Restrictive Covenants – what do they really mean?

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The sense of achievement you experience when you secure your new job is immense. And rightly so. You look forward to a positive and productive future with your new employer. This is quite possibly the least opportune time to think ahead to what may happen when you leave. However, protecting yourself for that eventuality is good practice and, some employment advisers would say, essential.

What are restrictive covenants?

Restrictive covenants are clauses in your employment contract restricting your activities post-employment for a specified period, in order to protect your employer’s business interests. While your employer’s desire to protect themselves is understandable, you are entitled to do the same.

Think ahead

It is vital that you understand the range and claim restrictive covenants have over your ability to function professionally post-employment. While this may not feel like the best time to question your employer, this is probably the last opportunity you’ll have to negotiate your rights.

Make sure you understand exactly what is being said in your contract regarding your rights post-termination. For example, how long are you precluded from working for competitors? Do restrictive covenants extend to your social media accounts and connections? You are the best judge as to how you operate professionally. Think about the contacts you brought with you to this role. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are prevented from working in your chosen industry.

What are the main areas covered by restrictive covenants?

Your employer will be keen to protect themselves across three key areas: competitors, clients and employees. You can be prohibited from competing with or working for a known competitor within a fixed radius of your employer’s location or across certain territories, for a fixed period of time. You can also be prohibited from luring employees away from your employer and working for existing clients for a fixed period.

Often restrictive covenants are not upheld because they are too vague, too lengthy and the employee in question is not senior enough to pose a credible threat to the business. The key to restrictive covenants being upheld is that they are specific and realistic. The courts will uphold what they believe as reasonable. It’s important that you understand how much leeway your employer has in restricting you.

Loyalty Obligations

Check your contract for the wording regarding the calculation of your bonus figure. In some cases, a percentage of your bonus rewards your performance but the majority is to reward your loyalty. There may also be terms advising that payment of your bonus is discretionary and potentially deferred to encourage you not to leave. Payments may also extend to commission, shares and any agreed long-term incentives. Pay particular attention to how these restrictive covenants affect your loyalty obligations and the timing of your departure.

Climbing the corporate ladder

Sometimes as part of your progression and promotion, you will be asked to agree to additional restrictive covenants commensurate with your increased seniority. It’s vital that you employ the same forward thinking with any such amendments.

We strongly advise you to seek independent legal advice prior to entering into any legal agreement.

Athena Executive Search specialise in recruiting senior leadership positions in the Print and Packaging sectors globally. For access to more articles on industry topics, recruitment and retention strategies, and our upcoming webinar series with industry thought leaders please subscribe here: https://athena50147.activehosted.com/f/1

Top tips to win the war for talent in the print and packaging sectors

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We are all aware of the current recruitment challenges facing our industry. It’s not surprising that many organisations are feeling the pressure. Here are our insights as to how you can win the war for talent in the print and packaging sectors.

Take a good look inside

Evaluate current employee satisfaction. One way in which you can achieve an authentic snapshot of current staff sentiment is by creating a simple in-house survey. Share your company’s direction and focus. Engage your team; find out what they think. Successful organisations examine how they can improve the experience of talented teams. Often the most effective improvements centre around employees feeling valued, acknowledged and a central element of the organisation’s future.

Recruit smarter, not harder

Nowadays, referring to the “war for talent” highlights global challenges in recruiting talented staff. With digital technologies evolving at light speed, there is a burgeoning need to attract the best candidates available to help you keep up or – better still -stay ahead. The first key to success is recruiting smarter, not harder. Consider the critical difference between merely looking for replacements and recruiting the right talent to grow your business.

Do what you do best

The global talent deficit, coupled with increasing demands for your time, means you need to play to your strengths. Trawling through piles of CVs is almost certainly not the best use of your skills. Identifying an engaging recruitment strategy particular to your organisation’s short and long term needs, however, is a great investment. Take an active role in the recruitment process. Encourage robust discussions on recruitment criteria, both within your senior management teams and with your chosen recruitment firm. Make sure everyone is on the same page and understands exactly what your organisation is looking for – and why.

Planning and communication are key

Once you have your recruitment strategy in place, turn your attention to planning. For example, it makes no sense recruiting over notoriously slow periods such as Christmas. Taking the time to plan when you are going to recruit can make all the difference. Communicate with your candidates. Be transparent; let them know when they can expect to hear from you after an interview. Don’t leave them guessing. Put yourself in their shoes. Talented candidates are looking for an organisation they can connect with.

Transparency is the new currency

You are being appraised too. Offer a glimpse of the values and culture that exists beyond the job description. Breathe life into the role. Engage candidates with your honesty. Let candidates know what it’s like to work for your company. With so much competition between organisations, candidates are reassured by a clear perception as to who you really are. Your transparency encourages candidates to communicate with greater transparency too. This offers a rare insight beyond whether the candidate can do the job, allowing you to gauge their development potential.

