As technology evolves so do we and our new team is focused on understanding the cloud computing market and building a network of candidates and clients specific to this developing area of the industry. Charlie Rowland is leading this team and brings four years executive search experience and three years of networking knowledge. Over the last four months Charlie has been meeting key partners in the Cloud market and building an effective network. Charlie commented; “I am very excited about this area of Technology, in terms of the way Cloud services will impact how organisations do business- the flexibility, scalability and enablement of enhanced services”.

Richard Edwards, Divisional Director of expand, stated “So many of our clients have been exploring how to deploy Cloud services and this is a very natural extension of our reach in the Communications market. We are confident that we can now meet the demand for Cloud professionals with real understanding of the landscape.”

Our dedicated specialised approach allows us to understand this fast developing industry as it changes and effects business needs. As these changes happen around us the skill sets hiring managers require internally also change. Expand executive search – Cloud Services’ mission is to provide the best candidates to companies either offering or requiring cloud computing experience in-house across Europe.

With recent events, including stock market falls, the escalating sovereign debt crises, US credit rating downgrade and the near-stalling of growth in the developed world, we have been considering if the world’s fundamental economic changes are impacting employee motivations and subsequently their engagement with their employer.

If financial rewards are harder to come by, are personal drivers changing and what underpins employee engagement in this new world?

Employee engagement is a term used to describe a concept in which an employee is fully committed to and enthusiastic about their employer.  If financial rewards and hard cash are less prevalent what, in this new world, drives employee engagement?

Recognising that employee engagement is influenced by many factors, we started our research by looking at what benefits employees value over their salary. We polled 350 people and their responses were insightful.

We were surprised to learn that a significant majority (48%) of people value flexible working above any other benefit – which as a practice, creates limited  additional cost to a business.

Other responses favoured:

Flexible working suggests that people now seek a more rewarding work/life balance. Perhaps historically unpopular as a concept, flexible working can support the demands of the employer, particularly where virtual teams operate across different time zones.  Clearly this creates a new debate over leadership style, performance management challenges and possible degradation of culture and sense of ‘team’.

In looking at the comments, our poll also suggests that the importance of benefits changes according to life stage.  It was evident that those at earlier stages in their career, value training and professional development as a preference, especially if it leads to promotion or a new role.

What it is important to remember though is that the role remains important – One respondent said “I look for both money and a stimulating work environment.  Money and flexible working are fine but if you are bored rigid and hate every minute of your working day, then what’s the point?”

Although there are different preferences for genders, seniority level and even life stages, engaged employees are stimulated, challenged and enjoy benefits that need not directly cost an employer money.

We are keen to hear from clients who have looked at their employee engagement policy, with specific focus on benefits, or who have introduced a flexible working policy.

Bedgebury forest in the heart of Kent was the setting for expand’s much anticipated visit to the GoApe! outdoor centre.

Having beaten their Q2 targets, the team plus family members, prepared to tackle the tree-top challenge fuelled on by the knowledge that a ground level BBQ and celebratory drinks would be waiting at the other end.

Basked in glorious sunshine and after a thorough safety briefing, each member set off on a course that got progressively higher and more challenging at each stage.

With tree top crossings, zip wires and Tarzan swings, highlights were plentiful;

Aidan Walker tackling a tricky dual log crossing drew applause in scenes you might expect from the set of Cliffhanger and David White won the unofficial ‘Cleanest t-shirt at the end’ competition after delivering textbook landings from the zip wires dotted around the course.

As the BBQ kicked off, talk quickly turned to fears conquered, who had the most bruises and the inevitable post-event bragging;

“I definitely could have taken it higher” stated Richard Edwards, one of the few who’d successfully negotiated the tricky stirrup crossing.

With the adrenaline wearing off and the cold beers drained, the expand team made their way home for a well-deserved early night to be followed by the inevitable sore arms in the morning.

Refreshed and ready for another busy week in the expand office; thoughts have already turned to the next incentive knowing a combination of individual effort and team work can lead us to another one-off experience. Go karts anyone?

