22 minute read
Recruitment
BARRY WHELAN
managing director of Excel Recruitment
www.excelrecruitment.com
Management mistakes: Part I
Securing great talent is harder than ever in today’s competitive market, so it is vital management don’t alienate staff by adopting the wrong attitude or techniques. Here, Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan outlines 12 of the top mistakes to avoid
When candidates come through Excel, looking for a new role, we zone in on their ‘reason for leaving’. We want to understand completely why the candidate wants to move job, so that we can fi nd the right new job for them. One of the reasons that comes up consistently in the top fi ve is frustration with a manager or poor management. Over this month and next, I will be outlining 30 of the top bad management mistakes that drive an employee out the door.
For all those managers out there interested in improving their ability to manage others, take heart in that you’re only human. I know I for one have made every single one of these management mistakes at some point or another in my career.
Let’s start with my personal favourite!
1) Be inconsistent and unpredictable
This manager likes to keep people on their toes by being totally inconsistent in terms of communication (both style and content), expectations, feedback and long-term vision for the organisation. All the employees’ nerves are shot from playing workplace Russian roulette!
2) Move the goalposts
This manager changes their expectations every time you meet with them. They give out to employees for not meeting the new expectations they have just told them about and for instead wasting all their time trying to meet the expectations they set last month. They look for constant validation!
3) Involve themselves in every decision
This manager does not let any decision be made without weighing in, no matter how small, and no matter how long it will be before they have time to review the matter. They are hands on…no problem is too small that needs their faultless problem solving!
4) Correct small mistakes to demonstrate how clever they are
The classic insecure micro manager will review and approve emails or business correspondence, then change their mind over inane word choices. They will randomly ‘correct’ already correct grammar or spelling on documents given to you to sign in pen, ensuring that even once you understand it’s correct, it has to be re-printed!
5) Refuse to give any feedback
The manager who won’t give any feedback, either positive or negative, ever, but will overreact completely when people fail to correctly understand what they want!
6) Make everyone run on their schedule
They will be 20 minutes late to every meeting, leave early, and then get angry when a minor decision is made without having their input. They insist on being the fi nal decision maker for every aspect of every project, but then don’t make decisions in a timely manner; instead waiting until the eleventh hour and making everyone scramble to get the work done.
One of the bad management styles which forces employees out the door, is the failure to give any feedback, followed by a major overreaction when people fail to correctly understand what they want 7) Spend time on less important things so that they can ignore more important things
The manager who insists on doing tasks someone else could do while unmade decisions pile up on their desk to the point of nearly halting anything getting done.
8) Refuse to let people do their jobs, then give out to them for it!
How many times have we met candidates who were hired for a job that they were not allowed to do! I met a graduate the other day who was hired as an accounts assistant but ended up selling products on the showroom fl oor.
9) Treat people the same, regardless of their experience
A good manager must adjust to their audience, don’t treat 10+ years experienced employees the same as those with less than one year! This is a sign that the manager does not have the confi dence (or experience) to manage experience.
10) Don’t learn new skills or improve existing ones
This boss feels, why should they learn stuff when they have people to do stuff! They fail to learn even the most elementary technology like email attachments, making their staff do that in addition to their own work.
11) Only communicate the trivial
This manager can’t deliver big news that is in any way negative. They communicate on small, insignifi cant things and don’t tell anyone about challenges in the business, changes in process or even positive news.