Now that’s recruiting for talent.

If you are serious about attracting and retaining the best talent in the Print and Packaging sectors Athena can help. Our 7 Step Recruiting System is designed to ensure that you can recruit and retain the top 15% of candidates in the Print and Packaging market, candidates who are motivated by much more than money. We work in partnership with our clients to fully understand their requirements and ensure that newly recruited staff are joining for the right reasons and looking to develop a long-term career.

Book in for a Client Discovery Call today by clicking on this link https://athena-executive.acuityscheduling.com/

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Why Your Print and Packaging Job Advertising Isn’t Working

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If you are struggling to fill your Print and Packaging roles, you need to take a good hard look at the possible reasons why.

There could be several factors which are holding the right candidates back from applying for your positions, or it could be a simple case of you not advertising with the right methods or in the right place.

Maybe you shouldn’t be advertising in the first place!

According to a recent survey by LinkedIn only 12% of candidates are actively looking for a new role with a further 13% casually looking. This leaves 75% of candidates not actively seeking a new role who would be unlikely to respond to a job advert. No wonder your advertising isn’t working! Consider asking around your network for recommendations and using a specialist Print and Packaging recruiter. Advertising may well be the wrong way to attract candidates and certainly the top 15% who will be very happy in their present roles.

Are You Advertising in the Right Way?

If you are going to advertise a role the most important part of finding the right candidates for your vacancies is formulating and placing the most appropriate adverts.

First, you should ensure that the advert you are circulating is perfect in every way. You’re not going to get the best people applying if your advert is full of spelling mistakes and doesn’t contain the correct information.

Your advert must have the correct job title, an accurate location, details on salary and any other benefits, a brief but informative job description, requirements (such as qualifications or experience needed for the post) and full details of where and how to apply (for instance, if you want a cover letter, ask for one).

Have You Placed It Appropriately?

Once you have the perfect advert, you need to position it in front of the perfect candidates – and that means making sure it is placed on the right job boards, websites and social media channels.

When advertising Print and Packaging jobs, for instance, you should make sure the details are circulated in specialist Print and Packaging publications / websites. Using the most popular general all-purpose ones is also a must.

Make sure to promote it via your own website and social media channels, too, and remember to include keywords to enhance your chances of reaching more people.

Is Your Application Process Too Complicated?

If you are asking every candidate to fill in a five-page competence-based application form and produce a thousand-word essay on their skills and experience, you may well be putting people off applying in the first place.

Keep your application process simple and relevant. And make sure you respond to everyone who meets your criteria promptly and appropriately – leaving candidates waiting around for weeks could mean you lose the chance to even interview them.

Are You Expecting Too Much?

Hanging around waiting for the perfect candidate who meets all your criteria to apply may just end in disappointment. You will probably have to compromise: the right person for the job may not have as much experience as you would like or possess all of the qualifications you are demanding.

And don’t expect hundreds of people to apply for every job – some more specialised roles will only see a handful of applications.

Is Your Brand Strong Enough?

One more rather harsh reason your job advertising isn’t doing as well as you’d hoped could be that your company’s reputation isn’t as good as you thought it was.

It’s a fact that people are reluctant to apply for a position with a firm they have heard bad things about.

Unfortunately, the only way you can change this is to become a better employer. Start by looking up employee reviews of your firm online, and then ask your current workers how you can improve. If you have a high turnover of Print and Packaging staff, this will be well worth the effort.

Athena Executive Search specialise in recruiting senior leadership positions in the Print and Packaging sectors globally. For access to more articles on industry topics, recruitment and retention strategies, and our upcoming webinar series with industry thought leaders please subscribe here: https://athena50147.activehosted.com/f/1

How to improve your work productivity

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Productivity is the place where smart planning meets concentrated effort. To some, this place is nirvana: a productivity paradise they have long heard of but do not expect to visit anytime soon. There’s too much to do. To others, productivity is a practical process available to all, provided that you’re prepared to chip in a bit of discipline and effort. We believe in the latter ethos. Productivity is a simple and straightforward process. We just need some coaxing to change our thinking as to how to eke out the best from ourselves at work.

Move!

You almost certainly know that sitting for most of the day damages your health. Research has proved that sitting for 8-10 hours every day without moving around in between causes heart attacks. What does this have to do with productivity we hear you ask? Your energy levels are reduced because you’re not moving around. If your energy levels dip, your concentration levels take a hit. If your concentration is impaired, your decision making isn’t what it could be. Productivity isn’t about how many hours you sit at your desk. Productivity is what you achieve without ruining your health.

Disconnect

In America alone 12.2 billion hours are collectively spent scrolling social media sites. The approximate cost of these diversions in productivity terms is approximately $650 billion per year (that’s about $4,452 per person).