10 expand employees are exchanging shirts and ties for running shorts and trainers this September, to take part in the annual Chestnut Tree House 10k Coastal Run, raising vital funds for the only children’s hospice in Sussex.

MD Samantha will be joined by Danielle, Billy, Robin, Winnie, Tom, Aidan, Laura, Lee and Richard, and 600 other runners already registered for the 10k, as we run the route along Littlehampton seafront on Sunday 11 September.

Preparations are well underway for the event; some of us going on training runs in Hove Park and others choosing Brighton seafront to build up fitness and stamina. Samantha says ‘Running is new to most of us, but this seemed like a challenge that we could all achieve. I’m so proud of my team for the way they have pulled together and thrown themselves into the fundraising.’

‘At expand, we have always been active fundraisers, so this year we decided to put all of our efforts into helping one local charity. A member of our team, Billy, had visited Chestnut Tree House and was so inspired by the amazing work that went on there that we decided to commit to helping support life-limited children and their families. We have set ourselves a target of raising £1,000 for the 10k run, which we know will make a real difference to Chestnut Tree House.’

As well as taking part in the 10k Coastal Run, we are already planning other fundraising initiatives. To sponsor us, visit our page at www.justgiving.com/expandexecsearch

Event organiser, Leanne Willard from Chestnut Tree House, added: ‘We are thrilled that the team at expand has entered the 10k run this year. The event attracts lots of individual runners, both serious and beginners, but our corporate supporters are so important. Not only is it a great team building opportunity for them, we hope they will have a lot of fun too. We look forward to seeing them at the start line and will be cheering them on all the way to the finish.’

So support expand by donating a few pounds, coming to cheer us on or, if you are feeling fit, running alongside us!

Registration for the Chestnut Tree House 10k Coastal Run is open now. It starts at 9.30am on Littlehampton seafront and is open to anyone over 16 years old. It costs just £12 to enter in advance or £15 on the day. Register online at www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/events or call the Events Team on 01903 871817.

Expand Executive Search have continued to out-perform the overall recruitment market, posting revenue growth of over 23% in 2010. Managing Director of the executive search firm, Samantha Maxwell-Reed, explained her thoughts behind the companies continued growth: “…much of this growth was achieved through international assignments and new executive search projects – we worked very hard, but it was worth it.”

As a large number of organisations face their financial year end, Samantha remains optimistic and reflective that, although it will take longer for the economy as a whole to recover “…we currently have substantial and exciting opportunities within our clients markets”. As with any business bucking the recessionary trend, there is a high level of interest in capturing the secret of Expand’s success. Samantha is sure that the company’s experience, track record of achieving often challenging assignments alongside an excellent reputation within specialist markets is key. “International clients require real speed of delivery coupled with the confidence that our well researched shortlists will contain the most relevant, successful and interesting rising stars with which to grow their own business “she says.

“In a candidate rich market, executive search projects are steadily increasing – with clients receiving a deluge of CV’s for advertised roles, we are in a position to establish the best – not the first – candidate for each role.” Samantha comments. The cost of a failed appointment is now commonly understood and Expand’s clients appear to demand recruitment partners who understand their market, the overall recruitment landscape and can deliver a project based assignment effectively, within budget and the required timescale.

“As we enter the new financial year” says Samantha “we remain confident that our markets offer exciting opportunities, and that we will continue to enjoy recruiting in new geographies – Saudi Arabia, Argentina and Russia being new territories for us so far this year. We are very excited about 2011!”

expand is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Edwards as Business Manager. Richard brings 13 years experience of successfully delivering executive search projects for Communications clients across Europe.  Richard’s search career started in PSD. After seven years as a consultant within their Communications and Electronics division to become a joint founder of Nicholson in 2004. There he was  responsible for creating the Communications practice. He has now joined expand in a senior management capacity where we will benefit from his experience of growing a Global Communications practice.

When not at work, Richard enjoys spending time with his family and collecting 20^th century ceramics.

all smiles afterwards!

Some of the braver members of the expand recruitment team came down to earth with a bump recently, following an exciting sky dive from 12,000ft!

