Spotlight On: The Kids Network

Children are our most valuable resource. They have the ability to bring about positive change in the world and should be inspired, encouraged, and supported in the early stages of life to help them develop into the strong, intelligent, successful individuals they have the potential to be.

And yet not every child gets this support. Despite the numerous challenges they face, from exam pressure and social email addiction to bullying, and gang grooming, many are unheard and overlooked, resulting in stress, depression, anxiety, and anger.

This is where the Kids Network comes in. The charity gives vulnerable young people the chance to pair up with an adult to provide some much-needed one-on-one time, to help build some crucial life skills, at a time in their life when they might be feeling extra pressure at school or home.

If you consider that 50% of mental health problems are established by the age of 14, you’ll see why the Kids Network is such a vital resource.

The Kids Network: Helping Kids Become the G.O.A.T.

The Kids Network is a London-based charity founded in 2016 by Sarah Woodcock.

A volunteer-led mentoring charity, it pairs young adults with children between the ages of eight and eleven to help build confidence and resilience, and improve their wellbeing.

The organisation has gone from strength to strength since its launch. With more than 600 volunteer mentors on board, it’s on track to exceed £900,000 in income. That’s an awful lot of jelly and ice cream right there.

Interested in helping with the fun-draising?

We’re working with the charity to help them fill a number of fundraising roles. So, if making a positive impact on the lives of underprivileged children sounds like your kind of cause, take a look at the vacancies and get in touch today! 

Challenge Events Fundraiser

• Salary: up to £35k per annum

• Permanent

• Full-time/Part-time

• Hybrid (home-based with trips around London)

Reporting directly to the Head of Income Generation (HoIG), you’ll be looking after the community fundraising and challenge events provision.

The role is perfect for someone with a solid background in challenge events fundraising, who is looking to move into a more strategic position. 

Community & Events Fundraiser

• Salary: £35-40k

• Permanent

• Full time/Part-time

• Hybrid (working between home and London office)

A new position within the organisation, reporting to the Head of Income Generation, you’ll be responsible for organising fun and engaging community events.This is the perfect role for an ambitious fundraiser with a strong track record of securing income from community fundraising and ‘challenge’ events for a high growth charity. 

Senior Trusts Fundraiser

• Salary: £40k per annum

• Permanent

• Full time

• Home and flexible working (travel to London required on occasion)

A key role reporting directly to the CEO, nurturing and developing the existing trust's portfolio.

There is scope to explore other funding opportunities, including local authority funding, statutory contracts, cryptocurrency, CILs, and more.

The role will suit an ambitious trust fundraiser with a strong track record of securing income.

Ready to apply?

Do these vacancies make you feel like a kid in a candy shop? Sweet! Give us a call to chat on 020 3750 3111 to discuss the roles further.

Why job titles aren't as important as you think

What’s in a job title really? It’s just words, isn’t it? Words that describe what you do for a living. It doesn’t really matter what the title is, right?

If that’s the case, why do so many people put so much stock in them?

A 2019 Quartz at Work article claims that millennials care so much about job titles that they’re willing to take a pay cut for them. Crazy, isn’t it?But why? Is it about establishing a particular level of authority in an organisation? A way to measure your self-worth? A means of validating your role to the outside world? Or to make your CV more appealing to hiring managers when applying for future opportunities?

All of the above are legitimate reasons for wanting a sexy-sounding job title. After all, our job title is a big part of our identity, considering how much of our lives we spend at work.

However, technological advances, cultural shifts and changing motivations are all contributing to a transformation in attitudes and the way in which we work. A trend that is sure to continue as we move towards the future of work.

With this in mind, we’re here to help you overcome your concerns and explain why job titles aren’t as important as you think in the charity sector.

Same job. Different name.

Job titles are not universal. Titles vary between organisations.

A Fundraising Coordinator working for one charity can undertake the same duties as a Fundraising Associate in another. Same job, different name.

Another example: you join a local non-profit as a Marketing Assistant, supporting the Marketing Manager with the promotion of fundraising campaigns and other marketing and communications-related activities.

A year later you apply for a new role with another organisation. The title of the role is Marketing Executive. You get the job, and your responsibilities are the same as in your previous role. Different charity, different name, but the same job.

Which sounds better? Assistant or Executive?

If the duties and the pay are the same, it doesn’t matter, does it?

This brings us to point number 2.

Job titles don’t pay the rent

What’s the point of a high-level job title if the salary doesn’t match it?

You wouldn’t want the job of Director of Finance without financial compensation equivalent to the level of responsibility. Unless you’re a millennial, of course!

What if, as Director of Finance you are on a lower salary than the Finance Manager working for another charity? Would you take the lesser-paid role for the sake of having the word ‘director’ on your CV?

That would be a mistake. Sure, money isn’t everything, but it’s more important than a job title. After all, your job title doesn’t put food on the table or pay your rent.

