In order to increase employee productivity your main objective should be to ensure that your staff feel valued. It is far more cost effective to hold on to existing employees for as long as possible than to have to repeat the recruitment process – potentially being left without members of your team for long periods of time. Your staff need to feel respected and have the freedom and responsibility they need to succeed. It has become even more important to keep staff motivated to boost productivity in these times of tough economic conditions.

There are several ways you can boost your employee confidence and, in turn, productivity; many of which require very little capital. At the forefront of these methods is improved communication in your workplace. Effective communication throughout your workforce is essential in allowing for effective carry out of even the smallest tasks. Your leaders may need to be proactive and managerial, but they also need to be approachable. 

To boost work output, ensure that the relationship between your employees is one that is not full of anxiety – you won’t get the best from your staff if they feel they are not able to honestly communicate with each other, whether sharing new ideas or discussing problems.

Make sure those at-the-top communicate with their office employees even in the most basic of ways each day; just a simple ‘good morning’ or ‘good bye’ can make sure that your staff don’t feel invisible to their seniors.

Recognition is another large part of increasing employee productivity. If your staff feel appreciated for the work they do for you, they are much more likely to continue with the same momentum. When efforts go unnoticed it can lead to an attitude of ‘why bother’. Praise on-the-spot will have a greater impact than praise that is delivered days or weeks later. Help your staff to celebrate their successes and feel that they are responsible for company successes as a whole too.

Whilst some of these simple tips are cost-free, investing company money into staff training is also hugely beneficial. When you are prepared to invest time and money into your employees this helps emphasise that they are valued and will help them to have a refreshed outlook on their work. Training acts as a form of personal training which will boost self-esteem, teamwork, communication and ultimately – productivity in your workplace.

Don’t forget to regularly reassess your working environments too. Just as the relationships between co-workers need to be relaxed and healthy, so does your office atmosphere. Are your staff coming to work in a space that is clutter-free and inspiring? Do you have comfortable office chairs and reliable equipment? Is your day-to-day business schedule working to provide an enjoyable yet productive work day? If not, now is the time to upgrade your meeting spaces and add informal discussion times to your schedule – give your employees a place to be creative and pro-active.

Finally, how about taking your staff out of the office now and again? This will provide a change of environment and outlook, allowing employees to look at things from a new perspective whilst feeling they have been treated - perhaps to a business lunch or conference event. Hold annual events or conferences in a different setting. Find a venue which will help to motivate and inspire your staff.

Author Bio: This article was brought to you by Conference Care who provide a range of event management and conference finding services.

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You will have the knowledge and support of two world leading specialists to ensure that your visa paperwork and foreign exchange are in safe hands, leaving you to focus on settling in to your new home. 

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Mergers & Acquisitions .... Behind the Scenes

When a smaller company is acquired by a larger one this merger is usually seen in terms of opportunity. For the smaller organisation a takeover is deemed evidence that it is doing something right and has something to offer the wider marketplace. The larger firm gains recognition for being able to identify innovation and being in a position to progress.

All too often the human cost of takeovers is forgotten. If business reorganisation is not successfully managed it can have a detrimental impact on employees in both the acquiring organisation and the one being purchased.

Mergers & Acquisitions

When two companies come together, no matter how complementary their business activities, there will be differences in how they operate, their culture and style and even their basic business processes. For a merger to be successful this needs to be recognised and managed if a seamless future organisation is to be realised.

Employees are Affected by the Stress of the Acquisition Process 

Change is difficult for many employees, particularly if they have little or no involvement in decision making processes. A general dislike of change, however, can become more pronounced at a time when an acquisition is taking place. The upshot of this is often employee stress, poor morale and an impact of the ability to work effectively.

Successfully Managing the Merging of Two Organisations 

When it comes to successfully managing the merging of two organisations the key to ensuring success is to ensure that excellent communication is at the heart of the business planning process. As much information as possible should be shared with employees about what is happening, how this will impact on the organisation and, in particular, how this will affect individuals. Timescales for any changes should be given and regular updates provided to ensure that employees are not left behind.

It is sensible to assume that there will be a degree of conflict as the two organisations merge. It is inevitable that the ways things were done by the smaller company will need to change in order to meet the needs of the acquiring one, which will also need to adapt to bring a new organisation into its folds.

Employees Fear Job Loss

Additionally, employees of both organisations can be fearful that they will lose their jobs. In such difficult times it is not uncommon for some to leave the company altogether, preferring to find a new job rather than face uncertainty in their existing one.

To Retain Talent it's Essential During Mergers & Acquisitions to Consider Human Impact

If an organisation is to retain its talent it is essential that the human impact of a takeover is acknowledged. If it isn't, employees will look for a better role elsewhere.

