When I joined Sewell Moorhouse just a few months ago, my remit was to further strengthen the secretarial recruitment division. Sewell Moorhouse has long been known for its strong reputation in recruiting in the local area and for the past two years, the secretarial offer has been going from strength to strength to strength.

For me – with 16 years in recruitment working at director level in the industry and always focusing on administrative and secretarial placements – it’s been nothing less than joyful to join a small and focused team whose values and ethos so closely match my own.

It’s got me thinking more and more about the importance of having a shared vision within a business.  The culture at Sewell Moorhouse is so positive that it makes everything so much easier at work.

I’m the first sceptic in line when it comes to marketing speak for the sake of it, but this is a company that seems to have got things right.  The staff have come up with the values.  The directors of the company have endorsed them and now publish them for clients and candidates:

 • Team spirit - being supportive and non judgemental. Treating each other with respect and having a manager who always helps. Having fun and loving being part of something special.
• Excellence - going above and beyond the call of duty. Doing the ordinary thingsextraordinarily well.
• Expertise - knowing the market and understanding people’s needs. Listening,advising and guiding.
• Service to our candidates and clients above all else - dealing honestly with them to secure their loyalty and trust. Never criticising, always caring. Delivering on our promises.
• Results - working hard and winning. 

Corny?  I don’t think so – everyone knows what they’ve signed up to and everyone’s happy to work within this framework.  Our clients love it because on the back of it – they receive excellent service.

I am regularly disappointed in the level of customer service I receive in work and in life and often find myself on my ‘service excellence soapbox’.  Yet why is this?  For years now we have worked in a society where competition is rife and so great service is surely a fantastic route to differentiation.  It’s a no-brainer; it leads to repeat business and good service is much less stressful to deliver than service mediocrity – in fact it’s emotionally gratifying!  So let me share with you some basic tips from our recruitment consultants: 

1. Get off to the right start
1. Take the initiative
2. Be positive
3. Make the client feel special
2. Go the extra mile
1. Listen and understand
2. Be helpful
3. Deal with the uniqueness of the situation
3. Anticipate problems – don’t wait for them to reach you
4. If you do enough things right, you will be forgiven for the things you do wrong