may not be accurate for the current climate. There may be a reduction in sales or some projects will have been cancelled meaning your teams won’t be able to hit targets and thus their self assessment of their performance (along with morale) will decline. With this in mind, to keep your teams motivated it may be worth considering a temporary shift in how you measure performance. For instance, rather than targeting on new clients won or contracts sent out you may want to consider alternatives like effort into maintaining and rebuilding relationships with current or old clients or moving away from individual to more team targets or goals. This highlights you recognise the challenges your employees may be facing on the day-to-day, adding to that human managerial element addressed previously, where showing that you are willing to be adaptable and open to new ideas in the current market can potentially lead to stronger levels of employee innovation and engagement. Furlough and keeping everyone connected Many of us as managers and business owners have unfortunately had to make the decision to furlough either part or all of our team, and whilst there is some confusion about what you can and cannot request from your team whilst they are furloughed, staying in contact is not an issue so long as the business element is removed. We cannot stress enough how vital it is that you keep your team members engaged and interacting with each other whilst they are away from office. As we are examining the longer-term picture, imagine how challenging it may be to re-integrate those who have been furloughed back into a team environment, where previous failure to maintain regular contact could mean employee disengagement. Finding ways to maintain company culture and connection is key over the upcoming weeks to ensuring a happy workforce both during the present and future as people will remember you for your actions today. Therefore we suggest you find potential ways to keep employees engaged in your company, this may include anything from weekly updates on what has happened in the business to team lunches and virtual quizzes. Our biggest advice for you as a manager today is to ensure you portray a sense of humanity to your workforce. Keeping them connected, engaged and motivated will go a long way to ensuring your business is both able to perform in todays tough climate and will be a positive place to work in the weeks and potential months to come. For more detailed advice on how you can approach managing during Covid-19, feel free to get in touch with Ruth directly who will be happy to offer her expert guidance. Image source Header: Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels
