Noble Performs Celebrates Five Years in Bristol
Digital marketing agency Noble Performs is celebrating five years in Bristol with a record year in business for its team, who have broken the £1million turnover barrier for the first time.
Established in 2018, Noble Performs was started in Bristol by US West Coast agency Noble Studios and Mr B & Friends, with one on-the-ground employee – current managing partner Kate Sikora. Tripling the size of the business during the pandemic, with significant client wins including premium footwear brand Rockfish, and Bristol’s beloved St George’s concert hall, Noble Performs is hoping to double the size of its 11-strong team during the next three years.
Built on the same ‘Be Better Every Day’ ethos as its US sister company, CSR has been at the core of Noble Performs since day one. During the last financial year, the business donated £12,000 of digital marketing support to local charity Heart of BS13 as part of its ‘Noble Deeds’ initiative. Recently launched, this year’s Deeds programme will receive a 30% increase in funds in line with Noble’s turnover increase, to support a local not-for-profit or registered charity with its digital marketing performance.
“I am so proud of all the team has achieved during the past five years and being able to give back to the local community and create more employment opportunities for others at the same time is incredibly rewarding, said Kate Sikora, managing partner, Noble Performs.
“Bristol has been the perfect home for us – it’s a thriving city with some great businesses and networks, but what underpins this is a real sense of community and collaboration and a genuine desire to do the right thing. This really resonates with our values and we’re excited to see what the next five years brings,” she added.
To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the UK team took a trip to the US earlier this month to visit sister company Noble Studios in Nevada. The celebrations will continue in September in the UK with the ‘Be Better Bash’ – a party for employees and their families, friends and associates of the business, and Noble Deeds recipients past and present.
Ahead of the festivities, Noble Performs will also host a Masterclass, where speakers will be invited to share a quickfire twenty minute ‘Five things’ session on a diversity of topics from AI to ESG.
More details on the Be Better Bash and Masterclass, including speakers and how to register attendance, will be announced in the coming weeks.
2023 has turned into another milestone year for ADLIB.
To recap:
In 2019 ADLIB became a certified B Corp, with a score of 82.3.
In 2020 ADLIB became 100% employee-owned.
In 2021 ADLIB launched the MotherBoard Movement.
In 2022 ADLIB broke all of its records.
In 2023 ADLIB recertified as a B Corp, with a score of 130.3, invested into HeyFlow and proudly refreshed our brand to reflect who we truly are today.
We’ve said for a long time that ADLIB is so much more than a recruitment agency.
ADLIB is a true talent partner, we go beyond candidate acquisition, we’ve created business solutions that tackle inclusivity, health, well-being and retention head-on.
We care authentically about the planet. We track and publicly report on our footprint, working with suppliers to support the regional business community.
All of which needed translating into our refreshed brand. From the look and feel, we opted for sustainable risograph techniques that reflect the business to perfection, whilst technically ensuring lean UX, negative space and page weights were priorities throughout our website build.
With our propositions growing at pace, geographical reach expanding into the US and influence happening at the government level, there has never been a better time to join ADLIB and make a difference.
BRAVA today announces the appointment of professional voice actor and performer, Sally Bailey, to the coaching team
Sally has been a professional voice actor for the last 11 years, working at a high level across narration, commercial and characters. Her impressive career spans over 30 years across radio and TV, starting as a breakfast presenter on Galaxy 101, moving on to co-host the network evening show, Core/Music Control, for GCap Media plc and then co-hosting the breakfast show for Capital FM, South Wales.
Sally moved to voice acting full time in 2012 and has voiced hundreds of commercials for clients including Pukka, GAME, Costa, Coca Cola, Thornton’s and Cartoon Network. Her TV presenting credits include a series of animations on historical figures for BBC Bitesize and documentary narrations for Channel 5 & Everyman.
Sally will join principal coach, Melissa Thom, as senior commercial coach at BRAVA.
Melissa Thom, CEO and founder of BRAVA said:
‘We are delighted to welcome Sally to BRAVA. She has been a colleague for many years and the breadth of skills and expertise she brings to our offering as a professional voice actor and performer, is impressive. She has exactly the right approach as an educator and is a genuinely lovely individual. Sally will help us develop our offering to provide personalised training in voice acting, at the highest level.’
Sally Bailey said:
‘I am over the moon to be joining the BRAVA team. Being a voiceover is one of the best jobs in the world and working with people embarking on their career is both tremendously exciting and a complete honour.’
To find out more about BRAVA go to www.brava.uk.com
We are super excited to be bringing MotherBoard events to Bristol!
When: Wednesday 19th July 2023.
What time: 6.30pm – 9pm
Location: Huboo, 41 Corn St, Bristol BS1 1HT
Drinks and pizza provided.
