business leaders ebook

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BUSINESS LEADERS:Insight into the challenges and characteristics of industry leaders

Viewpoints

http://www.reedglobal.com/viewpoints

Contents

Table of contents:

03. Introduction

05. The science of recruitment and leadership Dr Frank Craig and Ben Jensen on recruiting for the scientific industry

09. Understanding the traits and temperaments of CEOs Steve Tappin shares his expertise on working with CEOs

13. Bringing academia and business together How collaboration with academic institutions can benefit SMEs

17. Charity starts at the HR department Tara Dayne’s offers her 5 top tips for any HR professional working for a charity, NPO or third sector company


Return to the contents:

21. Cycle of change CSO at Xeros, Steve Jenkins introduces revolutionary products to a tired industry

25. Tis’ the season to go shopping New Look’s Lead Talent Resourcer, Alex Snape, on managing temporary recruitment

29. A people-focussed approach to driving business Alan Purvis shares his knowledge on where to invest to thrive in a challenging market



Regardless of an organisation’s size or its specific sector, strong leadership is a prerequisite for success. Those in positions of power have a never ending list of responsibilities that need to be carried out and complied with, from managing budgets and recruiting staff, to supporting employees and encouraging career development.


Viewpoints Introduction p03



As far as human resources is concerned, industries like retail and the third sector organisations have their own distinctive predicaments. Hiring seasonal staff for temporary employment or managing the budget of a charity are perpetual problems that every leader can relate to. Thankfully, industry experts and influencers are on hand to provide several tips and tricks while revealing what qualities the best managers and executives have.

Viewpoints Introduction p04





p05

The science of recruitment and leadership



Science entrepreneurs Dr Frank Craig and Ben Jensen talk about their style of leadership, and explain what it’s like to

recruit, retain and lead a team of scientists in a start-up environment.

Viewpoints The science of recruitment and leadership


p06




Frank runs Sphere Fluidics, a life sciences company developing products for use in single cell analysis and providing collaborative R&D services in this area. The company is three years old and emerged, with seed funding, out of the University of Cambridge. Currently it has a team of eight, which is expected to grow to 10 by the end of this year, and up to 50 in three to four years’ time.

“We’ve grown in a systematic way, fairly typical of start-ups. By and large, every company has a similar organisational footprint – a range of types of roles and functions – but in a biotech company you will probably have scientific and manufacturing functions as well.

“One challenge we have is that talented R&D people are difficult to come across and sometimes there are very few people who can do this kind of technical work. In particular, it can be hard to find people with the right industrial and management background.Sometimes there may literally only be five people in the world with the right mix of skills and experience. It’s because biotech usually focuses on developing emerging, leading edge science. You just don’t have many people who have used that in industry.

“I use every technique possible to recruit the right people, including networking and advertising. You might see someone

speaking at a conference, or sometimes people approach us, saying they’re interested in our technology. Then it emerges that they are interested in a job. I also use headhunters for specific senior jobs. They may know people in related areas that I wouldn’t have considered or known.

“Different people are motivated by different things. You need a rewards structure that uses a variety of things: salary, share options; bonuses; awards, to keep everyone happy. Some are motivated by title, or public recognition. We try to understand and motivate the individual.

“Scientists have to be interested in the science you’re doing in the first instance. Once they’ve made that decision, then other things come into play: Do I like these people? Can I develop my career here?’

“We have a performance review system that is part of developing people’s careers here over time. We can’t pay what the bigger companies pay but, for many, being part of a small, flexible, ambitious business is attractive, as people have the opportunity to be innovative and make a difference. We benchmark our salaries with other SMEs in our space, and we pitch our salaries in the upper quartile.

“The bottom line is that, if you don’t have the best people, you don’t have the best company.”


p07

Dr Frank Craig - CEO and director, Sphere Fluidics





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Ben runs a team of research scientists developing nanomaterials technology to solve problems in the real world.

In 2006, the business was launched with a team of three, as a spin-off from the University of Surrey. Four years later there was a shift in focus, from an assembly facility for plasma reactors, to a research facility, developing new technology that can be patented – and then licensed for use across a variety of applications.

