How to make the most of hybrid working

In 2020, COVID-19 changed the way we work. The sudden switch to home working was abrupt and a lot of people struggled with the upheaval. Some people resented the isolation and lack of human contact, while others embraced the lack of commute and the money saved on it.

There are pros and cons to both, which is why an increasing number of companies are offering staff the option of ‘hybrid working’.

What is hybrid working?

In a nutshell, hybrid working is a mix of home and office working.

It’s a ‘best of both worlds’ approach that enables you to reap the benefits of both arrangements. And it’s gaining popularity in the UK, with 85% of employees telling the Office for National Statistics that they favour hybrid working.

If you’re one of the 85% and have accepted a role that incorporates hybrid working, how can you get the most out of it?

Here are a few tips to ensure you’re productive, wherever you are:

1. Plan your days

Do you do your best work when you’re alone? Or do you get distracted when there’s no one around to hold you to account? Does silence help you concentrate? Or do you like to bounce ideas off colleagues?

Knowing how you work best will help you plan your week, and work out what you need to do in the office versus what you do at home.

2. Keep a routine

If you get up at 8 am on the days you’re in the office, do the same when you’re working from home. You can turn your commute time into something a little more enjoyable. Maybe take some time for meditation or a cooked breakfast instead of inhaling a cereal bar as you run out the door.

Maintaining consistency will help you approach work with the same attitude, regardless of whether you’re in the office or sprawled on the couch.

3. Streamline your workspace

You’re setting up to work for the day, and the dreaded low-battery notification pops up on your screen. You go to plug your laptop in, but of course, you don’t have your charger… rookie mistake.

You don’t want to be unable to do the work you planned because you don’t have everything you need. Whether it’s having a charger in both locations or storing your to-do list in the cloud instead of your desk drawer, make sure both workstations are properly set up and you can access your work from both locations.

4. Stay connected

When you’re not seeing your colleagues every day, it’s easy to let work relationships fall by the wayside. But, not only are we more productive when we feel connected to people, we’re more passionate about our jobs.

Whether it’s a daily Zoom call or a team WhatsApp group, be sure to set time aside to check in with your colleagues.

Looking for a job in fundraising? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 

The pros and cons of cryptocurrency donations

The world of cryptocurrency is growing rapidly. But should your organisation adopt it as a method of receiving donations?

Before we can answer that question, let’s look at what cryptocurrency is.

The financial website eToro explains it as ‘a form of electronic money that exists online without any bank or government control, instead working on a peer-to-peer basis.’

A number of charities, such as Save the Children and Helping Households Under Great Stress (HHUGS), have started accepting cryptocurrency donations.

The benefits

1. It’s international

Donations made through cryptocurrencies can arrive from anywhere in the world. And they incur much lower fees than other forms of international currency. If a large chunk of your donor base is overseas, offering them the option to donate via cryptocurrency will ensure you receive a higher percentage of their money.

2. There’s potential for high-value donations

The Children’s Heart Unit Fund received over £100,000 in cryptocurrency donations in the course of a year, with a whopping £70,000 coming from just one donor.

3. It’s easy to set up

You don’t need to be a tech wizard to get set up. Fundsurfer has created an easy-to-follow guide, which you can view here.

The drawbacks

1. Its value is unstable

In an article for The Independent, the Vice President of Fidelity Charitable - an American organisation that helps people support charitie through investments – says, ‘you can have a situation where somebody donates cryptocurrency, and if we don’t sell it right away, it could lose 20% of its value in a day.’

2. It’s bad for the environment

The blockchains which cryptocurrencies rely on to function use a lot of non-renewable energy.

Bitcoin - the most popular cryptocurrency - uses more electricity to function than the entire country of Norway, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index.

The environmental impact turns some people off - particularly people invested in sustainability and environmental causes.

3. It’s hard to conduct due diligence

The UK Charity Commission advises charities to perform due diligence to avoid accepting donations of proceeds from criminal activities, but their advice doesn’t cover cryptocurrency - yet.

The Commission is figuring out how to deal with it, so it’s worth doing a comprehensive risk assessment before jumping in.

Looking for a cryptocurrency-savvy fundraiser to join your team? We can help. Call us on 0203 750 3111 to find out more.

How to tackle five tricky interview questions

You’ve negotiated the first hurdle and bagged an interview for a job you really want. Congratulations!

The next challenge is to figure out how to answer the questions, or more specifically, the tough questions.

Here’s how to dodge the curveballs and come out on top.

Let’s start with an age-old favourite.

1. Tell me about yourself

This one should be easy. After all, you know yourself, right? But this open-ended question throws a lot of people off. Where do you start? Your first job? High School? Birth?

Nailing this question starts with realising that the interviewer already knows your job history (thanks to your CV), so, reciting a monologue based on that isn’t going to win you any brownie points.

Instead, work out what the charity needs for the role and customise your answer to position yourself as the best person to fill that need.

Go through the job description and come up with anecdotes from your work life and personal life that highlight each skill. The aim is to bring out your relevant experience, transferable skills, and key achievements.

2. What’s your biggest weakness?

Everyone clams up over this one. And it’s no surprise. How can you showcase how amazing you are while admitting you’ve got flaws?

The first thing to know is we’re all flawed. The key is to show the interviewer you’re aware of yours and are proactive in addressing them.

Maybe you’re terrible at maths, but a Trust Fundraising role requires you to have ‘a good grasp of numbers’. You could say ‘I’m great with words and pride myself on writing good quality funding applications, but I’m not so strong with numbers. However, I’ve taken a couple of e-learning courses to improve my skills, and it’s paid off. ”

Bonus Tip: DO NOT respond to this question with a cliché like, "I tend to work too hard," or "I’m too much of a perfectionist." The interviewer will cringe and you’ll come across as insincere and lacking in self-awareness.

3. Why do you want to leave your current job?

If you’re not prepared for this one, it could backfire.

Whatever you do, don’t say you want to leave because you hate your boss, you don’t gel with your colleagues, or you’re stuck in a boring role.

Focus on the positives. List the things you enjoy about your current role and put a positive spin on moving on i.e., a new job can offer you career progression, and new challenges. Talk about the opportunity to move forward.

If you were fired from your last job, be honest. Explain the circumstances in a calm and rational way and talk about what you learned.

4. Give us an example of how you’ve demonstrated initiative

If you’re asked a competency-based question, the interviewer wants to know that you can take an idea and turn it into something tangible.

They’re looking for evidence that you’re a self-starter. i.e. you’re capable of coming up with new ideas and thinking creatively to solve problems.

For example, “Tell me about a time when you spotted an opportunity to improve something, made a plan, and carried it out”.

Maybe you came up with a unique fundraising idea at your last job and took the lead on it. Or you organised a charity event outside of work to raise money for a friend to fund expensive treatment.

Whatever example you use, be sure to say how the idea worked in practice and the results it had for your organisation (or your friend).

5. Tell me about a time you made a mistake

Here’s what NOT to say: “I was blamed for a mistake at work recently, but it wasn’t my fault …”

The employer doesn’t want a person on their team who makes excuses and blames others for their mistakes.

When asked about a time you failed or made a mistake, own up to it, acknowledge that you could have done something differently, and explain how you should have handled it.

Avoid talking about mistakes involving carelessness or lack of effort. It’s better to talk about a mistake you made because you were lacking in knowledge.

Final Word

Interviewers aren’t trying to catch you out, they just need to dig deep to ensure you’re the best person for the job.

Need some help with interview preparation? Call us on 020 3750 3111.

Pitch Perfect: How to write a cover letter that'll get you hired

Cover letters, along with interviews and presentations, are the most dreaded part of the job search.

Why? For several reasons:

• It’s difficult to summarise a career on one A4 page. Using words sparingly is hard intellectual work.

• It’s hard to know what to put in a cover letter. As with so many of life's practical issues, from owning a pet to parenting, there’s no rule book. We aren't taught ‘good cover letter technique’. It’s a case of trial and error, which can be stressful.

• The cover letter is the first impression a potential employer will have of us. Our egos are on the line. There’s a lot riding on getting it right.

However, the cover letter is an integral part of the recruitment process. A well-crafted one will showcase your skills and personality and let the hiring manager know you’ve done your due diligence on the position and the company. So, it pays to put some thought into it.