Speakers include:
Rav Bumbra, Founder of Cajigo
Rowena Innocent, SVP Engineering at Ultraleap
Chloe Allan, Technology Manager, Just Eat
David Maher Roberts, Managing Partner of Digital DNA & Founder of TechSpark
Join us for the first Bristol MotherBoard community event! This event will be a networking event, with a panel talk starting 7.30pm.
With 50% of women leaving the industry by the time they are 35, we will be asking the important question “how we can retain more women in tech”.
We will offer practical takeaways including how businesses can support their female talent and drive retention, how businesses can offer an inclusive environment for mums and what we as individuals can do to support our peers and be advocates for all women working in tech.
If you have not been to one of our events before, MotherBoard is a community, event series and charter for everyone who believes we need more support for women working in the tech industry. We encourage everybody to join who is interested in understanding more about how to drive inclusion in the workplace.
Please RSVP to confirm your place.
The world of work has changed in a post pandemic world, both in where people conduct their work but also how. The side hustle has developed into an increase in people working in a contract or freelance capacity in their day-to-day jobs, giving them extra flexibility in their lives and essentially becoming their own boss.
Many industries have been tapping into this resource for decades but for other business leaders this is a new experience with pitfalls to avoid.
Contract and freelance arrangements offer numerous advantages; expanding to meet workflow demand, bringing in specific skill sets, reducing the risk of hire and much more, the list of benefits are endless. However there are many other things to consider when taking on a contract/freelance placement.
Rates – One key consideration is the difference in rates between contractors/freelancers and their permanent counterparts. Contractors and freelancers can command higher rates because of their experience but also because the hidden costs of employment are worked into the rate, sick pay, holidays, pension, ENI and equipment. When evaluating the costs based on the actual number of days worked, the gap between the two options begins to narrow significantly.
Tax Implications – With IR35 legislation very much in the news over the last couple of years this can create hesitancy for clients wanting to engage with contractors. IR35 is an area of tax legislation designed to reduce tax avoidance and application of IR35 is intended to identify legitimate contractors and ensure all parties are taxed appropriately. IR35 has been around since 2000, so it’s not new legislation. It has been in the news because there has been a shift in the responsibility from the worker to the client, of who determinates if the role is inside or outside IR35. This in turn determines what tax needs to be deducted at source by the party paying the worker. There are caveats and exceptions for this where you are either a small or large company. A more detailed statement on the changes to the legislation can be found here.
Roles inside IR35 can be less attractive to workers who operate as a Limited Company, if the rate isn’t adjusted to take into consideration the extra income they will effectively lose.
Oscar Dixon-Barrow is an Associate Director of the International Creative Recruitment agency mustard jobs who have been operating for 14 years placing contractors/freelancers within thousands of firms, shares his expertise.
“Hiring contractors and freelancers can feel like a complex process, but it shouldn’t” said Oscar Dixon Barrow, Associate Director at mustard jobs “Our aim is to simplify this process for businesses, providing them with advice on compliance and access to top-quality talent. We are committed to helping our clients make the best choices when it comes to engaging temporary professionals. But don’t set yourself or the contractor up to fail. Make sure you have a clearly defined set of tasks/project to complete, be able to provide guidance and resources to someone, who might be dropping into your business at short notice, the information they will need to complete the project. And then ultimately there will be some questions you will need to answer on the size and scale of your business to determine if the changes in IR35 rules apply ”
In conclusion, taking on a contractor or freelancer can be particularly rewarding to hire at pace for niche skills, flexibility, short-term, and the management of workflow peaks and troughs, but navigating the tax implications can require additional awareness. This article just scratches the surface but if you’re looking for more advice or guidance on hiring contract across the creative and design industries, then reach out to mustard jobs.
Whether you’re an employer looking to attract and retain the best talent, or a job seeker looking to negotiate a competitive salary, you’re in the right place.
How do the salaries in your workplace compare with industry averages? Take a look into the average pay packets for jobs across Events, Marketing, CRM, Digital, PR and Sales – download the Henry Nicholas’ 2023 salary guide here.
Recruitment Bootcamp’s ethos is about making recruitment enjoyable, fun even. With our expertise to hand you can make the process pleasurable. The key is to figure out how to do so upfront, not when you’re knee-deep in CVs.
Here are 7 ways to enjoy recruiting in your business — I’m sure you can think of a few more. Once you’ve had a read through, pick a few that feel good to you and see if you can implement them in your process.
1) Take time to create really good vacancy advertisements and job descriptions
Your job advertisements are more important than you think, especially if you’re a B2B business, such as a corporate design agency or a PR firm. Why? Because they might be the first point of contact that many people have with your brand. And that can affect people’s views of it.
This is a positive opportunity to make a great impression. Be your own favourite client and put some real work into creating an advertisement that you and your team are super proud of.