12) Build a sense of importance by talking about how busy they are all the time
This manager constantly tells their team how busy they are, how they had to catch up by working all weekend. They have to remind everyone how they are busier and thus work harder than everybody else. Often these are the same people who talk excessively at work. ■
Franchise fever
With over 100 outlets, the AIL Group has been in business close to 40 years and has experienced both recessions and booms but nothing could have prepared them for the toll Covid took on the industry. Dusting themselves down, they are looking forward to steady growth in 2022. Fionnuala Carolan spoke to joint managing director David Zebedee about the franchising business in Ireland
Headed up by David Zebedee and Graeme Beere, the AIL Group is made up of a number of franchises including Abrakebabra, Bagel Factory, O’Brien’s Cafes and Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK). We spoke to Zebedee a couple of days after the harsh restrictions of Christmas 2021 were lifted. While he was very happy to see things opening up sooner than expected, the abruptness of it meant they didn’t have much time to prepare. “We managed to get the GBK restaurants open on Friday night but we were scrambling to get staff,” he explains. “Town is still very quiet. Covid is still here. People have been conditioned for so long to be cautious,” he says, acknowledging that it will take some time for this to dissipate and normality to resume.
So how has Covid affected this business overall? “Firstly it was just shock,” he says. “For the fi rst three months, it was like what is after happening? We had to tailor things by ramping up delivery services. In the end some stores did better than in 2019 and some stores did worse depending on the location.
“Certainly, O’Briens was negatively affected,” he adds. “Whenever the shopping centres were closed there was no turnover. We’ve been through a few recessions which were tough and obviously nobody saw Covid coming but you just have to adapt and get on with it. There are going to be shop closures at any given time through no fault of our own or the shop operator. We just survive and rebuild.”
Background
Zebedee is originally from Co. Down but attended secondary school at Sligo Grammar where he befriended business partner Graeme Beere. After school he served in the Irish Navy for eight years before turning his attention to business and reconnecting with Beere who had opened an Abrakebabra in Dublin. “I came to Dublin to work for Graeme. He opened up a second Abrakebabra store and asked if I would come and work for him. The company is 40 years old now and I’m with the company 38 years,” he proudly states.
The company started as Abrakebabra Limited then expanded by taking on the other brands. First Bagel Factory, then Yo Sushi (which they no longer run the franchise for) followed by Gourmet Burger Kitchen and then well-known sandwich business, O’Briens. The business let go of GBK a number of years ago as the South African parent company, Famous Brands wanted to take it back and made AIL Group “an offer we couldn’t refuse”. When Famous Brands got into trouble in the UK as it struggled amid the pandemic, it sold the company to the Boparan Restaurant Group. AIL Group was then again presented with the opportunity to take back the GBK franchise for Ireland which they jumped at and have since opened a new outlet in Dundrum Town Centre in December.
Right mix
The company has 55 O’Briens franchises in Ireland, 30 in Malaysia, and a handful in Dubai and it is hoped that the company will reach the 100 mark by the end of 2022. “We are seeking opportunities to expand Gourmet Burger Kitchen - we will be looking at locations such as Galway, Cork, and Limerick in the next year or so,” Zebedee says.
The company has come up with the umbrella term ‘The Oasis of Taste’ for the
AIL Group joint managing director David Zebedee is originally from Co. Down but attended secondary school at Sligo Grammar where he befriended business partner Graeme Beere
locations that have all three brands in one location. There are six of these around the country and this is something that will be expanded to include GBK now that they have that brand back in the fold. “That works very well [for retailers] as it means they have a full solution,” he says. “They have the deli, the coffee offering and the fast food all under the one umbrella and then some of them have the Abra standalone with their own deli.”
They work with all the major retail groups including Maxol, BWG and Musgrave as well as standalone operators. These concessions work well in retail settings because the stores are open long hours and often have a deli but no evening offering. They all bring something fresh and enticing for the evening customer. Zebedee explains, “We’re working closely with the Musgrave Group at the moment and they have identified sites for us there within their Daybreak operation. Retailers often have the deli offering and the coffee offering but after 3pm they have nothing to sell despite their shops being open until 11pm. That is where Abrakebabra comes in. We’ve tailored the Abra menu to suit different times of the day and different locations,” he explains.
“Traditionally Abra has been a late night business but since we adapted the menu it now trades well around lunchtime and then gets busy again around teatime when people are going home and grabbing a takeaway and of course you have the deliveries as well. Covid has been responsible for that [delivery services] being triggered. It was always there but it got a lot busier when people were stuck at home.”