“This was a sound decision as the market is a lot larger, and the technologies that our work is applicable to are wider than we had previously imagined.

“As a result, our team has changed from being made up of specialist engineers who build equipment, to research scientists: PhD physicists, chemists and condensed matter physicists. We also have three masters-level graduates, and interns. We have 14 people in total now. The structure is extremely flat. All the scientists report to me, and then I report to my CEO.

“Everybody has to get on, and be motivated. The structure we have allows them the freedom to think without being stifled by levels of management.

“The people we employ have been in universities for years and that culture is very different. Here, they are able to work at a much faster pace. It’s all about the speed of results and getting to a solution first – so we give them the freedom to do that.

“We are very picky when we recruit as people have to be able to fit in with our company culture, or it just won’t work. Can they bring energy to the process? What interests them in life? I am excited when I see someone has tailored their CV to the job they are going for – but it is so rare. I find people that interview well are the ones who’ve made an effort to find out about the company and be genuinely interested.

“My leadership style is to give people the space to figure out how to solve a problem. These people are very bright, very motivated, want to succeed and are competitive with the person at the next desk. Sometimes it’s about allowing people to make a mistake. And it’s about helping them to believe they can actually solve a problem. When they’re going round in circles I try to pull them out of the circle and say: ‘Have you thought about it in another way?’.

Ben Jensen - Chief technical officer, Surrey NanoSystems Ltd



Understanding the traits and temperaments of CEOsSteve Tappin■ CEO of Xinfu

■ Host of BBC CEO Guru

■ LinkedIn Global Influencer

■ 20 years experience working with CEOs


p09



“The best leaders will continue to need to inspire with a dream”

Viewpoints Understanding the traits and temperaments of CEOs

Even though some of the worlds most successful CEOs are now household names, the majority of us don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. How do these influential leaders make big decisions? What qualities and attributes are required to reach the top? Why are some CEOs more successful than others?

Here to provide some insight into these questions is Steve Tappin, the personal confidant of many of the world’s most successful CEOs. Drawing on 20 years’ experience of working with chairmen and CEOs, Steve acts as a sparring partner to eight FTSE 50 CEOs and a select group of Fortune 500 CEOs.


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What makes a great CEO?

There isn’t one right answer to being a CEO: it’s situational and personal to you. One reason being a CEO is so hard is that the best CEOs I’ve found constantly develop themselves across four critical areas at the same time - business performance, business leadership, personal leadership, personal performance. Is there a ‘best practice’ career path for becoming one?

I think it’s about an apprenticeship, not a career path, these days. Generally speaking, I’d recommend taking on more risk at an earlier age. What is the most surprising secret a CEO has told you about the key to their success?

Some CEOs resort to rather unlikely sources of support. One FTSE 100 financial services boss told me he brings an actress into head office every month. He literally learns to act out the CEO role! What are the advantages of being a home-grown CEO?

Home-grown CEOs generally offer the best odds of success. They typically benefit from pride, passion for the business,

product or sector knowledge and deeper loyalty. However, they risk being stuck in the existing thinking, and can find it harder to rise above politics and factions. Are some of the best CEOs also expert practitioners in their field?

To be honest, our research shows that what really matters is not sector experience, but what ‘CEO type’ a person is. In the West, there are six key CEO types: commercial executors, financial value drivers, corporate entrepreneurs, corporate ambassadors, people champions and global missionaries.

How different do you think the CEO of 10-20 years’ time will be?

A radically different world will make for very different leaders. But, my sense is that the best leaders will continue to need to inspire with a dream, connect with trust, outperform and deliver the results, build an enduring company and work on themselves to be the best they can be every day.


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Steve says: “I believe the best way to lead a business is in fellowship: a group of executives who really trust each other…”

“I think you’ve got to be very clear on your dream, what you’re moving towards; your convictions – what you stand for; and the way in which you get things done and lead.”



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Bringing academia and business together



Large organisations that work in specialist or technical industries usually have extensive R&D departments to help improve their products and services. Unfortunately, SMEs do not have this luxury and must look elsewhere for advice and guidance.