Constantly switching between the task at hand to quickly check your social media feeds impairs your focus levels. While this may not affect you initially, you’ll discover its crippling effects when circumstances demand you focus for an extended period. Monitor your scrolling time. You’ll be happier, have more energy and will notice the world around you again. TV watching is another culprit. As they say, no empire was ever built watching TV. Discipline yourself to one show per evening, and notice how your concentration levels improve.

Think about what you want to achieve and look at how you are realistically going to achieve it. The temptation to escape by watching TV is real, we know, but the advantages and rewards when you resist the urge and get on with going for that swim, walk or catching up with some reading are remarkable.

Plan

Before you leave the office for the day, plan your tasks for tomorrow. Writing a to do list of what you want to get done focuses your mind. When you leave the office you are confident of what needs to be done when you return. Overnight your mind has some time to itself (because you’re not slumped in front of the TV) and, after a while, you’ll start having good ideas. You might find yourself doing some background reading or brainstorming on your commute to work.

You were right all along

Forget multi-tasking. Research has confirmed what our frayed nerves have been trying to tell us: we cannot complete multiple tasks simultaneously. The old rule of “one thing at a time” is back and we’re all more productive because of it.

The key to productivity is working smarter, not harder. You know what you need to do. Far from being a grind, being productive increases positivity, wellbeing and guarantees success. Go for it!

Athena Executive Search specialise in recruiting senior leadership positions in the Print and Packaging sectors globally. For access to more articles on industry topics, recruitment and retention strategies, and our upcoming webinar series with industry thought leaders please subscribe here: https://athena50147.activehosted.com/f/1

 

The latest HR technology trends

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HR is an industry which hasn’t exactly kept up with technology trends and this is probably down to the fact that is an industry based on communication and personal relationships. However, we are seeing a lot of interesting new developments in HR and these can be hugely beneficial for businesses for both recruitment and retention. These are some of the top HR tech trends to look out for this year.

Enhanced recruitment process

At the moment, most HR recruitment systems exist for the purpose of tracking candidate applications – however, this is set to change throughout this year. Recruitment systems are set to become a lot slicker, incorporating marketing and brand building, as well as the standard tracking – and this will help improve the overall recruitment and selection process.

Performance management tools 

An effective performance management process is essential for helping to grow talent and improve retention. Up until now, performance management tools have been fairly limited, however, this is starting to change. We will see an influx of cloud based performance management systems, which can help support the process and make performance management a lot more useful.

Digital learning 

In the print and packaging sectors, it is essential for employees to continuously learn and update their skills and with enhancements in digital learning, this is set to become a whole lot easier. Employees will be able to undertake lessons and gain certifications, all through their computers or phones. The on boarding process will even benefit from digital enhancements, and this will improve the entire journey for employees, as well as making manager’s lives a lot easier.

People analytics 

The Print and Packaging sectors are challenging and it can be difficult to retain talented staff, due to the options available for candidates. If you want to know more about what your employees want, people analytics is the way to achieve it. It can all start with simply online surveys, where you can find out more about what your employees want and this can help improve retention levels.

Most businesses could benefit from investing in some of the new HR tech trends, particularly large organisations who want to improve employee relations and retention levels. If your HR systems are stuck in the dark ages, it may be worth looking at alternative options.

Athena Executive Search specialise in recruiting senior leadership positions in the Print and Packaging sectors globally. Please get in touch if you are contemplating a career move or looking to recruit. For access to more articles on industry topics, recruitment and retention strategies, and our upcoming webinar series with industry thought leaders please subscribe here: https://athena50147.activehosted.com/f/1

 

The Key Trends in Brand Protection and Security in the Packaging Market

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In the face of increasing losses due to more sophisticated counterfeiting and the theft of goods in transit, the packaging market is seeking to develop higher levels of brand protection and security.

Well-recognised threats to brands and goods, combined with revised regulations regarding the shipment of perishable items such as food and drink, are leading to the emergence of new and exciting packaging innovations designed to protect products from both counterfeiting and theft.

And this is good news for the industry as a whole. A recent report about the market predicts that it will grow at an impressive compound annual growth rate of 5.3% over the next five years, reaching $3.6 billion by the end of the forecast period.

What Is Driving This Growth?

There are several factors driving this predicted growth. New laws to help prevent tampering with goods in transit through compulsory labelling and the use of ever more sophisticated tamper-proof measures are currently being introduced in both the EU and America. These will be applicable for ‘life-critical products’, which include food, drinks, industrial components and pharmaceuticals.

In addition, a number of countries – including India, Brazil, Turkey, China and South Korea – have already introduced measures aimed at increasing security within the transportation of goods used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Track and Trace

And the World Health Organization and Framework Convention on Tobacco Control are leading the way by mandating the use of so-called track and trace technologies. These innovative new developments aim to ensure all manner of goods can be accurately tracked throughout their journey from the producer to the client, ensuring that nothing happens to them along the way.