Plans for growth
Throughout the past two years they have been receiving a lot of enquiries about franchising but everything has been slower to instigate as it has been difficult to get builders and secure planning permissions during Covid so trying to get things over the line has been harder than normal. Despite this they are anticipating about 10 new openings in 2022.
While enquiries may be plentiful, is the right type of franchisee difficult to identify we wondered? Zebedee claims they have been very lucky in that regard and are now attracting a new cohort. “At the moment you would have individuals who would have been let go through Covid and received redundancy and want to use it to get into the restaurant business,” he explains. “This isn’t an easy business so a new franchisee must be able to operate the business and understand the business and want it.”
What happens if things are not working out with a franchisee? Zebedee says that there is a franchise agreement put in place and there are certain triggers in that agreement that can be activated if one party is not cooperating but over the last 40 years they’ve never yet had to resort to that. “Things have come to an end by mutual agreement with both sides admitting that it’s just not working and that could be because of the location or the operators’ personal circumstances. We audit all the stores on a regular basis so we would know if things weren’t working,” he explains.
The company has a full operational team, with a health and safety officer constantly on the road visiting all the stores and liaising with the franchisees directly to endeavour that all stores are successful but Zebedee admits, “sometimes there are issues that arise that are out of our hands.”
“There is support for first time operators and we have very in-depth training programmes so before anyone signs a franchise agreement they will agree to do a full training programme and during that training programme you’ll get an indication whether they are the right people or the wrong people. We’ve been very lucky in the past and especially in the last 10/15 years our operators have been very good,” he says.
Initial investment
The initial investment of a franchise depends on a few factors namely location and whether the prospective franchisee is taking over an existing business that has the infrastructure of
The AIL Group has tailored the Abrakebabra menu to suit different times of the day and different locations James Lowe, the New Zealand rugby player, is the brand ambassador for Gourmet Burger Kitchen in a nod to the two New Zealanders who founded the brand
a restaurant, ie toilets, extraction, kitchens. Zebedee says it would be “a minimum of €50k but up to €300k depending on the size and location or if it is one brand, two brands or The Oasis of Taste”. Now that they have GBK back, there is a possibility of putting all four brands together as a mini food court.
As part of the ongoing company investment, AIL Group has recently introduced two new ambassadors for its brands. Firstly, it has Olympian Natalya Coyle for O’Briens and also James Lowe, the New Zealand rugby player for Gourmet Burger Kitchen as a nod to the two New Zealanders who founded the brand. Rachel Allen is also still working with O‘Briens creating new recipes, and has now worked for nearly ten years with the brand.
For the foreseeable future they see growth arising from both motorway service stations and nationwide in provincial towns and cities. “It’s very fluid. We can adapt to all locations and situations,” says Zebedee. “We’d be very positive for the year ahead. It’s very early to tell how things will go but I feel it will be a good year. For one thing, people are keen to get out and about now and hopefully we can provide an offering that excites people and drives them into stores.” n
Olympian Natalya Coyle is the brand ambassador for O’Briens, which recently launched its new ‘Power of Choice’ menu
www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife February 2022
CAROLINE REIDY What you need to know: HR audits
A comprehensive HR audit will not only give employers peace of mind that they are complying will all relevant employment legislation, but can also improve all aspects of the employment journey, writes The HR Suite’s Caroline Reidy
managing director, The HR Suite
There are over 40 pieces of employment legislation protecting employee rights in the workplace and the onus is on the employer to abide by the obligations set out in this legislation. An effective way to ascertain if there are any issues with legal compliance is to have a HR audit undertaken.