Thankfully, the Knowledge Transfer Partnership has given Paul Mines, CEO of Biome Bioplastic, an invaluable resource to help develop environmentally friendly plastics. And while recruiting new personnel for such a small company presents even more challenges, something Chris Stevens, technical manager at NGF EUROPE knows all too well, it does have various advantages too.

Viewpoints Bringing academia and business together

“As a small department, we’re very keen to maintain good

external links with universities – it enables us to use their

facilities, and benefit from their innovative research.”


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Biome’s aim is to “find alternative ways of producing plastics from substances other than oil.”

Along with reducing the company’s environmental impact, Biome has found that niche markets are prepared to pay a premium for greener products.

In order to manufacture bioplastics in a quick, efficient and eco- friendly way, Mines needed to seek out academic help and so embarked upon a project with the University of Warwick.

This led to the set up of Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), which involves an associate (namely a PhD student or post-doctoral researcher), a university and an industrial partner, such as Biome. Currently there are 800 KTPs in the UK, all striving to bring academia and business together.

Paul says: “The benefit of the KTP is that our knowledge is constantly growing and developing. It’s a symbiotic relationship, which means we benefit from the ongoing training and collaboration with our associate at the university.”

Whilst a collaborative approach works well for knowledge development, Paul notes that attracting the best candidates is hard, due to the company’s size, its specialist line of work and general negativity towards bioplastics. Knowing this, Biome has “deliberately chosen to use the waste products that are normally destroyed after harvesting.”

Paul Mines, CEO, Biome Bioplastics


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There is a 50% chance that your car contains material manufactured by NGF EUROPE

Five years ago saw the invention of the timing belt that lasts the whole life of the engine, but interestingly not every car manufacturer chooses to use it.

NGF EUROPE, which manufactures flexible glass cord for use in vehicle cam belts, also has a small team that is heavily involved in technical research. Dr Chris Stevens believes that his team of eight scientists – three post-docs, two graduates and two other highly experienced researchers, are incredibly flexible and have the end-users’ best interests at heart.

Chris says: “The benefits of being a small unit include the speed with which we can respond to change, as well as our ability to develop close working relationships with our customers” “As a small department, we’re very keen to maintain good external links with universities – because it enables us to use their facilities, and benefit from their innovative research.”

Dr Chris Stevens, Technical manager, NGF Europe

50%


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Charity starts at the HR departmentTara Daynes■ HR and training professional

■ 18 years post-graduate experience

■ A Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development


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Compared to companies in the private and public sectors, non-profit organisations face a number of unique challenges when it comes to HR. From identifying daily responsibilities and establishing governance boundaries, to managing and allocating tight budgets for things like training, the problems a charity has to deal with can be difficult and daunting.

However, HR and employment law consultant Tara Daynes believes that those working in the third sector can successfully manage these HR concerns by incentivising and developing their team.

Viewpoints Charity starts at the HR department

“Charities and non-profits can adapt their HR practices

without sacrificing quality”


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“Values should be communicated every day”

Tara has produced a series of ‘How To’ reports for Know-How Non-Profit, a Wikistyle website with contributions from a range of independent experts. She believes charities and non-profits can chivvy and adapt their HR practices without sacrificing quality and has come up with a blueprint for cut-price but effective practices to benefit HR teams across the non-profit sector.

Tara’s 5 tips for any HR professional working for a charity, NPO or company in the third sectors include: 1. Freebies - Take advantage of the free legal seminars that some solicitor

firms host. Along with boosting knowledge about employment law and people management, it is also a great networking opportunity.

2. Develop internal trainers - You will get a return on your investment many times over if you tap into the organisation’s workforce expertise.

3. On-the-job learning - By developing new skills and knowledge through work shadowing and action learning, employees will increase their promotion chances, which makes it easier and cheaper to fill vacancies internally too.

4. Self-managed online learning - Encourage those who like to research to read and learn for themselves with online teaching methods.

5. Funding - Several grants and funding is available, you just need to know where to look. For example firms can claim up to £1,000 in matched funding from Train to Gain’s Leadership and Management fund.