Private Equity Firms Facing Strong Competition from Family-run Investors

Family-run Private Equity Firms Long-term Game Plan

These families have notoriously deep pockets and are well-known for seeking to secure their assets for future generations. This desire shows itself in a long-term game plan, including a willingness to wait for good returns, which naturally puts them ahead of the 'fast buck' mentality of PE businesses.

German Family Investors Creating an Empire in the Hot Drinks Sector

For example, Joh A Benckiser (JAB), the investment organisation of the billionaire German family Reimann, bid for the Douwe Egberts brand in recent months. By doing so it will create an empire in the hot drinks sector that will genuinely challenge the current market leaders of Mondolez International and Nestle, even if the strategy takes some years to fully play out.

Family Funded Business Investments are Likely to Continue Growing

The Beverage and Food Industries Continue to be very Attractive Investments

Allowing for real gains from competitive activity, particularly for big-hitting investors with sector specific experience. JAB has already hired a number of industry veterans to manage its investment, including former CFOs and CEOs of Mars.

Other Family Owned Private Equity Firms have the Ability to do Similar Deals 

Most notably, Maxingvest, who are the investment arm of the Herz family. This family owns the massive Tchibo retail business. Equally, a family-owned investment business in Belgium has just invested heavily in a range of consumer businesses, including Remy Cointreau.

Further Options are Available to Family Private Equity Firms who Choose to Co-invest 

Such as 3G, the Brazilian PE firm, which linked up with Berkshire Hathaway to buy Heinz earlier this year for a cool $23.2 billion. The PE ratio for the deal was calculated at 14.6, which is higher than most traditional PE firms will accept.

Family Private Equity Firms Benefiting from Long-term View

Representatives for these powerful families point to the benefit of having a long-term view and the necessary assets and tools to make these investment deals work. Many have a time frame of between 15 and 20 years for their investments to work.

Previous Dominant PE Firms Feeling the Pressure

As result, the previous dominant forces of PE firms are being left in a weak position and desperately attempting to hold ground. They will need to re-evaluate to maintain their viability in an increasingly competitive market.

Written by Ross Stokes of Circle Square - Financial Recruitment

Private Equity Analyst    Investment Executive    Private Equity Associate    Investment Manager    Investment Director / Principal    Private Equity VP / Associate Director

Auditors Facing Hard Times

More specifically, there is the question of who the customers of an audit actually are. Even with supposed restrictions and rules in place, the profession remains one that is fighting for its reputation.

Auditors Under Pressure

Many would see Enron as simply the straw that broke the camel's back. Yet it took the events of 2002 to really put statutory audits under the microscope. The big issue that subsequent reports highlighted was the potential for conflict when auditors find themselves torn between the external pressures of the wider financial world and the internal stress of pleasing the corporation bosses.

Chief Financial Officers Inextricably Linked with Auditors

Some would argue it is the nature of business that chief financial officers become inextricably linked with auditors. Both jobs are numbers based, both jobs require information from each other and both jobs share resources.

The difficulty is that this blurring of boundaries can threaten the much-needed objectivity of the auditor. So as easily explained as these cosy relationships are, it is no surprise that many corporations are still attempting to ensure the distance between the two interested parties is clearly defined.

Clearer Auditing Routines

The Auditor Expected to Report to both the Committee and CEO

Increased Transparency of Auditors

The world's largest private equity company, the Blackstone Group LP, has been revealed as the busiest dealmaker in buyouts this year.

The Second Busiest Private Equity Firm

In the same period last year, the number of private equity transactions rose by 51pc to $287 billion, according to figures released by Bloomberg. 

The Busiest Venture Capitalists

Is the UK Economy Finally Improving?

Finally some good news for the UK Economy? Some positive results were presented in the latest survey of Chief Financial Officers by Deloitte this month. The regular survey includes a range of opinions from a leading panel of CFOs in the UK's corporate sector and is valued by many as a benchmark of business confidence and economic recovery. There were a number of key points in the report.

Greater Confidence in the UK Economy

Greater Confidence and Reduced Uncertainty Those interviewed said that financial and macro-economic uncertainty had reached its lowest point since the middle of 2010. Additionally, the respondents also had greater confidence since the last monthly survey that the eurozone would stay intact.

Access to Finance is a Crucial Factor for the UK Economy

Another positive highlight was about access to cheaper lending and in greater amounts, thanks to increased credit being extended by banks and building societies. This was markedly higher than at any point since the survey began in 2007 and is a result of factors, including increased business confidence, less bad debt than expected and the success of the government's Funding for Lending (FLS) scheme.