Legal obligations
The following are examples of legal obligations of employers that can result in penalties if not complied with: u All employees are legally entitled to a copy of their contract within two months of commencing employment. • Are your staff contracts up to date covering all relevant legislation? • Are the contracts given to new employees within the set timeframe? u All employees must receive a written notice of the organisation’s dismissal policy and procedures within 28 days of commencing employment. • Do you have a comprehensive policy and procedures manual for employees? • Do you have an acceptance process signed off by your employees? u Employees must be paid the correct rate of pay including the premium due in relation to Sunday work and overtime. • Do you have records of this? u All hours worked by employees must be recorded by employers. • How are you currently doing this? u All employees must receive their correct break entitlements. • Is this being recorded and logged in your business? u If you have employees under the age of 18, are they receiving the correct rate of pay and breaks? u Are all work permits or immigration permission stamps in date?
The Workplace Relations Commission inspectors (formerly NERA), visit places of employment and carry out inspections in order to ensure compliance with employment-related legislation. Such inspections involve examining books, records and documents related to employment, and conducting interviews with current and former employees.
A comprehensive HR audit will not only cover the above areas of legal compliance but will also look at all areas of the employment journey to advise on how this can be improved:
Recruitment and selection
The HR Suite can review your current procedure of recruitment and selection and advise on best practice advertising, shortlisting, interviews, offers and rejections.
Induction and training
Induction is the fi rst training an employee receives in the workplace and it is therefore advised that induction should be standardized across the board to ensure that all employees receive the same information from the outset. Induction and basic skills training assists employees to attain the required standard more quickly and reduces the learning cost of the new job.
Probation management
Probation is a key period in the employment journey. Regular probationary reviews should take place with all new employees during their probation period to ensure that they reach the company standards as quickly as possible. The HR Suite can provide guidance and supporting documentation for the probation process in your organisation.
Performance management
Performance management allows the company to monitor past performance against agreed standards, to identify ongoing training needs, to improve future work performance, to identify employee potential, to give feedback to employees and as a formal record of the discussion of any poor performance issues. Performance reviews should be conducted at least once a year.
Employee files and data protection
The new GDPR requirements ensure that personal data is not retained for longer than is necessary. You must be able to justify why you are retaining data and so going forward you must ensure that data retention is minimised. In relation to employment documents, certain employment legislation prescribes a statutory minimum period to retain records. A review of HR fi les is included in The HR Suite’s audits.
Exit management
The HR Suite can advise on retention of records after an employee leaves the company and can also provide best practice advice on resignation and exit interviews. Exit interviews are a great way of ascertaining feedback from employees and may show or highlight a problem in key areas.
Abiding by obligations
It is important that all employers abide by their obligations set out in employment legislation to ensure not only legal compliance but employee wellbeing also. The HR Suite can conduct HR audits for employers to ensure legal compliance and will provide a detailed corrective action plan and relevant template documents tailored to specifi c business needs. ■
“ Improved performance will not just happen; it needs to be planned and it involves allowing staff to understand the bigger picture and the role they play in it,” writes Caroline Reidy
CONTACT THE HR SUITE:
If you are an organisation based in the Republic of Ireland and require further information or advice relating to HR, please do not hesitate to contact The HR Suite offi ce on (066) 7102887 or email the company at info@thehrsuiteonline.com.
Mash Direct has added to its potato-based range with the launch of Skinny Fries.
The 250g pack of Skinny Fries are made from Mash Direct’s homegrown potatoes, which are thinly cut, coated in a light crispy batter and fried for a perfect texture.
The Skinny Fries are prepared immediately after harvesting to ensure freshness, fl avour and to retain the natural texture and nutritional benefi ts of the produce.
Oven-cooked in just 15-20 minutes from chilled, the product boasts three green traffi c lights for being low in saturated fat, salt and sugar, and is full of natural veggie goodness. Like the rest of Mash Direct’s innovative vegetable accompaniments range, the Skinny Fries are gluten-free and free from artifi cial colourings and fl avourings.
Skinny Fries contain two servings and are currently available to purchase from selected retailers nationwide at an RRP €2.49.
Mash Direct has a range of over 50 farm fresh products, 25 of which have won Great Taste Awards.