Tara also believes that recruitment and retention policies are crucial. These should have a close connection to the organisation’s core values, as new hires will be more likely to succeed if they understand and agree with the culture.

■ Values should be communicated everyday - Because it is easy to forget what they are if never mentioned.

■ Train people to develop values - Personal development objectives should relate to an individual’s understanding and knowledge of values,

■ Values should be used to manage performance - To what extent have staff demonstrated, shared and improved the organisation’s values?

■ Recognise and reward success - Reinforce values by acknowledging positive behaviours.


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Tara says: A non-profit organisation’s values are like “cultural glue” that connects the team and supports a social community based on shared goals.

By having structured questions around each value at the interview stage, you “recruit people who will be far more motivated and committed to the success of the organisation and its goals.”


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Cycle of change

Steve Jenkins■ CSO at Xeros

■ 20 years experience in new product R&D

■ Has commercialised new product developments in Europe, USA, India and the Far East


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Have you ever thought about how much water your washing machine uses? Or whether there’s a better, more efficient way of cleaning clothes? Well, Xeros has developed a new system where thousands of reusable and recyclable polymer beads replace most of the water in the laundry process. Not only does this save water and energy, but also reduces the need for detergents or chemical products.

Steve Jenkins, chief science officer for Xeros has found trying to introduce a revolutionary product to an industry that hasn’t changed much over the past 50 years is a difficult proposition. Despite this, he is working hard to overcome the challenge.

Viewpoints Cycle of change

“The Xeros-patented bead cleaning system is innovative and unique, and

it represents the most significant change in the laundry industry since the development of the front-loading

washing machine in the 1950s”


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“The Xeros-patented bead cleaning system is innovative and unique, and it represents the most significant change in the laundry industry since the development of the front-loading washing machine in the 1950s,” explains Steve.

The beads are pulsed through the wash and gently knead the fabrics, lifting dirt and stains and absorbing them into their polymer structure for superior cleaning. The beads also absorb stray colours, removing the need to separate whites and colours and, as they work at lower temperatures, it’s gentler on clothes. At the end of the process, the beads are removed by specially designed rinsing cycles. They can be used up to 500 times before they need to be replaced, and they are never wasted or washed down the drain as they are fully recyclable for re-use.

Water saving - Beads replace most of the water, using up to 80% less per wash cycle.

Energy saving - Water does not need to be heated as much, using about 50% less energy.

Detergent reduction - As the beads clean more effectively, so around 50% less detergent is required, saving money and reducing water pollution.

The main advantages are:


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Steve knows that Xeros is entering a market with “some long- established and conservative industrial and domestic processes, where there are very big players – not all of whom have the foresight or agility to adapt to big changes.” But he is getting there, with both commercial and domestic laundry, as early adopters grow in number and word spreads about the advantages.

“The culture in the company as it has grown has built on the difficulties we have overcome, and the achievements made so far, to forge a strong sense of identity and support between team members.”

Steve believes his pace-setting style of leadership works because the people he has are self-starters by nature – they are capable of matching any pace he sets. He believes this will enable Xeros to achieve success with its new ground-breaking system.

“We attract the right kind of people by talking about the company’s direction and aspirations. Our reputation and presence is growing rapidly, which really helps support this.”


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Tis’ the season to go shopping

Alex Snape■ Lead talent resourcer at high street

fashion retailer New Look

■ New Look have 1,160 stores worldwide and employ approx 20,000 people


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As we all know, Christmas is an incredibly busy, demanding and strenuous time for those in the retail industry. Hiring additional staff for physical locations is a priority, but the rise of online shopping adds another dimension to everyday processes and procedures.

Alex Snape, New Look’s lead talent resourcer, provides insight into how temporary recruitment can be managed. From planning staffing requirements through workforce management systems to overcoming location-based challenges, it is possible for any high-street retailer to deal with the demands that Christmas brings.

Viewpoints Tis’ the season to go shopping

“Recruitment needs to find the right calibre of people far enough in advance to provide necessary training, as most temporary staff

have limited experience.”