Here are a few tips to help you nail it.

1. Customise your cover letter for each job

It may be faster and easier to take the cover letter you wrote for your last application, change the company name, and fire it off. But this won’t do you any favours.

Your cover letter needs to explain why you’re excited about that specific role at that specific charity. Your application will get binned if you don’t.

Also, avoid the urge to send out generic cover letters. “Dear Hiring Manager, I am excited to apply to the open position at your company” is a clear signal to recruiters that you’re on a resume-bombing mission.

Bonus tip: Don’t use generic salutations like “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam. They’re archaic and impersonal. And did we mention that cover letters need to be customised?

Make the effort to find out the name of the hiring manager. If it’s not on the job ad, call the charity and find out. Your efforts will be appreciated.

2. Don’t regurgitate what’s on your CV

A common pitfall job seekers fall into is using their cover letter to regurgitate what’s on their CV. The point of a cover letter is to expand on your CV to paint a fuller picture of your accomplishments.

If you’re struggling to expand on the points in your CV, ask yourself these questions:

• What approach did you take to tackle the task?

• What details would you include if you were telling someone a (very short!) story about how you accomplished it?

3. Think not about what the charity can do for you ...

Another common cover letter mistake? Talking about how great the position would be for you and your career.

Hiring managers know this. What they want to know is what you can offer them.

Try to identify the charity’s pain points — the problems they need their new hire to solve. Then emphasise the skills and experience you have that make you the right person to solve them.

4. Don’t focus too heavily on your education

If you’re a student looking for your first job, or you’re lacking in experience, it may be tempting to focus heavily on your educational background in your cover letter. But bear in mind, what hiring managers care about is your work experience (and yes, that can be volunteering or internship experience as well as paid work), so be sure to highlight anything you’ve done that relates to the role you’re applying for - paid, or unpaid.

5. Don’t apologise for gaps in your experience

We’ll let you in on a secret. Very few people meet every single job requirement on a job spec. It’s tempting to say things like, “despite my limited experience as a manager…” or “while I may not have direct experience in fundraising…”

Don’t apologise. Instead of drawing attention to your weaknesses, emphasise your strengths and transferable skills. i.e. “I’m excited to translate my experience in [what you’ve done in the past] to a position that’s more [what you’re hoping to do next].”

Need some help crafting the perfect cover letter? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111.

The National Emergencies Trust offers charities a financial lifeline

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the third sector hard.

90% of charities were negatively impacted, according to the Charities Commission.

Charities dedicate their time and resources to helping others, but, in the wake of the pandemic, they’re the ones that need a helping hand.

Enter the National Emergencies Trust’s Local Action Fund.

What is it?

Essentially, it’s a pot of money available to charitable, voluntary, and community organisations that have encountered financial difficulties due to the pandemic.

To benefit, charities need to raise up to £10,000 through Crowdunder. The National Emergencies Trust (NET) will match whatever amount is raised.

The funding can be used in whatever way charities see fit.

Since the fund launched last September, more than 100 projects across the UK have been fundraising, and received over £250,000 from the fund.

Earlier this month, NET announced that there is still £747,000 available.

How does it work?

The fund is open to charities, constituted organisations, community interest companies, and other voluntary community organisations that fundraise through Crowdfunder UK.

To qualify for the matched donations, the crowdfunding campaign needs to have at least twenty-five unique supporters within a four-week period.

For every donation made, the fund will match it, up to a maximum value of £250.

Multiple donations from the same donor won’t be matched.

The total amount available for any organisation is £10,000.

Check out the t’s and c’s, and the full eligibility criteria here.

How do I apply?

To apply, set up a campaign on the Crowdfunder UK website. You’ll then be able to apply for funding through the Local Action Fund page.

Even if you don’t end up being selected, a crowdfunding page is a great way to elicit donations from your supporters. You’ve got nothing to lose and up to £10,000 to gain, so why not give it a try?

Charities, are you in need of fundraisers? Fundraisers, are you in need of work? As specialists in fundraising recruitment, we at Bamboo are well-placed to help. Call us on 0203 750 3111 to find out how.