Also, a ‘Director’ may sound like a role that pays more than a manager, but that’s not always the case. Something to consider, right?

Incidentally, we’ll be talking about charity sector salaries in a future blog post. Keep an eye out!

The Devil’s in the Detail

What else is more important than the job title? The job description.

Do your duties match the title you’ve been given? Are you responsible for more than your job title suggests? Or is your title an inflated representation of your responsibilities?

The work you do within your role is much more valuable to your employer (and future employers) than the name given to your position.

Being labelled as a manager doesn’t equate to much if you don’t manage anyone.

Future opportunities will come as a result of what you know and what you’ve done before. A manager by name only doth not a manager make.

Horizontal over Vertical

Contrary to what you’d expect, moving higher up in the organisational structure doesn’t necessarily translate to a more rewarding career move.

The truth is, career opportunities in the charity sector are many, and sometimes a sidestep can be more beneficial than a step up the ladder.

When you move up, the increased responsibilities can be restrictive and halt professional growth, whereas a sideways shuffle into another area of fundraising can open up new opportunities for learning that make you a more well-rounded and valuable prospect to other employers.

Head of Communications and Engagement or Community and Events Fundraiser? Which one has the most potential for growth?

Something to think about if you’re looking for a new challenge.

Are you convinced?

What are your thoughts on job titles after reading this post? Have we convinced you that they aren’t as important as you think? Whatever your view on the subject, we have a variety of opportunities available if you’re looking for a new role in the fundraising sector. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out more.

The Positive Impacts of Remote Working After the Pandemic

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

The lives of hundreds of millions of people changed overnight. Many made the abrupt shift to working from home, others were furloughed, and millions more lost jobs.

Two years on, life is returning to some semblance of normal, but the way we work has changed forever. Pre-pandemic, working remotely was an opportunity available to a small percentage of the workforce, but now it is business as usual.

While a 100% WFH workforce may not be for every organisation, there are positive impacts in terms of cost saving, employee retention and productivity (to name a few) for those that do.

Let’s look at a few of them in more detail.

Improved Productivity

Some organisations believe that remote working leads to time-wasting and a lack of productivity, but a survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that remote working has increased productivity by 41% since COVID19.

Why? Firstly, the hours when an employee is most productive depends on their personality type and lifestyle. 9-5 doesn’t work for everyone. Remote working gives employees the ability to set their own schedules and work. And secondly, there are fewer distractions (no office chit-chat, and either fewer or more efficient meetings) so employees get more work done.

Cost Saving

Offering remote working saves money for employers (on office space, office supplies, utility bills and other facilities) and for staff, there are savings on commuting, child care costs, food and more.

Some employees can also take advantage of the tax relief available from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for working from home). See claim tax relief for your job expenses - working from home.

Employee Retention

The number one reason employees choose to work remotely is for a better work-life balance.

Employees have obligations outside of work (e.g., children, friends, hobbies, etc.) Supporting them in their personal lives will ultimately lead them to be more loyal and committed to your organisation – thus saving on recruitment costs.

Bigger Pool of Talent

When you do have to recruit, remote working can broaden your candidate pool. Not only can you reach the best talent anywhere in the country, but you can also tap into certain groups of the population you would not otherwise have been able to, such as working parents and those with caring responsibilities.

Better for the Environment

From a corporate social responsibility perspective, working from home has a positive impact on the environment. It reduces travel emissions from people’s commutes and negates the need to heat, cool, and light offices.

Conclusion

There’s an old-fashioned stigma in thinking your employees will escape their work tasks when working from home. But this couldn't be further from the truth, as remote workers tend to be more productive and engaged. So, if your charity is looking to save on operational costs, improve employee retention rates, streamline the recruitment process and increase productivity, consider giving remote work a chance.

If you need talented fundraisers to fill your WFH positions, contact Bamboo on 0203 750 3111.

AI-powered robot takes the bias out of recruitment

In a previous blog, we talked about how unconscious bias (the assumptions, attitudes, and stereotypes we have about other people, without realising it) can negatively affect the recruitment process.

Well, Swedish recruitment agency TNG may have come up with a solution.

Meet Tengai, the AI robot…

Since October 2019, the company has been using Tengai to conduct interviews in place of human recruiters.

Measuring 41cm tall and weighing 3.5kg the robotic head sits on top of a table across from the candidate. She then asks a series of questions.

To put candidates at ease, her voice and face are designed to mimic human inflections and expressions.

How does Tengai negate the problem of unconscious bias?

Unconscious biases include assumptions about someone's competence based on factors like gender, ethnicity, voice, education, or appearance.

They can also be a result of informal conversations before or after an interview.