Oven-cooked in just 15-20 minutes from chilled, Mash Direct Skinny Fries boast three green traffi c lights for being low in saturated fat, salt and sugar
Jameson achieves highest ever H1 volume in Irish Distillers’ latest six-months results Lidl provides 80,000 free period products between May – December 2021
Irish Distillers, producer of some of the world’s most well-known Irish whiskeys, has reported results for the fi rst half of its fi nancial year (ending 31 December 2021). Jameson sold 5.8 million cases (+22%) in the fi rst six months of the fi nancial year to December 2021. This is the highest ever H1 volume for Jameson.
In the six months to the end of December 2021, Jameson recorded volume growth in key markets including the US (+8%), the UK (+16%) and South Africa (+41%). Within the broader Jameson family, Jameson Black Barrel recorded growth of 35% globally versus the same period last year, successfully capitalizing on the growing consumer trend towards more premium brands.
Meanwhile, consumers continued to show their appreciation for Irish Distillers’ single pot still portfolio in the fi rst half of the year, led by Redbreast with record volume growth (+19%). The Spot range recorded volume growth of 7%, its highest ever half year volume growth.
In Ireland, both Jameson and Irish Distillers’ prestige portfolio of whiskeys enjoyed a strong performance with Jameson recording +13% volume growth compared to the same period last year.
Aldi reopens Wexford Trinity Street store following €2.8m revamp and extension
Aldi has unveiled its newly revamped and extended Wexford Trinity Street store following a €2.8m overhaul. Powered by 100% green electricity, Aldi says the store has been redesigned to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
Over the past few months, the store has undergone a complete refurbishment, including the building of a new €2.8m extension, increasing the shop fl oor space by 37%. Featuring Aldi’s award-winning Project Fresh layout and design, the fl oor size has been extended from 850sq m to 1,162sq m, and features wide aisles and hi-spec fi xtures and fi ttings. There are also 86 car park spaces available to Aldi shoppers, along with a bicycle rack stand.
The revamped Wexford Trinity Street store will also be the fi rst Aldi in Ireland to trial electronic shelf labels in place of traditional paper price labels in stores. These electronic labels will mean that price or stock changes can easily and quickly be communicated to customers.
Originally built in 2004, the store overhaul and extension has created four new permanent jobs in the local area in addition to the current team of 18 staff. This brings the total number of staff working in Aldi’s six Co. Wexford stores to over 185. As the fi rst major retailer in the world to commit to combatting period poverty by offering free sanitary products in stores nationwide in April 2021, Lidl Ireland reports it has already donated more than 80,000 units through the initiative between May and December of 2021.
The retailer has also donated thousands of sanitary products to The Simon Communities of Ireland to reach those who may not have access to a smartphone, and through its partners at the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA).
The retailer recently co-hosted an event entitled ‘Combatting Period Poverty with Dignity’ with Homeless Period Ireland to discuss the issue, chaired by TV presenter, Nadine Reid.
JP Scally, CEO of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, TV presenter and host of the virtual event, Nadine Reid and Claire Hunt, CEO of Homeless Period Ireland
Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to fi nancial constraints. National data regarding consistent poverty rates suggests that approximately 53,000 - 85,000 women and girls may be at risk of period poverty*.
There is signifi cant evidence of period poverty amongst certain high-risk groups, including those experiencing homelessness and/or active addiction. The latest research from an omnibus of 1,000 members of the public undertaken by iReach on behalf of Lidl shines a light on the challenges associated with period poverty in Ireland.
The research found that three in four people in Ireland believe that period products should be free to those experiencing period poverty.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin who previously brought a motion on period poverty in the Dail in 2019 on behalf of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, described period poverty as “a real issue for women in Ireland” which is having “a negative impact on their education, well-being and quality of life”.
Lidl said the group has never experienced a redemption like this for any in-store initiative.
“However, we realise that we all need to go so much further in eliminating period poverty in Ireland,” said JP Scally, CEO of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland. “We are committed to keeping the discussion front and centre as the legislation continues to be debated.” ■
*(Source: Period poverty in Ireland report, The Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, 2021)