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According to the British Retail Consortium, big name stores can take on almost 5% extra staff from October onwards. With more and more consumers choosing to make purchases online, retailers have to make sure personnel are recruited and utilised in the right areas.

This is a dilemma Alex is all too familiar with. He knows that temporary recruitment poses many challenges for store managers, but strives to find solutions in his role at New Look. He believes that:

■ Recruitment needs to find the right calibre of people far enough in advance to provide necessary training, as most temporary staff have limited experience.

■ To forecast staff requirements, New Look uses a workforce management system to examine how many people it recruited last year and payroll spend versus sales.


■ In remote areas, finding part-time entry level management supervisors or sales team leaders is tough, as external candidates are working elsewhere while internal employees don’t want to lower their contracted hours.

■ The entire workforce shares the same vision and the power of the brand manages to attract top external talent.

Alex says: “In the main, people recruited for a Christmas temp role have quite limited experience so it is essential that we put them through a robust recruitment/training process.”

“We are really passionate about people and in my time here, there has been a really strong number of vacancies filled with internal promotions and people we have brought in externally have progressed well too.”

“We are really passionate about our people”


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New Look facts & figures

A lot depends on the location in question, but an extra 50-60 staff are often required for flagship New Look stores, while smaller outlets sometimes only need a couple of extra heads.

New Look aims to achieve its vision of becoming the “chosen brand for an inspiring accessible fashion experience” by standing by its brand values of “keep it simple”, “be brave”, “think customer”, “act with pace” and “take responsibility.”

1,160 stores worldwide

Employs around 20,000 people

Online operation serves more than 120 countries with e-commerce partnerships taking it into new markets

In last year’s Christmas trading update, e-commerce sales were up 62%

Approximately one quarter of all online orders chose to click and collect


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A people-focussed approach to driving business

Alan Purvis■ Managing Director of Direct Mail

company MetroMail

■ 20 years within the direct mail industry

■ Responsible for 240 staff ■ Passionate about investing in innovation

and people


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Founded in 1988, MetroMail is a mature business for the direct mail industry. Soon after its establishment, it was acquired by its biggest client, Saga plc. who wanted quality and cost control of its direct mail, with any spare capacity being sold to external customers.

Today the business operates from a 140,000 sq ft factory in County Durham and its 240 staff handle up to 250 million pieces of direct mail each year, making it one of the largest businesses of its type in the UK. While still supporting the needs of the Saga group, the business has grown a significant independent client base and continues to go from strength to strength.

Viewpoints An interview with...

“While our technological advances are important, the most crucial area of

investment is our people.”


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Alan Purvis, who has been with the business for almost 20 years, talks about the challenges MetroMail has faced and how it has navigated such a successful growth strategy.

“I joined MetroMail as an IT manager after starting out in heavy engineering. I saw the opportunity and growth in technology and made a conscious decision to join what was an exciting and growing field” he explains. Alan’s background in technology has been key to the evolution of MetroMail, as has continued investment in their growth strategy. During the difficult days of the recession Alan had to make strategic choices about where to cut costs and where to invest. He chose an approach that favoured investment above cost cutting and it paid off.


“While our technological advances are important, the most crucial area of investment is our people. Technology is available to every business in our sector, so the only way for us to be better is by investing in and supporting our staff.”

With a very stable workforce, this people-focussed approach is helping to drive the business forward. The workforce is rewarded for contributing ideas for improvement and the business has introduced free fruit, newspapers and magazines, to create a good working environment. With safety shoes being compulsory on the factory floor, the business pays for a podiatrist to make regular visits. MetroMail also invested in new premises in 2012, providing a modern working environment, with the added benefit of a sea view, given its enviable position on the coast.

“With a very stable workforce, this people-focussed approach is helping to drive the business forward. ”


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The future for MetroMail is firmly focussed on keeping pace with innovation, as Alan concludes: “we continue to try new things and show our customers that we are in step, if not ahead, of where they want to be. Customer personalisation is key for the future of direct mail and we are continually looking at how we need to evolve as a business to meet this need. This pace of change in our sector is exciting - nothing magic happens if you stay in your comfort zone so I’m looking forward to what challenges lie ahead.”



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