Oh, and they can be entertaining too! Take a look at these examples for inspiration.
2) It’s an opportunity to be innovative
Hiring is about the future of your business, and so the recruitment process is a great opportunity to show how innovative you can be. Whether that’s using new technology or laying out your future plans, it’s time to begin bringing your future vision to life. Remember to share your vision with your current team and your recruitment agency (if you’re using one), as well as potential new recruits!
Take a look at these 10 creative job ads to inspire you.
3) Be fully present in job interviews
It’s hard to enjoy the recruitment process if you’re dashing in late to the candidate interview, not having read their CV. Give yourself time and space to make this important decision, enjoy meeting these new people and be present and attentive in their interviews. Put at least 15 minutes in your diary before and after each candidate interview to prepare and review what you’ve just heard. Using a template to log how each candidate fared against your criteria will help you stay on track.
Leave plenty of space in the interview for the candidate to talk. It can be tempting to jump in when they’re thinking. If you can resist filling the space, and leave a few comfortable silences, you’re likely to receive some thoughtful responses.
4) Make the experience enjoyable for the candidates
From well-worded advertisements to a warm welcome at reception, there are so many ways to make each step of the recruiting process enjoyable. Perhaps you run a marketing agency, where you treat your clients and potential clients with thought and care. Give potential team members a similar experience. This will help put everyone at their ease as well as showing your business in the best light to potential employees.
Following up with candidates, including those who have been unsuccessful, is good manners and reflects well on your company.
5) Shout about it
Creating jobs is good news, and part of enjoying that process is sharing the vacancies and new hire information on your website, social media and perhaps in the industry press too. Have fun, share photos of the new hire, celebrate! It’s also a chance to tell the outside world a bit more about your brand and ethos. Enjoy introducing your new team members to your customers, clients and other members of staff. Taking time over doing this well now makes their onboarding smooth and helps in the future.
6) Involve your colleagues or associates
Hiring together can be a really rewarding process and by including more of the team, you’ll ease the workload on yourself too. Be clear in advance about how you’ll jointly approach interviews and so on, so that it all runs smoothly on the day. Within reason, encouraging other team member to contribute to the recruitment process can really help build rapport and a sense of ownership, which can be great for your workplace culture long-term too.
7) Make your endings as good as your beginnings
If you’re recruiting because someone is leaving, this doesn’t need to be brushed under the carpet. Celebrate them and their work and whether they’re moving elsewhere or retiring, give them a really supportive send-off. Ending relationships with employees, clients or suppliers can be just as important as beginning them. It’s not just about leaving drinks. The whole experience can be enjoyable if handled well. And if they’re remote, find ways of marking their leaving remotely. Incidentally, you never know where they’ll end up — they could turn out to be your next big client win!
Recruitment Bootcamp is brought to you by the founders of Moxie and Mettle – [email protected] – 0117 301 8223.
A survey by PwC, published in the Spring, revealed that 20% of UK workers felt likely to change jobs in the following 12 months. These employees are seeking better pay and job satisfaction. The accountancy firm also noticed that workers were starting to ‘assert their power’ at a time when many bosses are struggling to recruit.
This was widely reported in the press, and of course what people say in surveys does not always translate into action. But it does indicate the appetite to move and the dissatisfaction so many are experiencing in their current roles. Also dubbed as the ‘The Great Resignation’ by some. PwC polled more than 52,000 individuals whose preferences show some useful insights into what employees and potential candidates are thinking and feeling.
Well staff turnover in the creative industries was already between 20-30% pre-pandemic, depending on which research you adhere to. So, in some ways it’s ‘business as usual’, as one in five people (or more) are likely to leave every year, statistically speaking. But understanding the reasons they are leaving can truly help those recruiting know how to attract them if and when they do. And of course how to keep them too! Good mental health and breaking out of the hustle culture are anecdotal reasons given by writers who’ve experienced the downsides of such a fast-paced industry.
The PwC Workforce Survey also explored what keeps people in their roles, reporting: “Just over a quarter plan to ask for a raise. But finding fulfilment at work also ranks high in importance”. This sort of insight can help inform your current and future recruitment strategies. As well as responding to what potential employees are looking for and what might entice them to move.
The findings also revealed that hybrid working, i.e. a mix of in office and remote/home working, is the preference of the majority of workers surveyed. In fact, 62% of all surveyed opted in for this.
If you want to stand out from the competition, and get people excited about working in your business, then it’s worth taking the time to find out more about your community and the talent within it. And these sort of insights can provide vital clues.
Recruitment Bootcamp is brought to you by the founders of Moxie and Mettle – [email protected] – 0117 301 8223.