The International Situation also impacts the UK Economy

A better situation in many international economies was also flagged up as a positive sign. This is being driven by growth in emerging markets along with escalating demand in the Asia-Pacific and US regions. This is benefitting UK exporters and those with exposure to overseas markets. Many are shifting their business operations to more expansionary strategies. This has also led to a slow but steady move away from the climate of total cost control. However, those companies which are primarily UK-focused (defined by having less than 30pc of their revenue generated through exposure to overseas markets) remain markedly more cautious about domestic growth and business prospects.

Confident Sectors

Data released by the British Chambers of Commerce, via their QES survey (a Quarterly UK Economic Survey that aggregates the responses of over 7,000 UK businesses), shows that business confidence is particularly increasing in the services and manufacturing sectors.

Contributory Factors assisting the UK Economy

This confidence boost is judged to be caused by a range of factors, but predominantly greater levels of lending from banks. Recent date from the BoE shows, however, that banks still aren't widely lending to SMEs and fast-growth start-ups and entrepreneurs have been looking for alternative finance sources such as peer-to-peer lending and crowd financing, amongst other sources. There is still access to alternative and start-up funding through government schemes such as the Start-up Loans fund for young entrepreneurs and loans extended via the Regional Growth Fund scheme, but the signs do point to more innovative solutions being embraced by the SME sector.

Written by Niraj Joshi of Circle Square Talent – Finance & Accountancy Jobs London.

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Avoiding Recruitment Discrimination

In today's employment culture, employers must not only create robust anti-discrimination procedures and develop cultures that foster equality; they must also be able to demonstrate their achievements to the outside world. Discrimination is a hot topic, as the vast numbers of tribunals will attest each year. The recruitment process is particularly vulnerable in this regard, so follow our handy guide to ensure that you minimise the risk to your business.

Recruitment Processes

Good staff training and robust processes are essential to maintaining regulatory compliance and building an equality driven culture. Ideally, draw up your processes with the aid of a HR expert, whether in-house or external, to ensure that you have the right guidance and input.

You must have a Job Description prior to Recruitment

Before you begin any recruitment activity you must, for example, have a job description in place that covers the required duties of the role, along with a person specification that details experience, skills and necessary qualifications. These documents are essential, providing a platform for the latter part of the process.

Producing a Job advertisement

Focus on the requisite key skills, experience and qualifications and include a list of duties. Be very clear about the occasions when you can specify potentially discriminatory factors, such as gender or disability. The purpose of discrimination laws is to ensure that people are treated fairly, so irrelevant factors such as religion and sexual orientation cannot form the basis of a recruiter's decision to hire or exclude a candidate. But there are exceptions. A severe physical disability, for example, might preclude a candidate from being accepted for a position that requires good health. Seek HR advice on this potentially awkward issue.

Candidate Shortlist

It may be sensible to remove the name and contact sections of each application form to encourage candidates to focus on the essentials. Try using a grid to record assessments and ensure transparency. Ensure that more than one person supports this activity to avoid bias. When you have a number of applications, begin the task of creating a shortlist of candidates.

Job Interview

Your panel should draw up a question schedule beforehand and focus only on experience and skills deemed necessary for the job. They must also be aware of subjects that they must not discuss, such as age and marital status. The interviewers must use the same process for each candidate and record their answers using a scoring sheet. Keep all paperwork for reference. Finally, these scoring sheets should be used to make the final decision. Ideally, a HR representative would attend the interview to offer additional peace of mind for all parties.

Written by Marc Dewdney of Circle Square Talent - Finance Jobs London& Accountancy Jobs London. Marc specialises in recruiting Permanent Senior Finance Candidates into Real Estate, Property and Construction firms within London and the surrounding counties. He also recruits for Investment and Media firms in Central London, and other contract and interim roles.

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The Next Lehman Scandal?

According to a Daily Telegraph report, the world may be about to witness another epic crash, only five years after Lehman Brothers went bankrupt.

The newspaper has reported that another market bubble is emerging. But the situation is different this time, primarily because most policy makers, investors and market analysts are already aware of the threat and its implications.

What is driving the threat?

The threat is being driven by junk bonds. More accurately known as high-yield debts, sales of these products have grown exponentially in 2013. Even in January, Asian companies that were rated as non-investment grade sold over  9 billion of the high-yielding bonds. The year-on-year increase stands at over 6,000 per cent according to recent figures gathered by Dealogic, the data analysts.

In Europe, a similar pattern is emerging, with sales figures for junk bonds running at record levels and with high-yield debt bonds worth almost $30 billion having already been sold in 2013.

What is prompting this?

A High Performing Team is Essential in the Competitive Financial Sector