For example, say a candidate mentions they’re mad about golf (a game you’re also passionate about), and you engage in a lively pre-interview discussion about it. Chances are, you’ll unconsciously favour the candidate, as a result of similarity bias.

Tengai doesn't engage in pre-interview chit-chat and isn’t subject to unconscious bias.

She poses questions in an identical tone, in the same order to each candidate.

After each interview, she generates text transcripts to help recruiters decide which candidates should move to the next stage of the process, based on the answers alone.

This is thought to create a fairer and more objective interview.

Tengai's makers hope that, at some point in the future, the robot will be able to 'decide' for itself whether a candidate should move to the next round of interviews.

You can see Tengai in action here.

The consensus

The feedback has been promising. Hiring managers have confirmed that Tengai has saved them time, provided a positive user experience for candidates, and has effectively assessed candidate’s personality traits and skills, without bias.

Will robots replace recruiters?

Ever since humans heard the phrase ‘artificial intelligence’, there’s been a fear that robots will take over the world, or at least our jobs.

Many industries have adopted AI automation, and it’s making a buzz in the recruitment industry.

Naturally, the rise in AI’s popularity has been leaving recruiters feeling uneasy. But is this fear founded? Will AI replace fundraising recruiters?

The short answer is no.

While AI can automate some tasks, many aspects of the recruitment process need a human touch.

For example:

• Personal Interaction: AI can make the recruitment process more efficient, data-driven, and augmented, but a robot can’t build a great rapport with candidates. And it can’t analyse soft skills.

• Persuasion: If a candidate is on the fence about a role, having a robot try to sell it to them is the equivalent of interacting with an automated customer service call - dull, tedious, and uninspiring.

  On the other hand, human recruiters have the ability to engage, inspire, and excite candidates with their knowledge and passion for a charity’s culture and benefits.

• Developing new processes: AI tech can be programmed to send out an email to request feedback on candidate’s experience. But it can’t take action on that feedback unless it’s programmed to do so.

In summary

Robots can assist in the recruitment process, but they’re no match for humans.

Rest assured, we at Bamboo are not robots and there’s nothing artificial about the way we work with our clients.

Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 to find out for yourself.

How to Hire an Apprentice

Have you ever considered hiring an apprentice? If not, it’s an option that’s worth thinking about.

An apprentice can support your fundraising efforts and make a positive contribution to your team but at a significantly reduced cost. What’s not to like about that?

You’ll also have the chance to nurture and support young people as they embark on their journey towards a career in the not-for-profit sector - and you’ll receive support from the government for the privilege. It’s a win-win!

Okay, so how do you hire an apprentice?

The process is different to traditional hiring, with T&Cs to consider. But fear not! We’re going to fill you in…

Apprenticeship? What’s that?

Apprenticeships combine work and academic study. They’re designed to help individuals aged 16 and over gain skills and knowledge within a specific industry or sector.

When hiring an apprentice, you must:

• Pay them at least the national minimum wage

• Have them work with experienced staff members

• Help them learn job-specific skills

• Allow time for study and training during the working week
  

Up to standard?

Apprenticeship standards outline how a specific apprenticeship will be delivered - namely, the duties your apprentice will perform and the skills they’ll need.

The government website provides a list of approved apprenticeship training courses with information such as:

• Level of qualification

• Typical duration

• Amount of funding available

Helpful, right?

Once you’ve chosen an apprenticeship from the options available (Fundraiser level 3, anyone?), you’ll need to find a training provider and an end-point assessment organisation to conduct the final assessment.

Next, it’s time to advertise your apprenticeship.

What should you put in your ad?

The ad must clearly state that the position is an apprenticeship and include relevant information, such as the length, the training on offer, and the organisation supplying the training.

Other than that, the usual job advertisement rules apply. Write and format your ad in line with your brand guidelines and post it on job boards and send it to recruitment agencies. Pretty straightforward really.

Onto the next task…

Candidate selection

Once you’ve received enough applications, it’s time to shortlist the candidates.

Bear in mind that many applicants will be school leavers with little experience in applying for jobs and writing CVs. So maybe cut them a little slack when judging their applications.

Once you’ve decided on the shortlisted candidates, you can move on to the interview stage.

Agree. Commit. Move forward!

As with any hiring campaign, there comes a time when a decision is made, and an individual is offered the vacancy.

At this point, you’re required to create an apprenticeship agreement, including details such as the start/end date, the qualification being worked towards, and the amount of training provided.

In addition, you, your apprentice and the training provider need to sign a commitment statement outlining the training schedule, what is expected from each of the stakeholders, and how queries or complaints can be resolved.

If you’d prefer not to create bespoke agreements and commitments, there are templates available.

Once completed, you’re ready to move onwards and upwards with your new apprentice.

Ready to hire an apprentice?

If you’re looking to recruit an apprentice for your fundraising organisation, we can help. Get in touch on 0203 750 3111 to get the process started.