Sources:
https://www.pwc.co.uk/press-room/press-releases/pwc-workforce-survey-20221.html
‘Conscious Quitting’ is not just the latest phrase or buzzword, it links back to the core values and behaviours of employers. This will negatively affect the creative industries who fail to pay attention, especially when it comes to recruitment.
The report describes how meaning and fulfilment are high on the agenda for employees and potential employees. While salaries and flexibility are — of course — factors, meeting the expectations of current and future employees when it comes to values can offer huge gains to employers.
Millions of people reflected during the pandemic about their lives, their work and their plans. And they emerged from that time of reflection with fresh priorities. Research such as this Net Positive Employee Barometer will help you, as an employer, to better understand your talent pool. And those employers who can really grasp what motivates and inspires the talent pool in their sector will attract the best people to their business.
“As employees become increasingly conscious about where they work and how it aligns with their values, it’s important that companies set out clear DE&I policies, communicate their ESG efforts and offer mental, physical and financial health and wellness benefits.
“In today’s digital era, people – and journalists! – want honesty. So building an authentic voice and consistently delivering against your commitments will be the benchmarks employees hold up for their employers to meet.”
Recruitment Bootcamp is brought to you by the founders of Moxie and Mettle – [email protected] – 0117 301 8223.
In fact global survey of 10,000 workers by Kantar in February 2023 discovered that 40% of Gen Z workers have two or more roles.
Some brands not only allow but encourage employees to have a side-hustle. And, whether we talk about it openly or not, a lot of us have them. In fact, 25% of adults were ‘side-hustling’, according to a white paper by Henley Business School, back in 2018. According to the Kantar study this year (2023), 30% of the workforce have a second job due to economic concerns.
Side-hustles can range from being a musician in a function band at the weekends to renting out your spare room to AirBnB-ers. Using your employers’ time and resources to side-hustle without their knowledge could land you in hot water. But, if navigated thoughtfully, there are plenty of benefits to side-hustling, not least to your career.
While many of us begin side-hustles to ease financial worries, having a thriving interest — that generates an extra income — could actually enhance your employability too. How? Well, being able to think like an entrepreneur could help you land a dream role. Many employers now look for ‘intrapreneurialism’ i.e. the ability to think like an entrepreneur and embody that start-up mentality, rather than simply waiting to be told what to do. Your experience of having your own enterprise outside of your day job could be used as a strong example in an interview or application situation.
Living a balanced life is not just about work and rest — following your passions can be a route to true fulfilment. So, if you’re pursuing something you truly love in addition to your ‘day job’, that could lead to all-round fulfilment and personal growth. And while the phrase side-hustling primarily refers to paid work, there are also voluntary roles that can provide those elements too. Although they are unlikely to be remunerated, the training and networking offered by many voluntary organisations can enhance your long-term work prospects. Plus, it be a great way to gain confidence. For example, perhaps in your volunteering role you have the chance to regularly chair meetings but do not yet do that in your paid role. That experience can provide great examples to offer in a job interview or at a personal review, and you can get references and testimonials.
Side-hustling can be lucrative and if you’re sales-minded then some work-from-home selling roles may offer high earning potential. And the experience you gain might help you get a promotion in your day-job as well. Sales roles can help some people improve their confidence and motivation, and there’s often training available which could benefit you in your primary career. Be sure to consult an accountant if you feel like you need help when it comes to submitting your tax return or forward planning your finances when you have income from more than one source.
Let’s say you’ve worked in PR for a decade, but always in B-to-B tech for example, and you’ve been keen to branch out into the food and drinks world for a while. Having a side-hustle could support your case for moving roles and give you the experience and contacts required to make the move. Sometimes in the marketing world we can find ourselves stuck in a silo and unsure how to switch. Helping out at food festivals, for example, could be an innovative way to launch your new foodie career and not only give you the experience but also the networks too. And of course it’s a way to see if you actually like it as much as you think you might do!
It’s important to understand your employer’s policies on side-hustles — and being open and honest about your side hustle can help you to avoid problems later down the line. If you’re working on a freelance or temporary basis then — unless it’s a conflict of interest — telling your clients tends to be less of an issue, but openness is often still helpful anyway.
It’s worth being aware that using equipment provided by an employer (laptop/phone) would be a no-no. Even if the employer were to say it’s okay, then insurance, data protection and security issues mean that, in reality, it’s just not worth the risk. And side-hustlers need to consider those very basic things, such as if a social media post goes out in your working hours for your side-hustle, scheduled or not, the employer could have a little or a large frown on their face. Particularly if the PAYE role is one where there are deadlines to be met.
Once all this is taken into account, your side-hustle could become a real career-enhancer, perhaps even one that sees you stepping into the role of employer one day too.
Career Academy is brought to you by the founders of Moxie and Mettle – [email protected] – 0117 301 8223.