Communication Counts

STARTING OUT

Angela: When we started the business I didnt want to be self-employed. Id previously worked as a primary school teacher, then a recruitment consultant, so Id been used to drawing a salary. To psychologically prop me up, John gave me a cheque at the end of each month.

He also gave me a good piece of advice, which was: Men just talk louder, which doesnt mean what they say is any more valuable. Knowing that gave me a lot of confidence in the early days. Johns still my mentor, the prov-ider of company strategy and the one who looks after the accounts. Its fortunate that he excels in the areas that leave me cold. I find dealing with money very dreary, Id much rather be in the midst of the office mayhem.

 

When we opened, no one in the market was offering any kind of career counselling for secretaries. These were women who could make a real difference to a company, yet they were treated as if they didnt matter. The majority of high-street agencies would send th-em for one job interview and if they didnt like it, tough. We send our candidates to at least five interviews and spend time discussing the pros and cons of each job.

The majority of employers want their secretaries to be efficient above anything else. Occa-sionally we get the odd quirky requirement, like the boss who only wants staff shorter than himself. If I know a good secretary who is 2 inches taller I tell her to sit down quickly. Being successful in this business is about being good at psychology.

SUCCESSFUL DEAL

John: I made a deal with Angela that if I set up the infrastructure and she did the recruitment, wed end up with a successful company. I planned to carry on with my own carpet-cleaning business and do her accounts on Saturdays, but within months I became totally immersed.

She quickly built up a reputation for getting it right first time. Shes very insightful, both with the client and the candidates. Shes also courageous, in that shes not frightened to ask for peoples time, no matter how important they are. She makes them sit down and say exactly what they want. Most English people arent developed when it comes to ambition. You can tell them they can be successful, show them how to do it, yet in the end they wont be bothered. Angelas one of those people who says: Yeah, Im going to do that, and gets on with it.

GROUND RULES

I couldnt imagine going home to a wife who asked about my day at the office, Id find it a real pain. I want her out there, doing things with me.The thing we have to be most careful about is communication. When you work together there is a tendency for laziness to creep in, not only between us, but with the staff. They assume that we discuss everything that happens at work.We rarely discuss business at home because a one-to-one meeting with Angela wouldnt be cost-effective.

Fiona Lafferty