Robin Somerville, Andrew Selley and Billy Nixon, all based at the expand recruitment Brighton offices, were lucky enough to win a very special prize for achieving their targets for the previous month. The boys decided to choose a once in a lifetime experience to celebrate a great month, and all travelled to Headcorn Airfield in Kent to take part in their first ever tandem skydive jump.

“We were hoping for fog, rain or low cloud…anything that would lead to the jump being cancelled and sending us for an early pub lunch..!” joked Billy. “However, by the time we had been to our safety briefing and got kitted up, the sun was shining and there was hardly any wind – perfect jumping conditions!”

Despite some mild stress when the ground crew produced some weighing scales(!), everyone made the target weight and the expert team at the airfield led the intrepid trio of brave (and slightly scared!) consultants to the aircraft. They then climbed to 12,000ft before jumping, with a thrilling 45 seconds of freefall at 120mph, before an exciting four minute descent under the parachute canopy.

Robin, Andrew & Billy have all confirmed that they would love to do another skydive again soon, and each found the experience an exciting and thrilling way to celebrate a great month at expand recruitment.

The expand team recently completed a project to determine our key values. This was not a marketing exercise, to generate more rhetoric, we had a clear reason.

As a highly motivated and successful team, we understand what makes us come to work, how we like to operate and why. We are passionate to ensure we maintain our culture. Determining our Values- and then identifying them in new recruits was agreed as key. So what did we establish?

1. Commitment; we take responsibility to ensure we deliver an excellent service to our candidates and clients
2. Success; we enjoy the rewards that achievement brings, and relish acknowledgement for outstanding work
3. Ambition; we aim to consistently exceed our potential by being passionate, determined, by offering solutions and being experts in our field.
4. Collaboration; we work in a positive team environment – we are open, demonstrate respect and offer mutual support. We work with our candidates, clients and suppliers to achieve mutually beneficial results.
5. Integrity; we are forthright and honest. This is at the core of everything we do.

If you believe you share these values we would be interested in speaking to you about Career opportunities within expand. info@expandrerecruitment.com

Brighton based expand recruitment and sister company Grovelands Resourcing took to the saddle on Sunday 20^th June, raising £715 for the NSPCC.  Seven members of both companies donned green NSPCC t-shirts and rode alongside 27,000 cyclists over 54 miles from London to Brighton.

Setting off at 8.45am and intending to stick together, the team soon split due to the sheer number of cyclists.  Adam Benoy, despite stopping of for BBQ on the way, finished in a respectable 5 hours 15 minutes with the last of the saddle-sore group coming in just under 3 hours later. Adam said ““An excellent day! It was both challenging and rewarding and we we’re all very humbled by the public support along the way, very hard work but made all worth-while for a great cause”.
With nothing other than a few scrapes and the odd bruise to report, the team are back at work on Monday, tired but very proud of their achievement!

Both companies have a number of new fund raising ideas planned for the future and will definitely be taking part in the 2011 London to Brighton bike ride.

Successful recruitment company, Brighton based expand recruitment spread its new media wings by launching a short youtube movie to support its own recruitment drive.

Since going live 2 months ago the clip has created enormous interest and helped expand source 4 new team members. Response came from far and wide; London, Leeds and even The Netherlands.

Highly skilled individuals with backgrounds in executive search, are now on board adding to the dynamic and creative mix of expand’s growing team.

Founder and Director, Samantha Maxwell-Read said:

“We’re all fans of social networking and new media here with Broadcast and Digital Technology forming one of our core divisions that we provide executive search services for. Hence we felt launching our own youtube clip was a creative and innovate way to tell local and London based recruitment consultants all about us and our City.”

Life doesn’t get much better than working in Brighton, especially at this time of year. So expand maximized their key message and showed life in their stunning sea view office and asked members of the team to share their thoughts and experiences in the movie clip.

Many of the team have been with expand over the long term, a few since the beginning 10 years ago, which shows the company’s core essence of fun, stability and rewards really shines through and pays off. Check expand recruitment’s youtube story here – http://www.youtube.com/expandrecruitment