Track and trace technology, in fact, is expected to see the largest growth in coming years – already it makes up 37% of the market. The technology is so advanced that much of it can even be accessed via smartphones.

Another critical factor driving the growth is the extension of certain trade zones across the globe, which have made it easier for counterfeit products to cross borders.

Where Is the Growth Expected?

Experts say the majority of the growth in the area is likely to occur in management systems, software and equipment, with a small decline predicted in actual physical components.

A greater emphasis is being placed on easy measures such as printable codes, which can be used across the board in a wide range of applications to improve brand protection.

The main users of the technology will be the food and drinks sector, with a market share of 38.8%, followed by the industrial sector and pharmaceuticals industry.

So it seems that brand protection and security will be set to play an ever-increasing part in a range of industries in the coming years.

Athena Executive Search specialise in recruiting senior leadership positions in the Print and Packaging sectors globally. For access to more articles on industry topics, recruitment and retention strategies, and our upcoming webinar series with industry thought leaders please subscribe here: https://athena50147.activehosted.com/f/1

Possibly the best time management advice ever!   

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One of the best time management advice stories goes like this. Charles Schwab was a steel mill Magnate in the 1930s and asked a time management guru, Ivy Lee, for his top tip. Ivy Lee gave the tip and said he was so confident of his advice that Charles can try it out and pay him whatever he feels the tip is worth. After a few weeks Charles was so impressed with the usefulness of the advice that he sent a cheque of $25,000. In modern money this is about $344,000. Wow!

 The famous advice that Lee gave was: 

  • At the end of a day list the key tasks that you need to get done the next day.
  • Prioritise them (ideally 1 to 5 priorities).
  • Next day work on tasks in the order of their priority/importance until daily time allows, not proceeding until a task was completed. Get as far as you can on the priority list.
  • Keep doing this every day.

Charles M. Schwab said this tip was the most profitable advice he had ever received. He was the first manager in the US to get over a million dollars a year so he must have been a competent guy.

We all have the same amount of time and there is normally plenty to do. Managing our time optimally is so important and gets us ahead.

Athena Executive Search specialise in recruiting senior leadership positions in the Print and Packaging sectors globally. Please get in touch if you are contemplating a career move or looking to recruit. For access to more articles on industry topics, recruitment and retention strategies, and our upcoming webinar series with industry thought leaders please subscribe here: https://athena50147.activehosted.com/f/1

 

10 reasons why you should use a headhunter

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10 reasons why you should use a headhunter

Headhunters, in simple terms, are recruiters – but not all recruiters are headhunters. Another term for what headhunters do is “Executive Searching” and this is it in a nutshell – they search for the ideal candidates at executive and senior management level. But they don’t just match people to companies; they match companies to people.

So what else does a headhunter have to offer?

  1. A headhunter knows how your industry works – the technology, the trends and most crucially understands what you do.
  2. A headhunter will have many years of networking within your field behind them. They make it their business to know who’s who, and will very quickly have someone specific in mind for a role you need to fill.
  3. By using a headhunter you can save yourself a lot of time. Your company doesn’t need to embark on a long, drawn-out recruitment process that may not even lead to finding the right candidate at all.
  4. As a result of the above, a good headhunter works in an advisory capacity for you, hence reducing the risk of making a bad (costly) choice of candidate.
  5. Once a particular headhunter has done a great job in finding you the perfect new recruit, a relationship of trust can exist for locating suitable candidates for future roles.
  6. Good headhunters in your field will be up-to-date with the latest laws, strategies and techniques.
  7. Headhunters are very proactive – it’s their job. After all, they’re paid on results. An effective headhunter will work tirelessly on your behalf until the role is successfully filled.
  8. A top class headhunter knows exactly where to look for talent. They not only have good networking connections within your field, but they also have a highly comprehensive set of tools and knowledge at their disposal to get that ideal person through your door.
  9. Headhunters will thoroughly understand the job requirements and person specification for the role on offer. Then will then be able to comprehensively convey these to a potential new recruit. This allows the candidate to gain a much clearer understanding of the role from the outset, meaning less space for misunderstanding – and a possible recruitment mistake.
  10. Any headhunter worth their salt will also make sure they do not lose the best candidates to other companies. There are likely to only be one or two ideal potential new employees for the level of job you are aiming to fill. A headhunter will know how to get them interested and motivated in the role – and not let them get away!

Athena Executive Search specialise in recruiting senior leadership positions in the Print and Packaging sectors globally. Please get in touch if you are contemplating a career move or looking to recruit. For access to more articles on industry topics, recruitment and retention strategies, and our upcoming webinar series with industry thought leaders please subscribe here: https://athena50147.activehosted.com/f/1